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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 28 March 1994

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Case Procedure Reform

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Lord Chancellor is taking to reform the procedures for handling cases in the High Court and the county courts.

Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor has asked Lord Woolf to examine the procedures used in the civil courts. Lord Woolf will aim to improve access to justice and reduce the cost of litigation. He will also seek to reduce complexity and modernise terminology.


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Legal Aid

Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the desirability of availability of legal aid for disputes between groups of pensioners and their pension funds ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor : The Government have no plans to make legal aid available for groups, but civil legal aid is available to individuals pursuing most types of action through the civil courts of England and Wales subject to tests as to their means and the merits of their case.

Civil Servants

Ms Armstrong : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department the number of (a) male and (b) female, (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees.

Mr. John M. Taylor : Details of the number of staff in each civil service grade by (a) male and (b) female, and by (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees are set out in the tables.


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List of male and female staff, part-time and full-time in the Lord         

Chancellor's Department as at 24 March 1994                                

Grade                    |Male     |Male     |Female   |Female             

                         |full-time|part-time|full-time|part-time          

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grade 1                  |1        |0        |0        |0                  

Grade 2                  |2        |0        |0        |0                  

Grade 3                  |8        |0        |1        |0                  

Grade 4                  |5        |0        |0        |0                  

Grade 5                  |16       |0        |3        |0                  

Grade 5 sol              |11       |0        |1        |2                  

Grade 6 senior principal |28       |0        |8        |0                  

Grade 6 legal            |23       |1        |7        |4                  

DP registrar             |11       |0        |0        |0                  

Senior legal assistant   |6        |0        |1        |1                  

Grade 7 principal        |109      |0        |45       |2                  

Grade 7 legal            |20       |0        |26       |6                  

Legal assistant          |2        |0        |0        |0                  

Legal officer            |0        |0        |2        |0                  

SEO                      |211      |3        |110      |3                  

                         |--       |--       |--       |--                 

Total                    |453      |4        |204      |18                 


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List of male and female staff, part-time and full-time in the Lord Chancellor's 

Department as at 24 March 1994                                                  

Grade                         |Male     |Male     |Female   |Female             

                              |full-time|part-time|full-time|part-time          

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Senior assistant stats        |2        |0        |0        |0                  

Senior information officer    |1        |0        |0        |0                  

HEO                           |506      |3        |508      |44                 

Information officer           |1        |0        |1        |0                  

Assistant stats               |1        |0        |0        |0                  

Chief typing manager          |0        |0        |3        |0                  

Librarian                     |4        |0        |4        |0                  

HEO D                         |3        |0        |5        |0                  

Admin trainee                 |4        |0        |1        |0                  

EO                            |700      |7        |1,180    |162                

Assistant information officer |0        |0        |1        |0                  

Senior personal secretary     |0        |0        |15       |0                  

Typing manager                |0        |0        |33       |0                  

Assistant librarian           |0        |0        |8        |0                  

                              |-------  |-------  |-------  |-------            

Total                         |1,222    |10       |1,759    |206                


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List of male and female staff, part-time and full-time in the Lord   

Chancellor's Department as at 24 March 1994                          

Grade              |Male     |Male     |Female   |Female             

                   |full-time|part-time|full-time|part-time          

---------------------------------------------------------------------

SM2                |5        |0        |0        |0                  

SM3                |9        |0        |22       |0                  

AO                 |1,023    |19       |2,719    |667                

Personal secretary |0        |0        |61       |8                  

Interpreter        |0        |0        |2        |0                  

AA                 |180      |7        |363      |94                 

SGB 1              |57       |0        |72       |18                 

SGB 2              |453      |123      |434      |415                

Typist             |1        |0        |437      |301                

                   |-------  |-------  |-------  |-------            

Total              |1,728    |149      |4,110    |1,503              

Council Tax

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidelines he has issued in relation to the council tax liability for those domestic staff required to live in at judges' lodgings ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor : Those staff required to live in at judges' lodgings are, as a condition of their employment, subject to a service licence and are required to pay rent. As resident licensees, they are consequently liable to pay the council tax, based on an assessment of the accommodation which they occupy. The staff concerned have been advised of the position.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Isle of Man

Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of state for National Heritage when he last met the Minister of Tourism of the Isle of Man with a view to the co-promotion of the island's heritage, Celtic traditions and recreational facilities in north America and the Pacific rim.

Mr. Sproat : Neither I nor my right hon. Friend have met the Minister of Tourism of the Isle of Man to discuss the promotion of the island's attractions abroad. The British Tourist Authority has no obligation under the 1969 Development of Tourism Act to represent the Isle of Man. However, it does offer representational services and I understand that it is currently in discussion about new proposals to represent the Isle of Man in certain overseas markets.

Quangos

Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible ; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years ; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango ; and what it was five years ago.

Mr. Sproat : This information is available in "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library of the House.


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Rules and Regulations

Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of state for National Heritage how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

Mr. Sproat : My Department was established in April 1992. Between then and the year end, it passed four regulations. In 1993, it passed 34 regulations and so far in 1994 it has passed six regulations.

Sports Facilities

Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has had with the Central Council of Physical Recreation concerning the loss of sports facilities and planning legislation as it relates to sports sites.

Mr. Brooke : My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary had discussions with representatives of the Central Council of Physical Recreation, on 2 March, to discuss a number of sports issues, including briefly the national register of recreational land.

TRANSPORT

Executive Agencies

Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further progress he has made in transferring the executive functions of his Department to agency status ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. MacGregor : I am establishing three further executive agencies in my Department with effect from 1 April : the Highways Agency, the Coastguard Agency and the Marine Safety Agency. I have set clear aims and objectives for each of the agencies and I am placing clear responsibility for the management of the agencies on their chief executives. I will look to the chief executives for improvements in efficiency and effectiveness and in the quality of the services the agencies provide. The aims and objectives of each agency and the chief executives' reponsibilities are set out in the agencies' framework documents ; copies of which will be placed in the Library when published.

Each year, I shall set these agencies demanding efficiency and service targets, which will be published in annual business plans. The agencies will also publish annual reports ; again, copies of these, and the business plans for 1994-95, will be placed in the Library.

The Highways Agency has some 2,400 staff, and has a headquarters office in London. The agency will be


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responsible for managing and maintaining the existing motorway and trunk road network in England and for delivering the Government's road programme. I believe that the increased focus on managing the network as a whole, which is reflected in the agency's aim and objectives and in the targets in the road users charter and charter standard statement--"Your Home and Trunk Road Proposals"--which I will publish shortly, will result in a better quality of service for users of the trunk road network and those who are affected by traffic on it and improvements to it. Following an open competition, I have appointed Mrs. Lawrie Haynes, formerly with British Aerospace, to be the agency's first chief executive.

The Coastguard Agency has some 580 staff, the large majority of whom are uniformed coastguard officers, and has its headquarters in Southampton. The agency will be responsible for discharging the Government's responsibilities for civil maritime search and rescue and combating oil and chemical pollution from ships where there is a threat to United Kingdom interests. Following an open competition, I have appointed Mr. Chris Harris, formerly director of the Department's marine emergencies organisation, to be the agency's first chief executive.

The Marine Safety Agency has some 410 staff, and has its headquarters in Southampton. The agency will be responsible for implementing the Government's strategy for marine safety and the prevention of pollution from ships. Following an open competition, I have appointed Mr. Robin Bradley, formerly a serving Royal Navy officer, to be the agency's first chief executive.

I wish the chief executives and their staffs every success for the future. I am confident that these new arrangements will enable them to provide yet further improvements in the services they provide while giving better value for money.

Where right hon. or hon. Members have queries about matters relating to the operation of the agencies, I hope they will write in the first instance to the chief executives, I and my hon. Friends the Ministers for Roads and Traffic and for Transport in London and my noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping will continue to deal with questions of policy and resources, or where there is dissatisfaction with an agency's reply.

Isle of Man

Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Minister for Transport of the Isle of Man to discuss transport links and matters of common interest ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. MacGregor : I have not met the Isle of Man Minister for Transport. However, my noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping met the hon. David North MHK, Isle of Man Minister for Highways, Ports and Properties, on 2 March to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Rail Costs

Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of additional costs in overall rail subsidy which will be necessary to pay for consultants and to cover additional administration arising out of rail franchising.

Mr. Freeman : It is not possible to separate the costs specifically associated with franchising from the overall


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cost of restructuring the railway industry. Although there will be some additional administration costs arising from the restructuring of the railway in April, we believe that, over time, these will be more than offset by the efficiency savings privatisation will bring.

Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his estimate of the financial effects of rail franchising of the services subsidised by passenger transport authorities or executives on routes where track is shared with InterCity or Regional Railways where charges are currently made only for marginal costs ; and what is his estimate of the financial effects on such services of the requirement to pay a proportionate share of administration costs ;

(2) what effect changes in charging procedure as a result of rail franchising will have in respect of subsidies for services subsidised by passenger transport authorities or executives ; and if he will make a statement ;

(3) what is his estimate of the percentage increases in passenger transport executive Railtrack access charges for 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97, compared to the present charges for each executive.

Mr. Freeman : It is not possible to draw a direct comparison between the various elements of the charges currently paid by the passenger transport executives to BR under their section 20 agreements, under which the PTEs have paid the net marginal cost of their services to BR, and the charges that will apply under the new regime, under which PTE services will carry an appropriate share of infrastructure charges and central overheads. From April 1994 the PTEs will be treated on the same basis as the franchising director, paying subsidy to the company operating their services, which will in turn need to pay access charges to Railtrack.

We expect the headline cost to PTEs of maintaining existing service levels to increase under the new regime, but we have undertaken to cover the increased cost in 1994-95 by making special grant payments to them, and, thereafter, to enhance the provision made in the section 20 bolt-on for their constituent metropolitan district councils.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the channel tunnel rail link route, that he announced in his statement of 24 January, Official Report, columns 19-34, will be in tunnel.

Mr. Freeman : About 23 per cent. of the 108 km route of the new channel tunnel rail link route announced in January will be in tunnel, although final decisions on the route at Pepper Hill and Ashford may affect this figure.

Rail Fares

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the most recent available comparisons of rail fares per mile or kilometre throughout the EEC and non-EEC European countries.

Mr. Freeman : Comparative data of the kind requested are not available to the Department.


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Heavy Goods Vehicles

Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statistics his Department has for each of the last four years on the number of accidents involving heavy goods vehicles where the operator of the heavy goods vehicle is found not to hold a heavy goods vehicle operator licence.

Mr. Key : The information necessary to provide the statistics requested is not at present collected ; consideration is being given to how these statistics might be collected in the future following a meeting with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards last December.

Personal injury road accident data are collected by the police and reported to the Department : those accidents involving heavy goods vehicles where the operator does not hold an operator's licence are not at present distinguished from those where such a licence is held by the operator. The Department is pursuing with the Association of Chief Police Officers and individual police forces how more precise statistics might be provided.

Ministerial Receptions

Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993-94.

Mr. MacGregor : The cost of receptions held by Ministers in this Department in 1993-94 was £3,038.21.

Stansted Airport

Mr. Kenneth Baker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at what date it is forecast that Stansted airport will be operating at full capacity as indicated by the new air traffic forecasts recently published by his Department ; and what assessment he has made of the effect on this of doubling the air passenger duty in real terms.

Mr. Norris : The air traffic forecasts published by the Department of Transport provide aggregate forecasts for the London airports, and regional airports. They do not provide forecasts for individual airports. The forecasts of the working group on runway capacity to serve the south- east--RUCATSE--indicated that Stansted would reach capacity around 2015 ; this would require an increase in the air traffic movement limit from its present level of 78,000 movements. No assessment has been made of the effect of doubling the air passenger duty.

New Car Registrations

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of new car registrations for each of the last eight quarters for (a) Doncaster and (b) South Yorkshire ; and what were the comparable figures for (i) five and (ii) 10 years ago.

Mr. Key : The requested information for 1993, 1992 and 1988 is given. Comparable figures for these two areas for the year 1983 are not available.


New registrations                           

                |1993  |1992  |1988         

--------------------------------------------

Doncaster                                   

Quarter 1       |3,915 |3,313 |5,475        

Quarter 2       |3,104 |2,924 |4,610        

Quarter 3       |6,206 |5,211 |7,220        

Quarter 4       |2,628 |2,384 |3,231        

                |----  |----  |----         

Total           |15,853|13,832|20,536       

                                            

South Yorkshire                             

Quarter 1       |7,096 |6,509 |10,496       

Quarter 2       |5,852 |5,792 |8,701        

Quarter 3       |11,001|9,434 |13,344       

Quarter 4       |4,888 |4,440 |6,312        

                |----  |----  |----         

Total           |28,837|26,175|38,853       

Kingkerswell Bypass

Mr. Allason : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to start work on the Kingkerswell bypass ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key : The future progress of this scheme depends on the outcome of our review of the national trunk road programme. We will announce the results of the review shortly.

Railway Staff, Redundancies

Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to fill the skills gap left by the departure of experienced railway managers and staff with the restructuring of the railway industry on 1 April.

Mr. Freeman : Recuitment and retention of staff are matters for employers in the industry.

Quarried Stone, Rutland

Mr. Duncan : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require the transport of quarried stone, for the purpose of any quarrying of limestone between Market Overton and Thistleton in Rutland, to be taken by rail according to the original planning consent of 1954.

Mr. Freeman : This is a matter for the county planning authority.

ENVIRONMENT

Birch Coppice

Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he made the decision to set aside his decision of 2 August 1993 to refuse British Coal's application to opencast at Birch Coppice in Warwickshire.

Mr. Baldry : As the hon. Member is aware, my Department issued a decision letter on 2 August 1993 refusing planning permission in respect of British Coal's application to opencast at Birch Coppice in Warwickshire. British Coal exercised its right to challenge that decision in the High Court on 6 September 1993. Having considered the grounds of the challenge, my Department instructed the Treasury Solicitors to submit to judgment on certain aspects of the challenge in February 1994. We are currently awaiting for the court to determine the matter.

If the court decides to quash the Secretary of State's decision, the appeal will then be referred back to the Secretary of State for him to redetermine. It does not follow that the original decision will automatically be overturned and permission granted.


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In accordance with rule 18 of the Town and Country Planning Inquiry Procedure Rules, the Secretary of State will send to the persons entitled to appear at the inquiry who appeared at it a written statement indicating the matters in respect of which further representations are invited for the purpose of his further consideration of the appeal. This will provide parties with the opportunities to submit written representations or call for the reopening of the inquiry. It will then be a matter for decision by the Secretary of State whether or not the inquiry should be reopened. It is not possible to commence the redetermination process until the court has determined the matter and referred the case back to the Secretary of State. If this happens, the process will be put into effect as soon as possible and a final decision on the matter will be issued as soon as possible after the process has been completed.

Emissions

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account is taken of the expected changes in PM10 levels in his Department's methodology for assessing the costs and benefits of proposed road schemes ; and if he will seek expert advice on the case for reviewing the methodology to give greater weight to the cost implications for proposed road schemes of the effects of PM10 emissions.

Mr. Key : The effects of emissions are considered as part of the environmental assessment of trunk road schemes although they are not assigned monetary values. There is no PM10 standard in the United Kingdom as yet, but this is under consideration as indicated by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside on 21 March 1994 in his answer to a question from the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn), Official Report, column 114. I shall await the results of this work with interest.

Robin Hood Railway Line

Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what financial support he plans for phases 2 and 3 of the Robin Hood line in Nottinghamshire ; under what powers he will provide such assistance ; in what financial years such assistance will be given ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) what funding he intends to make available for phases 2 and 3 of the Robin Hood line in Nottinghamshire ; how this funding might be paid ; in what financial years this funding will be made available ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make funds available for stage 3 of the Robin Hood railway line from Mansfield to Worksop.

Mr. Freeman : As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced on 6 May 1993 resources of £6.5 million are to be made available for phase 2 of the Robin Hood line. An application by Nottinghamshire county council for grant under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968 is still being discussed. The £6.5 million will be a combination of grant and credit approvals under sections 53 and 54 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The current project programme indicates that resources will be required in the 1994-95 financial year.

I am not yet satisfied with the case for phase 3 and my Department is discussing with the county council the


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further work needed on the appraisal. If the council wishes to bid for resources for phase 3, they will need to indicate in a future transport policies and programme submission how it fits into their overall strategy and priorities.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the maximum speed of channel tunnel passenger trains through the tunnel under Blue Bell Hill, Kent when the channel tunnel rail link route he announced on 24 January, Official Report, columns 19-34, becomes operational.

Mr. Freeman : This is an operational matter for the railway operators concerned, in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive. The presently assumed maximum timetabled speed of trains between the channel tunnel and London is 225 km/h--140 mph. Not all trains will run at the maximum speed. Freight and commuter services may operate more slowly than international passenger trains.

Pollution

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the levels of (a) atmospheric pollution, (b) oxides of nitrogen and (c) black smoke emissions in the Doncaster area in each year since 1985.

Mr. Atkins : Annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and black smoke in the Doncaster area from 1985 to 1993 are given in the tables.


1. Nitrogen Dioxide (ppb)                                                                           

Year                     |Site Address            |NO2 Conc (ppb)                                   

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  1986                   |Ambulance Station       |24.0                                             

                         |Armthorpe Road                                                            

                         |DN2 SLU                                                                   

                                                                                                    

  1986                   |College of Technology   |24.0                                             

                         |Waterdale                                                                 

                                                                                                    

  1986                   |Barnsley Road           |25.0                                             

                         |Scawsby                                                                   

                                                                                                    

  1986                   |Mere Lane               |19.0                                             

                         |Armthorpe                                                                 

                                                                                                    

  1991                   |Ambulance Station       |28.0                                             

                         |Armthorpe Road                                                            

                         |DN2 5LU                                                                   

                                                                                                    

  1993<1>                |Old Guildhall           |28.0                                             

                         |Doncaster                                                                 

                         |DN1 1RH                                                                   

                         |(1-5 metres from road)                                                    

                                                                                                    

  1993<1>                |Old Guildhall           |29.3                                             

                         |Doncaster                                                                 

                         |DN1 1RH                                                                   

                         |(20-30 metres from road)                                                  

                                                                                                    

  1993<1>                |Ambulance Station       |21.5                                             

                         |Armthorpe Road                                                            

                         |DN2 5LU                                                                   

                                                                                                    

  1993<1>                |East Lane House         |18.8                                             

                         |East Lane                                                                 

                         |Stainforth                                                                

                         |Doncaster                                                                 

<1> All nitrogen dioxide data for 1993 are still provisional.                                       


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2. Sulphur dioxide (ppb)                                                                                      

Year      |Site<1> 1|Site 2   |Site 3   |Site 4   |Site 5   |Site 6   |Site 7   |Site 8   |Site 9             

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1985      |29       |33       |23       |30       |32       |30       |-        |-        |-                  

1986      |30       |32       |20       |24       |27       |31       |-        |-        |-                  

1987      |16       |26       |16       |20       |24       |26       |-        |30       |-                  

1988      |12       |19       |-        |16       |15       |19       |15       |19       |11                 

1989      |11       |18       |-        |17       |18       |19       |17       |19       |13                 

1990      |12       |17       |-        |14       |16       |21       |16       |22       |12                 

1991      |17       |18       |-        |14       |16       |21       |17       |23       |11                 

1992      |-        |26       |10       |12       |16       |15       |14       |18       |6                  

1993      |-        |-        |13       |13       |17       |17       |6        |20       |9                  

Sites<1>                                                                                                      

1. Welfare Block, Coalite, Works, Askern, nr Doncaster.                                                       

2. Mere Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster.                                                                           

3. Church St. Armthorpe, Doncaster.                                                                           

4. Woodlands Clinic, Central Avenue.                                                                          

5. College of Further Education, Mexborough.                                                                  

6. The Library Moorends.                                                                                      

7. Homscarr Middle School, Grange Lane, Rossington, Doncaster.                                                

8. East Lane House, East Lane, Stainforth, Doncaster.                                                         

9. Ellison St. Thorne, Doncaster.                                                                             


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3. Black Smoke (ug/m<3>) (British Standard Unit)                                                              

Year      |Site<1> 1|Site 2   |Site 3   |Site 4   |Site 5   |Site 6   |Site 7   |Site 8   |Site 9             

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1985      |42       |43       |30       |31       |29       |60       |-        |-        |-                  

1986      |65       |49       |31       |34       |28       |85       |-        |-        |-                  

1987      |68       |48       |30       |41       |35       |81       |-        |98       |-                  

1988      |35       |21       |-        |27       |25       |68       |20       |61       |19                 

1989      |18       |19       |-        |24       |21       |56       |16       |43       |23                 

1990      |12       |14       |-        |13       |15       |21       |13       |45       |11                 

1991      |17       |19       |-        |17       |21       |18       |18       |48       |12                 

1992      |-        |31       |11       |11       |20       |16       |12       |31       |11                 

1993      |-        |-        |13       |13       |21       |21       |15       |25       |11                 

<1> Sites                                                                                                     

As in table 2.                                                                                                

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he plans to take to reduce levels of PM10 in British cities ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins : Measures to reduce emissions of particles from cars and light vans by 40 per cent. will be applied in 1996 under the consolidated cars directive 91/441/EEC. In addition a further stage of EC directive 91/542, covering emissions from heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, has been agreed for implementation in 1996, which will reduce particulate emissions from these sources by about 50 per cent.

Further action to reduce levels of fine particles will be considered in the light of advice from the Department of Health's independent Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and from the expert panel on air quality standards, which recommends air quality standards to the Secretary of State for the Environment and which is currently considering a standard for particles.

Environmental Action Fund

Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of the bodies that will receive moneys under the environmental action fund for the year 1994-95 ; and how much each is to be given.

Mr. Atkins : The list of organisations receiving support from the environmental action fund in 1994-95 is as follows :


Column 492


Organisation/Application                             |Gran (£)                                         

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACTAC                                                |30,204                                           

Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea      |25,000                                           

Airfields Environment Federation                     |8,544                                            

Atmospheric Research and Information Centre-                                                           

Information                                          |15,408                                           

Atmospheric Research and Information Centre          |22,000                                           

Bat Conservation Trust (Core Funding)                |27,600                                           

Black Environment Network                            |16,869                                           

Botanic Centre                                       |55,000                                           

Bristol Environment and Energy Trust                 |27,000                                           

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers            |516,500                                          

Business in the Environment                          |20,000                                           

Byker City Farm                                      |16,875                                           

Cash From Trash                                      |32,000                                           

Civic Trust                                          |143,100                                          

Common Ground                                        |25,000                                           

Community Development Foundation                     |34,263                                           

Community Recycling Network                          |35,000                                           

COSQUEC                                              |9,000                                            

Cotswold Canals Trust                                |20,717                                           

Council for Environmental Education                  |125,000                                          

Council for Environmental Education (Info in Action) |21,000                                           

Create                                               |63,393                                           

CSV-Action Earth                                     |10,000                                           

CSV-Brumcan                                          |19,100                                           

CSV-Older People in the Environment                  |31,000                                           

CSV-Scouts Environmental Challenge Fund              |30,265                                           

CSV-South West Action                                |18,000                                           

CSV                                                  |144,000                                          

CTAC                                                 |19,125                                           

Cycling Project for the North West                   |20,718                                           

Derby Rainbow                                        |21,200                                           

Devon Wildlife Trust                                 |25,000                                           

ECO Environmental Information Trust                  |25,000                                           

Environ                                              |12,200                                           

Environment Council-Information for Local Action     |11,149                                           

Environment Council                                  |40,000                                           

Family First Ltd.                                    |9,625                                            

Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group                  |130,000                                          

Friends of the Earth Trust Ltd.                      |30,000                                           

Game Conservancy Trust (Project Funding)             |15,345                                           

Game Conservancy Trust (Strategic)                   |50,943                                           

Global Action Plan                                   |35,000                                           

Green Alliance                                       |30,000                                           

Institute of Business Ethics                         |11,087                                           

Irish Sea Forum                                      |10,000                                           

Landlife                                             |24,775                                           

Learning Through Landscapes                          |45,000                                           

London Ecology Centre Trust                          |35,500                                           

Mersey Basin Trust-Schools project                   |15,000                                           

Mersey Basin Trust                                   |65,000                                           

Merseyside Environmental Trust                       |22,000                                           

National Association for Environmental Education     |17,000                                           

National Council for Voluntary Organisations         |52,000                                           

National Federation of City Farms                    |18,795                                           

National Society for Clean Air and Environmental                                                       

 Protection                                          |41,820                                           

National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardens    |35,000                                           

National Stone Centre                                |11,735                                           

Neighbourhood Energy Action-ethnic minorities        |20,000                                           

Neighbourhood Energy Action-rural energy             |25,750                                           

North East Environment Network                       |18,191                                           

Northern Support Network                             |12,000                                           

Nottinghamshire Rural Community Council              |19,000                                           

Open Spaces Society                                  |12,000                                           

Pedestrians Association                              |10,050                                           

Peterborough Environment City Trust                  |36,700                                           

Projects in Partnership                              |20,000                                           

RSNC                                                 |358,500                                          

RSNC-The Wildlife Trusts Partnership                 |26,250                                           

Royal Society of the Arts                            |24,000                                           

Royal Town Planning Institute                        |11,168                                           

Scout Association                                    |19,128                                           

Sea Watch Foundation                                 |22,200                                           

Sheffield Environmental Training                     |15,000                                           

Southampton Environment Centre                       |7,117                                            

Southwark Mediation                                  |20,642                                           

SUSTRANS                                             |25,000                                           

Thames Explorer Trust                                |10,000                                           

The Environment Trust                                |21,297                                           

The Environment Trust-Lower Lea Project              |63,000                                           

Toy Pirates                                          |20,000                                           

Tree Advice Trust                                    |40,000                                           

Tree Council                                         |48,000                                           

UK CEED                                              |25,000                                           

Upland Cumbria Initiative                            |12,500                                           

Walter Segal Self Build Trust                        |49,065                                           

Waste Not Recycling                                  |39,245                                           

Waste Watch-Recycling                                |35,304                                           

Waste Watch-Wasteline                                |52,110                                           

Waste Watch-Strategic                                |114,683                                          

West Midlands Environmental Network                  |14,000                                           

Wey and Arun Canal Trust                             |11,000                                           

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust                          |29,735                                           

Wildfowl and Countryside Link                        |17,450                                           

Woodland Trust (Award Scheme)                        |5,500                                            

Woodland Trust (Strategic Development Officer)       |19,000                                           

Woodland Trust (Community Liaison)                   |10,000                                           

World Wide Fund for Nature-Agenda 21                 |30,275                                           

World Wide Fund for Nature                           |27,000                                           

Wyecycle                                             |15,000                                           

YMCA Otterburn Hall Trust                            |22,000                                           

Opencast Mining

Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy toward reapplications to opencast the same site following privatisation of coal.


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Mr. Baldry : Each case will be considered on its merits, but I will consider the need for specific policies in the revision of minerals planning guidance 3. There is no time limit before a reapplication may be made.

Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the occasions in the last 20 years when very special circumstances have been shown under the Opencast Coal Act 1958 to allow a second application to be granted to opencast a site previously opencast.

Mr. Baldry : Figures are available only since 1984. Since that time, there have been five occasions on which special circumstances have been shown to allow compulsory rights orders to be confirmed in respect of sites previously opencast. Applications for a second compulsory rights order for the same site will be considered on their merits.

Pollution Inspectorate

Mr. Clappison : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the 1994-95 charging schemes for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

Mr. Atkins : Charges to cover the costs of regulating processes under integrated pollution control--IPC--and premises subject to Radioactive Substances Act 1993--RSA93--regulation were introduced in 1991 under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Act requires Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to balance costs and income, taking one financial year with another.

With the agreement of the Treasury, and following consultation with industry and other bodies, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have now made revised IPC and RSA93 charging schemes, specifying the revised scales of fees and charges which will take effect from 1 April 1994. Copies of the revised schemes have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The charges are based on the cost of HMIP's regulatory activities. For 1994-95, the rate per inspector day will be £993, and increase of 2.9 per cent. over the rate for 1993-94.

For IPC, the scheme comprises an application fee to cover the assessment of the operator's proposals and preparation of the authorisation, a variation fee to cover the costs of assessment of any proposals for substantial variation to a process and an annual subsistence charge for the holders of authorisations to cover the costs of inspection and oversight of the plant.

The application fee for 1994-95 is £2,570 per component for processes which have previously been subject to air pollution control and £3,860 per component for processes coming under regulation by HMIP for the first time. The variation fee is £1,290 per component. The annual subsistence charge is £1,730 per component. This included a charge of £150 to recoup the under-recovery of costs, including setting up costs, in earlier years. In addition, some operators will pay a charge for the monitoring of their processes by contractors engaged by HMIP ; the amount of the monitoring charge will directly reflect the cost of this work to HMIP.


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Under the RSA93 charging scheme, nuclear licensed premises are billed individually on the basis of regulatory time spent and costs incurred at each site, in accordance with the inspector day rate. Non-nuclear premises are charged on the basis of flat-rate fees on a similar basis to the IPC scheme, covering applications, substantial variations and subsistence. For premises authorised to accumulate and dispose of radioactive waste--"band 3 premises", for example, research establishments and major universities--the application and variation fee will be £1,425 and the subsistance charge £995. For those premises authorised to accumulate and dispose of small quantities of substances, or substances with a lesser risk, a lower subsistence charge of £85 will be levied. For premises registered to keep and use radioactive material--"band 4 premises", for example, industrial users of radioactive sources--the application and variation fee will be £515. The subsistence fee for band 4 premises will be £85, but the majority of such premises will be exempt from this because they handle small sources and do not require routine inspection. For 1991-92, the first year of operation of the charging schemes, charges were initially set too low. To ensure equity with those operators applying for authorisations and registrations in later years when more realistic charges have been set, holders of authorisations and registrations arising from applications in 1991-92 pay a supplementary subsistence charge. This charge will continue in 1994-95 at the same rate as in 1992-93 and 1993-94 : under IPC, £610 per component for applications charges at the full rate, £410 per component for those charged at the reduced rate ; under RSA93, £210 and £80 for band 3 and band 4 premises respectively.

Copies of the schemes will shortly be sent to relevant operators and to other interested bodies.

Council Houses

Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of higher council house rents in Wakefield on housing benefit expenditure.

Sir George Young : The increase in Wakefield city council's rent guideline for the purpose of housing revenue account subsidy in 1994-95 is £2.79 per dwelling per week. On the basis of returns made by Wakefield, if the council increases its actual rents by this amount, the Department estimates that additional rent income will be £5.803 million, of which £3.482 million will be granted in rebates.

Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account is taken of capital expenditure for the purposes of council house maintenance in assessments for housing revenue account subsidies.


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