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SCOTLAND
Family Mediation Service
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received the final report on a national family mediation service from the Planning, Industrial and Economic Development Advisers, and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend has received the final report on the feasibility of a national family mediation service from PIEDA plc. He is considering the report's
recommendations.
Agriculture
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will extend the completion date for integrated administration and control systems forms.
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Mr. Lang [holding answer 22 April 1993] : Council regulation (EEC) 3508/92 which establishes the integrated administration and control system throughout the EC, requires that the main IACS area aid application form be submitted in 1993 not later than 15 May. Ministers have no discretion to alter this clear legal requirement.
Paramedics
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 31 March, Official Report, columns 311-12, if he will (a) list the references which show that rapid response by skilled staff to a seriously ill patient enhances recovery and survival, (b) say when he expects to be able to publish the outcome of patients managed by Scottish ambulance paramedics, (c) compare outcomes of patients managed before and after the introduction of paramedics and (d) give the name of Scottish ambulance service's consultant medical director.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 26 April 1993] : The information requires detailed and lengthy explanations and my noble Friend the Minister of State is writing today to the hon. Member on this. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
ENVIRONMENT
Right to Buy
16. Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the number of houses sold under the right-to -buy scheme.
Sir George Young : Since its introduction in 1980, almost 1.5 million tenants in Great Britain have bought their homes under the right to buy. This amply demonstrates the popularity and success of the policy.
Dioxins (Derbyshire)
17. Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investigations were undertaken by his Department into dioxin levels and their potential sources in Staveley, Derbyshire between the samples taken from near Hall lane, Staveley, early in 1992 and samples taken from several areas on 23 February 1993 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : Samples were taken by HMIP in connection with dioxins in the Staveley area of Derbyshire on 18 February 1992, 3 September 1992, 4 February 1993 and 23 February 1993.
The samples taken were of herbage and soil and from deposits in a scrap metal melting plant at a local foundry. HMIP and MAFF are continuing their investigations into dioxin levels in this area.
Housing Market
19. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect the housing market package announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement has had on the housing market ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe).
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Water Companies (Capital Expenditure)
20. Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about Ofwat's monitoring activities relating to capital expenditure of the water companies.
Mr. Howard : The Director General of Water Services monitors the performance of the industry and publishes summary information for the industry annually. Investment is running at twice the level previously activated this century.
Council Tax
21. Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest information about the level of average household council tax bills.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have just given to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes).
30. Mr. Dickens : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average level of band C council tax charged by Labour- controlled local authorities.
Mr. Redwood : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) on 23 March 1993 to my hon. Friend the Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls).
National Parks
22. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the recommendations of the Edwards committee on the future of national parks.
Mr. Howard : Our policy statement on the national parks, published in January 1992, welcomed the general thrust of the report of the Edwards panel and the recommendations for the future of the national parks subsequently put to us by the Countryside Commission and the Countryside Council for Wales. The statement also promised legislation to restate national park purposes and to establish independent authorities for the eight national parks currently run as county council committees. We fully recognise the importance of this legislation and I have made it clear that it will be introduced at the earliest opportunity.
Public Bodies (Appointments)
23. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for how many appointments to public bodies he is responsible.
Mr. Howard : I am responsible for 988 appointments to 56 public bodies.
Caravan Sites Act 1968
24. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to reform the Caravan Sites Act 1968.
Mr. Baldry : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Sir C. Onslow) on 31 March 1993, Official Report, column 291.
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Standard Spending Assessments
25. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the formula for the calculation of standard spending assessments.
Mr. Robin Squire : We are currently reviewing standard spending assessments in consultation with local authority representatives to incorporate detailed information from the 1991 census into the SSA formulae.
We are taking this opportunity to reconsider more widely the current range of social factors used within SSAs and the weight placed upon them, the basis of the area cost adjustment, measures of population density and sparsity and the inclusion of day visitors. We are also prepared to consider representations about other aspects of SSAs.
River Pollution
26. Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken to reduce the release of red list substances into rivers.
Mr. Howard : The National Rivers Authority and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution are required, under the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 respectively, to regulate such discharges to rivers, which are subject to appropriate environmental quality standards.
Urban Policies
27. Mr. Purchase : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the effect of his urban policies.
Mr. Robin Squire : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham).
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
31. Sir Fergus Montgomery : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will extend the range of local services put out to compulsory competitive tendering.
Mr. Robin Squire : Yes. I refer to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington (Mr. Fishburn) on 19 April, Official Report, c. 42.
Local Authority Housebuilding
28. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest annual figures for local authority house building ; and what was the comparable figure for June 1979.
Mr. Baldry : It is estimated that local authorities completed 2,900 new dwellings in England during 1992. They completed 72,500 new dwellings during the 12 months to May 1979.
Housing associations are now the main providers of new social housing and the Housing Corporation estimates that an extra 80,000 homes will have been made available to new tenants during 1992-93.
Local Authorities (Recycling)
29. Mr. Robathan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made with local authority recycling plans.
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Mr. Howard : A total of 366 waste collection authorities have submitted recycling plans to my Department. Of those, 335 have been cleared by the Department as complying with the necessary statutory requirements.
Local Government Funding
32. Mr. Garnier : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make official visits to shire counties in the next month to discuss local government funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : I have no plans to visit any shire county councils during May. I will be meeting representatives of the shire counties at the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on two occasions later this year.
Energy Efficiency
33. Mr. Wicks : To ask the Secretary of Sficiency scheme provides grants to low-income households to undertake basic energy efficiency improvements and some £37.5 million is available for grants in 1993- 94.
We also provide substantial assistance for those on low income through local authorities' mainstream council housing repair and improvement programmes, as well as through the estate action and green house programmes. Authorities in England spent over £200 million in 1991-92 on energy efficiency improvements under these programmes.
The Energy Saving Trust has recently been formed as a private sector company to propose, develop and manage new programmes to promote the efficient use of energy in the domestic and small business sector. The trust will be taking an interest in the problems of low-income households.
Prestwich Hospital Site
34. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in relation to the planning inquiry at the Prestwich hospital site in Greater Manchester ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : Between the close of the inquiry and the issue, on 5 April, of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's decision on this planning appeal, seven letters were received from local residents confirming their opposition to the proposed development. Two of these were forwarded by the hon. Member for Bury, South (Mr. Sumberg). No representations have been received since the issue of the decision.
Rented Accommodation
35. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations have been made over the supply of affordable rented accommodation.
Sir George Young : The Department regularly receives a number of representations on the supply of rented accommodation, including in recent months a campaign by the Churches National Housing Coalition.
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Local Authority Debt
36. Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have no outstanding debt.
Mr. Redwood : On the latest available information, 18 local authorities in England were debt free for capital control purposes at 31 December 1992.
Water Supply (Disconnections)
37. Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have had their water supply disconnected in the current year, 1992 and 1991.
Mr. Howard : Water companies are obliged to report numbers of disconnections every six months to OFWAT's customer service committees. This information is collated and published by the Director General of Water Services in a press release twice a year. Figures for the six months to 31 March 1993 are not yet available, but in the six month period from 1 April to 30 September 1992 there were a total of 8,284 domestic disconnections. Domestic disconnections for the whole of 1991-92 and 1990-91 totalled 21,282 and 7,673 respectively.
River Wear (Pollution)
38. Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the National Rivers Authority and British Coal regarding the potential pollution of the River Wear likely to be caused by the cessation of pumping after the closure of Easington and Vane Tempest collieries.
Mr. Howard : I have not discussed this specific matter with the National Rivers Authority or British Coal. It is for British Coal in consultation with the NRA to assess any environmental effects of pit closures and what measures might need to be taken to avoid pollution. I understand that arrangements have been made between British Coal and the NRA for effective liaison over any proposed closures.
Empty Dwellings
Ms Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of dwellings in his Department's estate are empty ; and what proportion of local authority dwellings are empty and available for letting.
Mr. Baldry : At 1 April 1992 17,500 local authority properties which were empty as a result of management factors, 0.45 per cent. This compares to just seven empty properties, 7.4 per cent., as a result of management factors in my Department's estate at 1 April this year.
Council Tenants (Services)
Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to improve the quality of service council tenants receive from their councils.
Mr. Baldry : The extension of compulsory competitive tendering to housing management will improve the quality of service for council tenants and value for money.
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Local Government Finance
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the 10 local authorities with the highest level of debt.
Mr. Redwood : The 10 local authorities with the highest external debt at the end of 1991-92 were :
Birmingham
Manchester
Lambeth
Islington
Liverpool
Southwark
Camden
Leeds
Hackney
Sheffield
Housing Associations
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) MOD and (b) other Government Department's properties have been purchased by housing associations, through private treaty sales, under the Government's housing market package ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : According to provisional outturn figures from the Housing Corporation, housing associations in England have purchased 78 properties from the Ministry of Defence and none from any other Government Department under the housing market package announced by the Chancellor in his autumn statement.
Mr. William Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing association units have been purchased by housing associations under the housing market package announced in November 1992 in each local authority in Northamptonshire.
Mr. Baldry : According to provisional outturn figures from the Housing Corporation, housing association purchases in each of the local authority areas in Northamptonshire were as shown in the table.
A
Local Authority Area |Number of units
|purchased
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Corby |24
Daventry |45
East Northamptonshire |36
Kettering |78
Northampton |60
South Northamptonshire |17
Wellingborough |25
Local Government Reform
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reply to the letter, sent to him by the hon. Member for Linlithgow, on Monday 12 April, concerning local Government reform.
Mr. Robin Squire : My right hon. and learned Friend replied to the letter from the hon. Member today.
Fire Brigades
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision has been made in local authority standard spending assessments for 1993-94 in respect of fire brigades' pay ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Robin Squire : The Government expect the national joint council for local authorities' fire brigades to comply with Government policy on public sector pay in settling any pay increase for firefighters in 1993. The provision we have made within standard spending assessments for 1993-94 reflects this expectation.
Performance Targets
Mr. Booth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what performance targets have been set for the Ordnance Survey executive agency in the year 1993-94.
Mr. Baldry : The following performance targets have been set for Ordnance Survey in 1993-94 :
1. Recover at least 71 per cent. of the total costs incurred by the Agency.
2. Survey and map at the basic scales 780,000 units of change. 3. Increase by 39,000 the number of basic scale maps available in digital form.
4. Complete the implementation of the network of Ordnance Survey Superplan agents by 1 September 1993.
5. Despatch within six working days (including the day the order is received) 90 per cent. of orders for small scale maps.
6. Operate a telephone helpline service for customers between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm on working days, within 10 second response time within these hours and a telephone answering service at all other times. These are challenging targets which build upon the good performance of previous years and reflect Ordnance Survey's commitment to providing quality service to customers.
Footpath Closures
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public footpaths in the United Kingdom were closed under section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 ; how many proposals to extinguish a public footpath under section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
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in each year were referred to his Department for arbitration following protests from members of the public ; and how many of these resulted in (i) the footpath being closed and (ii) the footpath remaining open.Mr. Maclean : Details of the number of public path extinguishment orders made and confirmed under section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 are set out in the table. The information relates only to England and Wales as the provisions of the 1990 Act do not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
<
|<1>1991|<1>1992
------------------------------------------------------------
Confirmed by Authority |42 |35
Confirmed by Secretary of State |4 |1
Not confirmed by Secretary of State |1 |0
Outcome as yet unknown<2> |37 |69
<1> This information relates to the closure of both
footpaths and bridleways.
<2> These Orders have yet to be decided, or have been
deferred or abandoned.
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public footpaths in the United Kingdom were closed under paragraph 2A of schedule 6 to the Highways Act 1980 in each year since 1982 ; how many proposals to close public footpaths in the United Kingdom under paragraph 2A of schedule 6 to the Highways Act 1980 were referred to his Department for arbitration following protests from members of the public in each year since 1982 ; and how many of these resulted in (i) the footpath being closed and (ii) the footpath remaining open.
Mr. Maclean : Details of the number of public path extinguishment orders made and confirmed under section 118 of the Highways Act 1980 are set out in the table. The information relates only to England and Wales as the provisions of the 1980 Act do not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
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Section 118
|<1>1983|<1>1984|<1>1985|<1>1986|<1>1987|<1>1988|<1>1989|<1>1990|<1>1991|<1>1992|<1>1993
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Confirmed by Authority |66 |72 |103 |91 |79 |85 |72 |85 |79 |60 |1
Confirmed by Secretary of State |21 |25 |25 |22 |26 |23 |17 |33 |6 |0 |0
Not confirmed by Secretary of State |7 |10 |13 |8 |15 |8 |4 |10 |3 |0 |0
Outcome as yet unknown<2> |30 |5 |26 |13 |49 |34 |20 |46 |47 |85 |43
<1> This information relates to the closure of both footpaths and bridleways.
<2> These Orders have yet to be decided, or have been deferred or abandoned.
Sellafield
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the annual discharge of radioactivity from Sellafield since 1979 in terms of (a) solids, (b) aqueous and (c) airborne releases ; and if he will make a statement on the cumulative total of radioactivity currently stored in site at Sellafield.
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