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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 18 January 1996
ENVIRONMENT
Homelessness
Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of (a) the number of hostel places available for the homeless in London, (b) the number of unused hostel places in London, (c) the number of empty council houses in (i) central London and (ii) the old LCC area and (d) the estimated number of rough sleepers in London. [8876]
Mr. Clappison: The information requested on hostel places for the homeless is not held centrally.
The 1995 housing investment programme returns from London borough in the former LCC area show a total of 13,879 vacant local authority dwellings on 1 April 1995, the latest date for which figures are available. Of these, 6,049 were management vacants--that is, dwellings available for letting immediately or after minor repairs. A report containing the figures for individual borough--"1995 HIP1 All Items Print"--will be placed in the Library shortly.
Information about the extent of rough sleeping is mostly anecdotal or estimated, except for central London where voluntary sector agencies carry out a twice-yearly count of rough sleepers. The methodology for this arose from an independent evaluation of the rough sleepers initiative, commissioned by my Department. The most recent count, in November 1995, found 272 people sleeping rough in central London.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the total numbers of homeless individuals in (a) England, (b) Greater London, (c) outer London and (d) inner London in each year since 1991. [8914]
Mr. Clappison:
The number of households for which local authorities accepted responsibility to secure accommodation, under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act, were as follows in the years 1991 to 1995:
| Year | England | Greater London | Inner London(1) | Outer London |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 144,780 | 37,060 | 21,950 | 15,110 |
| 1992 | 142,890 | 37,840 | 22,630 | 15,210 |
| 1993 | 132,380 | 31,890 | 17,550 | 14,340 |
| 1994 | 122,660 | 28,810 | 16,330 | 12,480 |
Note:
(1) Covering City of London, Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringy, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.
Source:
P I E Quarterly returns.
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Contaminated Land (Easington)
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on contaminated land in the district of Easington; and if he will list the locations of contaminated sites. [9578]
Mr. Clappison: The Government set out their policy on contaminated land in England in the document "Framework for Contaminated Land", published in November 1994. The document proposed a modern contaminated land power, which has been provided in section 57 of the Environment Act 1995. This will apply to any contaminated land in Easington in the same way as elsewhere.
The Department of the Environment does not keep records on individual contaminated sites.
Noise Pollution
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has had on the problems of (a) noise pollution and (b) noisy neighbours. [7850]
Mr. Clappison: My Department continues to receive representations about all forms of environmental noise on a regular basis. The vast majority of representations relate to neighbour noise issues.
Following the review of neighbour noise controls, a package of measures is being taken forward aimed at strengthening the controls over excessive noise from domestic premises and improving local authority noise services and liaison with the police through guidance and dissemination of best practice.
The hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) is taking forward a private Member's Bill which will introduce clearer powers for temporary confiscation of noise making equipment and a new criminal offence to deal with excessive noise at night from domestic premises.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which body is now responsible for the safekeeping of the Greater London council heritage collection inventory. [8763]
Sire Paul Beresford:
The inventory of the GLC's heritage collection has been held at the Greater London record office since 1 April 1986.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the environmental damage caused by the deliberate release of oil into the Gulf between Khafji and the island of Abu Ai during the Gulf war; how many bird mortalities resulted from the pollution; and if the final ecological assessment of damage in the Gulf has now been made. [9085]
Mr. Clappison:
A report by the United Nations environment programme on the environmental effects of the Gulf war was presented to the UNEP Governing Council in May 1993--UNEP GC.7 Inf.9. The report included an assessment of the impact of oil released into
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the Gulf during the conflict, including an assessment of bird mortalities. More than 30,000 birds are believed to have died during the conflict. A copy of the report is in the Library of the House. Further studies into possible long-term effects are largely a matter for the states in the region.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the United Kingdom's involvement in the Habitat II conference on sustainable communities; what are the implications of Habitat II for his Department's planning and housing policies; and if he will make a statement on his future objectives for Habitat II. [9951]
Mr. Gummer:
The United Kingdom is taking an active part in the preparations for the United Nations conference on human settlements. We, together with our EU partners, are contributing to the drafting of the "Habitat Agenda" which is to be the major output of the conference.
My Department is co-ordinating the preparation of the UK's national report for the conference. We are also working closely with a wide range of organisations--local government, non-governmental and professional--through the UK National Council for Habitat II.
In respect of the future objectives for Habitat II, my Department will promote internationally UK ideas, policies and best practice and use the conference to raise international and national awareness of the means to achieve sustainable development.
We will need to await the outcome of Habitat II before determining the implications for my Department's planning and housing policies.
Mr. Hendry:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet considered the responses by Erewash borough council to the notice served on it on 7 September 1995 under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement. [10411]
Sir Paul Beresford:
My right hon. Friend has considered carefully the responses which Erewash borough council has made to the notice served on the authority on 7 September 1995, and has today given the authority a direction under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988.
After careful consideration, the Secretary of State remains of the opinion that the authority acted in an anti-competitive manner in awarding a contract to its in-house direct labour organisation in favour of a bid which was £70,000 cheaper, because it did not have well founded reasons for doing so. He feels that, in assigning the contract of £326,150 to its DSO, the authority did not show that it had carried out an adequate assessment of the private contractor's abilities.
The direction given to Erewash borough council requires the authority to retender the contract for a ground maintenance contract, which was the subject of the notice, so that new arrangements are in place by 1 January 1997, and to seek my right hon. Friend's consent should it wish to reassign the work in-house.
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Mr. Jacques Arnold:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he plans to take to strengthen the rights of owners of leasehold flats. [10859]
Mr. Gummer:
I have received a large number of representations from right hon. and hon. Members and leaseholders, particularly in London, about allegations that some landlords have been behaving unreasonably. The allegations are that a number of landlords have been buying up freeholds of blocks of flats and then presenting the leaseholders with very large maintenance and service charge bills. The amounts demanded appear to be excessive in relation to the work required, and the landlords can make a substantial profit by employing associated surveyors, contractors and managing agents, and earning commission. Any leaseholders who challenge the service charges are met with aggression and intimidation from the landlord and threatened with forfeiture of the lease.
There is already a considerable body of legislation offering safeguards to leaseholders. After careful consideration of these recent developments, however, I have decided that further action should now be taken to strengthen leaseholders' rights.
I therefore propose the following legislative amendments. First, I propose a number of changes to the right of first refusal contained in part I of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 to help ensure that tenants are given the opportunity to exercise this right if their landlord wishes to dispose of his interest. Secondly, I shall amend the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, so that qualifying leaseholders will have a right to enfranchise where their block of flats has more than one freehold interest. Thirdly, I intend to give a recognised residents' association a right to challenge major works proposed by its landlord before the work has commenced. Fourthly, I shall amend the law of forfeiture so that forfeiture proceedings are separated from disputes over service charges. Fifthly, I shall strengthen the grounds available to leaseholders seeking to require the court to appoint a manager of their block of flats where the landlord is failing to carry out his obligations in a reasonable manner.
Finally, I am concerned about the cost which leaseholders can face in pursuing their rights through the courts and I am considering the possibility of transferring disputes over service charges to leasehold valuation tribunals.
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