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Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his estimate of expenditure on all forms of hospitality and entertainment by (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, for (i) 1979-80, (ii) 1989-90, (iii) 1991-92, (iv) 1993-94, (v) 1994-95, (vi) 1995-96 and (vii) 1996-97; [11428]

Sir Paul Beresford: The tables set out the available information in respect of expenditure on hospitality and entertainment, and on overseas travel, accommodation and related expenses.

30 Jan 1996 : Column: 649

Expenditure on hospitality
£ thousands

1989-901991-921993-941994-951995-96 (forecast)
DOE (Central)5156687671
Property Holdingsn/a87810
Total Department5164758481
Planning Inspectorate00122
Building Research Establishment417121010
The Buying Agencyn/a2344
Security Facilities Executiven/an/a265
QEII Conference Centren/a10141512
PSA Services0985020

The figures for the planning inspectorate for 1989-90 is included within the departmental total.

The Buying Agency figure for 1991-92 is for the period 1 April to 31 December. The figure for 1993-94 is for the period 1 January to 31 December 1993.


Expenditure on overseas travel, overseas accommodation and other associated expenses
£ thousands

1989-901991-921993-941994-951995-96 (forecast)
DOE (Central)331393454519550
PSA Services3,9121,21312000

These figures exclude Property Holdings.


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30 Jan 1996 : Column: 649

The remaining information requested is not held centrally in the form required and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of his Department's expenditure on newspapers and magazines in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1995-96, to date; and if he will list the publications purchased for the latest year for which information is available. [11432]

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Sir Paul Beresford: My Department's expenditure on newspapers, magazines and other periodicals since 1994 is as follows:


The figure for 1993-94 was £385,700 which includes expenditure on behalf of the DOE and DOT under joint supply arrangements.

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Titles include daily and regional newspapers, weekly magazines and trade and technical journals. To list each would involve disproportionate cost.

Mr. Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of departmental expenditure on administration for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95, (f) 1995-96 and (g) 1996-97. [11429]

Sir Paul Beresford: Figures for departmental administration for year (a) are found in sections 3.7 and 3.8 of the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1985-86 to 1987-88", Cm 9428-II, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. No separate figures for departmental running costs are available.

The figures for departmental running costs for years (b) to (f) are set out in my department's 1995 annual report, Cm 2807, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House. Revised figures for 1996-97 taking account of the transfer of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to the Environment Agency will be published in the 1996 departmental report to be published in March.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hectares within sites of special scientific interest have been (a) seriously damaged and (b) destroyed in respect of their conservation value during the last 10 years. [11486]

Mr. Clappison: Statistical information on damage to SSSIs in Great Britain is set out in the annual reports of the former Nature Conservancy Council. Since 1 April 1991 similar details for England, Scotland and Wales have been contained in the annual reports of the country agencies and, for Great Britain, in that of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Copies of these reports are in the Library.

Nature Conservation

Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what percentage the funding of nature conservation is planned to change between 1995-96 and 1996-97. [11702]

Mr. Clappison: English Nature's grant in aid settlement for 1995-96 was £40.419 million. In 1996-97 it will be £39.166 million, representing a reduction of 3.1 per cent.

Biodiversity Action Plan

Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional measures will be provided to achieve the awaited biodiversity action plan. [11703]

Mr. Clappison: The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to produce a national biodiversity plan when "Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan" was published in January 1994. A biodiversity steering group, chaired by my Department, with members drawn from all sectors, was set up to advise the Government on individual costed action plans for selected species and habitats, a forward programme for improving biological recording and

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monitoring in the UK, and a programme for improving public awareness and involvement in conserving biodiversity. The group published its findings on 13 December 1995. "Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report" contains a number of proposals including costed action plans for 116 species and 14 key habitats. It also recommends that costed action plans for a further 286 species and 24 key habitats be produced within three years. The Government expect to publish their response to the report in the spring of 1996.

Water Quality Improvement

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on plans for water quality improvement within the framework 4 and framework 5 plans of the EC. [11737]

Mr. Clappison: Research on water quality issues is included in the fourth European Community framework programme of research, technological development and demonstration, 1994 to 1998. Proposals for the fifth framework programme, beginning in 1998-99, are expected to be submitted to the Council and the European Parliament, by the Commission, next year. My Department's view on plans for "Framework Five" will be strongly influenced by how successful the current programme is at meeting its objectives.

Local Government Finance

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was total Government spending in (a) Pendle, (b) Bath and (c) Bournemouth. [12618]

Sir Paul Beresford: Central Government support comprises support for capital spending as well as revenue spending. The latest available figures for 1995-96 are as follows. Differences between districts' overall level of revenue support depend on a large number of factors including the size of the tax base from which council tax can be raised, as well as the Government's assessment of relative expenditure needs.

£ thousand

PendleBathBournemouth
Revenue support grant3,4623,6878,562
Redistributed non-domestic rates2,8722,7805,347
Specific and special grants inside AEF, excluding SSA reduction grant181253683
SSA reduction grant5400646
Specific and special grants outside AEF10,24210,93934,113
Total revenue support17,29717,65949,351
Credit approvals1,1834841,956
Capital grants1,2771,517480
Total central Government support19,75719,66051,787

Source:

Revenue support items: Budget Estimates from RA96 return.

Credit approvals and capital grants: most recent capital payments return. The figures for credit approvals relate to basic and supplementary credit approvals issued less receipts of specified capital grant.


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Mr. Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority in (a) Lancashire and (b) the rest of England the capital receipts held by them resulting from the sale of land, property and other assets. [12617]

Sir Paul Beresford: A list of the amounts of accumulated usable receipts from all assets at 31 March 1995 for each English local authority was placed in the Library of the House in response to the question of 22 January 1996 from the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith), Official Report, column 85. The figures for authorities in Lancashire are:

Amounts held at 31 March 1995 (£ million)

Usable receipts
Lancashire county council0.751
Blackburn0
Blackpool7.480
Burnley2.066
Chorley1.047
Fylde0.451
Hyndburn0.315
Lancaster0
Pendle1.385
Preston1.839
Ribble Valley0.796
Rossendale0.056
South Ribble5.738
West Lancashire1.131
Wyre0.159

Local authorities are required to set aside 75 per cent. of their capital receipts from the sale of council housing and 50 per cent. of most other receipts, to repay debt. These amounts form part of the provision for credit liabilities, which also includes amounts set aside from revenue. Separate figures for set-aside capital receipts are not available.


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