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Benefits (Residence Test)
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to abandon proposals for introducing the habitual residence test for income support and housing benefit ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Ancram : The Government have referred a proposal for a habitual residence test in the income support and housing benefit schemes to the Social Security Advisory Committee. The Government will consider all representations made once the committee's report has been completed.
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Hospital Services
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average number of (a) beds available and (b) new accident and emergency cases during 1993-94, by regional health and personal social services board ; and what were the figures per 1,000 population.
Mr. Ancram : Information is shown in the table and relates to the period 1 January 1993 to 31 December 1993, which is the latest year for which information is held centrally.
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Health and Social |Total average |First attendances at|Total average |First attendances at
Services Boards |available beds<1> |Accident and |available beds per |Accident and
|Emergency |1,000<2> population |Emergency
|Departments |Departments per
|1,000 population
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern |5,304 |249,010 |8 |382
Northern |1,855 |89,698 |5 |224
Southern |2,019 |71,781 |7 |245
Western |1,910 |60,747 |7 |229
<1> Available beds cover acute and all other specialities but do not include beds open day only.
<2> As hospitals particularly in the Eastern Board area and to a lesser extent in the Western area, provide some services for
patients from all parts of Northern Ireland, care should be taken when interpreting available bed figures per 1,000
population.
Ambulance Service
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentages of ambulances in each service in Northern Ireland responded within (a) eight minutes and (b) 14 to 20 minutes to emergency calls in 1993-94.
Mr. Ancram : The percentage of emergency ambulance calls responded to by each of the four ambulance services in Northern Ireland within eight minutes in the period 1 April 1993 to 31 December 1993 were :
|Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Ambulance Service HSS Trust |54
Northern health and social services board |56
Southern health and social services board |58
Western health and social services board |60
Figures on the percentage of emergency ambulance calls responded to between 14 and 20 minutes are not available as the charter standards in Northern Ireland, based on population density, are set at 18 minutes--rural category --and 21 minutes--sparsely populated category. The percentage of emergency ambulance calls responded to by each of the four ambulance services in Northern Ireland within 18 to 21 minutes in the period 1 April 1993 to 31 December 1993 were :
|Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Ambulance Service HSS Trust |<1>93
Northern health and social services board |<2>96
Southern health and social services board |<2>95
Western health and social services board |<2>94
<1>based on 18-minute target.
<2>based on 21-minute target.
Figures for the last quarter of 1993-94 are not yet available.
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SCOTLAND
Glasgow Eastern Area Renewal
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of Government money spent in the east end of Glasgow during the lifetime of the Glasgow eastern area renewal project and since then to date.
Mr. Stewart : Scottish Enterprise suggests that from 1976 until the completion of the GEAR project in 1987, the Scottish Development Agency spent £70.4 million in the area. It estimates that a further £44.8 million was spent during the period 1987 to 1991 on the areas included in the GEAR project.
Expenditure by the Glasgow development agency in the east end of Glasgow has been £11.4 million for the period April 1991 to March 1994.
Private Security Firms
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years ; what has been the annual value of the contracts ; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.
Mr. Lang : The information is set out in the table.
Year |Number of firms |Annual value of |Number of guards
|contracts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |1 |68,384 |2.0
1985-86 |1 |70,468 |2.0
1986-87 |3 |261,306 |20.0
1987-88 |3 |294,229 |20.0
1988-89 |4 |515,982 |46.5
1989-90 |4 |740,430 |66.0
1990-91 |4 |925,331 |86.0
1991-92 |8 |1,042,070 |84.0
1992-93 |8 |1,079,105 |88.0
1993-94 |11 |1,255,769 |95.0
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Medical Teaching and Research
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the allocation of additional costs of teaching and research ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 20 April 1994] : The additional cost of teaching and research element in health boards' revenue allocations is currently under review. The NHS management executive will consult health boards, NHS trusts and universities on its proposals following the review.
Enterprise Companies
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what regulations, codes of practice and or guidelines govern the party political activity of senior paid employees, including chief executives and directors, of Scottish Enterprise and enterprise companies ; how these differ from those which govern principal and chief officers of local authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 21 April 1994] : The party political activities of all Scottish Enterprise employees, including the staff and chief executives of local enterprise companies, are constrained by the conditions of their employment as set out in the code of conduct on political activities contained in the employees' handbook provided by Scottish Enterprise.
The code of conduct provides that staff are free to participate in political activities providing such activity does not interfere with the employee's work or take place in working time or on Scottish Enterprise premises, and providing it has the approval of his or her employers. In particular, staff who participate in political activities are required to make it clear that they are doing so in a personal capacity, to refrain from making public use of confidential information gained through their employment, and to refrain from commenting on any policy relating to the activities of their employer.
The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 introduced
disqualification and political restrictions on certain officials within local government on the basis that it has long been accepted by successive Governments that senior local government officers should be, and be seen to be, politically impartial. In addition to the provisions contained in the 1989 Act, various regulations have been made, including the Local Government Officers (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990 and the Local Government (Politically Restricted Posts) Regulations 1990, as amended. Essentially, the effect of the legislation is that local government officers will be subject to similar, although somewhat less restrictive, rules to those which already apply to civil servants.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
China
34. Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government are giving to China through (a) the aid budget and (b) the aid and trade provisions in the current year.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Expenditure on technical co-operation in 1992-93 was £8.45 million. Expenditure on aid and trade provision support in 1992-93 was £26.471 million.
South Africa
35. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the United Kingdom is doing to help the training of the police and crowd control marshals in South Africa during the election period.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have helped to train over 3,000 crowd control marshals and 20,000 peace monitors as part of a total contribution to peacekeeping of £3 million. We have funded a training course on policing policy for potential future policy makers.
Natural Resources Institute
36. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his plans for the future development of the Natural Resources Institute.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : As I said in reply to a written question from the hon. Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke) on 19 April, Official Report, columns 495-96, a study of options for the future ownership of the institute is presently under way. The institute is also being restructured.
Development Policy
37. Mr. Enright : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held on the place of armaments in development policy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Arms have no place in development policy. The United Kingdom has taken part in discussions in a number of international fora, including the OECD's Development Assistance Committee and the European Community, on the negative effects of excessive military spending on development.
Tanzania
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific measures are being discussed between his Department and the World bank regarding the protection of the poorest in Tanzania following the introduction of user charges and insurance schemes for health services.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Government of Tanzania have agreed, following discussion with Her Majesty's Government and the World bank, that patients will be exempted from payment for certain services, such as chronic disease and all preventive services. Those genuinely unable to pay for other services will be granted exemption. We have provided technical assistance to assist the Government of Tanzania in this process. The issue of compulsory health insurance remains under discussion.
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice the Overseas Development Administration has given to the Tanzanian Government regarding protection for those who cannot afford to pay for health care.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We funded a nationwide survey which demonstrated that the poor are already paying substantially for theoretically free services. Our advice to the Government of Tanzania, which has been accepted, was to increase central budget allocations for health, collect most user charges from those who can afford to pay and exempt certain categories of health care and those who are genuinely poor.
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department possesses on what categories of persons are exempted from charges and insurance schemes under Tanzania's new health system.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The following categories are exempt : (
(i) All persons exempted from the development levy on grounds of poverty ;
(ii) All preventive services and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS ;
(iii) All patients with tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, leprosy, cholera, typhoid, diabetes and psychiatric conditions.
(iv) All children under the age of 12.
Iraq
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on action to be taken in providing medicine to Iraq, following the Adjournment debate of 12 April on water-borne disease in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We are ready to consider further requests for essential medical supplies for Iraq. We will expect requests to show that delivery will be well targeted and adequately monitored. We are discussing with the British Red Cross a recent appeal from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Indonesia
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid his Department has given to the Indonesian Government since 1980.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Gross bilateral aid expenditure on Indonesia from 1 January 1980 to 31 March 1993 was £278 million. Figures for financial year 1993-94 are not yet available. Our aid supports projects in such sectors as power, forestry, railways, civil aviation, education, broadcasting and public administration.
ENVIRONMENT
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what portion of the £130 million spent on energy and fuel efficiency awareness and advice since 1990, as quoted in paragraph 8.2 of "Climate Change : the United Kingdom Programme" has been funded by his Energy Efficiency Office ; and if he will list the other sources and the amounts they have contributed to the total.
Mr. Atkins : Almost all the expenditure referred to in "Climate Change : the UK Programme"--some £129 million--went towards programmes which are the responsibility of the Energy Efficiency Office. Some
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£250,000 was spent on other programmes, as follows : £150,000 on work associated with the climate change programme--a discussion document, discussion workshops and conferences on global warming involving private and public sector industry, publication of a climate change newsletter and sponsorship of the Atmospheric Research Information Centre--£42,000 on green brigade projects and the environmental grant fund and £62,000, spent by the Department of Transport, on publication of the "Motoring and the Environment" and "New Car Fuel Consumption" leaflets.Parliamentary Questions
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years ; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems ; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.
Mr. Gummer : The number of answers given to parliamentary questions over the last five years recorded in the POLIS database as including a reference to part or all of the information being available only at disproportionate cost or because the information was not held centrally was 236 out of 19,729 answered. It is not possible to say how many of these questions could now be answered due to computerisation or more effective operational systems.
Plastics
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in replacing or reviving the second life plastics recycling scheme, and in particular the outcome of discussions between his Department, the farm plastics business in the United Kingdom and the National Farmers Union.
Mr. Atkins : My predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo), wrote last October to businesses engaged in the farm plastics films sector about the future of the pioneering second life plastics scheme. Subsequently, the Packaging and Industrial Films Association has led an intiative to design a new industry-led scheme which would maintain, and possibly expand, the collection and recovery activities established by second life plastics. I am greatly encouraged by the continuing discussions on a replacement scheme, which will need support both from the industry and from farmers. The National Farmers Union has played an active part in these discussions and initial signs are that farmers are broadly supportive of these proposals.
THORP
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what communications he received from British Nuclear Fuels plc informing him of the first-stage commissioning, by the shearing of advanced gas- cooled reactor fuel, of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield and on the public announcements made at the time.
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Mr. Atkins : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution was informed by British Nuclear Fuels plc on Sunday 27 March 1994 that the first shear of irradiated fuel had taken place in the thermal oxide reprocessing plant.
BNFL made an announcement covering the event in its weekly internal newsletter.
Regional Funding (Merseyside)
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will advertise for a private sector applicant for the post of head of the objective 1 executive for Merseyside.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much will be received under the objective 1 funding from the European Community ; how much private funding he expects to lever into Merseyside ; and what structure will be used to ensure the benefits to the region from this process will be maximised.
Mr. Baldry : The amount allocated to the objective 1 programme is 816 mecu over six years ; as with other programmes of public expenditure, there is a clear intention to maximise leverage of private sector investment but it is difficult to forecast this in advance ; the overall strategy for the objective 1 programme and the criteria which will be used for the selection of projects will be set by the monitoring committee.
Private Security Firms
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many private security firms have been employed by his Department for each of the last 10 years ; what has been the annual value of the contracts ; and if he will estimate how many guards have been employed for each of those years.
Mr. Gummer : The information requested, for the Department's main HQ buildings in London and Bristol, is set out below. Information for other, smaller buildings in the regions is not available except at disproportionate cost.
Year |Cost (£k) |Firms |Guards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London HQ buildings<1>
1984-85 | 33 |1 |17
1985-86 |166 |2 |Between 17 and 23
1986-87 |179 |2 |Between 23 and 24
1987-88 |186 |2 |Between 25 and 26
1988-89 |255 |3 |Between 24 and 28
1989-90 |311 |2 |24
1990-91 |371 |2 |24
1991-92 |404 |1 |Between 25 guards only and 20 guards plus 6 receptionists
1992-93 |398 |1 |Between 18 and 20 guards and 5 and 6 receptionists
1993-94 |393 |1 |18 guards, 5 receptionists
Bristol HQ buildings<2>
1984-85 |n/a |n/a |n/a
1985-86 |37 |1 |5
1986-87 |39 |1 |5
1987-88 |40 |1 |5
1988-89 |46 |1 |5
1989-90 |50 |1 |5
1990-91 |62 |1 |6
1991-92 |72 |1 |6
1992-93 |74 |1 |6
1993-94 |78 |1 |6
<1> Costs are exclusive of VAT. The buildings are occupied by staff from DOE and DOT. The first contract started January 1985. Two buildings are covered throughout. A contract for a third building was let during 1985-86 but details are not available from 1988-89. A fourth building was
included for some six months in 1988-89.
<2> Costs are exclusive of VAT. The buildings are occupied by staff from DOE and DOT.
Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what period members of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee are appointed ; and in what circumstances a member of the committee can be dismissed before the expiry of that period.
Mr. Atkins : Members are usually appointed for a three-year term which can be terminated at the discretion of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Wales and for Scotland.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the statutory impediments to the abolition of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.
Mr. Atkins : There are no statutory impediments.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of those rules of conduct, of the kind referred to in paragraph 11.16 of the Cabinet Office's 1992 publication "Non-Departmental Public Bodies : a Guide for Departments", which apply to members of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.
Mr. Atkins : The rules of conduct referred to in paragraph 11.16 of the Cabinet Office's publication, "Non-Departmental Public Bodies : a Guide for Departments", apply to the staff of NDPBs. The terms and conditions of appointment of Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee members are based on the guidance given in the Cabinet Office's "Guide on Public Appointments Procedures", copies of which are already available in the Library of the House.
River Thames
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the scope of his review of the strategic planning guidance on the River Thames.
Mr. Baldry : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 29 March that new strategic planning guidance would be prepared for the Thames. As a first step, a comprehensive study of the river will be undertaken. This will cover the river's history, environment, land use in the vicinity, potential and opportunities for development. The study will focus on the stretch of river from Hampton court to the Royal Naval college at Greenwich.
Local Authority Rent Arrears
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of rent arrears in each local authority (a) as an absolute amount and (b) as a percentage of the annual rent collectable, broken down by current and future tenant arrears, for the last three years available ; and what was the political control of the authority at the time.
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Sir Georg Young [holding answer 20 April 1994] : I have today placed in the Library tables showing the information requested on rent arrears of current and former tenants at the end of the financial years 1990-91 to 1992-93 for each local authority in England.
Council Tax (Transitional Relief)
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table setting out for each local authority in England which has submitted a claim for transitional relief for 1994-95 and on which his Department had received information by 15 April 1994 (a) the estimated amount of transitional relief each such authority has claimed, (b) the percentage of the total sum of transitional relief for England which each individual claim represents and (c) the estimated amount of transitional relief per dwelling in each authority which has submitted a claim.
Mr. Curry : I have today placed in the Library of the House a list of all claims for transitional relief for 1994-95 received by the Department, showing the percentage against 1994-95 total provision for England which each claim represents and the amount of transitional relief per chargeable dwelling for each local authority.
Water Quality
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether water purification processes are able to remove drug residues from water supplies ;
(2) what evidence he has of the presence of residues from (a) the contraceptive pill and (b) Diazepam tranquillisers in water supplies ; and what assessment he has made of the dangers associated with such contamination ;
(3) what residues from drugs are most commonly detected in British water supplies ; and what are the dangers associated with such contamination.
Mr. Atkins : The Department has commissioned surveys of concentrations of drugs residues in rivers and in river-derived water supplies. Survey data have also been provided to the Department by water companies and research organisations.
Drugs residues, including components of the birth control pill, pain killers and tranquillisers have been detected only infrequently and at very low concentrations in a few rivers. The concentrations of all residues were found to be several orders of magnitude lower than levels that might be expected to cause adverse effects. These already insignificant concentrations are further reduced during water treatment. Diazepam and other drugs residues have not been detected in water supplies.
National Rivers Authority Expenditure(North Yorkshire)
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent in north Yorkshire by the National Rivers Authority in 1993- 94 ; and what is its budget for North Yorkshire in 1994-95.
Mr. Atkins : I am informed by the National Rivers Authority that in its Northumbrian and Yorkshire region,
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which covers North Yorkshire, it spent an estimated £53.9 million in 1993-94 and that it expects to spend around £52 million in 1994-95. Figures below regional level are not available.Road Traffic Growth
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has carried out to determine what level of road traffic growth is compatible with the commitments made by the United Kingdom Government under the 1992 framework convention on climate change, the 1992 convention on biological diversity and the Rio declaration on environment and development ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 21 April 1994] : Under the framework convention on climate change, the United Kingdom is committed to take measures aimed at returning the emission of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The United Kingdom climate change programme includes a commitment to real increases in road fuel duties of at least 5 per cent. in future Budgets. This is expected to contribute 2.5 millions of tonnes of carbon to the overall target of reducing emissions by 10 millions of tonnes of carbon by 2000. The calculation is based on an econometric model developed by the Department of Transport in consultation with DOE.
As the recently published "Sustainable Development Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan" make clear, the Government will take full account of sustainable development and biodiversity implications when formulating and reviewing its transport policies.
Urban Regeneration
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 31 March, Official Report , columns 919-20, if he will update the information on urban regeneration spending given in his answer of 18 March 1993, Official Report , columns 365-67 , so as to correspond with the single regeneration budget information sought in the later question.
Mr. Baldry : The table updates the one provided in the answer on 18 March 1993 and includes figures for the additional programmes which have now been brought together in the single regeneration budget. In the case of some of the programmes transferring from other Government Departments only part of the programme has been brought into the single budget. The figures for expenditure in previous years on those programmes relate to the element of the programme which has become part of the single budget, as far as those can be separately identified.
The following programmes, now absorbed within the single regeneration budget, have previously operated only within urban priority areas : urban development corporations, urban programme, city challenge, task forces, city action teams, GEST 19 and safer cities. In future, resources for new projects funded from the single regeneration budget will be available throughout England. In addition, economic, social and physical regeneration is supported through main programme expenditure by several Government Departments.
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Expenditure on programmes within the SRB
£ million
|1981-82|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94|1994-95 |1995-96|1996-97
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UDCs
Cash terms |36 |62 |95 |88 |86 |89 |160 |255 |477 |607 |602 |515 |372 |286 |} |<1>253 |<1>245
Current prices |71 |114 |167 |148 |137 |137 |234 |347 |609 |718 |667 |552 |387 |286 |}
HATs
Cash terms- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |10 |27 |78 |88 |}
Current prices |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |11 |29 |81 |88 |} |<1>90 |<1>90
URA
Cash terms |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |22 |181 |}
Current prices |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |23 |181 |}
City Grant<2>
Cash terms |- |- |8 |15 |24 |24 |28 |28 |39 |45 |41 |44 |24 |- |}
Current prices |- |- |14 |25 |38 |37 |41 |38 |50 |53 |45 |47 |25 |- |} |<1>211 |<1>221
DLG
Cash terms |30 |61 |67 |68 |73 |78 |77 |68 |54 |62 |77 |98 |105 |- |}
Current prices |59 |112 |118 |114 |116 |120 |112 |93 |69 |73 |85 |105 |109 |- |}
Urban Programme<3>
Cash terms |94 |160 |156 |278 |254 |237 |246 |224 |223 |226 |238 |236 |170 |83 |}
Current prices |186 |295 |275 |466 |404 |365 |359 |305 |285 |267 |264 |253 |177 |83 |}
Task Forces
Cash terms |- |- |- |- |- |- |5 |23 |20 |21 |21 |24 |18 |16
Current prices |- |- |- |- |- |- |7 |31 |26 |25 |23 |26 |19 |16
CATs
Cash terms |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |4 |8 |8 |5 |3 |1
Current prices |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |5 |9 |9 |5 |3 |1 |778 |768
City Challenge
Cash terms |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |52 |206 |214
Current prices |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |56 |214 |214
Estate Action
Cash terms |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |175 |265 |348 |358 |373
Current prices |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |207 |294 |373 |372 |373
Rest of SRB<4>
Cash terms |50 |60 |67 |63 |69 |73 |76 |70 |94 |108 |226 |215 |258 |201
Current prices |98 |111 |118 |106 |110 |113 |111 |95 |120 |128 |251 |230 |269 |201
<1>Current plans.
<2>Includes UDG and URG.
<3>Includes Urban Crime Fund payments in 1992-93.
<4>Up to 1994-95, Rest of SRB is made up from: Regional Enterprise Grant, Safer Cities, section 11, Ethnic Minority Grant, Ethnic Minority Business Initiatives,
Programme Development Fund (PDF), TEC Challenge, Business Start-up Scheme, Local Initiative Fund, Compacts, Education Business Partnerships, Teacher Placement
Service and GEST 19. From 1995-96 Rest of SRB also includes Urban Programme, Task Forces, City Action Teams (CATs), City Challenge, and Estate Action.
PDF-Figures are for Great Britain, except for 1994-95 when they are for England only.
s11 (urban)-Figures include payments for non-UPA ILEA authorities prior to 1991-92.
City Challenge-Also supported by £19 million per year from the Housing Corporation.
Estate Action-Due to change in Housing Capital Finance system, outturn figures not available prior to 1990-91.
Urban Regeneration Agency (URA)-From 1994-95 subsumed City Grant and Derelict Land Grant.
Captive Birds
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many British breeding birds and diurnal birds of prey, including non- indigenous species, are held in captivity in the United Kingdom and registered in accordance with regulations under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 22 April 1994] : Some 16,892 birds are currently registered with the Department.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received on the conservation implications of his Department's recent proposals for amending the scheme controlling the keeping of wild birds in captivity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 22 April 1994] : Further to my announcement of 21 February, more than 7,000
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individuals and organisations have been consulted about our proposals to modify the bird ringing and registration system. A number of responses were received. These have been carefully considered and an announcement is being made today.The Government's scientific advisors, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales have been fully consulted about my right hon. Friend's proposals to make changes to the bird ringing and registration system.
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