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Porpoises

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures his Department is taking to meet its commitments to protect the harbour porpoises in Scottish waters (a) under the biodiversity action plan and (b) under the habitats directive. [11162]

Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The harbour porpoise is a protected species under relevant provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994, which make provision for the implementation of Council direction 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The report of the biodiversity action

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plan steering group submitted to the Government in December 1995 contains a suggested action plan for the conservation of the harbour porpoise. The Government will be responding to this report in the spring.

Ambulance Service

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements exist to provide for the public accountability of the Scottish ambulance service for its management policies and practices and to ensure that its employees are not subjected to victimisation. [11204]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The chairmen and boards of NHS trusts are accountable to the Secretary of State via the management executive of the NHS in Scotland. Each trust is responsible for managing its own industrial relations and other personnel matters.

A copy of the policy and procedures for the resolution of differences between the Scottish Ambulance Service NHS trust and its employees is in the Library of the House. Disputes which cannot be resolved through this mechanism may be pursued through other appropriate channels, including industrial tribunals.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Rail Privatisation

Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in introducing a private element into the management and operation of Northern Ireland Railways; and if he will make a statement. [11250]

Mr. Moss: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 18 May 1995, Official Report, column 355. Consultants commissioned by the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company have, this month, presented their final report dealing with the sale of non-core businesses and opportunities for market testing and contracting out of Northern Ireland Railway's activities. The Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company will now take forward the consultant's recommendations.

Public Meeting Halls (Attacks)

Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list (a) the Orange halls, (b) the churches and church halls indicating the denomination, (c) the Gaelic Athletics Association premises and (d) other halls, which suffered from (i) arson and (ii) other attacks which resulted in damage in each of the last two years, indicating in each case (1) the date, (2) the location of the premises, (3) the cost of repairing the damage and (4) if compensation was paid. [11004]

Sir John Wheeler: The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Compensation Agency has been able to produce lists of claims lodged on Church properties, orange halls and GAA properties damaged giving date of incident, cause and the amount of settlement. Copies of the lists have been placed in the Library.

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ENVIRONMENT

Building Regulations

Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to the Building Regulations Advisory Committee on the likely timetable for implementation of proposed amendments to part M of the Building Regulations. [10265]

Mr. Robert B. Jones: Papers setting out my Department's views on a programme of work on various aspects of the building regulations, including part M, were discussed by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee at meetings in June and October last year. These papers included possible implementation dates taking into account, among other things, the time needed for consultation and analysis. Decisions on the timetable for individual items will depend on the rate of progress achieved at each stage.

Water and Sewerage

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many non-domestic customers in each of the water and sewerage areas pay separate bills for sewerage on the basis of the rateable value of their premises. [9943]

Mr. Clappison: This information is not held centrally.

Homelessness

Mr. McAvoy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his current estimate of the total number of homeless people in England. [10754]

Mr. Clappison: Local authorities in England provide data to my Department about their activities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985 on the quarterly PI(E) return. Summary figures based on these returns are published in a quarterly information bulletin entitled "Households found accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England". The latest bulletin was released on 11 December and gives figures up to the third quarter of 1995; a copy is in the Library.

Housing Stock

Mr. McAvoy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the total housing stock in England is derelict or uninhabitable. [10755]

Mr. Clappison: The 1991 English house condition survey found 7.6 per cent. of dwellings in England to be unfit for human habitation under section 604 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended by schedule 9 to the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Some 3 per cent. of these unfit dwellings were derelict at the time of the survey.

Conservation

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures are followed when an application for a drought order is made which could potentially damage a special protection area designated under the European birds directive. [10241]

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Mr. Clappison [holding answer 22 January 1996]: In England and Wales, the National Rivers Authority is notified of applications for drought orders. Under section 17 of the Water Resources Act 1991 it must, except in an emergency, consult the relevant nature conservation agency if the proposal is likely to damage the special features of a site of special interest, including all special protection areas.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures are in place to review existing abstraction licences which could be potentially damaging to (a) a special protection area designated under the European birds directive and (b) a special area of conservation designated under the habitats directive. [10243]

Mr. Clappison [holding answer 22 January 1996]: In England and Wales the National Rivers Authority has a statutory duty under section 17 of the Water Resources Act 1991 to consult the nature conservation agencies before carrying out or authorising any works, operations or activities which appear to the authority to be likely to affect adversely those sites of special interest which have been notified to the authority by one of the statutory notifying authorities. All special protection areas and, in future, special areas of conservation will be notified as such sites.

In August 1995, the NRA and English Nature signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a joint approach to river sites of special scientific interest, covering the production of a conservation strategy and consenting, licensing, protocol. This will also apply other habitats, SPAs and in due course, SACs. In addition, English Nature has agreed to provide a priority list of SPAs and SACs potentially vulnerable to certain activities, including the effect of abstraction. This will be used by the NRA in a planned programme for reviewing existing abstraction licences.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what legal instruments are in place which require an assessment of environmental impacts of (a) new abstraction licences, (b) variations to existing abstraction licences and (c) a drought order. [10242]

Mr. Clappison [holding answer 22 January 1996]: In England and Wales, the National Rivers Authority is the competent authority for issuing or varying abstraction licences and will comment as necessary on applications for drought orders. Relevant legislation includes the Water Resources Act 1991 sections 2(2), 4, 15, 16 and 19. In some cases, development proposals including abstractions fall within the remit of the environment assessment regulations and in these instances a full environmental statement will be required.

Where the environmental assessment regulations do not apply, the NRA requires an environmental report when it considers that the proposed abstraction would have more than a negligible impact.

In the case of new abstractions of variations to existing abstractions which may damage the special features of a site of special interest, the NRA is required under section 17 of the Water Resources Act 1991 to consult the relevant nature conservation agency. Under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 the NRA, as a competent authority, is required to review

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authorisations, including abstraction licences, which might affect the integrity of special protection areas and special areas of conservation.

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