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Mr. Atkins: The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 requires all employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation in the water industry.
Noise
Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps his Department proposes to take to deal with the problem of noise nuisance by neighbours; and what plans he has to present legislation on the issue. [26771]
Sir Paul Beresford: We continue to encourage informal resolution of neighbour noise problems, wherever possible, while recognising that in some cases formal enforcement action is necessary. The conclusions and recommendations of an interdepartmental working party on neighbour noise set up to review the effectiveness of controls under the current law were issued as a consultation paper at the end of March. The recommendations include proposals for a specific power of temporary confiscation of noise- making equipment and a new nighttime noise offence based on World Health Organisation guidelines. We will consider the comments on these proposals before deciding whether to proceed with legislation.
Construction Industry
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to introduce legislation for construction contracts; [26687]
(2) what steps he will take to assist and protect construction industries prior to a legislative response to the Latham report. [26688]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 16 May 1995, Official Report, column 176.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the costs to construction industries arising out of late payment; and if he will make a statement on the implications this has for employment and training.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I am not aware of any estimate by the construction industry of these costs.
Proposed Development, Wakefield
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration was given to the complaints raised by Crigglestone parish council prior to the decision to remove green belt land designation for development purposes at junction 39, M1 motorway, in Wakefield. [26747]
Sir Paul Beresford: The parish council's objections were considered at the public local inquiry into the Wakefield unitary development plan. The Secretary of State has no records of complaints being made prior to the adoption of the plan on 6 December 1994.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information was provided about alternative sites for proposed development in the case of land at junction 39, M1 motorway, in Wakefield. [26673]
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Sir Paul Beresford: This is a matter considered during the preparation of, and at the public local inquiry into, the Wakefield unitary plan. The Secretary of State has been fully consulted about the plan and has been satisfied with the information given.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the inspector's investigation into an application to remove land from the green belt for development at junction 39, M1 motorway, in Wakefield. [26651]
Sir Paul Beresford: The cost of the public local inquiry into objections to the Wakefield unitary development plan is a matter for Wakefield metropolitan council and the Planning Inspectorate Agency. I have asked the agency's director to write separately to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. Greenfield to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 2 June 1995:
The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question about the cost of the Inspector's report on objections to the removal of land from green belt for development at junction 39 of the M1 in Wakefield. This formed part of the public inquiry into objections to the Wakefield Unitary Development Plan, which closed on 27 January 1993 after 61 sitting days.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to say what was the exact cost of the Inspector's consideration of these particular objections. I understand that approximately 1.5 inquiry days were occupied in hearing representations on this objection also, and additional time would have been spent in producing the Inspector's report. The fee charged per Inspector day was £285, plus some £85 per day in travel and subsistence costs where appropriate.
On the basis of the then current Planning Inspectorate guideline of 3 reporting days per inquiry sitting/site visit day, the Inspector would have spent some 4 to 5 days reporting on the oral and written representations relating to the site. The total cost would thus have been some £1,800.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the information on potential development sites, outside of green belt, in urban areas, when consideration was given to development proposals at junction 39 of the M1 motorway in Wakefield. [26669]
Sir Paul Beresford: The matter was considered at the public local inquiry into objections to the Wakefield unitary development plan. The Secretary of State has been fully consulted at every stage of the plan's preparation. He has scrutinised the proposals, having regard to national and regional policy advice, and was content with the plan at the time of adoption.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment if it will be necessary to hold elections for a shadow council for those unitary authorities whose boundaries are coterminous with the boundary of the existing district councils.
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Where an authority gaining unitary status is coterminous with an existing county or district council, it will be a continuing authority and there will be no need for a shadow council. There is no statutory requirement for fresh elections to an authority in this position, other than as part of the normal electoral cycle, but it is our policy to require fresh elections to be held for the whole council in the year before reorganisation, to ensure that planning and implementation of unitary functions is done on the basis of a fresh mandate.
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Water Authorities
Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities are served by more than one water authority. [26705]
Mr. Atkins: This information is not held centrally.
Sefton Park Palm House
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the future of the Sefton Park palm house, Liverpool; [26908]
(2) what European regional development fund funding and English Heritage funding is available towards the restoration of the Sefton Park palm house.
Sir Paul Beresford: The works carried out in 1993 under the urban programme funded rescue package--£254,000--secured the structure in the short term, allowing time for detailed proposals to be drawn up for future sustainable use as part of an overall tourism strategy. The Government office for Merseyside has received an application for ERDF grant assistance for a development study and business plan. This application is currently being appraised.
I understand that English Heritage has made an offer of funding towards eligible works on the palm house.
Local Investment Fund
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investment in small businesses has resulted since the launch of the local investment fund in 1994; what action has been taken to publicise the existance of the local investment fund; what steps the Government are taking to increase investment in the fund; and if he will make a statement. [26914]
Sir Paul Beresford: This is a matter for the management of the local investment fund. The local investment fund was established by means of a £1 million grant from the Department of the Environment matched by £2 million from the private sector in grants and loans. It is a registered charity operating independently of Government.
North Sea
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to extend his commitments on protection of the North sea to all waters around the UK. [26870]
Mr. Atkins: It is long-standing Government policy to apply obligations under successive North sea conferences to all our waters. This commitment will apply equally to any steps agreed by the fourth North sea conference on8 and 9 June, within the framework for implementing measures for the north-east Atlantic under the 1992 OSPAR convention.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what commitment he plans to make to protect the North sea beyond the 200-mile limit of territorial waters. [26871]
Mr. Atkins: All the North sea is within 200 nautical miles of the coasts of one or other of the North sea states: their jurisdictions over the area between the 12-mile limit to territorial waters and the 200-mile limit--which are recognised by international law--therefore provides a major underpinning for measures to protect the North sea
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agreed through the North sea conferences. We have also signed the convention for the protection of the marine environment of the north-east Atlantic which provides a comprehensive framework for protecting the seas north of 36ëN, the latitude of the straits of Gibraltar, and east of 42ëW, the longitude of the southern tip of Greenland, as far as the straits between Denmark and Sweden.Mr. Mackinley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to raise the issue of controlling pollution from ships at the forthcoming North sea ministerial conference; what policy proposals he has to suggest; and if he will make a statement. [26361]
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 24 May 1995]: Pollution from shipping is one of the issues which the conference will consider. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in the House on 16 May, Official Report, column 183 , what we hope the conference will achieve in all of the areas it will cover, including shipping. A UK note on the conference was placed in the Library of the House.
Proposed Theatre, Ilfracombe
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received urging him to call in the planning application for a new pavilion theatre and winter garden at Ilfracombe, North Devon; [26907]
(2) if he will take into consideration the time scale pressure on funding opportunities for the construction of a new pavilion theatre and winter garden at Ilfracombe, North Devon, in deciding whether to call in the planning application for the development. [26906]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Secretary of State has given careful consideration to the representations received from English Heritage about the design and impact of the proposals for a new theatre and winter garden at Ilfracombe. He has decided to leave the planning decision to North Devon district council and appropriate notification was issued by the Government office for the south-west on 2 June.
Direct Labour and Service Organisations
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take against those local authorities whose direct labour and direct service organisations failed to meet their statutory financial objectives in 1993 94. [27024]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: On 28 February this year, 38 statutory notices were served on 19 local authorities concerning the failure of their direct labour and service organisations to meet the required financial objective in 1993 94.
My right hon. Friend has now considered the responses to those notices, and has today given directions to Bradford city council, highways and sewers; Brent LBC, highways and sewers; Calderdale MBC, building maintenance; Charnwood borough council, building maintenance and grounds maintenance; Durham county council, grounds maintenance, other catering and building maintenance; Great Grimsby borough council, highways and sewers; Hammersmith and Fulham LBC, grounds maintenance, Lambeth LBC, building cleaning; Liverpool city council, highways and sewers, grounds maintenance and other cleaning; Newham LBC, grounds maintenance; North Devon district council, building maintenance;
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South Northamptonshire district council, building maintenance, other cleaning and sports and leisure management; Southend-on-Sea borough council, highways and sewers; Waltham Forest LBC, building maintenance and grounds maintenance; and Wigan MBC, building maintenance.These directions take five different forms:
preventing the authority from carrying out the work from 1 April 1996: Bradford city council, highways and sewers.
Requiring an authority to retender all or part of the work, and to seek the Secretary of State's prior consent should they wish to award the work in- house. The work would need to be retendered or a new contract would need to have been awarded by specific dates: Calderdale, building maintenance; Durham, grounds maintenance and other catering; Hammersmith and Fulham, grounds maintenance; Lambeth, building cleaning; Newham, grounds maintenance; and South Northamptonshire, building maintenance and sports and leisure management.
preventing the authority from carrying out the work if it fails to meet the required financial objective a specified financial year or years:
1994 95: Brent, highways and sewers.
1995 96: Charnwood, building maintenance; Waltham Forest, grounds maintenance, and Wigan, building maintenance.
1995 96 and 1996 97: Liverpool, highways and sewers and grounds maintenance, and Waltham Forest, building maintenance. requiring an authority to retender the work if it fails to meet the required financial objective in a specified financial year, and to seek the Secretary of State's prior consent where the work has to be retendered and where the authority subsequently wish to award the work in-house:
1994 95: Charnwood, grounds maintenance and North Devon, building maintenance.
1995 96: Durham, building maintenance; Grimsby, highways and sewers; South Northamptonshire, other cleaning, and Southend-on-Sea, highways and sewers.
requiring an authority to submit quarterly monitoring reports up to March 1997: Liverpool, other cleaning.
The Secretary of State has also decided to take no further statutory action in respect of financial failure in 1993 94 by: Bournemouth, building maintenance, vehicle maintenance; Durham, new construction over £50,000; Grimsby, refuse collection/other cleaning; Havering, building cleaning; Hillingdon, building maintenance; Lambeth, grounds maintenance; Liverpool, other catering; Merton, sports and leisure management; North Devon, other cleaning; Southend-on-Sea, building maintenance, and Waltham Forest, building cleaning and other catering; Waltham Forest, sports and leisure management; and Brent, sports and leisure management.
This is the first of four announcements that I shall be making between now and October about the action that is being taken against local authorities that failed to meet their financial objectives in 1993 94.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration has been given to the dispersal of low-level radioactive waste at sites in (a) the Sherwood constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire; and if he will make a statement. [26876]
Mr. Atkins: At present no low-level radioactive waste is authorised for disposal at any landfill site in Nottinghamshire, and my Department has no knowledge of any future plans in this regard. The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 regulates the disposal of all radioactive waste. Before anyone disposes of this waste, other than under the terms of an exemption order, he must apply to Her Majesty's inspectorate of
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pollution for authorisation under the Act, and the application is made public. HMIP will grant authorisation only if it is fully satisfied that the public is properly protected.Energy Efficiency
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made towards the15 per cent. energy saving target for the Government estate; and when he intends to publish the Government's latest review of progress on a
Department-by-Departmentbasis. [27158]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 17 May 1995, Official Report, columns 260-62.
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what target date he has set for the achievement of the 15 per cent. energy saving target for the Government estate. [27157]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The answer is 31 March 1996.
Asbestos
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Environment what steps he is taking toensure that asbestos-based products are not used in construction. [25865]
Mr. Oppenheim: I have been asked to reply.
The use of products containing the most dangerous types of asbestos, brown and blue, and many construction products containing white asbestos is prohibited. The few remaining uses of white asbestos based products in construction are subject to the provisions of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, as amended in 1992. Those require employers to prevent exposure to asbestos, where it is practicable, by substituting products containing asbestos for less harmful products.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Home Visits
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the purpose of proposed home visits by Benefits Agency staff; [26249]
(2) what instructions he has given to Benefits Agency staff regarding proposed home visits; [26247]
(3) how many home visits by Benefits Agency staff are proposed in the current year. [26248]
Mr. Roger Evans: The purposes of home visits by Benefits Agency staff are to clarify and verify details of benefit claims which cannot be easily, or satisfactorily confirmed by post, ensuring that benefit entitlement is expedited accurately and speedily. Long-standing advice exists for Benefits Agency staff on how to conduct business away from the office. This includes guidance on interview techniques and personal safety. All visiting staff attend specialised training courses, which include a session on how to deal with potentially aggressive situations. In addition, guidance is due to be issued advising how to select, perform and record, new and repeat and "review claim" visits.
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There is no overall numerical target set for home visits. Details of the number of visits carried out last year, 1994 95, are set out in the table.
Number of visits to customers in financial year ending
March 1995
|Number
--------------------------------------------------------------
New claims visits |57,000
Initial case check (follow up) |32,500
Subsequent case check |64,000
Specialist visits (e.g. by CSA staff) |80,000
Other (may include some fraud related visits) |250,000
Total |483,500
Residential Care and Nursing Homes
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Great Britain aged over 64 years living in (a) private residential homes, (b) private nursing homes, (c) local authority residential homes and (d) national health service nursing homes have a spouse living elsewhere. [25977]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in England aged over 64 years live in (a) private residential homes, (b) private nursing homes, (c) local authority residential homes and (d) NHS nursing homes; and, of these, how many have the cost of their care paid wholly or partly by (i) their local authority, (ii) their health authority and (iii) the Department of Social Security; and how many pay for their care wholly from private resources. [25978]
Mr. Roger Evans: Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
Number of Income Support Cases in England where
the recipient
is aged over 64 in May 1994
------------------------------------------------
Residential Care |76,000
Nursing Homes |71,000
LA Residential Accommodation |6,000
Including Residential Allowance |42,000
Total Cases |194,000
Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical
Enquiry: May 1994.
Notes:
All figures rounded to nearest thousand.
Residential care and nursing homes may be
either private or voluntary homes.
Cases under the community care scheme cannot be
split between residential care and nursing
homes.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines his Department plans to issue to local authorities concerning rent referrals to local rent officers under the proposed changes to housing benefit. [26538]
Mr. Roger Evans: In March this year we issued to all local authorities a circular, HB/CTBA6/95, and a summary of our proposals to take effect from October. Following formal consultation, we are currently considering the report from the social security advisory
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committee, and the representations from local authority associations, before reaching final decisions. We will then issue further guidance to all local authorities and will keep the need for additional material under review, in line with our normal practice.Benefit Payment Card
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by what date the five consortia bidding to act as prime contractors for the automated benefit payment system must submit their proposals; when the Department of Social Security will make its decision; and when he expects the system to be operational. [26369]
Mr. Roger Evans: The five consortia must submit their proposals by 8 June and the Department will make its decision around the end of the year. The first benefit payment cards are expected to be issued in 1996 and the whole implementation process is expected to take up to three years.
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library a copy of the automated benefit payment card statement of system requirement. [26368]
Mr. Roger Evans: No. The statement of service requirement is part of the contractual negotiations between the Department and potential service providers, and as such is commercially confidential.
National Insurance Numbers
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many national insurance numbers are in existence; how many national insurance numbers relate to people now deceased; how many national insurance numbers have been issued in each of the past 10 years, other than automatically to 16-year-olds; what are the categories into which those applying for national insurance, other than automatic issue to 16-year- olds, are placed; how many national insurance numbers have been issued in each of those categories in each of the past 10 years; how many prosecutions have been made in each of the last 10 years for fraudulent claims for national insurance numbers; and how many national insurance numbers have been cancelled in each of the last 10 years. [26457]
Mr. Arbuthnot: There are 65,329,198 national insurance numbers held on the departmental central index.
Approximately 8.8 million records relate to people now deceased. It is possible to state only how many national insurance numbers have been issued in three of the past 10 years in cases other than automatically to 16-year- olds.
1986: 142,964
1987: 155,571
1988: 174,902
This information is not available from 1989 onwards because of changes to the way in which the Department's computer systems operate.
In addition to those national insurance numbers issued automatically to 16- year-olds, applications may come from customers who have arrived from abroad and never been in the UK before or have not been included in the automatic registration process--for example, if child benefit has not been in payment.
It is not possible to state how many national insurance number allocations fall into each category as current
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processes do not provide for the collection of this information. Since records began in 1991 there have been approximately 500 to 550 prosecutions a year involving conspiracy to obtain benefit fraudulently from the Department by the misuse of identity details and national insurance numbers.The numbers of national insurance numbers cancelled in the past 10 years are as follows:
1986: 7,576
1987: 6,719
1988: 13,763
1989: 10,827
1990: 11,924
1991: 8,878
1992: 13,230
1993: 13,458
1994: 9,344
1995: 5,163 (to date).
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