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Set-aside
Mr. Byers: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers have received payment under the set-aside scheme for each year since 1992 by county for (a) horse-based activities, (b) golf
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courses, (c) game cover for commercial shoots and (d) sports grounds; and what is the scale of the land involved and the cost to the set-aside scheme for each category by county. [35023]Mr. Baldry [holding answer 17 July 1995]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Departmental Redundancies
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many redundancies occurred in his Department over the past 12 months; how many were voluntary; and what was the total sum spent on redundancy payments. [34586]
Mr. Boswell [holding answer 14 July 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave on 25 May 1995, Official Report , columns 683 84 and 8 June 1995 columns 321 24 .
Common Agricultural Policy
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the expenditure by the European Union on the common agricultural policy in 1995; what were the actual figures for each of the previous 10 years; and if he will list United Kingdom domestic expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on agriculture in each of these years. [34422]
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 14 July 1995]: The European Commission is forecasting that expenditure on the common agricultural policy in 1995 will be within the budget level of 36,897 mecu, £29, 537 million. This is 1,047 mecu, £838 million within the EU guidelines of 37,944 mecu, £30,375 million. Expenditure in 1994 was 32,970 mecu, £25,264 million, some 3,495 mecu, £2,678 million, below the guideline. Details of expenditure on the common agricultural policy in previous years are contained in the annual financial reports on the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, guarantee section, copies of which have been deposited in the Library of the House. The latest available report relates to 1993. Details of United Kingdom expenditure on agriculture from 1988 89 to 1994 95 are contained in table 9.1 of the editions of "Agriculture in the United Kingdom" and for earlier years in table 9.1 of the Government White Papers--"The Annual Review of Agriculture". These publications have also been deposited in the Library of the House.
ENVIRONMENT
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment (1) when the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment was set up; when it became a statutory body; since when it has been a statutory requirement on it to produce an annual report; and if he will make a statement on the availability of earlier committee documents; [34412]
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(2) what site was used for the release of genetically modified scorpion venom virus; and why this site was selected; [34409] (3) what consultation was held with the local population before the release of genetically modified scorpion venom virus; [34410] (4) what studies were conducted on the possible effects on (a) people and (b) wildlife of genetically modified scorpion venom virus before its release. [34408]Mr. Clappison: The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment was first established by the Secretary of State in April 1990. It was then appointed on 29 January 1993 as the statutory body, under the provisions of section 124 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
There is no statutory requirement on the Committee to produce an annual report.
Information on the applications considered by the committee under the provisions of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 is available on the public register of information maintained by the Department. Full copies of these applications, as well as those considered by the Committee prior to 1993 are available under the terms of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992. Copies of the official guidance notes produced with the advice of the Committee are available from the Department. The site used for the release of the genetically modified baculovirus, the so-called "scorpion venom virus", was the University farm, Wytham, Oxfordshire; the site was selected by the applicant, the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology. The Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 lay down the requirement that anyone making an application for consent to release genetically modified organisms shall publish in a newspaper circulating in the areas likely to be affected by the proposed release a notice containing the following information. (a) the name and address of the applicant,
(b) the general description of the organisms to be released, (c) the location and general purpose of the release, and ( d) the foreseen date of the release.
The notice invites comments and indicates that further information can be obtained from the applicant and the statutory public register of information maintained by the Department. These requirements were observed by the applicant.
The application from the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology for consent to release genetically modified baculovirus, the so called "scorpion venom virus", included a detailed assessment of the possible risks of harm to human health and the environment. This assessment was based on the applicant's own studies of the virus over several years, and on other studies contained in published literature. The assessment was considered by the scientists in the relevant Departments and by the Health and Safety Executive and the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, and on their recommendation a consent was issued.
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British River Monitoring
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring his Department has carried out on alkyl phenol emonxylates in British rivers. [34637]
Mr. Clappison: The Department does not monitor British rivers. Such monitoring as is appropriate is carried out by the UK regulatory authorities.
Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylates
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 13 March, Official Report , column 414, when the research on alkyl phenol ethoxylates is expected to be completed. [34656]
Mr. Clappison: The reports of a review of current information on possible oestrogenic effects of chemicals including alkyl phenol ethoxylates, entering the environment, and on the effects of sewage effluent on fish, including some data on levels on alkyl phenol ethoxylates in rivers, which are referred to in those answers, will be published in the near future.
Big Splash Site, Wandsworth
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement as to the grounds on which he is allowing evidence that has already been considered or rejected by the inspector in the inquiry concerning the development of the Big Splash site in Mapleton road, Wandsworth SW18, to be reconsidered. [34348]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: It is not unusual for further representations to be made in a planning case after the inquiry is closed. If those representations do no more than repeat issues already addressed at the inquiry, no special action is required. Where new evidence is raised which appears to be material to the case, the principles of natural justice require that the parties to the inquiry have an opportunity of commenting on that evidence before any decision is made.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he received the report from the inspector he appointed to hold a public inquiry into Wandsworth council's bid for planning permission to develop the Big Splash site in Mapleton road, Wandsworth, London SW18; when he expects to publish it; and if he will make a statement. [34346]
Mr. Jones: The inspector's report was received on 11 October 1994. The report will be published together with the decision letter. This will be as soon as possible after the parties to the inquiry have had the opportunity of commenting on the new evidence.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many planning inquiries into the use of metropolitan open land new evidence has been allowed after the inquiry has closed. [34347]
Mr. Jones: No central record of such circumstances is kept.
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Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the Ministers responsible for green issues in each Government Department. [34655]
Mr. Clappison: The Green Ministers are as follows:
Department |Minister --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agriculture, Fisheries and Food |Tim Boswell MP Chancellor's Departments |David Heathcoat-Amory MP Defence |The Earl Howe Education and Employment |Robin Squire MP Environment |The Rt. Hon. John Gummer MP Foreign and Commonwealth Office |The Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hanley MP Overseas Development Administration |The Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hanley MP Health |The Baroness Cumberlege CBE Home Office |The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Blatch CBE Law Officers' |The Rt. Hon. Sir Derek Spencer QC MP Lord Chancellor's |John M. Taylor MP National Heritage |Lord Inglewood Northern Ireland Office |Malcolm Moss MP Office of Public Service |John Horam MP Scottish Office |The Earl of Lindsay Social Security |Roger Evans MP Trade and Industry |Richard Page MP Transport |The Rt. Hon. Sir George Young MP Welsh Office |The Rt. Hon. William Hague MP
Construction Industry
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for implementation of the Latham report on the construction industry; and if he will make a statement. [35184]
Mr. Clappison: The Government have taken a strong lead in the implementation of the recommendations in "Constructing the Team", together with other members of the Construction Industry Board. Two consultation documents have been issued by the Government on legislative proposals arising from the recommendations, and the responses are being considered. The success of the report depends ultimately on a culture change within the construction industry, which the Government are actively supporting and encouraging.
Home Renovation Grants
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes were improved with the benefit of home renovation grants, excluding minor works and disabled facilities grants, in 1994; and what were the figures for 1984. [33338]
Mr. Clappison: Information about home renovation grants in England is shown in the quarterly and annual publication "Housing and Construction Statistics". Figures of amounts paid during 1994 are shown in table
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2.17 of the December 1994 issue of part 2 of the quarterly edition of this publication and those for 1984 are shown in table 7.2 of the 1983 93 issue of the annual edition of this publication.Copies of these publications are in the Library.
Council House Investment
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the standard spending assessment for council house investment for each of the last five years. [34191]
Mr. Clappison: The annual capital guidelines allocated to local authorities as part of the housing investment programme for the last five years are:
1991 92: £1,342,500 million
1992 93: £1,289,896 million
1993 94: £1,377,612 million
1994 95: £1,037.982 million
1995 96: £994.229 million
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what circumstances he will make it his policy to increase investment in council housing. [34192]
Mr. Clappison: Every year, as part of the housing investment programme, local housing authorities receive their annual capital guideline allocations for capital expenditure on housing. They can also bid for resources from the housing partnership fund and the single regeneration budget challenge fund. In addition, local authorities fund capital expenditure on housing from usable capital receipts and revenue contributions to capital. It is up to local housing authorities to decide how much of their available resources should be invested in council housing according to local needs. Local authorities should also be considering transferring their stock to new social landlords since this is one of the best ways of bringing in private resources to renovate and improve social rented housing.
Housing
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to issue revised planning guidance note 3. [35190]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: I have no immediate plans for issuing a revised planning policy guidance note 3 (Housing).
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the extent of repairs needed on local authority housing, in each region, indicating the cost of these repairs (a) per region and (b) in total. [34193]
Mr. Clappison: Figures for repairs to local authority housing are provided by the quinquennial English house condition survey. The figures from the 1991 survey are as follows:
Region |£ million
-----------------------------------------
Northern |361
Yorkshire/Humberside |442
North West |541
East Midlands |259
West Midlands |424
South West |265
Eastern |312
Greater London |657
South East |235
Merseyside |175
Total |3,671
Figures are in 1991 prices.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of funding currently provided for the provision of affordable housing in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) each European Union country and (c) each G7 country. [34194]
Mr. Clappison: In England in 1994 95, a total of £8.6 billion was spent on housing benefit to help social and private sector tenants on low incomes with their rents. Some £4.9 billion was spent on "bricks and mortar" spending to provide social housing at below-market rents and low-cost home ownership opportunities to households who might otherwise rent in the social sector and to help with the costs of maintaining and running council housing.
The comparable information requested in (b) is not available because of differing forms of subsidy in other countries. Information on levels of funding in the European Community can be found in "Statistics on Housing in the European Community 1993" which is available in the Library.
No information is readily available on levels of funding in G7 countries.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authorities establishing local public housing corporations to provide affordable housing. [34195]
Mr. Clappison: Borrowing by local housing corporations to provide affordable housing, although outside some fiscal indicators, such as the general Government financial deficit, would be within the public sector borrowing requirement. Moreover, if increased borrowing were supported by higher rents, it would increase expenditure on housing benefit which is within GGFD. The establishment of local housing corporations is unlikely therefore to be a means of permitting unrestricted borrowing for any purpose. The White Paper "Our Future Homes" (Cm 2901) explains that the transfer of council housing to new landlords which are private sector bodies is an effective way of generating increased investment. This requires no changes to public borrowing conventions.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Chancellor to exclude local public housing corporations from the remit of the public sector borrowing requirement. [34191]
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Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 25 May, Official Report , column 792 , what is his estimate of the additional homes which would have been provided by rehabilitation and under any other programmes under the Housing Corporation's standard headings in 1995 96, if funding levels as announced in the 1992 autumn statement had been maintained. [35175]
Mr. Clappison: The Housing Corporation estimates that the 1995 96 approved development programme would have provided a total of around 32,000 additional homes if the funding levels announced in the 1992 autumn statement had been maintained, comprising:
|Number
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Build for rent |22,000
Rehabilitation for rent |3,000
Incentives and shared ownership (400 of which would have been rehabilitation for shared ownership) |7,000
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure that persons from abroad in the United Kingdom illegally or temporarily will not be able to obtain publicly subsidised housing. [36067]
Mr. Curry: The Government announced proposals for fairer access to local authority and housing association tenancies on 18 July 1994. The proposals envisaged that people here illegally and people who were granted entry to this country on the understanding that they will have no recourse to public funds should not be entitled to receive assistance under the homelessness legislation.
Subsequently, we have concluded that such people should not be entitled to tenancies of social housing allocated by local housing authorities. Provisions for this will be included in the legislation that we shall bring forward on access to social housing at the earliest opportunity.
Homelessness
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions of housing legislation govern the priority to be given to a homeless parent without custody but with staying access; and if he will make a statement. [35138]
Mr. Clappison: The homelessness legislation--part III of the Housing Act 1985--provides that a person with whom dependent children reside or might reasonably be expected to reside has priority need for accommodation. The Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities (revised third edition), to which authorities must have regard, advised that a child may be dependent upon a homeless applicant even though the child does not live with the applicant at all times.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the timetable provided to BNFL for the submission of further proposals on waste substitution, as mentioned in paragraph 141 of the White Paper on radioactive waste management policy, CM2919. [35160]
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Mr. Clappison: No timetable has yet been established.
Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to implement the proposal contained in paragraph 87 of the White Paper on radioactive waste management policy, CM 2919, to ensure full transparency and public consultation on the site selection for high-level waste disposal. [35161]
Mr. Clappison: The White Paper says that the Government propose to consider how in future they might meet concerns regarding the need for transparency of decision making and public reassurance--for instance, by setting out guidelines for the developers of repositories about the need for transparency in site selection, including the publication of research results, and the specific milestones to be covered in this process. They have no current plans for legislation.
Safe Water Standards
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why United Kingdom safe water standards fell from 100 per cent. in urban areas to 99.6 per cent., between 1980 and 1990 according to statistics published by the World Health Organisation publication "Progress Towards Health for All." [35151]
Mr. Clappinson: The difference between the figures for 1980 and 1990 is due to the fact that the World Health Organisation revised, and made stricter, its guidelines for drinking water quality. The change does not imply that water was unsafe to drink.
Since 1990, the Drinking Water Inspectorate has checked the quality of drinking water in England and Wales against the standards set in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989. These standards are stricter than those recommended by the World Health Organisation in its 1984 guidelines for drinking water quality, which were current in 1989. The Drinking Water Inspectorate's latest annual report shows that in the calendar year 1994, the water companies in England and Wales carried out approximately 3.5 million tests, of which 99.3 per cent. met the relevant standard in the regulations. None of those which did not meet the standards constituted unsafe water.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Caborn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on difficulties caused for local authority financing or re-financing by comments made in the case of Credit Suisse v. Allerdale; what is the Government's policy on acquiring the use of borrowed money and avoiding the impact of controls; and what comparison he has made with the decision in City Centre Leisure (Holdings) Limited v. Westminster on the issue of acquiring the use of borrowed money; [35580]
(2) what assessment the Government have made of the use by local authorities of financial structures which minimise the impact of a project on a local authority's borrowing, expenditure or credit limits; [35578]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of the Allerdale case on the orderly rescheduling of existing off-balance sheet obligations of local authorities by means
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of deferred purchase commitments or the processing of various private finance initiatives opportunities; and if he will discuss the Government's policy in this area with the Audit Commission; [35577] (4) what assessment has been made of the difference between the position where a local authority uses a company for fund raising and where an independent contractor borrows to fund the performance of work or the provision of services to the council for reward; [35581] (5) what assessment has been made by his Department on the extent of the use of private finance initiative to enable projects to go ahead without the costs and borrowing relating to such projects falling on the balance sheets of local authorities; and what is his Department's policy on whether their practice is appropriate. [35579]Mr. Curry: I will write to the hon. Member.
Mortgage Indemnities
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 6 July, Official Report, columns 332 33, if he will list the total number of mortgage indemnities and the average value for each local authority listed. [35440]
Mr. Clappison: I will write to the hon. Member.
County Hall
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the environment what meetings his Department has had with Shirayama Corporation on its plans for county hall in each of the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [35412]
Sir Paul Beresford: While briefing himself for the Public Accounts Committee hearing on 1 May 1995, my Department's permanent Secretary made a site visit to county hall in April during which he met Shirayama's United Kingdom representative.
Contaminated Land
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the costs to local authorities of carrying out investigations of land that my be contaminated, prior to issuing a remediation notice; and what provision exists for local authorities to recoup these costs and from whom if (a) a remediation notice is required and (b) no remediation notice is required. [35351]
Mr. Clappison: Site investigation costs vary greatly between sites, depending on the nature of the contaminants predicted to be present on the site and on the size of the site. The typical cost per hectare of investigations also varies with the overall size of the site being investigated. The Department of the Environment has commissioned consultants, WS Atkins Environment, to review the typical range of costs for different kinds of work.
Each borough or district council already has a duty, under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to cause its area to be inspected from time to time to detect any statutory
nuisances--including such nuisances caused by contaminated land. The contaminated land provisions in part II of the Environment Bill, which will form part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990,
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will provide a similar duty for contaminated land, as specifically defined in those provisions.The new regime does not provide for local authorities to recover costs they incur in investigating land prior to the service of a remediation notice. However, once land has been identified as contaminated land, a remediation notice can include a requirement for a more detailed assessment of the condition of the land to be carried out by the recipient of the notice.
The supplementary credit approval programme for contaminated land provides capital resources to local authorities for site investigation and remediation work. Since the inception of the programme in 1990, some £54 million has been spent on investigation or remediation on over 800 sites.
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Air Pollution
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information the Government have about levels of pollution in urban areas; and if he will provide the most recent available figures so as to enable a comparison to be made between Manchester and other areas. [35381]
Mr. Clappison: The Government monitor air pollution in urban areas through their automated urban network. The monitoring site in Manchester measures continuously concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Comparisons between Manchester and other selected areas of recorded concentrations of these pollutants in 1994 are as follows:
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Nitrogen dioxide Carbon monoxide
|Peak hourly |Annual mean |Peak hourly |Annual mean
|concentration|concentration|concentration|concentration
|(ppb)<2> |(ppb)<2> |(ppb)<3> |(ppb)<3>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester |352 |26 |17.8 |0.5
Liverpool |97 |26 |5.8 |0.6
Leeds |131 |28 |12.8 |0.7
London<1> |235 |44 |11.0 |2.0
Cardiff |264 |22 |7.2 |0.9
Belfast |100 |21 |16.3 |0.7
Glasgow |132 |26 |7.7 |0.7
<1> Cromwell Road.
<2> Parts per billion.
<3> Parts per million.
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the work his Department has carried out in the last 12 months in making information about his Department available to the public via the Government world wide web server know as "www.open.gov.uk" and his plans and policies to make additional and new information available electronically on the server in the next 12 months. [34676]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Department has set up pages on the Government world wide web server known as "www.open.gov.uk." Currently, the DoE pages include information on: the Department's responsibilities; air quality information; the housing white paper; and basic credit approvals. All of the Department's press notices are published on the Central Office of Information pages--reference "http: //www.coi.gov.uk/coi/depts/GNV/GNV.htm1"--and can be accessed through the DoE page.
Officials are examining the feasibility of publishing a wider range of Departmental information via the Internet.
Green Ministers
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans there are for an annual report on the work of the green Ministers; and if he will make a statement. [34635]
Mr. Clappison: Green Ministers have already published a "Digest of Green Housekeeping in Government Departments" in May this year. In addition, each Department's annual report contains material on its environmental performance, including the name of the Green Minister. The Government report collectively on
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its sustainable development strategy in its annual environment White Papers.Water Industry
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of whether more competition in the water industry would lower prices and increase supply. [34378]
Mr. Clappison: In his policy document "Competition in the Water Industry: inset appointments and their regulation"--Ofwat, July 1995--the Director General of Water Services states that introducing competition at the wholesale level via the ability to make inset appointments has influenced prices through the introduction of more cost-reflective tariffs for larger customers. He recommends that competition between water companies would be further facilitated by changes to legislation. My right hon. Friend will consider these proposals.
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