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Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all test bore holes sunk in south Yorkshire in each year since 1990 to monitor mine water flows. [39034]
Mr. Clappison: Neither the National Rivers Authority nor the Coal Authority is aware of any test bore holes sunk in south Yorkshire since 1990 specifically for the monitoring of mine water flows. However, a number of mine shafts and boreholes sunk for other purposes in the past are used by the Coal Authority to monitor the mine water situation.
Major Fires (Reports)
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment if he will seek a meeting with the chief inspector of HM factory inspectorate on the matter of liaison between HMFI and the fire brigade in preparing reports on major fires at installations covered by the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations, with regard to restrictions placed on fire service personnel in respect of disclosure of information received in the course of duty, to outside bodies. [39261]
Sir Paul Beresford: I am satisfied with liaison arrangements between the Health and Safety Executive's factory inspectorate and fire brigades in respect of incidents at major hazard sites and have no plans to meet HM chief inspector of factories to discuss this matter.
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Disclosure of information received by fire service personnel in the course of duty is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.Radioactive Waste
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report , column 29 , what information he has about the source of the drums containing radioactive uranium waste found at Chelveston in January; and if he will make a statement. [40164]
Mr. Clappison: Investigations by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution are still under way, but are now nearing completion.
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet discovered the source of the depleted uranium found at Poplar farm, Chelveston on 13 January; and what action he has taken against the land owner, the source of the material and the carrier of the material. [40217]
Mr. Clappison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) earlier today.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment (1) what has been the response of the Cabinet Environment Committee to the findings of the House of Lords Select Committee on Sustainable Development in paragraph 6.31 of its recent report, HL 72; and whether the Committee had integrated environmental concerns with energy policy; [38204]
(2) what is his response to the recommendations in paragraph 6.15 of the report from the House of Lords Select Committee on Sustainable Development, HL 72, that there should be a clear and prompt re-statement of the functions and purposes of the Government's own internal integrating mechanisms. [38205]
Mr. Clappison: The Government published their full response to the Lords Select Committee Report on Sustainable Development (HL 72) on Thursday 12 October as Cm 3018. Paragraphs 66 to 68 of the response set out the position on the Energy Saving Trust--paragraph 6.31 of the report. Paragraphs 81 to 84 of the response restate the functions and purposes of the Government's own internal integrating mechanisms.
Cable Laying (Damage to Trees)
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what representations and evidence he has received on the damage done to trees by cable television companies; and what action he is taking. [38206]
Mr. Clappison: In the light of widespread public concern about the effects on tree roots of cable and utility companies trenching activities, guidelines to help minimise damage were published by the National Joint Utilities Group in April. To help inform a review of the guidelines, after six months' experience of their operation, the Government have invited local authorities in particular to submit comments on how well the guidelines are working by the end of October.
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HSE Offshore Safety Division
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are employed with the Health and Safety Executives offshore safety division in Scotland on (a) a full-time and (b) a part-time basis. [39665]
Sir Paul Beresford: At 1 April 1995, 116 full-time staff and six part-time staff were employed in the Health and Safety Executive's offshore safety division in Scotland.
Cash and Running Costs Limits
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to change his Department's cash and running costs limits for 1995 96. [40637]
Mr. Gummer: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the following cash limit changes will be made.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 1 (housing and construction, England), covering sections B, C, D and G of that vote, will be increased by £425,000 from £111,990,000 to £112,415,000. This change reflects a transfer of provision from the Department of Social Security in respect of additional rent officer service costs arising from housing benefit changes.
The cash limits for regeneration, and countryside and wildlife, will be increased by £12,283,000 from £1,482,233,000 to £1,494,516, 000. The changes reflect the payment of £12,033,000 on capital projects which slipped from previous years for the city challenge programme within the single regeneration budget, the docklands light railway, Central Manchester development corporation, Plymouth development corporation, coalfield areas fund and the Victoria arena, Manchester. The increase is covered in full by take up of part of the entitlement to capital end year flexibility announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on July 13, 1995-- Official Report , columns 776 82 . A transfer of £250,000 from the Department of Health in respect of urban programme payments also is necessary following an excess transfer in the main estimates.
There will be associated increases to external financing limits for urban development corporations, by £15,775,000 from £243,739,000 to £259,514,000; and by £12,000,000 from £143,898,000 to £155,898,000 for the Urban Regeneration Agency (English Partnerships). The Department of the Environment/European Regional Development Fund cash limit will be increased by £9,000,000 from £184,219,000 to £193,219,000 through the take-up of part of the entitlement to end year flexibility on the DOE Regeneration, and Countryside and Wildlife cash limit announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on July 13, 1995, Official Report , columns 776 82 . Of this, £3, 000,000 is for supplementary credit approvals for local authority capital projects and £6,000,000 for other payments.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 3--Environmental Protection and Water-- will be reduced by £91,000 from £311,535,000 to £311,444,000. The change reflects a transfer of provision for storage and distribution of energy efficiency publicity materials to vote 5 and a token
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supplementary estimate to take on expenditure on pneumoconiosis compensation and awareness of workplace health issues from class V, vote 1 as a result of machinery of government changes.The cash limit for class VII, vote 5 (Administration) will be increased by £91,000 from £226,009,000 to £226,100,000 to reflect the transfer of Energy Efficiency Office provision from class VII, vote 3 (Environmental Protection and Water) for the storage costs of publicity material. In addition, the Department will receive payment of £543,000 from class V, vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services) in respect of staff and other support costs relating to liaison with the Health and Safety Executive, which is offset by an equivalent increase to running costs.
Overall, the Department's gross running costs limit will be increased by £634,000 from £228,220,000 to £228,854,000.
Following the announcement on 5 July of the creation of the new Department for Education and Employment and the consequent machinery of government changes, the Department of the Environment is now responsible for class V, vote 3 (Health and Safety
Commission--previously entitled Health and Safety Commission and Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service). To effect this change in responsibility, a token increase of £1,000 is sought for this cash- limited vote.
The cash limit for class VII, vote 6 (Office for Water Services) will be increased by £819,000 from £8,146,000 to £8,965,000 in order to take-up end year flexibility on running costs, announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on July 13, 1995, Official Report , columns 776 82 .
All increases will be offset by savings or charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconsider the policy of claiming rent back from the landlord, as opposed to the tenant, in cases where the tenant has received housing benefit subsequent to acquiring a job. [39267]
Mr. Roger Evans: I have been asked to reply.
The circumstances in which local authorities seek recovery of overpaid housing benefit are varied. Regulations are sufficiently flexible to enable authorities to exercise discretion in doing this and they are encouraged to exercise this discretion fairly. Authorities cannot recover overpaid housing benefit from landlords if the benefit has been paid to the claimant. Recovery may, however, be made from the landlord if the benefit has been paid directly to him, although local authorities are required to make landlords aware that they may be liable to repay any overpayment before any such direct payment arrangement is introduced. There are no current plans to change these arrangements.
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PRIME MINISTER
Cash and Running Costs Limits
Mr. Sumberg: To ask the Prime Minister if there are any proposals to change the 1995 96 cash limit or running costs limit for the Cabinet Office: Other Service vote. [40635]
The Prime Minister: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the Cabinet Office: Other Services (class XIX, vote 1) will be increased by £2, 999,000 from £37,749,000 to £40,748,000. At the same time the running costs limit will be increased by £2,772,000 from £40,895,000 to £43, 667,000.
The increases reflect the residual transfer of running costs provision for central services previously funded by Her Majesty's Treasury: administration (class XVII, vote 1) (£272,000) following the machinery of government changes announced on 16 December 1994. The vote is eligible for an increase of £2,747,000 in respect of end-year flexibility for running costs expenditure as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 15 July 1995, Official Report , columns 776 82 . The supplementary estimate gives effect to £1,500,000 of this increase.
The vote is also eligible for a cash limit increase of £1,227,000 in respect of end year flexibility arrangements for capital expenditure as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 July 1995, Official Report , column 776 82 . This supplementary estimate gives effect to the increase.
Some £1,000,000 will be transferred from capital into running costs.
All the increases are either offset by inter-departmental transfers or have been charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Public Appointments (South Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the public appointments for which his Department is responsible in the county of South Yorkshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary. [39538]
The Attorney-General: There are none.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all the non -departmental public bodies to which his Office makes appointments in the county of South Yorkshire, indicating the total annual budget and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last four years [39428]
The Attorney-General: There are none.
Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office
Mr. Elletson: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on whether the CPS and the SFO should become executive agencies. [40585]
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The Attorney-General: I announced on 6 December 1993 that consideration was to be given to whether the CPS and the SFO should become executive agencies under the Government's next steps initiative. Following a prior options study by an interdepartmental group, I announced on 22 September 1995 that I had concluded that it would not be right to restructure either the CPS or the SFO as an executive agency. The special character of the CPS and the SFO as independent prosecuting authorities and their well-established relationship with me as Attorney-General, which is enshrined in the statutory concept of superintendence, are best maintained by retaining their present status.
However, both organisations will be introducing the principles of next steps, such as clarity of objectives, the determining of suitable performance targets, and the delegation of management responsibilities. These principles will provide the basis for further improvement in the management of the work of the CPS and the SFO in line with the approach set out in the recent civil service White Papers. Work to bring this about is under way.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Nursery Voucher Scheme
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the implications of the introduction of the proposed nursery voucher scheme for the local management of schools formula. [38159]
Mr. Robin Squire: The Department is considering the implications of the nursery voucher for LMS schemes. However, since LMS schemes vary, the implications will be different for each scheme.
Child Care
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the evaluation of the out-of-school child care grant will be published. [38741]
Mrs. Gillan: I hope to publish the report during the winter.
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her intention with regard to future support for school- age child care; and if she will make it her policy to continue actively to support school age child care and enable local and national agencies to do the same. [38742]
Mrs. Gillan: Any decision on future support for school age child care will be based on a full assessment of our current out-of-school child care initiative, including costs and benefits, and on wider Government policy for public expenditure.
Cash and Running Costs Limits
Mr. Riddick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes will be made to the cash limits or running costs limits of her Department for 1995 96. [40638]
Mrs. Gillian Shephard: Subject to parliamentary approval of the supplementary estimate the following changes will be made:
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The cash limit for class V, vote 1-- Department for Education and Employment: Employment programmes and central services--will be increased by £853,000 from £2,121,711,000 to £2,122,564,000. The cash limit for class V, vote 2--Department for Education and Employment: Employment Service--will be reduced by £848,000 from £907, 800,000 to £906,952,000.The cash limit for class V, vote 1--Department for Education and Employment: Schools, research and miscellaneous services--will be increased by £12,639,000 from £722,844,000 to £735,483,000. The cash limit for class X, vote 2--Department for Education and Employment: higher and further education and student support--will be increased by £185,000 from £5,908,377,000 to £5,908,522,000. The cash limit for class X, vote 3--Department for Education and Employment: administration--will be reduced by £45,000 from £340,000 to £90,295,000.
The running costs limit for class V, vote 1 will be £294,401,000, the running costs limit for class V, vote 2 will be £1,023,060,000, the running costs limit for class X, vote 3 will be £86,455,000. Therefore, the overall running costs for the Department for Education and Employment will be £1,403,916,000.
The cash limit increase on class V, vote 1 is as a result of a net transfer from the Employment Service to the Department for Education and Employment in respect of personnel functions and premises costs. The cash limit reduction on class V, vote 2 is as a result of a net transfer of £887,000 to the Department for Education and Employment in respect of personnel functions and premises costs. This decrease is offset by a net transfer of £5,000 from the Welsh Office, class XV, vote 3, in respect of the accommodation costs of an office in Lampeter and a net transfer of £34,000 from class V, vote 2 in respect of manual giro reconciliation work.
The increase on class X, vote 1 is in respect of the take up of the capital end-year flexibility entitlement of £1,796,000 announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 13 July 1995, Official Report , columns 776 82 , and provision of £10,900,000 for specialist schools which was within the Department's cash plans but held outside the vote until further information on the participating schools was available. This increase is offset by a contribution of £57,000 from the Welsh Office towards the funding of the special needs tribunal.
The cash limit on class X, vote 2 is to be increased by £185,000 to provide for an increase of that amount to the Higher Education Funding Council to cover the costs of students attending diploma in social work conversion courses as part of the probation officer training. This increase is offset by a reduction in the cash limit of class VIII, vote 1.
The cash limit for class X, vote 3, will be reduced from £90,340, 000 to £90,295,000 to reflect the transfer of £45,000 to the Privy Council, class XIX, vote 3, to support the running costs of its central drugs co-ordination unit.
The running costs limit reduction is a result of transfer of provision to DTI (Class VI, vote 1), of to DoE (Class VII, vote 5) and of to CSO (class XVII, vote 12) as part of the machinery of government change, and as a result of a transfer of £45,000 to the Privy Council (class XIX, vote 3).
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There will be an increase of £2,100,000 in the non-voted cash limit DFEE/LACAP for local authority capital for specialist schools. That amount was within the Department's cash plans but not added to the cash limit until further information on the participating schools was available. The local authority capital cash limit will be increased from £44,798,000 to £46,898,000.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Export Promotion Services, North-West
Sir Thomas Arnold: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of export promotion services in the north- west. [39607]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: All companies in the north-west have access to the full range of Government export promotion services. This support includes:
access to national network of export development and export promoters with specific country experience;
generic and specific export market intelligence;
identify potential overseas business partners;
on-the ground help in overseas markets;
award schemes to encourage good export practice.
Complementary services are available through local chambers of commerce and other private sector organisations. Export services are increasingly accessible through business links as the network expands throughout the region.
Industrial Death and Retirement Fund
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions (a) the National Coal Board and (b) the British Coal Corporation have identified the industrial death and retirement fund separately within their annual report and statement of accounts; what interest has accrued on the assets of the industrial death and retirement fund since 7 June; what is the protected level of benefit to be paid from the fund in (i) 1996 and (ii) 2000; and on what occasions (1) the National Coal Board and (2) the British Coal Corporation had a liability to pay benefit if there were insufficient money in the fund. [40098]
Mr. Page: This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Electricity Prices
Mr. Harvey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that businesses consuming less than 100 Kw of electricity per annum enjoy similar refunds to those which have been negotiated for domestic consumers of electricity. [39965]
Mr. Eggar: The regional electricity companies have agreed that, subject to the listing of the National Grid becoming effective, each of their domestic customers will received a discount of £50, inclusive of VAT.
Electricity prices have fallen by an average of 6.5 per cent. in real terms since vesting to commercial and industrial customers. All customers will benefit from the further reductions in the pipeline thanks to the new
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distribution price control, the reduction of the fossil fuel levy when the nuclear industry is privatised and lower generation and supply costs.Export Licences
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of export licences are processed by his Department (a) in less than two weeks, (b) from two weeks to one month and (c) longer than two months; and what representations he has received over delays in processing. [39263]
Mr. Nelson: The code of practice of the Export Control Organisation commits the ECO to aim to process licence applications within certain time scales.
Where an application has to be sent to other Departments for advice, to achieve completion within 20 working days ("circulated cases");
Where the application does not have to be circulated, to achieve completion within 10 working days ("non-circulated cases"). These targets are based on the exporter having supplied all the necessary information in support of the application, the details of which are readily available both in the ECO's notes for guidance and other awareness material. Statistics are kept to monitor performance against these targets. The compilation of other, ad hoc, statistics would involve a search of individual licence records which would divert valuable resources away from the essential task of processing export licence applications.
Performance against the targets in the last three years are as follows:
|Circulate Cases |Non-circulated cases
|Percentage |Percentage
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992 |67 |68
1993 |61 |56
1994 |68 |69
However, the performance in respect of cases requiring consultation with other Departments--about three-quarters of the total--has fallen in recent months, dropping to an average of 49 per cent. Ministers and senior officials have received some representations from exporters on the matter, both directly and via hon. Members. There have been a number of reasons. The discovery of circumstances where export controls seem to have failed in the past has sharpened even further the need to ensure that such controls are properly enforced. The staff in the licensing units have been reminded that while industry can expect that applications are dealt with expeditiously, there remains a need to ensure that all export licence applications are properly supported by the necessary documentation and other information. Many delays are caused by proper documentation not having been provided. In parallel with this, long-planned introduction of improved system and procedures designed, among other things, to ensure proper rigour in the consideration of applications, has tended to lengthen the process.
I am mindful of the need to process applications as expeditiously and thoroughly as possible. Every effort is being made to do so.
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Departmental Work
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the work of his Department since 1990. [38076]
Mr. Lang: Throughout this period, the work of the Department of Trade and Industry has been to help United Kingdom business compete successfully at home and abroad. Since machinery of government changes in July 1995, the DTI also aims, through the Office of Science and Technology, to strengthen the UK's science, engineering and technology capability and to maximise its contribution to national economic performance and quality of life.
The DTI's activities and achievements since 1990 have included: a continuing dialogue to identify business needs and ensure that these are taken into account by Government and within the European Union;
a leading role in the Government's effort to enhance the UK's international competitiveness, described in detail in two White Papers "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win" in 1994 and "Competitiveness: Forging Ahead" in 1995;
the promotion of trade liberalisation world-wide. The UK played a major part in the successful conclusion in December 1993 of the Uruguay round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the subsequent establishment of the World Trade Organisation. Estimates from GATT/WTO suggest that potential gains in world income from implementation of the Uruguay round will build to $510 billion in the year 2005 and in each subsequent year. As the world's fifth largest trading nation, the UK is set to be one of the largest beneficiaries;
export promotion activities directed at ensuring that UK business is able to take full advantage of overseas market opportunities; the promotion of UK business interests in an expanding EU. The DTI has taken a leading role in the negotiation of market-opening legislation, for example in the insurance and telecommunications sectors, and in maximising the business benefit from the EU; widening choice and stimulating enterprise by promoting competition and privatisation. For example, liberalisation of the telecommunications market has provided a steadily growing range of new services. Some 100 new licences have been issued since the ending of the BT/Mercury duopoly in domestic services in 1991. Over 4 million homes are now passed by cable companies. Prices have fallen for business and domestic consumers. British Telecom's main prices have fallen by over 35 per cent. since privatisation in 1984; development and delivery of a wide range of programmes to support business, including programmes to promote innovation; to foster small firms, and to respond flexibly to the needs of different regions and areas with special difficulties. A network of business links has been established which bring together all the most important local sources of help for business, particularly small firms;
policies directed to ensuring that the nation's energy needs are met cost- effectively. Privatisation and liberalisation of energy markets have brought clear benefits. Average industrial gas prices have fallen by about 25 per cent. in real terms in the last five years, and industrial electricity prices by 6 per cent. Competition for supply in the domestic sector will not begin until 1998, but prices have already fallen by 13 per cent. in real terms for gas and by 6 per cent. for electricity (excluding VAT in both causes). Further reductions are expected as full competition begins;
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encouraging inward investment from all over the world. The Invest in Britain Bureau, funded by the DTI, acts as a single point of contact in the UK for potential investors, and markets the UK abroad as an investment location. The UK attracts the highest share of Japanese and US investment in the EU;maintaining confidence in markets by fair, proportionate and effective regulation. The DTI's regulatory responsibilities include competition policy; consumer affairs; company investigations; insurance regulation; management of the radio spectrum; telecommunications regulation and offshore exploration licences. A detailed account of the work of my Department has been published annually since 1990 as part of the White Paper on the Government's Expenditure Plans:
|Command Number
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1990
The Government's Expenditure Plans |Cm 1504 of
1991-92 to 1993-94 |February 1991
Trade and Industry
1991
The Government's Expenditure Plans |Cm 1904 of
1992-93 to 1994-95 |February 1992
Trade and Industry
1992
The Government's Expenditure Plans |Cm 2204 of
1993-94 to 1995-96 |February 1993
Trade and Industry
1993
Trade and Industry 1994. |Cm 2504 of
The Government's Expenditure Plans |March 1994
1994-95 to 1996-97
1994
Trade and Industry 1995. |Cm 2804 of
The Government's Expenditure Plans |March 1995
1995-96 to 1997-98
These reports have been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Martyn Gregory
Mr. Redmond: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the result of the writ issued by Mr. Martyn Gregory received by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [38716]
Mr. Ian Taylor: The matter was settled on 28 July 1995 when the Department apologised to Mr. Gregory in open court and agreed to make a payment of £55,000 to him in respect of both damages and his legal costs. It was made clear that while it had not been its intention to question Mr. Gregory's integrity, the Department did not accept allegations of Government connivance contained in his television programme and was satisfied that no contravention of export controls had occurred in respect of such matters.
Mobile Telephone Equipment
Mr. William Ross: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the number and types of (a) analogue a (b) digital mobile cellnet telephone stations or part equipments which have been stolen or lost in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) Europe and (iii) elsewhere, if these incidents have occurred (1) at the manufacturer's premises, (2) in transport or (3) at proposed or operational
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