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10 Jan 1996 : Column: 209

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 10 January 1996

ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Technology Manufacturers

Mr. Thomason: To ask the Secretary of State for the environment, pursuant to his answer of 30 November 1995, Official Report, column 802, if he will take into account the potential economic benefits and costs to environmental technology manufacturers with special reference to lost business and damage to international competitiveness in the four year revision of all chief inspectors' guidance notes and process guidance notes in addition to following developments in technology and techniques for preventing or reducing pollution; and what mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that such account is taken. [7734]

Mr. Clappison: The benefits referred to in my reply of 30 November 1995, Official Report, column 802, should continue to arise because of the progressive nature of part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as reflected in the regular reviews of the guidance notes. The continued supply of information on available pollution control techniques by manufacturers will be valuable in this regard. However, the legislation does not allow for the economic benefits and costs to environmental technology manufacturers to be part of the judgment in deciding conditions to be included in authorisations of the processes regulated.

Sustainable Development

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding the United Kingdom's progress in achieving sustainability under agenda 21 of the UN conference on environment and development. [7715]

Mr. Clappison: We last reported on progress towards achieving sustainable development in "This Common Inheritance: UK Annual Report 1995", published in March of this year. We intend to publish the next such report in March 1996.

Water Industry (Competition)

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the consultation paper on greater competition in the water industry is due to be published. [7589]

Mr. Clappison: My right hon. Friend proposes to publish a consultation paper in the near future.

Home Owners (Mortgages)

Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action he intends to take to assist home owners facing repossession who are in difficulties with their mortgage payments. [7699]

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Mr. Clappison: Home owners will continue to benefit from Government action to secure sustainable economic growth, increased employment opportunities, low inflation, low interest rates and low mortgage payments. This will help ensure that fewer people have difficulty meeting their mortgage payments and that those in arrears are more likely to be able to pay them off.

South Pennine Moors

Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will designate the south Pennine moors as a special protection area under EC directive 79/409/EEC; and if he will make a statement. [7673]

Mr. Clappison: The south Pennine moors is now a priority site among some 24 proposals for special protection areas that are currently with the Department. Officials are considering the results of consultations with other Government Departments, and owners and occupiers. In the meantime, planning policy guidance note 9--on nature conservation--requires local planning authorities to treat potential special protection areas in the same way as classified sites.

Pennine Reservoirs

Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require North West Water and Yorkshire Water to provide assurances regarding the safety and stability of Pennine reservoirs with earth dams, following the exceptional weather conditions; and if he will make a statement. [7671]

Mr. Clappison: Water companies are responsible for the safety of all earth dams they own or operate under all weather conditions. The structural safety and stability of large raised reservoirs and dams are safeguarded through the operation of the Reservoirs Act 1975. Under the Act, water companies have to employ civil engineers who provide ongoing supervision with reports on safety at least once a year, and expert inspecting engineers who make a detailed safety assessment at least once every 10 years. Where this is judged necessary, the supervising engineer may call for a detailed safety assessment at any time.

Water Leakages

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 12 December 1995, Official Report, column 588, on what grounds the water company projections of water balances for the periodic review are judged to be commercially confidential. [7556]

Mr. Clappison: Information on water balances was supplied to the Director General of Water Services by water companies as part of a package provided on a commercially confidential basis for the purposes of the periodic review. However, I understand that the director general will be asking the companies if they would be content for information included about individual leakage targets to be made public.

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Homelessness

Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons were registered as homeless in the north-west region for each year since 1992. [7700]

Mr. Clappison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 December 1995, Official Report, column 1235.

Tree Protection

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce statutory guidelines for the protection of urban trees associated with the laying of cables. [7714]

Mr. Clappison: Voluntary guidelines, published by the National Joint Utilities Group, have been in place since April 1995. We are considering comments received from local authorities across the country as part of our review of the guidelines six months after their implementation.

National Forest

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in planting the national forest; and what steps he is taking to involve local communities in the project. [7708]

Mr. Clappison: The National Forest Company was established in April 1995 to implement the strategy for the forest. Six hundred hectares have been planted since the inception of the project in 1991. A further 224 hectares has been committed to planting through round 1 of the national forest tender scheme, introduced in 1995. The company encourages community involvement in all its work, and has established a local authority advisory group and a community projects working group to help develop community action.

Water Conservation

Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that the water companies comply with the recommendations of the National Rivers Authority regarding water conservation in the event of below average winter rainfall. [7672]

Mr. Clappison: It is the responsibility of all water undertakers to manage and maintain an efficient and economical system of water supply in accordance with operating licences granted by the Director General of Water Services. The National Rivers Authority report "Measures to Safeguard Public Water Supplies" concluded that all water companies are now following strategies to conserve resources to safeguard supplies for next summer. The authority will keep the position under review and will provide further advice as necessary.

Mr. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to promote water conservation; and if he will make a statement. [7930]

Mr. Clappison: The Water Industry Act 1991 places water undertakers under a duty to develop and maintain an efficient and economical system of water supply and additionally places them under a duty to promote water conservation among their customers. Water conservation is also promoted through the water byelaws and through

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the Government's environmental technology best practice programme. The review of lessons to be learnt from the drought, announced on 1 September, includes consideration of patterns of demand and approaches to demand management.

Water Company Assets

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the asset management plans produced by each water company at the time of privatisation. [7557]

Mr. Clappison: No. The water companies' asset management plans contain commercially confidential information.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the savings in carbon dioxide emissions which the Energy Saving Trust will deliver up to 2000. [8023]

Mr. Robert B. Jones: The Energy Saving Trust's established programme of activities is expected to save about 0.3 million tonnes of carbon. Targets will be set as further schemes are developed. They will contribute to further savings, but these cannot yet be quantified. The trust is developing a range of pump-priming schemes. These will have an immediate impact on carbon dioxide emissions and, by encouraging changes in behaviour and in energy efficiency markets, should lead to further savings in the long term.

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