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Number of people employed per thousand population in shire
counties (excluding teachers) at June 1994
General services (excluding Law and Order)
|Staff per thousand
Authority |population
-------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |9.4
Bedfordshire |n/a
Berkshire |n/a
Buckinghamshire |13.1
Cambridgeshire |n/a
Cheshire |9.0
Cleveland |11.4
Cornwall and Scilly |9.1
Cumbria |8.5
Derbyshire |10.1
Devon |9.6
Dorset |8.9
Durham |10.3
East Sussex |7.9
Essex |6.4
Gloucestershire |7.7
Hampshire |8.8
Hereford and Worcester |n/a
Hertfordshire |9.4
Humberside |n/a
Isle of Wight |8.9
Kent |8.0
Lancashire |n/a
Leicestershire |10.2
Lincolnshire |7.4
Norfolk |9.5
North Yorkshire |n/a
Northamptonshire |n/a
Northumberland |10.7
Nottinghamshire |n/a
Oxfordshire |8.7
Shropshire |9.3
Somerset |11.7
Staffordshire |10.9
Suffolk |11.0
Surrey |7.3
Warwickshire |11.0
West Sussex |9.6
Wiltshire |7.6
n/a = Data not available.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment following the decision of the High Court on 23 May to grant leave to the royal county of Berkshire to review his decision announced on 21 March to abolish the county council, if the time allowed for responses to the draft order issued by his Department on 22 May will be delayed until the ultimate outcome of the judicial review is known. [27850]
Mr. Curry [holding answer 9 June 1995]: I see no need at present.
Public Events
Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the correspondence he has received complaining about the 14 -day rule which allows public events to be held on agricultural land for a maximum of 14 days in a year; and what proposals he has to reform the rule. [28170]
Sir Paul Beresford: During the period 1 January 1995 to 31 May 1995, we received eight letters from hon. Members; two from local authorities, one from a police consultative committee, one from a parish council federation and one from a residents' association. The General Permitted Development Order grants a general planning permission for a temporary change of use on land for up to 28 days a year for most activities, but for only 14 days in respect of car boot sales and motor sports. More frequent use requires a planning application. These controls strike a balance between the freedom to use land for any lawful, occasional purpose while protecting amenity. We have no plans to amend them.
Darwin Initiative
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans Her Majesty's Government have to increase the funding of grants for the Darwin initiative and related funds for training ecologists in developing countries. [26330]
Mr. Atkins: Since the inception of the Darwin initiative, funds have been increased from £1 million in 1993 94 to £3 million in the current financial year. So far, £9 million has been allocated for 86 projects in over 50 developing countries, involving around 60 UK institutions and almost a 1,000 developing country participants. Present public expenditure plans allow a continuing rolling programme of £3 million per year.
Biodiversity Convention
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who is to represent the United Kingdom at the Scientific Advisory Body of Biodiversity convention in Paris in September. [26338]
Mr. Atkins: The UK delegation for the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on scientific, technical and
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technological advice of the biodiversity convention will be led by my Department with appropriate scientific support. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when the composition of the delegation has been decided.Rented Housing
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his projection of housing new build for rent, in rental units, over the next 10 years. [27960]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: There are no Government projections for housing new build for rent over the next 10 years.
Unifit Housing
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest assessment of homes which require demolition because of disrepair. [27961]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The 1991 English house condition survey found 584,000 dwellings that were unfit due to disrepair. The extent of this disrepair varies considerably and decision as to whether demolition is the most satisfactory course of action is for the local authority concerned in each case.
Household Statistics
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of households currently living in accommodation shared with another household, who require rehousing. [27962]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The 1993 94 an estimated 400,000 households lived in accommodation that was not self-contained. Of these, 200,000 had a strong preference for separate accommodation, 140 would prefer it but not strongly, and 60,000 preferred to share.
The estimates are from the survey of English housing 1993 94 and, like all estimates from household surveys, they are subject to sampling error.
Home Ownership
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the proportion of dwellings in owner occupation for each year since 1990. [27964]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The available figures are shown in table 2.23 of the December 1994 quarterly edition of part 2 of the publication "Housing and Construction Statistics". A copy of this publication is in the Library.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons aged 25 years or under became home owners in each year since 1970. [27965]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The available information is set out in the table. It is based on a sample survey of mortgage completions and covers those first-time purchasers aged 25 or under who bought with a building society or Abbey National plc mortgage in the UK in the years 1975 to 1994.
Number of first-time
buyers where main
borrower is aged 25 or
under 1975-1994, UK
|Number
------------------------
1975 |130,900
1976 |142,300
1977 |139,800
1978 |145,200
1979 |138,100
1980 |136,400
1981 |149,900
1982 |176,200
1983 |181,600
1984 |217,700
1985 |234,400
1986 |242,000
1987 |195,700
1988 |224,900
1989 |173,700
1990 |177,700
1991 |143,500
1992 |104,500
1993 |102,800
1994 |103,700
Source:
Building Societies
Mortgage Survey, a 5
per cent. sample survey
of mortgage
completions.
Planning Policy
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has conducted to support the statement in paragraph 1.6 of planning policy guidance note 7 on protecting and improving the countryside through maintaining a healthy rural economy. [28231]
Sir Paul Beresford: My Department expects to publish research on the implementation of planning policies for diversifying the rural economy later this year.
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the statement in paragraph 1.6 of planning policy guidance note 7 on protecting and improving the countryside through maintaining a healthy rural economy is intended to refer to protecting and improving (a) the built environment in rural areas and (b) agricultural land and natural habitats. [28232]
Sir Paul Beresford: Paragraph 1.6 refers to the aims of the Government's countryside policies generally. Many factors contribute to a healthy rural economy, including an attractive built environment, an adequate supply of agricultural land and natural habitats. Under the planning system, the guiding principle in the wider countryside is that development should benefit the rural economy and maintain or enhance the environment.
Southwark Council
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) men and (b) women were employed by Southwark council in each of the last five years. [28350]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is not available centrally.
Species 2000
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the United Kingdom Government have to participate in Species 2000 and the formulation of a new species list. [26339]
Mr. Atkins: The UK expects to consider initiatives such as species 2000 at the first scientific advisory meeting of the parties to the biodiversity convention in Paris in September, in the context of the provision of scientific technical assessments of the status of biodiversity under article 25 of the convention.
Column 489
Local Government Residuary Body
Mr. Hawksley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what decision he has reached about the appointment of a chairman for the Local Government Residuary Body (England). [28846]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I am happy to announce that Mr. Roy Swanston, currently president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, has accepted the offer of appointment as first chairman of the Local Government Residuary Body (England). The appointment will be made as soon as possible, once the other founder members of the residuary body have been selected.
Thames Gateway
Mr. Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the final version of the Thames gateway planning framework. [28847]
Mr. Curry: The planning framework for Thames gateway, RPG9a, which sets out planning guidance for the major regional growth area extending from Newham and Greenwich in London to Thurrock in Essex and Swale in Kent, is being published this week. Copies will be placed in the library at 10.30 am tomorrow.
WALES
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much local government reorganisation has cost so far; and to what extent that cost has been borne by (a) local and (b) central government. [27541]
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 9 June 1995]: There are no figures available centrally for expenditure by local authorities on local government reorganisation. It is up to local government to take advantage of the scope for savings available by bringing and planning, finance and other central administrative services under one control.
I have issued the following funding, which is additional to the local government revenue and capital settlements:
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------
1994-95
Supplementary credit approvals: IT |790,786
1995-96
Supplementary credit approvals: IT |19,209,189
Special grant |<1>4,563,252
<1>To 9 June 1995. A total of up to £19.5 million is to be
issued under the Special Grant Report (Wales) 1995; of this
£17.55 million will be issued in 1995-96.
The expenditure on IT should produce savings in administration and management, if local authorities spend wisely. There will also be capital receipts from sale of assets that are surplus to requirements.
House Condition Survey
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official Report , column 254 , if he will set out the year or years in which the houses were assessed for the Welsh house condition survey, published in 1993. [28138]
Column 490
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The physical surveys on which the Welsh house condition survey was based were conducted in 1993. The related opinion surveys were carried out in 1992.
Car Ownership
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of Welsh households own two or more automobiles. [28446]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: According to the 1993 family expenditure survey, 23 per cent. of Welsh households own two or more cars or vans.
Hyperactive Children
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount of grant aid given by his Department to (a) the Hyperactive Children's Support Group and (b) other voluntary organisations concerned with the treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder for each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [26579]
Mr. Richards: The Welsh Office has not received any applications for grant from the Hyperactive Children's Support Group, nor from any voluntary organisations specifically concerned with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to locate a local landfill site for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste from nuclear sites in the Ynys Mo n constituency. [27371]
Planning Guidance
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State forWales what plans he has to publish a strategicguidance for Wales indicating to the newly elected unitary councils strategic guidance on (a) nature conservation, (b) transport, (c) planning and the historic environment, (d) planning and pollution control, (e) planning and noise and (f) aggregate provision and strategic planning; and if he will make a statement. [28195]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend will be issuing draft planning policy guidance shortly and minerals policy guidance in due course.
Welsh Health Common Services Authority
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the non-executive directors of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority; and on what date they were appointed. [28303]
Mr. Redwood: The non-executive members are as follows:
Mr. K. C. White, appointed 1 August 1985; recently reappointed until 31 July 1997.
Mrs. E. Elias, appointed 22 May 1995 until 31 March 1997. Mr. M. Wallace, appointed 1 June 1995 until 31 March 1997.
EstateCare Group
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place a copy in the Library of the Touche Ross report into the EstateCare Group of the Welsh Health Common Services
Authority. [28311]
Column 491
Mr. Redwood: No. The report is one of a number of working documents which will contribute to my consideration of the future of WHCSA.
Competitive Tendering
Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements for compulsory competitive tendering will apply to county and county borough councils; and if he will make a statement. [28620]
Mr. Redwood: I have been giving very careful consideration to the timetable for reintroducing and extending compulsory competitive tendering after local government reorganisation. The Under-Secretary of State--my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones)--and I have received a number of representations from local authorities and others, in particular about the timetable for reintroducing CCT which was announced in December 1993.
I have concluded that the new councils should be given some more time. Generally, the revised timetable will be as follows: Reintroduction of CCT under the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980: 1 April 1997
Reintroduction of CCT under the Local Government Act 1988: 1 October 1997
CCT will apply to new joint committees which are established by the new councils from 1 October 1997. Where work covered by the 1988 Act will not be greatly affected by the reorganisation, I propose that it should be subject to CCT from 1 April 1997. This will apply to:
Joint committees continued in existence by section 59 of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994.
The defined activity of catering for purposes of schools and welfare in the case of Powys county council.
The defined activity of collection of refuse in the case of the following councils:
Anglesey county council
Blaenau Gwent county borough council
Bridgend county borough council
Cardiff county council
Cardiganshire county council
Merthyr Tydfil county borough council
Monmouthshire county council
Newport county borough council
Torfaen county borough council
The Vale of Glamorgan county borough council
Wrexham county borough council
I have also been considering the responses to recent consultation exercises on the extension of CCT to personnel, finance and information technology services. I have concluded that I should make no further change to the implementation date for finance of 1 October 1998 and for IT of 1 October 1999. I have decided however that it would be appropriate to take account of the pressures which personnel departments will face as a result of local government reorganisation and the introduction and extension of CCT, and that CCT should apply to personnel services from 1 October 1999.
Finally, I have decided not to make any major changes to the specified minimum and maximum lengths of contract periods which apply in Wales under the 1988 Act. For county and county borough councils the contract periods will be:
Column 492
|Years
------------------------------------------
Other cleaning |3-7
Refuse collection |5-7
Sports and leisure management |4-6
All other defined activities |3-5
In the case of building cleaning and ground maintenance, the contract period will be three to four years where the contract includes a significant element of work at a school.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Child Support Agency
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 22 May, Official Report , column 432 , to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Timms), how the figure for benefit savings achieved by the Child Support Agency was arrived at; and if he will give a detailed breakdown. [27998]
Mr. Burt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 13 June 1995: I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the benefit savings achieved by the Child Support Agency during the year 1994/1995.
The Agency achieved benefit savings totalling £479.05 million during 1994/95. The table at Annex A shows how the benefit savings for 1994/95 were comprised.
Annex A
|Amount
Category of benefit |£ million
savings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resulting from pre-CSA assessments:
Paid direct by Absent Parent to Parent With Care |119.52
Paid through Agency collection service to Secretary
of State |7.00
Resulting from CSA assessments:
Paid direct by Absent Parent to Parent With Care |13.76
Paid through Agency collection service to Secretary
of State |47.94
Deductions from income support payments made to
Absent parents. |2.38
Income Support claim cessation:
Income support exceeded rate of benefit |23.83
Income support claim withdrawn within 4 weeks of
CSA action |199.53
Reductions in Family Credit or Disability Working
Allowance resulting from CSA assessments |12.84
Housing benefit/Council Tax reductions resulting
from CSA assessments |52.25
Total |479.05
Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to pay industrial injuries benefit direct into the bank of the recipients; and for what reasons this arrangement is not currently available. [27950]
Column 493
Mr. Hague: The administration of industrial injury disablement benefit is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ian Magee to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 12 June 1995: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the payment of Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit (IIDB) by Automated Credit Transfer (ACT).
Payment into a bank account by ACT is made on computer produced magnetic tapes. For practical reasons, payment by ACT has been restricted to those benefits which are paid by computer. As IIDB is a clerically administered benefit, an exercise is currently underway to transfer all IIDB payments onto a computer system enabling payments to be made by ACT. This facility is expected to be available by the end of this year.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Poverty
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how he proposes to involve people living in poverty in the design, implementation, monitoring and assessment of national strategies and programmes for poverty eradication, as required in article 28a of the action programme agreed at the world summit for social development in Copenhagen in March. [26758]
Mr. Burt: The Department already consults widely with representative non-governmental organisations and other groups on proposed initiatives and policy changes. In addition, Ministers regularly meet with organisations representing vulnerable groups.
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he proposes to issue a national poverty eradication plan in compliance with article 26b of the action programme agreed at the world summit for social development in Copenhagen in March. [26757]
Mr. Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave her on 10 May, Official Report , column 496 .
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to issue a report on collaboration with European and other Governments on the evaluation of policies to combat poverty in accordance with article 29 of the action programme agreed at the world summit for social development. [26756]
Mr. Burt: There is no requirement in paragraph 29 of the programme of action to issue such a formal report and we have no plans to do so.
There is regular discussion and evaluation of social policies in a variety of international forums in which the UK participates.
Social Security Expenditure
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the basis for his estimate of a £4 billion reduction in the forecast for social security expenditure by 2001 which will occur in addition to the £4 billion reduction due to policy changes he has initiated. [27223]
Mr. Hague: All projections for 2000 01 were made on the same basis as the projection published in "The Growth of Social Security" 1993. The total reduction in forecast expenditure projected for 2000 01 is £7.8 billion. Of this, £4 billion is due to policy changes. Approximately £2.1 billion of the difference is
Column 494
due to the use of a lower unemployment assumption than that used in "The Growth of Social Security" reflecting the reduction in unemployment which has already occurred.The remaining £1.7 billion is the net effect of a wide range of forecasting changes due partly to the use of more up-to-date information on trends in benefit case loads and expenditure and the use of improved forecasting techniques.
Note:
All figures are in 1994 95 prices.
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