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Mr. Hague : These costs are included within the main building contract for Quarry house. It is not therefore possible to provide a precise figure.
A hand-woven carpet, costing £14,410 excluding VAT, has been laid on a section of the ground floor of Quarry house as part of the Quarry house project's contribution to the "Percent For Art" initiative.
Medical Assessments
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that medical assessments at DSS instigation are made accessible to the client.
Mr. Scott : Copies are made available to the claimant on request and are always included in the papers sent to the claimant if there is an appeal.
Benefits (Voluntary Assistants)
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had from charitable bodies in respect of disqualification of voluntary assistants from unemployment, sickness and invalidity benefit.
Mr. Scott : We have received a number of written representations from charitable and other bodies representing voluntary workers. In addition, on 24 November last year my noble friend the Lord Henley met representatives of the National Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux and the Volunteer Centre UK when their concerns were discussed. On 28 April, I announced proposals to extend from 24 to 48 hours, the period during which people registered as unemployed are allowed to rearrange their voluntary activities should a job opportunity arise.
ENVIRONMENT
THORP
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the report submitted towards the end of 1992 by the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee on waste issues arising out of the proposed thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) pursuant to his answer of 7 June Official Report , column 108 , when he expects to reply to the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee's proposals on nuclear waste management from reprocessing at Sellafield ;
(2) pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report , column 769 , if he will publish the letter sent to him in October by the chairman of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee about radioactive waste arising from the reprocessing of foreign spent nuclear fuel at Sellafield.
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Mr. Yeo : Since 1976, contracts by British Nuclear Fuels plc--BNFL-- to reprocess overseas spent fuel have contained return of waste options. In 1986, the Government confirmed that it was their intention that the options should be exercised and waste returned. However, they indicated that the option of substituting an equivalent quantity, in radiological terms, of more highly radioactive wastes in place of wastes of lower radioactivity was worthy of study. British Nuclear Fuels plc has made proposals to implement the waste return options. These involve returning to each customer their allocation of vitrified high-level waste arisings, plus an additional quantity of vitrified HLW radiologically equivalent to the arisings of intermediate and low-level wastes which would be retained in the United Kingdom. British Nuclear Fuels plc has also made clear that its plans to operate the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield are not dependent on these proposals for substitution being agreed ; nor would it wish to proceed with substitution if there were environmental detriment to the United Kingdom. The Government consider it important that the basis on which substitution might proceed is sound. Accordingly, the views of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee were sought on the technical basis of BNFL's proposals, and in particular on their likely radiological and environmental impact for the United Kingdom. The committee has produced a first report on substitution, and I am placing a copy in the Library. However, there remain a number of technical points on which we require further information before the Government can draw any conclusions and the committee will be asked to carry out further work and submit further advice. The technical advice of the Committee will be taken into account by the Government in deciding whether BNFL should be allowed to proceed with waste substitution.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he made of the corporate plan of BNFL in considering the authorisation of radioactive discharge from THORP.
Sewage Sludge Incinerators
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sewage sludge incinerators have been approved for construction ; and what proportion of the funding of these incinerators will be borne by (a) the Exchequer and (b) the water companies.
Mr. Baldry : The construction of sewage sludge incinerators is not approved centrally. However, I understand from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution that 11 applications from water companies for authorisation of sewage sludge incinerators under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 have been, or are being, considered for approval.
None of the funding of any of these incinerators is borne by the Exchequer.
Litter
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what current steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities keep the streets free from litter.
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Mr. Yeo : A cleanliness survey carried out by the Tidy Britain Group last year, to measure the impact of the litter control measures introduced in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, showed an average 13 per cent. improvement in cleanliness in the sites surveyed. Most local authorities and other public bodies have responded positively to these new powers and duties with evident improvements to the local environment.
However, there are still too many places with serious litter problems and much work still needs to be done. We are committed to reviewing the operation of the litter provisions of the Environmental Protection Act and as part of this process my Department has recently announced its intention to reconvene the litter code of practice advisory group to examine proposals for improvements in this area.
Packaging
Mr. Robathan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to encourage a nationwide system for used packaging to be taken back by industry for reprocessing.
Mr. Yeo : The Government take the view that companies involved in placing packaging on the market should take a share of the responsibility for dealing with it after it has served its original purpose. We have therefore been conducting intensive discussions with a range of industries on how they might contribute to improved recycling rates. We are still considering how best to achieve this.
Ministerial Correspondence
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the basis for the forecast in part 3 of the report of the private office directorate in his departmental report MINIS 14, that in 1992-93 it is expected ministerial correspondence will reduce from 35,000 to 30,000 ; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for his Department's failure to meet its target to reply to 65 per cent. of letters within three weeks of receipt.
Mr. Gummer : The forecast fall in correspondence was for the calendar year 1992 in comparison with 1991 and was expected mainly as a result of the calling of a general election, which normally significantly reduces the period during which hon. Members forward correspondence to departmental Ministers. The final correspondence total for 1992 was just over 29,500.
The target of 65 per cent. reply within three weeks was an ambitious one as it represented a 20 per cent. improvement on 1991. In the event some 56 per cent. of my Department's Ministers' correspondence with hon. Members in 1992 was answered within three weeks of receipt. This represents an improvement of 4 per cent. over 1991, and I remain determined to continue progress towards the target of 65 per cent. in future years.
Natural Resource Accounting
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on work carried out by his Department in preparing its report on natural resource accounting.
Mr. Yeo : My Department are not preparing any such report.
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Environmental Evaluation
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been achieved in h Mr. Baldry : We are still preparing our guide to the use of economic instruments, and hope to publish it soon. We issued our guide to environmental appraisal at the end of 1991, and are currently looking at its effectiveness.
Council Tax
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in which European languages his Department's booklet on the council tax is available ; and what consideration was given to making it available in further such languages.
Mr. Tony Baldry : The information leaflets about the council tax produced by my Department are published in three European languages other than English--Welsh, Greek and Turkish--and nine other languages.
My Department's main aim in producing these leaflets has been to make the council tax easily understood. The final choice of languages was made in the light of consultation with the Central Office of Information.
Waste Management Papers
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the reasons for the postponement of publication of revisions of waste management papers.
Mr. Yeo : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean) to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 29 April at column 470. The delay to the regulations under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 has meant the postponement of a revised edition of waste management paper No. 4 which will give advice on licensing of waste management facilities under the Act and the postponement of waste management paper No. 26A which will give advice related to section 39 of the Act.
Water Metering
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the results of the national water metering trials.
Mr. Yeo : Two interim reports covering the installation phase of the national water metering trials were published by the water industry in 1989 and 1990. A final report covering other aspects of the trials will be published by the industry shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library.
Architects
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the responses he has received to (a) the consultation paper on the issues paper of the review of the Architects (Registration) Acts 1931- 1969 and (b) the Warne report ; and if he will make a statement.
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Sir George Young : The responses to the issues paper for the review of the Acts are available for inspection by appointment in the library of my Department. We have received many comments on the Warne report, but it is for those making the comments to decide whether to publish. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 2 February, at column 89 .
Homeless People (Lincoln's Inn Fields)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people sleeping out were removed from Lincoln's Inn Fields in March ; how many of these people have been found (a) hostel accommodation and (b) permanent accommodation ; how many are still living in their allocated accommodation ; and how many are receiving follow-up support.
Sir George Young : In November 1992, as a part of independent research into the Government's £96 million rough sleepers initiative-- RSI--a count was made of people sleeping rough in central London. Around 100 people were found sleeping in Lincoln's Inn Fields. The Department provided almost £100,000 under the RSI to fund a team of outreach and resettlement workers to assess the housing and care needs of people sleeping rough in the fields, and to ensure so far as was possible that both were met. The Department also provided funding for extra hostel places, to help people sleeping rough in the fields to have the greatest chance of starting a new life away from the streets.
The outreach and resettlement team contacted all those known to sleep in the fields and all were offered accommodation. They rehoused 91 people before the fields were fenced off by the London borough of Camden in March this year. Of those 91 people, 37 are currently in hostel or other temporary accommodation ; 34 are in permanent housing, provided either by LB Camden or through the RSI ; and 20 people have voluntarily left their accommodation, of whom eight are known to have returned to the streets. Resettlement support is availabe to all people who, in the opinion of the resettlement team, require it.
Sellafield
Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received the inspector's report following public consultation on the draft revised authorisations for the Sellafield site ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I received the inspectorates' report on 21 May. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I have been giving careful consideration to the report.
The inspectorates, in discharging their responsibilities under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, have addressed in their report the issues raised during the consultation process which relate to the environmental acceptability of radioactive discharges from the Sellafield site. Having carefully considered all the comments made by the respondents to this consultation, the inspectorates have concluded that no points of substance have been raised that should cause them to reconsider the terms of the draft authorisations, save for some minor
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amendments/corrections. In their judgment, the provisions of the draft authorisations would effectively protect human health, the safety of the food chain, and the environment generally.However a substantial number of the responses raised questions as to the justification for the operation of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant-- THORP--and therefore whether that part of the site's total discharges arising from this plant should be allowed. Other respondents expressed their support for THORP. These questions were not dealt with by the inspectorates because of the wider issues raised.
In these circumstances, my right hon. Friend and I propose that there should be a further round of consultation in which these questions can be considered. My officials are writing to British Nuclear Fuels plc seeking further information. I shall make their reply available for public comment, together with other material. My right hon. Friend and I do not propose to take final decisions on the exercise of our functions under the Act until after this further consultation.
Carbon Dioxide Conference
Mr. Clappison : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the report of the carbon dioxide conference held at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre on 7 May.
Mr. Yeo : I have today placed copies of the report in the Library.
Public Appointments
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently hold positions in each public body to which he makes appointments ; if he will make a statement on the considerations taken into account when making such appointments ; and if he will list details of the posts and salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 25 June 1993] : No central record is maintained of all the names, or of the occupations and current employers of members currently holding positions in the public bodies for which I am responsible.
Appointments are to a wide range of bodies and widely different qualities and experience may be required for different tasks. Some appointments call for relevant experience or expert knowledge of a specific subject or sector. Others require no particular specialist knowledge or experience. Interests, location and time commitments may also be relevant.
Information on salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992" has yet to be collated by my Department and could be provided now only at disproportionate cost.
PA Management Consultants
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the projects undertaken by PA Management Consultants for his Department in the last three years.
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Mr. Gummer [holding answer 15 June 1993] : The consultancy contracts awarded by my Department to PA Management Consultants over the last three years are as follows :
List of projects undertaken by PA management consultants for the DOE in the last three years
Provision of PSA (IT) Projects Board director
Systems development for the PSA IT operational system (CONQUEST) IT support for the PSA PROMIS 1 and 2 systems
Support in developing PSA Projects' marketing function and to marketing unit pre-sale
PSA--IT and marketing support
Performance of firms in rural areas
Improving links between MINIS, line management systems and job descriptions
Recruitment of inspectors for the Pollution Inspectorate Pollution control for pesticide production processes
Microbiological treatment of low level waste
Project management support to the RIMNET national radiological and nuclear emergency response system
Extension of contract competitive tendering in local government Computerising the assessment of future need for subsidised housing
Future needs for subsidised housing
High technology factory case study
Environmental management systems and the Building Research Establishment assessment method
Scientific staff recruitment in the Building Research Establishment
A review of computer security in the Building Research Establishment
Recruitment of casual statisticians
Studies of dishwashers and washing machines to provide information required to establish ECO-labelling criteria
Treatment of programme expenditure in departmental resource accounts
SCOTLAND
Timex
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates discussions were held between Timex and his Department with regard to the future of the plant in Dundee ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : There were numerous contacts in recent months between the Department and Timex management both here and in the United States of America, the latest of which was on the eve of the company's announcement on 15 June 1993 that its Dundee operation was to close.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance was (a) sought and (b) offered to Timex in recent discussions on the future of the plant in Dundee ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : I can confirm that the recent discussions between the Department and senior Timex management covered the scope which might have existed to assist in the continued development of the Dundee plant, had the company decided to retain its operation there. These discussions were wide- ranging, but as is the case with all such contacts with companies, subject to the constraints of commercial confidentiality.
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Environmental Policy
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his Department's policy on the purchase and use of (a) recycled paper, (b) low-energy light bulbs, (c) tropical hardwoods, (d) peat and (e) cars with catalytic converters.
Mr. Lang : The Scottish Office currently uses recycled paper for headed notepaper, office notices, envelopes and high-volume litho work. My staff monitor progress by manufacturers in this field and seek to extend the use of recycled paper when practicable. Low-energy light bulbs are used whenever that is feasible, and new energy-efficient fittings are installed as resources permit. Contracts for furniture and fittings specify that only woods from sustainable forests may be used in their manufacture. My Department does not purchase or use peat. Our policy is to replace petrol- burning engines with diesel across the full range of transport operations. All new vehicles are ordered with diesel engines wherever possible. Remaining petrol units operate on unleaded fuel and have catalytic converters fitted as standard equipment.
Woodlands
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance he is giving to develop the second wood of Caledon ; and if he will make a statement on progress to date.
Sir Hector Monro : [holding answer 18 June 1993 :] Special grants are available under the Forestry Commission's woodland grant scheme to encourage the creation of new native pinewoods and the regeneration and management of existing ones. Some 4,200 hectares of native pinewoods have been established under the scheme since 1989. The Forestry Commission also has a programme to restore and extend native pinewoods on its own estate. By the end of the decade it aims to have protected the 3,000 hectares of existing native pinewoods and extended them by creating regeneration zones of a further 3,000 hectares.
A Caledonian pinewood register is being compiled by the commission. When completed at the end of the year this will record details of all genetically sustainable pinewoods recognised as genuinely native and will provide the basis for future conservation work. Other recent developments by the commission in this area include the setting up of a native woodlands advisory panel to advise on ways of stimulating and encouraging initiatives intended to promote the establishment and management of native woodlands in the Highlands ; the appointment of two full-time advisers on native woodland silviculture ; and the launch of a Highland birchwoods initiative to restore and extend the birchwoods and to promote their sustainable management for timber production and conservation.
Forestry Commission
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are directly employed by the Forestry Commission in each region and in total.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 22 June 1993] : The Forestry Commission does not maintain records of its staff numbers by local authority regions, and this information
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could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The commission directly employs 2,095 staff in Scotland, of whom 364 work in its headquarters office in Edinburgh.Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current value of the assets of the Forestry Commission.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 22 June 1993] : The latest valuation of the Forestry Commission's assets, as published in its annual report for the year ended 31 March 1992, was £2,949.5 million.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the accounted value of the assets of the Forestry Commission ; and what advice he has received as to the current price obtainable on the market for these assets.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 23 June 1993] : The latest valuation of the Forestry Commission's assets, as published in its annual report for the year ended 31 March 1992, was £2,949.5 million. This included plantations--£2,787.9 million--and other assets--net value £161.6 million. The value of the plantations was calculated from the expected future value of the wood production at the time of felling, less the management costs, discounted at the commission's target rate of return of 3 per cent. The market value of the plantations was estimated to be £1,700 million.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the various objections which can prevent public access to land sold by the Forestry Commission under the arrangements made in October 1991.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 22 June 1993] : The arrangements under which the Forestry Commission offers to enter into access agreements with local authorities in respect of woodlands to be sold cannot apply in the following circumstances :
sales arising from the exercise of reserved powers in the commission's title, such as a landlord's right to resume possession of a leased area ;
sales to former owners under the Government's offer-back (Crichel Down) procedures ;
sales for public purposes such as highway improvements ; sales involving a change in land use for which planning permission has been granted ; and
boundary adjustments which have no impact on public access. Some Forestry Commission woodlands are also subject to rights and interests held by third parties which could affect public access. In such cases, the completion of an access agreement with the local authority would be subject to the third party's acceptance. In addition, where the title to a woodland being sold contains reserved rights--to the working of minerals, for example--any agreement would be made subject to the exercise of those rights.
Drugs and Alcohol
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many health education professionals are advising on drugs and alcohol who are in touch with Scottish schools (a) currently and (b) for each year since 1988.
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