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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 12 February 1996
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Ordtech
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Attorney-General what documents were given by the Law Officers' Departments to (a) the prosecuting authorities, (b) the defence counsel and (c) the judge in the recent appeal case of Ordtech; and if he will make a statement. [14206]
The Attorney-General: The Ordtech case is a matter falling within the scope of Sir Richard Scott's inquiry. The Government do not propose to comment on such matters until it has considered Sir Richard Scott's report.
ENVIRONMENT
House Renovation Grant
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) pensioner households, (b) men aged over 65 years and (c) women aged over 60 years received a house renovation grant in the latest year for which figures are available. [13783]
Mr. Curry: The Department does not routinely collect information on the age and sex of applicants whose grant application is approved by local housing authorities. Reseach commissioned by the Department estimated, from data collected during 1990-91, the percentage of approvals in England for each type of grant under the current renovation grant system where the applicant was aged 60 or over. Applying these percentages would provide the following estimates for England in 1994, the last calendar year for which data are available:
| All approvals (mandatory and discretionary) | Estimates of approvals to applicants aged 60 or over | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of grant | Number (000s) | Percentage | Number (000s) | |
| Renovation | 40.3 | 48 | 19.3 | |
| Disabled facilties | 23.7 | 71 | 16.8 | |
| Minor works assistance | 32.5 | 88 | 28.6 | |
Research data are not available for common parts grants and HMSO grants; the latter is provided to landlords only.
Sir Andrew Bowden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many pensioner households, men aged over 65 years and women aged over 60 years are currently on the house renovation grant waiting list. [13784]
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Mr. Curry:
No information is available. The Department does not routinely collect information from local authorities on the status of grant inquiries received by it.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to take account of care for the disabled when deciding the revenue support grant settlement for local authorities; and what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of meeting the specific needs of disabled people. [14204]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Funding of services for disabled people is provided for through the standard spending assessments for personal social services. In 1993-94, based on figures provided by local authorities, the net cost of providing social services for physically disabled adults aged under 65 was some £350 million. Expenditure on services for disabled children or elderly people cannot be extracted from the figures available: 1993-94 is the latest year for which we have outturn figures.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of whether the London borough of Brent's procurement of a computer system by its social services department complied with EC procurement rules. [14099]
Sir Paul Beresford:
None. The London borough of Brent is responsible for making its own decisions in awarding public procurement contracts.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance his Department has given to the London borough of Brent as to competition policy. [14100]
Sir Paul Beresford:
My Department has issued guidance about compulsory competitive tendering to all local authorities specifically in Department circular 10/93.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice his Department has given to local authorities as to EEC Council directive 77/62/EEC, as amended by directive 88/295/EEC; and if he will list the local authorities to which such advice was given. [14102]
Sir Paul Beresford:
My Department gave advice to all local authorities in circular 46/78 about the provisions of directive 77/62/EEC. This circular was overtaken by circular 6/89, which gave similar advice about directive 88/295/EEC. Further advice was given to authorities in circular 7/90 about avoiding national discrimination in tender documents for supply contracts. These circulars were made available to county councils and district councils in England, London borough councils, the council of the Isle of Scilly, and the City of London.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of environmental problems caused by the closure of
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the British Coal pumping station at Ushaw Moor, Durham. [14515]
Mr. Clappison:
Ushaw Moor pumping station, now under the control of the Coal Authority, has not been closed. Pumping was temporarily suspended in October 1995, as part of a controlled test programme designed to obtain more information about groundwater flows in the area, and has since been resumed. The National Rivers Authority is monitoring the situation, and I understand that no environmental problems have been identified.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had and what plans he has to discuss with the Environmental Services Association its planning guidelines for waste management facilities. [14834]
Sir Paul Beresford:
My officials discussed the planning guidelines for waste management facilities produced by the Environmental Services Association with representatives of the association on Friday 26 January 1996. They also feature in on-going discussions between the Department and the association and others in connection with the Department's preparation of a planning policy guidance note on waste.
Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the organisations which have responded to the consultation paper on the development of a national waste classification scheme. [14494]
Mr. Clappison:
My Department has received more than 200 responses to the consultation paper. I am therefore writing to the hon. Member with a list of those organisations that have responded to date.
Mrs. Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the final system for the classification of waste substances. [14495]
Mr. Clappison:
The precise timing of the publication of the final waste classification scheme will depend on the responses to the second stage, which we are assessing. We are, in any case, committed to a third stage of consultation, which we expect to issue after the responses to this stage have been taken into account.
Mrs. Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the organisations charged with the duty of determining the classification of different types of waste; and if there will be an appeals mechanism in respect of waste classification. [14496]
Mr. Clappison:
No organisation has been charged with the duty of determining the classification of different types of waste. However, the consultation paper issued on 15 December 1995 invited comments on the possibility of the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 being amended to provide that waste is identified on the duty of care transfer note by reference to the classification system. The responsibility under the duty of care rests with the parties completing the transfer note and an appeals mechanism is not required.
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Dr. John Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra assistance his Department has the power to offer to Copeland borough council and Cumbria county council following the recent severe weather conditions. [14816]
Mr. Curry:
My right hon. Friend has powers to establish a Bellwin scheme, under section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, to provide emergency financial assistance to local authorities. Such schemes are established and resources provided where, as a consequence of an emergency, an authority would otherwise incur an undue financial burden in providing relief and carrying out immediate works to safeguard life or property, or to prevent suffering or severe inconvenience to affected communities.
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