House of Commons Hansard Debates for 22 Jul 1993

Mr. Freeman : Contractors' staff working on British Rail tracks receive the same thorough safety training as British Rail employees exposed to the same risks. Improving the safety of all personnel working on tracks is a strategic objective in British Rail's safety plan. The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate monitors the safety arrangements for railway employees and contractors.

Alcohol-related Offences

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances (a) EC nationals and (b) non-EC nationals may legally drive in the United Kingdom while banned from driving for alcohol-related offences in their own countries ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key : The removal of the right to drive in another member state or other non-EC country applies only in that jurisdiction. Drivers banned in other countries may drive here provided they are not banned in the United Kingdom. Work has recently started under European political co- operation in the judicial co-operation working group on criminal matters to explore the possibility of an agreement which would mean that a driver disqualified from driving in one member state would not be able to drive elsewhere in the Community.

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances persons banned from driving by British courts for alcohol- related offences may legally drive in other EC countries during the period of their suspension ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key : The jurisdiction of the British courts only applies to this country. Drivers banned here may legally drive elsewhere in the European Community.

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Peter and Michael Whiting

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the deaths of Peter and Michael Whiting at Ospringe bridge on 14 July.

Mr. Freeman : I much regret to report that at 14.45 on Wednesday 14 July two contractors were struck and killed by the 13.35 Victoria to Dover Western Docks train while working at Ospringe Road bridge, Faversham. The contractors were employed by Lowery of Ashford. Network SouthEast is conducting an internal inquiry into the accident. An inspecting officer from the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate also attended the scene and made inquiries. HSE will consider the findings of these investigations and decide whether any action is necessary.

British Rail

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) British Rail staff and (b) contractors' staff have been killed in the course of their duties in each of the past five years.

Mr. Freeman : The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate maintains records of railways accidents and casualties. However, its records do not differentiate between railway operator and contractors' staff, nor do they readily differentiate between railway operators.

Fatalities in respect of railway and contractors' staff for the latest available five-year period are :

WALES

Disabled Children

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement outlining the progress made to date by local authorities in Wales on maintaining registers of disabled children ; and when he expects the first registers to be completed.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : Two local authorities indicate that registers have been established. Two authorities hope to complete the register within six to nine months. Another is writing to parents seeking consent to inclusion of children's names on the register and cannot predict the date of completion. Three authorities plan inter-agency consultation later this year to establish unified registers.

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what research has been undertaken by his Department concerning the availability of locally based respite care facilities for children with disabilities in Wales.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : The range of local respite care services in Wales was identified in paragraphs 3.11-3.14 of

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the report of a survey undertaken by social services inspectorate, Wales in August 1991 on "Organisation of Services to Children with a Disability".

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the number of local authorities in Wales which (a) provide advice and counselling to children with disabilities and their parents, (b) prepare children with disabilities for independence, (c) provide respite care for children with disabilities and (d) provide full- time accommodation for children with disabilities.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : All authorities have indicated that they provide these services.

Organophosphate Poisoning

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the number of patients treated within hospitals in Wales for organophosphate poisoning by health authority area in each year since 1987.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : Based on information supplied by hospitals, the number of discharges and deaths of people treated as in-patients or day cases in NHS hospitals in Wales for toxic effects of organophosphate and carbamate for the years requested is given as follows :

Speech Therapists

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the ratio of schoolchildren aged between three and 19 years to speech therapists in each local education authority in Wales.

Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is not centrally available.

Respite Care

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the local authorities in Wales who provide respite care (a) within the context of planned packages of care, (b) as relief care only and (c) on an emergency basis.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : All local authorities in Wales arrange respite care as (a) planned packages of care, (b) relief care only and (c) on an emergency basis, and all identified respite care in different forms as part of their social care plans and within their plans under the mental handicap and mental illness strategies.

Village Halls

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide additional funds to assist village halls in Wales to implement the requirements of (a) the Children Act 1989 and (b) EC directives on hygiene.

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Sir Wyn Roberts : Financial support to village halls is available under a number of schemes, including the strategic development scheme, the capital grants to voluntary youth services, village halls and community centres programme, and the social grants scheme operated by the Development Board for Rural Wales. Expenditure incurred for the purposes of compliance with the Children Act and EC directives on food hygiene is eligible for consideration under these schemes ; and is funded from within existing provision.

Decisions on resources available under these schemes for 1994-95 have not yet been taken.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to introduce measures enabling patients awaiting hospital treatment to transfer from hospitals with longer waiting lists for that particular treatment, to hospitals with shorter waiting lists.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : General practitioners already have the ability to refer patients to hospitals, or consultants, with the shortest waiting lists. The waiting times information service and Health Line Wales have been established to provide patients and GPs with accurate and up-to-date information on waiting times.

The decision to refer a patient to a particular hospital or consultant depends upon many factors, however. These include not only the length of the waiting list but also the suitability of the treatment available and the patient's own wishes. Where appropriate, I hope that general practitioners will seek to pursue the shortest waiting lists for their patients.

Pensioners

Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons of pensionable age were revealed in the 1991 census in Wales.

Mr. Redwood : The 1991 census recorded 570,932 persons of pensionable age resident in Wales.

Secure Unit Report

Mr. Sweeney : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 8 July, Official Report, column 273, whether the consultant's report on the proposed new secure unit in south Wales has now been received ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : The joint Welsh Office and local authority working party has wholeheartedly adopted the feasibility report of its consultants, submitted to it at its meeting on 16 July. The report clearly recommended a site in west Glamorgan for the location of the proposed regional secure unit and it is now for that authority to consider the report before submitting a grant application to the Welsh Office. I very much hope that they come to an early decision to proceed so that work on the new unit can commence as quickly as possible.

Development Board for Rural Wales

Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to lay before Parliament regulations to govern the disposal of the housing stock owned by the Development Board for Rural Wales.

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Mr. Redwood : The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 empowers me to make regulations to govern the disposal of housing stock owned by the Development Board for Rural Wales. I have today laid such regulations before the House.

In December 1991, draft regulations for this purpose were subject to public consultation. In framing these proposals, due consideration was given to existing provisions for disposal of new town housing in England, but also to the fact that the board owns houses in four different local authority areas ; to the very sizeable proportion of the total social rented housing stock in Mid-Wales that the board's stock represents ; to matters of timing ; and to the likelihood of a continued role for the board in promoting development in its areas after the disposal of its housing stock.

Views were sought on the questions of the appropriate way to decide the outcome of any formal consultation, that is to say whether the outcome should reflect the majority view or the individual preference of all who vote.

All the responses to the public consultation have been carefully considered.

I have decided upon some changes to the draft regulations featured in that consultation, and to act upon certain comments through administrative means as and when appropriate.

A list of those who responded has been placed in the Library of the House. Most respondents who commented on the matter believed that the outcome of a formal consultation should reflect the majority view. Having considered this, I, too, am now persuaded by arguments that this will be appropriate in the mid-Wales context, will be simple, and will encourage serious prospective landlords to come forward, thus giving tenants the greatest choice reasonably possible. The regulations which I have laid before Parliament provide for this. I expect the disposal process to take approximately two years to complete and shall task the board to publish a proposed timetable. Under the regulations, the board's housing will be sold to social landlords--housing associations or local authorities--and will be available for social renting. Housing associations will be able to meet the price by borrowingnants' interests will be respected. Those who transfer to local authorities will remain secure tenants, benefiting from the rights described in my council tenants charter. Those who transfer to housing associations will become assured tenants, and benefit from the rights secured through the tenants guarantee issued by Housing for Wales. Existing tenants' right to buy will continue in each case.

The flexi-ownership scheme operated by the board will be discontinued. An earlier consultation on proposals to introduce a national rents-to- mortgages scheme for council tenants, sought views on whether it should extend to secure tenants who transfer to housing associations. Our conclusion in the light of the responses we received was that it should not, so the statutory scheme will apply only to tenants who transfer to local authorities.

I do not expect that all the board's stock will be disposed of to a single new landlord ; its geographical

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spread makes this unlikely. Terms of all disposals will be subject to negotiations between board and prospective new landlords. In the regulations, I have provided for tenants' views to be taken into account in drawing up the short-list of prospective landlords for each parcel of stock, and in deciding how the stock should be divided ; and, of course, for their collective wishes to decide the outcome of any contest between prospective landlords. I propose to provide funds for the tenants to receive professional advice throughout the process of disposal to underpin the exercise of their legal rights.

The development board will have the responsibility, under the regulations, to transact the business of disposal, but all disposals will be subject to my consent, as the statute requires.

Subsequent disposals of stock by a new landlord will also be subject to my consent, other than exempt disposals such as to a sitting tenant with the right to buy. My consent for a subsequent disposal will be given only if there is good reason for it. The board will remain able to promote mid- Wales development effectively after disposal of its housing. We shall continue to address requirements for new social housing in mid-Wales, primarily through Housing for Wales and locally active housing associations, whatever the outcome of the disposal process.

The provisions which I have laid before the House will ensure expeditious and appropriate disposal of the board's stock ; will secure tenants' interests, offer them the greatest choice reasonably possible, and respect their collective wishes ; and will permit continued effective promotion of mid-Wales development.

ENVIRONMENT

Composting Scheme, Kirklees

Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to monitor the composting scheme introduced by Kirklees council.

Mr. Baldry : The Kirklees scheme, which has been supported by my Department's supplementary credit approvals programme, is one of a number of imaginative composting schemes being run by local authorities and other organisations throughout the country. We are currently reviewing our programme of work on monitoring pilot recycling collection schemes. As part of this review, we will consider whether to include composting schemes such as the one introduced by Kirklees council.

Council Rents

Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the increase in average council rents between 1989-90 and 1993-94.

Mr. Baldry : The estimated average weekly unrebated rent for local authority dwellings in England in 1989-90 was £20.86 and the provisional figure for 1993-94 is £33.54, an increase of 61 per cent.

Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant

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Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities which have written to his Department in support of a new public inquiry into any proposed discharge authorisation associated with the development of THORP.

Mr. Yeo : The information which the hon. Member requests is not readily available. I assure him, however, that all the relevant correspondence has been read and considered and the views expressed will be taken into account in the deliberations of my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Disabled Facilities Grant

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to extend the scope of works covered by the disabled facilities grant.

Mr. Baldry : None. Disabled facilities grants are already available for a wide range of mandatory and discretionary adaptation works to benefit disabled people.

Outer-city Areas

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has commissioned or conducted into the specific problems encountered by outer-city areas.

Mr. Baldry : In managing its sizeable research effort the Department recognises the need to identify problems wherever they occur. Much of the research it commissions on housing renewal and urban regeneration as well as land use planning is relevant to the various problems encountered in outer-city areas. Individual studies are listed in the Department's annual newsletters, which are available in the House of Commons Library.

Organochlorines

Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been undertaken by his Department upon the effect of organochlorines on aquatic ecosystems.

Mr. Yeo : Organochlorines have an extremely wide diversity of forms and uses and many occur naturally. Environmental concern about their aquatic effects relates to those substances which might be particularly toxic, persistent or bioaccumulative, as reflected in lists I and II of EC directive 76/464 on dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment and in the new north-east Atlantic convention.

The Department has a programme of research directed at establishing environmental quality standards for priority substances of this nature where these have not been suitably researched within the EC programme of work. This includes consideration of a variety of organnochlorines. Reports of the research studies are widely available through the Department Library.

Housing (Disabled People)

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Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what instruction will be issued by his Department to local authorities to meet the housing needs of disabled people in their arrangements for community care.

Mr. Baldry : My Department and the Department of Health jointly issued guidance to English local authorities about their role under the community care arrangements in circular 10/92, "Housing and Community Care", on 24 September 1992. A copy of the circular is in the Library of the House.

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been undertaken to date by his Department resulting from the Ernst and Young research report into the housing needs of disabled people ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : The study of the housing needs of elderly and disabled people commissioned by the Department from Ernst and Young management consultants has now been completed and a series of reports on discrete elements of the project are being prepared. The intention is to publish a summary report later this year and provide the individual reports on request. It is also proposed to produce guidance to local housing authorities on methods for assessing the housing needs of elderly people and the comparative costs of different housing and housing with care options to meet their needs. My Department will also be publishing the findings from a separate but related study, to which Ernst and Young contributed, on the role of housing agency service in enabling disabled people to remain in the community or transfer out of institutions. It is planned to publish this report next month.

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources have been made available to local authorities towards meeting the housing needs of disabled people resulting from the implementation of community care.

Mr. Baldry : Community care in itself creates no new category of entitlement to housing and housing needs which are identified by community care planning and individual assessments should be considered alongside existing processess and local priorities. The resources available to authorities should allow the proper discharge of their responsibilities to all sections of the community.

City Grant

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those projects in the west midlands region that have received city grant funding in each year since 1988.

Mr. Baldry : The information requested is shown :

Building and Fire Advisory Committees

Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of meetings of the Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee and the Fire Advisory Panel.

Mr. Baldry : No. Both the Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee and the Fire Advisory Panel are appointed to advise my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on matters relating to the Building Regulations. Such advice is confidential, as are the minutes of their meetings recording the discussions leading to that advice.

Local Authority Housing

Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authority-owned houses were empty at the last date at which figures were available ; what information he has on the length of time they had been vacant ; what is his estimate of the rent forgone for each local authority during the last year for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Baldry : At 1 April 1992 the number of local authority owned properties in England that were empty and available for letting, either immediately or after minor works--that is, excluding dwellings awaiting major works or due to be sold or demolished--was 40,400, representing 1.1 per cent. of all local authority dwellings. The available information on the length of time these dwellings had been vacant is as follows :

The number of empty local authority dwellings available for letting, either immediately or after minor works fell substantially between April 1990, when it stood at 51,500--1.3 per cent. of all dwellings--and April 1992 as a result of improved management performance by local authorities.

Estimates are not compiled centrally of the rent forgone while dwellings are vacant.

Accessible Housing

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what instructions will be issued to housing departments' building control and planning authorities by his Department to clarify their relationships and respective responsibilities with regard to the provision of accessible housing.

Mr. Baldry : The Building Regulations Advisory Committee is currently studying the desirability and practicability of extending part M of the Building Regulations, covering access for disabled people, to cover dwellings. Once I have received that advice I will consider what further guidance is given to local authorities.

Local Authorities (Gas Supplies)

Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he holds as to how many local authorities in England now receive all or part of their gas supply from a supplier other than British Gas.

Mr. Baldry : None.

Councillors--Electors Ratio

Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines have been given to the Commission reviewing local government about the optimum councillor/elector ratio.

Mr. Baldry : None. The ratio of councillors to electors must be as nearly as possible the same in every electoral division or ward in an authority. Beyond that, it is a matter for the commission's judgment in each review area.

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Local Government Review, Durham

Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure the results of the MORI poll commissioned by the Local Government Commission in relation to Durham are published immediately upon completion of the poll.

Mr. Baldry : Decisions on publication are for MORI and the Local Government Commission.

Council Tax

Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for the environment (1) what is his latest estimate of the total number in each council tax band in England of (a) dwellings, (b) exempt dwellings, (c) chargeable dwellings that are subject to a disabled reduction, (d) diplomats dwellings, (e) chargeable dwellings entitled to a single discount for the purposes of council tax, (f) chargeable dwellings that are entitled to two discounts for the purposes of council tax and (g) total equivalent number of dwellings after discounts, exemptions, and disabled relief ;

(2) what is his latest estimate of the number of band D equivalents in each council tax band in England ;

(3) what is his latest estimate of the number of dwellings on the valuation list in England that were exempt in each class A to Q.

Mr. Gummer : The statistical returns from local authorities which contain the information requested are currently being processed. I will provide the information as soon as it is available.

Rent-a-room Scheme

Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many rooms have been let under the rent-a-room scheme ; and how many of these rooms have come into letting since the scheme began ; (2) if he will identify the cost of the rent-a-room scheme in its first year of operation ; and what the anticipated cost is for 1993-94.

Mr. Baldry : Information about the number of rooms let under the rent-a-room scheme can only be obtained from housing surveys. Information about the cost of the scheme can only be obtained from a special analysis of tax returns. Data are not available from either source yet.

There are no forecasts of the costs in either 1992-93 or 1993-94.

City Challenge

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many city challenge projects he has visited.

Mr. Baldry : Since he took up office, the Secretary of State has visited a number of city challenge projects. City challenge partnerships also receive regular visits from the sponsor Minister and other Ministers in this Department.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many city challenge authorities have now initiated exit strategies.

Mr. Baldry : Many city challenge partnerships have begun to plan their exit strategies. My Department will be issuing guidance on this in due course, and we expect partnerships to consider their strategies in the light of that.

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Social Housing

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the space and standard requirements for new social housing development schemes.

Mr. Baldry : There are no space requirements for new social housing development schemes. Other standards, which the Housing Corporation requires as a condition of grant or loan to housing associations, are set out in part 4 of the Housing Corporation's procedure guide. A copy of this guide has been placed in the Library.

Housing Corporation

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to respond to the recommendations made by the Environment Committee in its second report of Session 1992-93 on the Housing Corporation, HC 466.

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