| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 580
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has in respect of privately rented accommodation for poor people. [33068]
legislate to make it easier for landlords to let their property to build on progress made since 1988 on increasing the supply of good quality privately rented accommodation;
make it easier for people on low incomes to obtain accommodation by placing a statutory duty on local housing authorities to secure suitable advisory services, including advice on affordable private rented housing;
introduce pre-tenancy determinations to enable prospective tenants and their landlords to find out how much rent will be covered by housing benefit, before signing a tenancy agreement.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will review the effectiveness of the business expansion scheme for privately rented accommodation. [33069]
Mr. Clappison: My Department reviewed the effectiveness of the business expansion scheme in 1991 92. We concluded that the scheme was successful as a temporary measure to pump-prime investment, adding some 80,000 rental units to the private rented sector. We also concluded that the boost to the sector was likely to be shortlived and that the scheme was relatively expensive. The concession therefore ended, as planned, in 1993.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has evaluated on landlords attitudes to unemployed people and those on housing benefit as tenants; and what proposals he has. [33070]
Mr. Clappison: Recent research for my Department found that landlords' attitudes to prospective tenants varied--some landlords were cautious about taking on tenants in receipt of housing benefit, others were content to do so.
Unemployed people and those on housing benefit will find it easier to obtain accommodation if landlords are confident that the rent will be paid. We have made it easier for local authorities to offer landlords rent guarantees, helping people who cannot raise a rent deposit. We propose to introduce pre-tenancy determinations to remove the uncertainty about how much rent will be covered by housing benefit, before the tenancy agreement is signed.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Social Security and local authorities to encourage people to take housing benefit or unemployed tenants by speeding up the housing benefit application process. [33071]
Mr. Clappison: My Department and the Department of Social Security work together closely with local authorities on issues affecting the operation of the housing benefit system. In 1994, nearly 80 per cent. of all housing benefit claims were paid within the statutory 15 days. About 70 per cent. of authorities achieved or exceeded this target. The introduction of pre-tenancy determinations in January should allow local authorities to improve their response times further.
Column 581
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the slump in the housing market has encouraged an increase in privately rented accommodation. [33072]
Mr. Clappison: The number of households living in privately rented property has increased by 300,000 since 1988. The increased availability of this type of accommodation reflects a number of factors, particularly the deregulation of lettings since 1989. The current state of the housing market is, of course, another such factor.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress the Secretary of State has made in encouraging (a) the authorised housing investment trusts and (b) other bodies to invest in privately rented accommodation. [33073]
Mr. Clappison: We announced in the housing White Paper our proposal to legislate to allow housing investment trusts to be formed. The removal of rent controls in 1988 for new lettings allows landlords to make a more realistic return on their investment. Since 1988, the number of privately rented households has increased from 1.7 million to 2 million.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to address the concerns of the financial institutions in respect of the risks of investment in privately rented accommodation. [33047]
Mr. Clappison: We propose to allow housing investment trusts to be formed so that financial institutions will be able to invest in privately rented housing without managing the properties directly and on a scale which will enable them to diversify risks. Trusts will benefit from exemption on capital gains within the trust, and a reduced rate of corporation tax.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of grants to companies to invest in privately rented accommodation; and what is his policy in respect of such grants. [33075]
Mr. Clappison: We propose to allow private sector landlords to bid for funds to building housing at below market levels for social renting, but do not propose to offer grants for housing at market rents.
Opencast Mining
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the oral answer of 17 May to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane), Official Report , column 316, when his Department will publish the findings of the research that it is currently undertaking into the problems of dust, blasting and transport caused by opencast mining. [33501]
Sir Paul Beresford: These projects are concerned with all mineral workings, not simply opencast coal. The findings on dust and blasting will be published at the end of this year and in early 1996 respectively. The results of the transport research will be available in late summer 1996.
Column 582
Director General of Water Services
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current salary of the Director General of Water Services; and what has been the salary for this post since 1990. [33552]
Mr. Clappison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) by my right hon. Friend the former Minister for the Environment and Countryside on 3 July 1995, Official Report , column 17 .
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria used to determine the salary of the Director General of Water Services. [33553]
Mr. Clappison: Mr. Byatt's salary is based on that of a grade 2 civil servant, and has been increased in line with increases awarded to senior civil servants in the light of the Government's decisions on the recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body.
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which firms have won computer consultancy contracts from his Department and its agencies over the last five years; and what is the number of contracts per firm. [33891]
Sir Paul Beresford: This information is available centrally only for some of the consultancy contracts. The available information for the period April 1990 to April 1995 is as follows:
|Number of
Company name |awarded
----------------------------------------------------------
Touche Ross |3
Infologistics |3
BIS Applied Systems |5
Logica |9
Comshare |2
Computer People |8
Peter Peregrinus Ltd. |1
ISMa Consultants |1
Coopers and Lybrand |11
PA Consulting |1
Mindworks |1
World Systems |6
Hanlon Computer Services |2
W. S. Atkins |7
Yale Data Management |11
Softlab |1
Sapphire Software Services |2
Kermon Management Consultants |1
Abraxas Computer Systems |4
Mouncey and Partners |7
FI Group plc |3
Ernst and Young |9
Trident Project Services |1
Hoskyns Group plc |1
Elan Computing |2
CSL |2
Ron Streeter Methods Ltd. |1
Amtec Consulting |3
CTEC |1
Hunterskil |3
Logical Communication Systems |1
Park Place Training |1
Frost Berkeley Associates |6
Chajnsielem Heritage Systems |1
Thomas Consultancy |1
Isles Technology Resources |4
Almondhall Computer Staff |6
AMP Computer Recruitment |1
CSS Trident |2
Nobleprospect Ltd. |1
Myriad Computer Services |5
Intertech Computer Consultants |1
Systeme Evolutif |2
Database Solutions |1
Modulo 4 |1
Consultancy Corporation |1
Sue Sheppard Staff Bureau |1
KPG Computer Support Services |1
Thorogood Associates |1
Admiral Management Services |5
VNG Nationwide |1
Methods Application |2
Lorien Technical Services |2
Brooklands Information Services |1
Prolog Systems |1
Gmap Ltd. |1
Task Force |2
Mind Consultancy |1
Arrow Corps |1
David Warrilow Associates |3
International Training Services |1
Easams Ltd. |2
Express Computer Consultants |1
Basis Ltd. |2
Axsis Consultants |1
ABC Ltd. |1
PWA Professional Personnel |1
Total number of contracts |180
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which firms of consultants employed by his Department over the last five years have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33879]
Sir Paul Beresford: The information requested is not held centrally by my Department and is obtainable only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department and its agencies have spent on computer consultancy in each of the last five years; and what is the expected expenditure over the next five years. [33860]
Sir Paul Beresford: Information is available centrally only for some of the expenditure on computer consultancies. The available total cost for each of the last five years is as follows:
1990 91: £1,427,230
1991 92: £4,029,342
1992 93: £2,742,459
1993 94: £1,794,048
1994 95: £316,045
In respect of the next five years, it is not possible centrally to disaggregate bids for computer consultancy from bids for other forms of consultancy assistance. This information is obtainable only at disproportionate cost.
Column 584
Public Bodies
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total value of quangos undertaking local government responsibilities in London, their total income and income per organisation and the names of all their members. [33940]
Sir Paul Beresford: My right hon. Friend has responsibility for the following non-departmental public bodies which exercise in London functions, some of which are the same as those exercisable by local authorities.
London Residuary Body
Membership
Sir Godfrey Taylor, DL (Chairman)
Mr. Wallace Mackenzie, OBE
Mr. Michael Roberts, FCA
Mr. Jack Wolkind, CBE
At 31 March 1995--latest available annual accounts--the value of net assets was £22.5 million and total revenue income in 1994 95 was £0.4 million.
London Pensions Fund Authority
Membership
Mr. Cholmeley Messer (Chairman)
Mr. Michael Roberts, FCA (Deputy Chairman)
Sir Nigel Althaus
Councillor Dennis Barkway
Councillor Stephen Bullock
Miss Caroline Burton
Councillor Judith Jorsling
Councillor Serge Lourie
At 31 March 1994--Latest available annual accounts--the value of the authority's superannuation fund was £2 billion and the value of the LPFA's other net assets was some £33 million. The total income in 1993 94 on the authority's management revenue account, net of recoverable payments, was around £30 million.
London Docklands Development Corporation
Membership
Mr. Michael Pickard (Chairman)
Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe (Deputy Chairman)
Viscountess Cobham
Sir Christopher Foster
Sir Brian Hill
Mr. William Jack
Councillor Rajan Jalal
Councillor Conor McAuley
Councillor John McTernan
Mr. Peter Mead
Mr. Eric Sorensen
Mr. Neil Spence
Mr. Ronald Spinney
At 31 March 1994--latest available annual accounts--the value of the corporation's net assets was £623 million and the total income on the consolidated income and expenditure account was £94 million.
Radioactive Waste Management
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has received to his White Paper reviewing radioactive waste management policy, Cm. 2919. [33641]
Column 585
Mr. Clappison: None; the White Paper already takes account of responses received to the preliminary conclusions of the review, which were published in a consultation document last August.
Protection of Species and Habitats
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action the United Kingdom Government propose to take to protect species and habitats within its national jurisdiction but beyond territorial limits; and what is the timetable for such action. [33849]
Mr. Clappison: The UK Government will contribute fully to the international action and timetables agreed in the ministerial declaration of the fourth North sea conference in respect of the protection of species and habitats. The 1995 joint meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions held on 26 to 30 June agreed to consider questions on the protection of species and habitats raised by the declaration at working group level in October.
County Hall
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what planning matters in relation to county hall, London SE1, have been considered by his Department. [33829]
Sir Paul Beresford: In recent years, the Secretary of State for the Environment has determined a number of appeals on county hall planning and listed building consent applications.
The Secretary of State dismissed appeals on 20 October 1987 for change of use of the county hall complex to hotel and residential use, but allowed a change to offices.
On 5 September 1991, the Secretary of State allowed a second set of appeals and consents to demolish all the buildings within the complex and for their replacement by new office buildings, apart from the listed riverside building. Consent was given for the riverside building to be refurbished and altered to provide hotel and conference facilities and some 300 residential flats.
Packaging Waste
Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give up-to-date details on the response he has received to each of the six packaging schemes listed in his consultation paper on packaging and packaging waste; [33692] (2) how many (a) written and (b) oral representations his Department has received to the consultation paper on the shared producers responsibility scheme (i) from industry and (ii) from trade associations and companies; [33689]
(3) how many (a) written and (b) oral representations his Department has received on the suggested V-WRAG scheme on shared producers responsibility for packaging waste scheme (i) in favour of the V-WRAG scheme and (ii) against the scheme; [33690]
(4) if he will consider including the V-WRAG suggested scheme as an addition in his consultation paper, "Shared Producers Responsibility for Packaging Waste Scheme"; and if he will make a statement. [33691]
Column 586
Mr. Clappison [holding answer 11 July 1995]: The Department has received approximately 200 letters from businesses and trade associations, largely in the food and drink and packaging manufacturing sectors, in support of a document entitled "Shared Producer Responsibility for Packaging Waste" which was submitted to Government by the VALPAK-- Working Representative Advisory Group (V--WRAG) on 13 June. There have also been a number of oral expressions of support.
The previous Minister for the Environment and Countryside wrote to the chairman of V-WRAG explaining that, in their present form, these proposals fall well short of meeting the criteria for an effective legal obligation to support the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. These criteria were published by the Government on 2 February, Official Report , column 763-64 . I have placed copies of the correspondence in the library.
The Government published their consultation paper on "Producer Responsibility for Packaging Waste" on 25 May, copies of which are in the library. Consultation closes on 18 August. The paper sets out six options for legislation on the recovery and recycling of packaging waste, all of which have been worked up by representatives of businesses in the packaging industry or who manufacture or supply packaged goods. At this stage, very few responses on the relative merits of the various options have been received.
Leasehold Exchange Scheme
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish an analysis of the leasehold exchange scheme, indicating the cash sum received by a local authority and the net effect on a local authority's (a) capital receipts and (b) total borrowing and the new mortgage required by the leaseholder utilising the leasehold exchange scheme if the original leasehold property were (i) valued at £30,000 and sold with full discount in 1986 and (ii) valued at £20,000 and sold with full discount in 1982, and the new leasehold property is currently (1) a flat valued at £40,000 and (2) a house valued at £50,000, on the same assumptions as (i) if the original property now has a nil market value. [30789]
Mr. Clappison [holding answer 26 June 1995]: An illustrative analysis based on the examples would be as follows:
Example (i)
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surrendered flat:
Value of flat when
purchased in 1986: | 30,000
Maximum discount
(60 per cent.): | 18,000
Right to buy purchase
price: | 12,000
Exchange property: |example (1) |example (2)
|Flat valued |House valued
| at 40,000 |at 50,000
Discount<1> (flat 40 per
cent., house 30 per
cent.): |16,000 |15,000
Total consideration: |24,000 |35,000
Credit for surrendered
flat: |12,000 |12,000
Cash sum received by
local authority: |12,000 |23,000
Effect on local
authority's capital
receipts:
Notional receipt: |12,000 |12,000
(in each case, the
RTB price paid) |(24,000-12,000)|(35,000-23,000)
Set-aside, 75 per cent.
of (in this case, total
consideration minus
credit for surrendered
flat): |9,000 |17,250
Effect on local This would depend on the authority's
authority's total policy with regard to the use of amounts
borrowing: set aside
Effect on new The additional amount required (whether
mortgage required by by a new loan or otherwise) in each case
leaseholder: would be:
|12,000 |23,000
<1>The percentage defined by paragraph A3.3A(b)(ii) of the General
Consent for the Disposal of Part II Dwelling-Houses 1994.
Example (ii)
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surrendered flat:
Value of flat when
purchased in 1982: |20,000
Maximum discount
(60 per cent.): |12,000
Right to buy purchase
price: |8,000
Exchange property: |Example (1) |Example (2)
|Flat valued |House valued
| at 40,000 |at 50,000
Discount<1> (flat 40 per
cent. house 30 per
cent: |16,000 |15,000
Total consideration: |24,000 |35,000
Credit for surrendered
flat: |8,000 |8,000
Cash sum received by
local authority: |16,000 |27,000
Effect on local
authority's capital
receipts:
Notional receipt: |8,000 |8,000
(in each case, the
RTB price paid) |(24,000-16,000)|(35,000-27,000)
Set-aside, 75 per cent.
of (in this case, total
consideration minus
credit for surrendered
flat): |12,000 |20,250
Effect on local This would depend on the authority's
authority's total policy with regard to the use of amount
borrowing: set aside
Effect on new The additional amount required (whether
mortgage required by by a new loan or otherwise) in each case
leaseholder: would be:
|16,000 |27,000
As in your Question, no account is taken of administrative costs, which
would also be deductible from the capital receipt before set-aside is
calculated.
<1> The percentage defined by paragraph A3.3A(b)(ii) of the General
Consent for the Disposal of Part II Dwelling-Houses 1994.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Attorney-General which firms of consultants employed by his Department over the last year have been paid more than £1,000 per day. [33871]
The Attorney-General: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Attorney-General how much his Department and its agencies have spent on computer consultancy in each of the last five years; and what is the expected expenditure over the next five years. [33851]
The Attorney-General: The expenditure over the past five years for the Departments for which I am responsible is given in the following table:
| Next Section
| Home Page |