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Environment Agency
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the members and qualifications of the board of the Environment Agency; and what steps have been taken to inform industry and the public about the forthcoming work plan of the agency. [15621]
Mr. Clappison: Membership of the board is:
Lord De Ramsey (Chairman)
Sir Richard George (Deputy Chairman)
Peter Burnham
Professor Ronald Edwards
Imtiaz Farookhi
Edward Gallagher
Nigel Haigh
Christopher Hampson
Councillor John Harman
Mrs. Karen Morgan
John Norris
Derek Osborn
Dr. Anne Powell
Mrs. Joan Wykes.
Full information is not held centrally about individual members' formal qualifications.
Prior to vesting on 1 April, the agency has had extensive contact with industry, environmental interest groups, local authorities and other public bodies about its role and plans. A formal launch was held on 6 February. The agency is currently preparing its corporate plan for 1997-98, which will include data for 1996-97. This will be published in the summer.
The agency will be inviting comments from all interested parties to inform its future strategies and plans. In addition, the agency is contacting businesses to provide them with contact points.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration has been given to protect Government buildings in London below London Underground level from damage caused by rising groundwater; and if he will make a statement. [15977]
Sir Paul Beresford:
A study of groundwater levels around Whitehall from 1989 to 1995 was initiated by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association and taken over by Property Holdings. It concluded that water levels rose and fell with the seasons but did not indicate any long-term rise in groundwater levels.
Very few Government office buildings have basements extending down to the level of the London Underground bored tube railways.
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Basements of all buildings are inspected regularly so that early sign of water penetration can be detected and dealt with. As far as we are aware, no building is currently in any imminent danger from rising groundwater.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter.[16015]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by my Department are listed in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1995". A copy is available in the House of Commons Library.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on Tuesday 25 April 1995, Official Report, column 474-75. Since then, Letchworth garden city corporation has ceased to be a public body and Leeds development corporation has been wound up. Otherwise, the position in respect of the bodies covered by that answer remains unchanged.
Two new executive NDPBs have been established since April 1995, and my Department has taken on responsibility for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. The local government residuary body is subject to the scrutiny of the Audit Commission. The Health and Safety Commission and Executive and the Environment Agency are subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office. All four bodies are subject to the scrutiny of the Parliamentary Commissioner and are expected to adopt a code of practice on open government, have key performance measures and abide by the citizens charter.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base and which (a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and whether in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntarily.[16031]
Sir Paul Beresford:
A list of my Department's executive non-departmental public bodies can be found in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1995". A copy is available in the House of Commons Library. All of these except the National Forest Company and the British Board of Agrement have a specific statutory base. None of my Department's executive NDPBs is under a statutory requirement to admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings. There is a statutory right for members of the public to attend meetings of the regional committees of the National Rivers Authority that discuss flood defence, fisheries and rivers issues except where business is of a confidential nature.
All six housing action trusts voluntarily hold board meetings which are open to the public except when confidential issues are discussed. The following urban development corporations voluntarily hold open meetings
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when considering planning applications: Birmingham heartlands, black country, Bristol, London docklands, Merseyside, Plymouth, Sheffield and Trafford park.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will review the outer estuarine limit of the Humber; and when he expects to announce the result of that review. [14975]
Mr. Clappison:
The National Rivers Authority has been asked to review the basis for establishing estuary boundaries for the purposes of the urban waste water treatment directive and advise my Department accordingly. It is envisaged that the Secretary of State will announce the results by the summer of this year.
Mr. Garrett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when planning consent was granted by him for a second district hospital at Colney in South Norfolk district; when that permission expired; and if a new planning application will need to be referred to him.[15641]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Planning approval for a second district hospital at Colney in South Norfolk district was granted on 5 December 1988 and expired in December 1993. There are no proposals currently in front of the council, but as the adopted local plan makes provision for such a development, it is unlikely that any new planning application would need to be referred to my right hon. Friend.
Mr. Garrett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what planning policies concerning the location of facilities with wide catchment areas have been introduced since 1988. [15642]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Planning policy guidance note 13--PPG13--on transport, which was published in 1994, addresses the location of major travel generating developments. PPG13 advises that facilities with wide catchment areas should be located so that they are well served by public transport and as accessible as possible to those who need to use them. Other planning policy guidance notes have been issued since 1988 which address the location of specific types of development relative to transport provision.
Mr. Garrett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the sequential test for location of employment and traffic-generating activities set out in his planning policy guidance note 6 applies to the location of hospitals where a local planning authority considers a planning application for a new hospital. [15643]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Our draft revised PPG6 suggests that a sequential approach should apply to key town centre uses which attract a substantial number of people. This will include hospitals in many instances.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources have been deployed by his
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Department to ensure compliance with the requirements of agenda 21 of the Rio de Janeiro summit; and if he will make a statement. [15944]
Mr. Clappison:
It is one of my Department's main objectives, through the implementation of the United Kingdom sustainable development strategy, to ensure effective follow-up to agenda 21 and the agreements reached at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The United Kingdom plays a leading role in international fora, such as the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and the environmental conventions, in helping to promote agreement on tackling global issues identified by agenda 21. The United Kingdom report to the Commission on Sustainable Development of 1996 gives details of estimated expenditure by the Department on sustainable development. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to co-ordinate local agenda 21 activities; which local authorities have reported that they are unlikely to be able to report on their plans by December 1996; and if he will make a statement. [15945]
Mr. Clappison:
My Department welcomes and supports the local agenda 21 process. I understand that the Local Government Management Board, on behalf of the local agenda 21 steering group, has invited local authorities to send their local agenda 21 action plans agreed with their local communities to it by the end of 1996, and that response so far from UK local authorities has been good. Authorities are not obliged to report their progress to my Department, but we will continue to be interested in the progress being made.
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