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EC Expenditure
Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will produce a table to show the total expenditure of the EC institutions, including their predecessors and components parts, in pound sterling for each of the last 10 years and for that forecast for the current year and that planned for the next five years and the percentage annual increase in real terms for each of those years.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 1 March 1994] : Administrative expenditure for each of the Community institutions and the percentage annual increase in real terms for the last 10 years are as follows :
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£ million
Administrative Expenditure of the Institutions (Commitments)
Institution |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commission |612 |664 |763 |846 |970 |1,049 |1,152 |1,293 |1,445 |1,734 |1,833
(percentage annual increase in real terms) |(1.5) |(8.5) |(4.9) |(10.2) |(3.6) |(4.7) |(6.7) |(6.0) |(14.9) |(2.2)
Parliament |177 |176 |224 |255 |287 |288 |322 |372 |445 |479 |503
(percentage annual increase in real terms) |(-7.2) |(20.3) |(7.8) |(8.1) |(-3.9) |(6.9) |(9.8) |(13.4) |(3.1) |(1.5)
Council |98 |116 |136 |145 |153 |176 |211 |264 |262 |272 |291
(percentage annual increase in real terms) |(10.2) |(11.0) |(1.0) |(1.6) |(10.0) |(14.6) |(18.4) |(-5.7) |(-0.7) |(3.4)
Court of Justice |23 |23 |29 |33 |37 |44 |50 |56 |63 |69 |72
(percentage annual increase in real terms) |(-3.3) |(15.7) |(9.7) |(7.1) |(13.4) |(8.5) |(6.6) |(6.5) |(5.0) |(2.0)
Court of Auditors |13 |14 |17 |19 |20 |21 |41 |25 |28 |30 |32
(percentage annual increase in real terms) |(-0.8) |(15.3) |(7.6) |(3.8) |(-0.7) |(83.9) |(-41.9) |(6.4) |(3.5) |(4.0)
Notes:
1984-1992 figures taken from the annual Statements on the European Community Budget. 1993 and 1994 figures taken from adopted budgets, as
amended.
All sterling figures converted at the rate of £1 = 1.3243 ecu, the rate notified in the Official Journal as prevailing on the last working day of last year
(31 December 1993).
The Community budget is established on an annual basis. However, ceilings for six main categories of expenditure were included in the financial perspective agreed by the European Council at Edinburgh in December 1992. This included an overall ceiling, in 1992 prices, on administrative expenditure, which is as follows :
Appropriations for commitments
Administration
|£ million |Percentage
|increase
--------------------------------------------
1995 |2,703 |-
1996 |2,786 |3.1
1997 |2,869 |3.0
1998 |2,907 |1.3
1999 |2,945 |1.3
Note: Converted at the rate of £1=1.3243
ecu, the rate notified in the
Official Journal as prevailing on the last
working day of last year
(31 December 1993).
ENVIRONMENT
Council Tax
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many proposals to amend council tax valuations have been received by each valuation office in England ; how many of these have been settled to date ; what percentage this represents of the total ; and what is the number and percentage of settled proposals which have involved an amendment to the original valuation banding.
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Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 17 February, Official Report, column 967.
Details of the percentage of settled proposals which have involved an amendment to the original valuation banding and those which have been withdrawn by the proposer are not collected centrally.
Peat
Mr. Kevin Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the membership of his Department's working group into peat and related matters and their occupations.
Mr. Baldry : The current membership of the working group into peat and related matters is as follows :
Mr. R. C. Mabey--DOE Minerals Division (Chairman)
Miss A. E. Ward--DOE Minerals Division
Dr. T. Simpson--DOE Minerals Division
Mr. R. Bunce--DOE Directorate of Rural Affairs
Mr. S. G. Fulton--Scottish Office Environment Department Mr. P. Samuel-- MAFF Land Use Planning Unit
Ms A. Corbishley--MAFF Horticulture Division
Dr. J. Blackman--MAFF Agricultural Development and Advisory Service
Mr. D. M. Ellis--Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Mr. S. Gorman--Cumbria County Council
Mr. S. Shorthose--Humberside County Council
Mr. R. Moon--Somerset County Council
Mr. D. Henderson-Howat--Forestry Authority
Mr. D. Stroud--Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Ms J. Heap--English Nature
Dr. B. Johnson--English Nature
Mr. R. Lindsay--Scottish Natural Heritage
Dr. M. Smith--Countryside Council for Wales
Mr. R. Woolmore--Countryside Commission
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Dr. B. Wheeler--Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldMr. R. Stockdale--Chairman, Peat Producers Association
Mr. R. Bond--Peat Producers Association
Mr. A. Robertson--Peat Producers Association
Mr. R. Sykes--DOE Minerals Division (Secretary)
Advertising
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, columns 733-34, what was the budgeted and actual cost of each public information campaign listed.
Mr. Baldry : Following is the information required :
Helping the Earth Begins at Home
The budget for this campaign is £6,383,520.65.
Actual contracts awarded to 25 February 1994 are £6,242,032.08. Rent to Mortgage
The budget for this campaign is £411,434.23.
Actual contracts awarded to 25 February 1994 are £408,543.18. These figures cover all TV, press and radio advertising costs and promotional items.
Chewing Gum
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the advice available and research undertaken into the removal of chewing gum from brick pedestrian precincts for local authorities.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has not issued any advice or undertaken any research into methods of removing chewing gum. This is a matter for local authorities in view of their responsibilities for street cleansing. I am aware, however, that Westminster city council is currently testing equipment aimed at dealing with this problem.
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Upper Limb Disorders
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from the Health and Safety Executive regarding work-related upper limb disorders in the construction industry.
Groundwork
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what suggestions have been made during his Department's internal review of Groundwork as to how links between Groundwork trusts and existing environmental charities could be improved with particular reference to funding arrangements.
Mr. Atkins : As part of the Department's internal review of its sponsorship of Groundwork, officials are currently carrying out consultations with a number of Groundwork's partners and customers, including environmental organisations. The present funding arrangements for Groundwork will be considered as part of the review.
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 732, if he will provide a breakdown of spending of the grant-in-aid given to the Groundwork Foundation for each year from 1988-89 to 1992-93 using the same categories as he used in his previous answer.
Mr. Atkins : The table shows the breakdown of spending of the grant- in-aid allocated to the Groundwork Foundation for each year from 1988-89 to 1992-93.
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|1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Foundation staffing and support costs |360,000 |418,350 |711,256 |1,261,503|1,544,950
Trusts' running costs |1,039,000|1,170,025|1,292,407|1,622,319|1,521,017
Projects |54,000 |70,000 |76,353 |390,721 |1,145,766
Computer systems |0 |0 |0 |283,772 |199,037
Training |0 |18,000 |37,790 |181,183 |272,230
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total grant allocation |1,453,000|1,676,375|2,117,806|3,739,498|4,683,000
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he determines that a proposed Groundwork trust will not adversely affect existing environmental charities in the area.
Mr. Atkins : The proposal for Groundwork trust is worked up by local people in partnership. A steering group is formed comprising members of the local authority, business community and voluntary organisations and community groups in the area. The Groundwork Foundation gives guidance to the steering group working up a proposal and seeks to ensure that the trust will work in partnership with, and complement the work of, existing environmental agencies.
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Groundwork trusts have paid money to other environmental charities to advance projects under Groundwork's remit.
Mr. Atkins : Yes. Groundwork trusts work in partnership with other environmental organisations and
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community groups in undertaking projects and will assist them in putting together the most appropriate funding package. Groundwork trusts may also themselves provide funding to assist other environmental groups.Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what limits he sets on the spending of a Groundwork trust.
Mr. Atkins : None. The Department makes a contribution to the running costs of Groundwork trusts. Trusts may also apply for relevant grants for projects in competition with other organisations.
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he gives to Groundwork trusts to help them avoid adversely affecting existing environmental charities.
Mr. Atkins : The Groundwork Foundation is responsible for managing the network of Groundwork trusts. One of the criteria the Department advises the foundation to adopt in considering the case for a new trust is that it will
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complement the work of existing local organisations. Once established, trusts are encouraged to work in collaboration with such organisations.Art (Merseyside)
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who appointed the members of the advisory group to which the Merseyside development corporation refers its public art initiatives ; and how often they meet.
Mr. Baldry : The advisory group which provides informal advice on the Merseyside development corporation public arts initiative is drawn from a wide range of arts organisations on Merseyside. Representatives from these organisations have been invited to join the group by Mrs. Paula Ridley, MDC board member and chairperson of the group. The group meets four times a year.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names of the advisory group to which the Merseyside development corporation refers its public art initiatives, their qualifications and place of birth.
Mr. Baldry : The membership of the advisory group on Merseyside development corporation's art initiative is drawn from Merseyside art institutions. It is an ad hoc body with no statutory responsibilities and as such my Department does not keep records of names, qualifications and places of birth.
Housing Capital Receipts
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what housing capital receipts are held by each London borough council as at 31 March 1993.
Mr. Baldry : Information on total usable capital receipts held at 31 March 1993 is given in the table. No comparable information is available for housing receipts alone, since local authorities are not required to account separately for such receipts.
|£ thousands
-----------------------------------------------
Barking and Dagenham |21,587
Barnet |22,428
Bexley |4,560
Brent |1,269
Bromley |30,230
Camden |2,060
City of London |20,220
Croydon |nil
Ealing |10,059
Enfield |13,274
Greenwich |nil
Hackney |17
Hammersmith and Fulham |1,317
Haringey |5,576
Harrow |17,221
Havering |7,450
Hillingdon |20,923
Hounslow |6,163
Islington |792
Kensington and Chelsea |2,486
Kingston upon Thames |1,960
Lambeth |804
Lewisham |2,200
Merton |nil
Newham |nil
Redbridge |8,372
Richmond upon Thames |14,631
Southwark |nil
Sutton |2,860
Tower Hamlets |4,194
Waltham Forest |4,077
Wandsworth |14,819
Westminster |22,787
Source: Local authority returns.
London Docklands Development Corporation
Ms Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what authority the London Docklands development corporation funds voluntary organisations for three years only.
Mr. Baldry : The London Docklands development corporation has delegated authority from the Department to take their own decisions about support for individual voluntary sector projects which are consistent with their regeneration objectives. The Department's own policy is that such grants should not normally exceed three years in the first instance.
Local Government Finance
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the financial reserves held by each London borough council as at 31 March 1993.
Mr. Baldry : The latest available information, as reported to the Department by the local authorities, is as follows :
Estimated General Fund reserves at 31 March
1993
|£ thousands
-----------------------------------------------
City of London |184,989
Camden |-146
Greenwich |1,583
Hackney |2,516
Hammersmith and Fulham |0
Islington |1,367
Kensington and Chelsea |12,401
Lambeth |-10,032
Lewisham |3,009
Southwark |7,225
Tower Hamlets |14,096
Wandsworth |32,064
Westminster |24,301
Barking and Dagenham |0
Barnet |14,835
Bexley |7,830
Brent |-1,235
Bromley |59,369
Croydon |29,939
Ealing |26,051
Enfield |16,084
Haringey |10,939
Harrow |21,242
Havering |15,387
Hillingdon |5,536
Hounslow |7,023
Kingston upon Thames |3,933
Merton |9,952
Newham |14,391
Redbridge |7,688
Richmond upon Thames |6,522
Sutton |7,982
Waltham Forest |6,726
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Local Government (Gloucestershire)
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a decision on the Commission's report on the future of local government in Gloucestershire.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply of Tuesday 1 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman), Official Report, column 643.
Senior Regional Director, London
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to appoint the senior regional director for London ; and what are the terms of reference and duties which he intends to give to that person.
Mr. Baldry : We hope to announce the appointment of the regional director for the Government office for London in the near future. The duties of the regional director will be those set out in my earlier reply to the hon. Gentleman, Official Report, 8 February, column 146.
Council Tenants
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost to local authorities of actions by council tenants under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the relevant predecessor legislation for each year since 1989.
Mr. Atkins : This information is not held centrally.
Hertsmere District Council
Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking over allegations of curruption and irregular property dealings in Hertsmere district council.
Mr. Baldry : This is not a matter for the Government. Allegations of corruption by local authorities should be made to the district auditor or the police for them to investigate.
New Towns
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contributions have been made by the Commission for New Towns towards promotional activities in each local authority convered by a former new town development corporation since 1988.
Mr. Baldry : The information is as follows :
Local authority area |Contribution
|£thousands
---------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89
Corby D.C. |100.0
Peterborough C.C. |80.5
West Lancashire D.C. |122.0
1989-90
Easington D.C. |5.0
Peterborough C.C. |169.0
Warrington B.C. |6.0
West Lancashire D.C. |100.0
1990-91
Easington D.C. |5.0
Halton B.C. |68.5
Peterborough C.C. |132.0
West Lancashire D.C. |50.0
1991-92
Halton B.C. |158.5
Peterborough C.C. |100.0
Warrington B.C. |75.0
West Lancashire D.C. |25.0
The Wrekin |76.5
1992-93
Halton B.C. |166.0
Milton Keynes B.C. |2,500.0
Peterborough C.C. |72.0
Warrington B.C. |75.0
West Lancashire D.C. |25.0
The Wrekin |170.0
1993-94
Halton B.C. |165.0
Milton Keynes B.C. |1,450.0
Peterborough C.C. |40.0
Warrington B.C. |75.0
West Lancashire D.C. |25.0
Local Government Commission
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters responding to the draft and final report of the Local Government Commission were not considered by the commission as they were ruled to have arrived after the deadline for representations in relation to the commission's proposals for Humberside ; in what circumstances letters sent in response to earlier consultations by the Local Government Commission in relation to Humberside were ignored after deadlines ; and if he will give a breakdown of letters received in terms of support for the various options put forward by the commission in response to both the draft and final report in relation to proposals for Humberside.
Mr. Baldry : This is a matter for the Local Government Commission and I have written to it today asking it to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Waste Shipments
Mr. Deva : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action is needed in the United Kingdom to implement Council regulation (EEC) No. 259/93, the waste shipments regulation.
Mr. Atkins : I announced on 7 February that the United Kingdom had ratified the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. The waste shipments regulation, which comes into operation on 6 May, provides the legal framework for implementing the obligations of the convention in the European Community.
Most of the regulation is directly applicable throughout the Community, but domestic regulations are required to give full effect to a number of provisions. The Government have just issued a draft statutory instrument for consultation, accompanied by a draft circular giving
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guidance on the implementation of the EC regulation in the United Kingdom. Copies of both documents have been deposited in the Library.Advertising Campaigns
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, columns 733-34, if he will place in the Library the results of market research relating to the advertising campaigns ; and how many coupon/telephone responses were received to each campaign in this financial year.
Mr. Baldry : My Department will place copies of market research relating to the "Helping the Earth Begins at Home" and
rent-to-mortgage campaigns in the House of Commons Library. Coupon/telephone responses for these campaigns in this financial year, to 25 February 1994, are :
Helping the Earth Begins at Home
Telephone--12,080
Coupon--19,520
Rent-to-mortgage
Telephone--7,486
Coupon--10,281
Public Appointments
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of public appointments made by his Department in 1993 were of women ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 28 February 1994] : Women accounted for 29 per cent. of all public appointments made by my Department in 1993 to non-departmental public bodies and nationalised industries.
Toxic Waste (Crime)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the plans for the National Criminal Intelligence Service to investigate the extent of organised crime within the toxic waste industry in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
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