| Home Page |
Column 431
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 12 December 1994
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list those services that have been market-tested by his Department and won by the private sector, indicating the organisation that won the tender and its value.
Mr. Newton: No service in the Privy Council Office has been market- tested.
Energy Expenditure
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the total expenditure on energy for offices and buildings by (a) his Department and (b) his agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Mr. Newton: Expenditure on energy by the Privy Council Office amounted to £16,492 in 1991 92, £16,680 in 1992 93 and £13,977 in 1993 94. I am not responsible for any agencies.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Afzal v . Ford
Mr. Brazier: to ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures his Department is taking to monitor the effects of the Afzal v. Ford ruling; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor: My Department is collecting statistics on the number of cases concluded each month through arbitration in the county courts, and a sample of cases concluded at trial broken down by the type of case and amount of the award. These data will, over a period, indicate whether changes have taken place, for example in relation to the number of lower value personal injury cases dealt with in the small claims procedure, and the total number of arbitrations compared with the number of trials.
Small Claims
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he plans to announce the review of the small claims court limit; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The Lord Chancellor intends to keep the small claims limit under review. At present, officials are examining the volume of work received by the county courts in different monetary bands, gathering
Column 432
evidence on the current operation of the small claims procedure and considering other relevant information. Any proposals for change will be put out to public consultation in the usual way.Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those services that have been market-tested by his Department and won by the private sector, indicating the organisation that won the tender and its value.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The services market tested by the Lord Chancellor's Department and won by the private sector are listed. The value of the contracts is £7,185,626.
Court Building Management and Maintenance
Alex Gordon Partnership
CS Project Consultants
Hubert Jenkins
Osprey Project Management
Powell Dobson
Rainey Petrie Design
Silk and Frazier
TTPM Project Management
Veryard and Partners
WF Johnson and Partners
Widnell Project Management
WS Atkins Project Management.
Estate Surveying
Drivers Jonas
DTZ Debenham Thorpe
Torpy
York Montague
Printing and Forms Supply
The Satellite Press Ltd.
Internet
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement about the plans of his Department to make information available on the Internet and the documents which he intends to be made available on the Internet over the next year which will be accessible via the world wide web server "open.gov.uk" or any specific departmental server.
Mr. John M. Taylor: My Department has no firm plans for the release of information through the Internet at this point. However, it is considering the potential of the CCTA government information service--world wide web server "open.gov.uk"--as a complementary service for the release of publicly available information.
Contact Centres
Mr. Alton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many local authorities provide contact centres for fathers coming before family courts who wish to see their children; and what considerations are being made to extend the availability of contact centres across the country.
Mr. John M. Taylor: The information sought is not a matter for the Lord Chancellor's Department.
Immigration Appeals
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average cost of a hearing before a special adjudicator of the Immigration
Column 433
Appeals Authority of an application for bail by a person detained under Immigration Act powers.Mr. John M. Taylor: The information requested is not available. In any one case, the cost of a hearing depends on many factors, such as the number of parties and witnesses attending and giving evidence, the level of representation and whether or not an interpreter is required.
ENVIRONMENT
English Partnership
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the effect of the external finance limit on the EFL in the case of English Partnerships on the public sector borrowing requirement;
(2) what is the effect of guarantees provided by English Partnerships on the PSBR.
Sir Paul Beresford: The public sector borrowing requirement takes account of English Partnerships' external finance limit. Any calls arising from guarantees that English Partnerships give must be accommodated within its EFL, and therefore have no direct effect on the PSBR.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was paid in housing benefit (a) to council tenants and (b) to non- council tenants; how much was received in housing revenue account subsidy in each local housing authority area; and what was the size of the surplus or deficit in each local housing authority in 1993 94.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I have placed in the Library a copy of the information requested by the hon. Member.
Overpackaging
Mr. Bill Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received regarding overpackaging; (2) if he will introduce legal targets regarding the reduction of overpackaging; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins: My Department has received over 450 representations about overpackaging in the past year.
There are strong financial incentives for reducing unnecessary packaging, and industry has made substantial progress in this area. The Government believe that the best way reducing of overpackaging is to build on these incentives through effective use of economic instruments. Our producer responsibility initiative for packaging waste and the recently announced landfill levy will provide substantial and additional incentives for the reduction of overpackaging.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total expenditure on energy for offices and buildings by (a) his Department and (b) his agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Column 434
Sir Paul Beresford: The information is as follows:
£ million
|Department|Agencies
--------------------------------------------
1991-92 |1.03 |1.05
1992-93 |0.94 |1.04
1993-94 |0.90 |1.10
Conservation
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his strategy for the purchase of land for the protection of flora and fauna; what role he envisages voluntary conservation organisations might play in the purchase and management of land of conservation importance; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Paul Beresford: In keeping with the voluntary principle of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, new acquisitions by the county councils are restricted to fragile sites where no alternative owners are willing or able to undertake appropriate management. Voluntary bodies play an important part in conserving important wildlife sites. Where appropriate, English Nature can give financial support to voluntary bodies for purchase and management.
Valuation Tribunals
Mr. Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how members of local valuation tribunals are appointed and by whom;
(2) by what means small business proprietors can become appointed to local valuation tribunal panels.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Valuation tribunal members are appointed by the county council, metropolitan district council or London borough council for the area concerned. Each appointing authority decides its own method of selection and appointment, but my Department has issued general guidance, stressing in particular the desirability of appointing members from a wide cross-section of the community. I would expect appointing authorities to welcome approaches from people interested in serving on tribunals. Tribunal presidents and clerks will also be happy to discuss with such people the work of tribunals and what is expected of members.
Special Areas of Conservation
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what further progress he has to announce on the consultation with owners and occupiers of land affected by the designation of special areas of conservation under the European union habitats directive, pursuant to his undertaking on 19 July, Official Report, column 240;
(2) what further progress he has to announce on the selection and designation of sites to become special areas of conservation under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations 1994 approved on 19 July, as required by the EU directive on the conservation of natural habitats and, pursuant to his undertaking to the House on 19 July, Official Report, column 240.
Mr. Atkins: The Government are considering with the nature conservation agencies the sites to be proposed to
Column 435
the Commission as candidate special areas of conservation in June 1995. The Government will publish a draft list of sites as soon as possible for consultation with owners, occupiers and other affected interests.Habitats Directive
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects additional draft regulations to implement the EU habitats directive on consents and permissions to be laid before the House, as indicated in his undertaking of 19 July, Official Report, column 242.
Mr. Atkins: The Government are currently considering the form that the additional regulations should take. They will be laid as soon as possible in the new year.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has to report on the establishment of joint working arrangements between sea fisheries committees, harbour authorities and local authorities as regards meeting the United Kingdom obligations under the European Union habitats directive for effective conservation in the maritime zone up to six miles offshore in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland, as announced in his undertaking of 19 July, Official Report, column 242.
Mr. Atkins: The obligations under the directive relate to designated special areas of conservation. No SACs will be designated until the list has been agreed with the Commission some time after June 1995. Where necessary for marine sites, management schemes will be developed. I expect these to build upon the arrangements being developed on a voluntary basis for many areas of our coast.
County Hall
Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify by building which parts of the county hall complex have been sold; and which parts remain to be sold.
Sir Paul Beresford: The riverside--or main--building of county hall has been sold by way of the grant of a 999-year lease. Contracts for the sale of the remainder of the county hall site were exchanged on 14 October, with completion being set for 29 March 1995.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new measures he proposes to ensure that the international commitments made by the Prime Minister at the Rio Earth summit to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 are met, following the decisions not to increase value added tax on domestic fuel to 17.5 per cent.
Mr. Atkins: The Government are committed to fulfilling their obligations under the climate change convention. We are considering whether further measures are needed to ensure that we remain on course.
Civil Estate (Charges)
Mr. Bryan Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy in respect of charging users of publicly funded resources a charge equivalent to a full commercial rental value in
Column 436
respect of real property; and what exceptions have been made to this policy.Sir Paul Beresford: Under the property repayment system introduced in 1984, Departments occupying the Government's civil estate currently pay an opportunity cost rent equivalent to the open market rent for their occupations of Government freeholds and properties on historically low rents. The opportunity cost rents are reviewed every five years.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those services that have been market-tested by his Department and won by the private sector, indicating the organisation that won the tender and its value.
Sir Paul Beresford: In this Department so far, nine market tests which have involved exposing in-house functions to competition have been awarded to outside bidders, with a total value of £706,300. With the exception of staff catering at the Building Research Establishment, these were one-off construction research projects.
Project |Organisation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BRE: staff catering |Gardener Merchant
Durability of organically coated metal cladding |W. S. Atkins
Water economy |BSRIA
Scoping study for HVAC systems |Centre for Configurational Studies, the Open university
Identification and development of source data for risk assessment systems, part 1 |Fire SERT centre
Identification and development of source data for risk assessment systems, part 2 |Ulster university
Fire-resistant behaviour of trussed rafters |Trada Technology Ltd.
Alternative aggregates |Mott McDonald Consultants
Ventilation of underground car parks |TBV Science
Departmental Offices
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will itemise the refurbishment works undertaken on buildings housing departmental staff in the last three years, indicating the costs involved and the nature of the refurbishments.
Sir Paul Beresford: In addition to works undertaken on DOE buildings, the Department of the Environment Property Holdings undertakes work on buildings occupied by more than one Department. All the buildings concerned are on the common user estate. Works of less than £10,000 have been excluded from the table. Details
Column 437
of refurbishment works funded by other departments will be provided by the Ministers concerned.
|Total estimated cost
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991-92
Valiant house, Uxbridge-internal refurbishment |0.410
Riverwalk house, London-refurbishment of heating induction units |1.021
Metropole building, London-toilet refurbishment |0.295
40-42 Westborough, Scarborough-ingoing works 1st floor |0.016
Crown house, Sunderland-external uplift works |0.011
Bridge house, Blyth-ground floor upgrade |0.078
Daryl house, Stockton-internal refurbishment |0.327
Crown house, Huddersfield-part toilet refurbishment |0.066
Crown house, Hull-toilet refurbishment |0.048
Crown house, Wakefield-toilet refurbishment |0.057
Pennine house, Washington-internal refurbishment |0.127
Eaton court, Reading-internal refurbishment |2.135
Bankhead avenue, Edinburgh-internal refurbishment |1.097
|Total estimated cost
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93
Elmwood house, Harrow-refurbishment of 4 floors |1.800
Mowden hall, Darlington-new podium roof |0.420
Unicorn house, North Shields-replace cladding and windows |0.470
Crown house, Corby-refurbishment of toilets |0.221
2 Marsham street, London-refurbishment of podium toilets |0.514
2 Marsham street, London-refurbishment of Tower toilets |0.142
Government offices Great George street, London-refurbish toilets, stack 1 |0.905
Old Admiralty building, London-refurbish-modernise canteen |0.358
Ham River house, London-internal refurbishment |0.592
Olivetree house, Belfast-refurbish front entrance |0.051
Lyon house, Harrow-refurbish two floors |0.589
Lime Grove, Eastcote-internal refurbishment to spur 10 |0.064
Bradford house, Llandeilo-general refurbishment |0.099
Crown house, Gainsborough-refurbish disabled toilet |0.016
Berkeley house, Harrogate-toilet refurbishment |0.021
42 Eastgate, Leeds-toilet refurbishment |0.034
West Riding house, Leeds-part internal refurbishment |0.026
Crown buildings, Bridlington-new disabled access |0.031
Elvet house, Durham-toilet refurbishment |0.108
Crown house, Middlesbrough-internal refurbishment |0.115
Benton house, Newcastle-internal refurbishment |0.071
Government buildings, Kenton Bar, Newcastle-toilet refurbishment, spur U |0.081
Government buildings, Kenton Bar, Newcastle-internal refurbishment, spur J |0.025
Regent house, NEI centre, Newcastle-internal refurbishment |0.100
Pennine house, Washington-provision of disabled facilities |0.031
New buildings, Hinckley-internal and external refurbishment |0.498
Broadway house, Hereford-internal refurbishment |0.115
Ty Glyder, Bangor-external refurbishment |0.485
Argyle house, Edinburgh-internal refurbishment |1.145
St. Clare house, Ipswich-internal refurbishment |2.585
Hightown barracks, Wrexham-internal refurbishment |0.808
Cherry Grove CB, Haverfordwest-external refurbishment |1.087
84-86 Guild street, Aberdeen-refurbish entrance canopy |0.080
Thistle street, Edinburgh-toilet refurbishment |0.019
Ladywell house, Edinburgh-internal refurbishment phase 3 |0.251
Meldrum house, Edinburgh-toilet refurbishment |0.187
Longman road, Inverness-upgrade entrance hall and refurbish plant room |0.117
|Total estimated cost
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94
Ashdown house, Hastings-internal refurbishment |5.835
Crown buildings, Scunthorpe-internal and external refurbishment-part-funded Benefits Agency |0.860
Whitgift centre, Croydon-internal refurbishment |1.240
Mesnes house-internal and external refurbishment |1.360
Hook rise, Tolworth-internal refurbishment of A Block |1.292
Raydean House, Barnet-external refurbishment |0.932
246 Stockwell road, London-installation of secondary glazing |0.063
2 Carlton gardens, London-general refurbishment |1.145
Furness house, Barrow-in-Furness-internal refurbishment of fifth floor |0.053
DNS Marton, Blackpool-refurbishment kitchen and dining room |0.171
Eskdale house, Kendal-internal refurbishment |0.023
Stopgate lane, Liverpool-refurbishment F and G |0.095
Sunley tower, Manchester-refurbishment floor 10 |0.212
Manchester house, Manchester- refurbishment floor 2 |0.135
Bromyard avenue, Harrow-refurbishcanteen |0.140
Beeches road, chelmsford-internal refurbishment, spur F |0.084
41-55 Windmill hill, Ruislip-internal refurbishment |0.210
Elmbridge court, Gloucester-toilet refurbishment |0.155
Merrywalks house, stroud-toilet refurbishment |0.058
Bondgate hall, Alkwick-refurbish coach house |0.070
Elvet house, Durham-internal refurbishment |0.094
Crown house, Hunddersfield-part toilet refurbishment and kitchen upgrade |0.124
Forseter house, Bradford-refurbish eighth floor |0.051
Abbey House, Selby-refurbish grade 2 listed building |0.146
Government buildings, Kenton Bar, Newcastle-refurbishment of Spurs R, X and Y Block B and main corridor |0.175
Daryl House, Stockton-main entrance refurbishment |0.026
Five Ways tower, Birmingham-refurbish six floor |0.363
Chalfont drive, Nottingham-refurbish block 7 |0.381
Station Road, Kettering-internal refurbishment |0.052
Greyfriars House, Aberdeen-external refurbishment |1.890
Cathay Park, Cardiff-internal and external refurbishment |2.368
Vespasian House, Dorchester-external refurbishment |1.353
IRO, Cumberland-reroofing and cladding phases 3, 4, 5 and 7 |9.331
Buccleuch street, Dumfries-underpinning and internal improvement |1.027
Crown building, EBBW Vale-internal and external refurbishment |1.721
Argyle House, Edinburgh-toilet and B Floor refurbishment |0.916
St. Agnes road, Cardiff-external refurbishment block 4 |0.477
84/86 Guild street, Aberdeen-internal refurbishment ground floor |0.070
Thistle street, Edinburgh-refurbish conference room and alterations to accommodation |0.107
Frederick street, Edinburgh-internal refurbishment |0.455
New Register house, Edinburgh-toilet upgrade |0.043
Castle Wynd, Inverness-general and toilet refurbishment |0.315
Mill street, Perth-internal refurbishment |0.220
1 Park Road North, Havant-main entrance refurbishment |0.032
Crown house, Portsmouth-ground floor refurbishment |0.041
OPCS, Titchfield-ground floor refurbishment stage 1 |0.046
Much of this information is recorded in the "Market Testing Bulletin", published monthly, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.
Housing Expenditure
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the expenditure plans in each year from 1994 95 to 1997 98 in respect of (a) the local authorities' housing investment programme and (b) the Housing Corporation's approved development programme.
Mr. Robert B. Jones [holding answer 8 December 1994]: The total of housing investment programme allocations in England for 1994 95 and 1995 96 are £1,326 million and £1,272 million respectively. Both
Column 440
figures exclude resources for estate action, which are now within the single regeneration budget.It is not possible to give planned HIP allocations for 1996 97 or 1997 98. These depend on annual decisions about resources for special housing programmes, and the national level of receipts taken into account.
The Housing Corporation's gross capital resources for its approved development programme and the rough sleepers initiative are £1,533 million in 1994 95, £1,197 million in 1995 96, £1,177 million in 1996 97 and £1,191 million in 1997 98. The Housing Corporation will be publishing the full details of its approved development programme for 1995 96 later this month.
TREASURY
Internet
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the plans of his Department to make information available on the Internet and the documents which he intends to be made available on the Internet over the next year which will be accessible via the world wide web server "open.gov.uk" or any specific departmental server.
Mr. Nelson: The Treasury's Internet service was launched on 15 November 1994.
At present, the service includes the full details of the Budget, including my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor's Budget statement and all the Budget news releases. Other documents that are available include other Treasury news releases, speeches, minutes of the Chancellor's monthly monetary meetings with the Governor of the Bank of England, reports of the panel of independent forecasters and details of the fundamental expenditure review of Treasury running costs.
More information will be added in due course.
All this material is provided on the Treasury's own Internet server. The address for the Treasury's world wide web pages is "http: //www.hm- treasury.gov.uk". In addition to the world wide web, the same information can be obtained by electronic mail or by FTP from the following addresses:
|Addresses
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email mailing lists: |"maillist@hm-treasury.gov.uk"
Email file transfer: |"ftpmail@hm-treasury.gov.uk"
File Transfer (FTP): |"ftp.hm-treasury.gov.uk"
The text of the "Financial Statement andBudget Report" has been published on the Internetby HMSO, and is available at "http: //www.open.gov.uk/budget94/budget94.htm;" it can also be located by a hypertext link from the Treasury's world wide web pages.
War Loan
Mr. David Howell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recorded holders there are of the 3.5 per cent. war loan.
Column 441
Mr. Nelson: There are approximately 243,000 accounts in 3 per cent war stock on the Bank of England and other registers.
Insurance Premium Tax
Mr. Dewar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances insurance policies for mortgage interest protection against sickness and unemployment are liable to the insurance premium tax; and what is his estimate of the effect on tax receipts of plans to restrict income support help with mortgage interest payments from October 1996.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Insurance policies for mortgage interest protection against sickness and unemployment are liable to insurance premium tax because they are a type of general insurance, almost all of which is subject to the tax. No specific estimate has been made of the effect on tax receipts of any increase in the use of such insurance--in the context of changes to the income support arrangements relating to mortgage interest payments--but any such effect is likely to be negligible.
Manufacturing Trade
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the contribution made to economic growth since 1992 by the reduction in the deficit on trade with the EEC in manufactures; (2) what was the contribution made to economic growth since 1992 by the reduction in the deficit on trade in (a) manufactures and (b) finished manufactures.
Mr. Nelson: Between the fourth quarter of 1992 and the third quarter of 1994 gross domestic product increased by 6 per cent. Over the same period, net trade in manufactures contributed 0.9 percentage points to GDP growth, net trade in finished manufactures contributed 0.3 percentage points to GDP growth, and net trade in manufactures with countries in the European Union made a slightly negative contribution to GDP growth. However, more recently net trade in manufactures has accounted for a far more significant proportion of GDP growth, as the economies of the European Union have picked up.
Building Societies Acts
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend the Building Societies Acts to ensure that if the first named holder of a joint account dies the second named holder qualifies for any bonuses in the event of a takeover.
Mr. Nelson: I am currently reviewing the Building Societies Act 1986. In my interim statement of 6 July, I said that stringent statutory controls on takeovers would be retained. The review is now focusing on societies' accountability and powers, but I am taking careful note of all the comments I have received about the position of joint account holders. I hope to announce the conclusion of the review soon.
Official Residences (Expenditure)
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings or functions have been or will be held at No. 11 Downing street in December 1994 and which alcoholic drinks will be available.
Column 442
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: No such information is available.
Tourism
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give full details of all interdepartmental and non-governmental consultations carried out in the preparation of Customs and Excise compliance cost assessment No. 6 related to his Budget statement, with regard to the effect of the measures proposed on the international competitiveness of the United Kingdom tourism industry.
| Next Section
| Home Page |