House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 4 Mar 1996 (pt 2)

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Scott Inquiry

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what actions he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take as a result of the recommendations of the Scott report. [16958]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the speech made by the President of the Board of Trade on 26 February, Official Report, columns 590-604.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultation he had with the Secretary to the Cabinet concerning the Government's response to the Scott inquiry; and where and when such consultations took place. [16603]

The Deputy Prime Minister: Successive Governments have not disclosed the nature or the specific sources of the advice they receive from the civil service.

Former Civil Servants

Mr. Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes he plans to make to the rules on business appointments of former civil servants. [19075]

Mr. Freeman: I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses, for consultation, the proposed text of the revised rules for civil servants. The substantive changes give effect to the recommendations of the Nolan committee on standards in public life by bringing special advisers within the system and by allowing the Prime Minister's advisory committee on business appointments to publicly announce the reasons for its decisions and to advise a civil servant that the acceptance of a particular appointment is inappropriate. We intend that the revised rules will come into effect on 1 April 1996 and will finalise the necessary amendments to the civil service management code in consultation with the Council of Civil Service Unions.

ENVIRONMENT

Oil Pollution

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further measures he proposes to take to protect the United Kingdom coastline against oil pollution from merchant ships; and if he will make a statement. [17596]

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Mr. Clappison: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I are already taking forward relevant recommendations of the Donaldson report following the Braer accident as announced in the Government response to that report. In addition, we shall be working together with our right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and our right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in looking at the lessons to be learnt from the Sea Empress incident.

Domestic Water Bills

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what research he has commissioned to establish the correlation between household income and domestic water bills based on (a) an unmeasured and (b) a measured charging basis; [18155]

(a)

(b)

Mr. Clappison: My Department and Ofwat jointly commissioned a report, "The Social Impact of Water Metering" from W. S. Atkins Planning and Management Consultants, which was published in August 1992. In addition, the Office of Water Services commissioned a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, "The Distributional Effects of Different Methods of Charging Households for Water and Sewerage Services." That report was published in August 1993. Copies of both reports are in the Library.

Battersea Power Station

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what parties are now involved in discussions on the future of Battersea power station; and if he will make a statement. [18087]

Sir Paul Beresford: Discussions are continuing between Wandsworth council, English Heritage and the owners on a master plan for the whole Battersea power station site. The Government would like to see the future development of this important site on the River Thames resolved as soon as possible.

Drinking Water

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he will take in response to the House of Lords European Communities Select Committee fourth report, HL31 of Session 1995-96, with regard to lead in drinking water; [18495]

(3) what assessment he has made of the conclusion of the House of Lords European Communities Select Committee fourth report, HL31 of Session 1995-96, in

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(4) if he will implement a national strategy for the replacement of all domestic lead piping within a 15-year period. [18496]

Mr. Clappison: My right hon. Friend is considering the report from the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities about Commission proposals for a revised drinking water directive, and will respond to it, including the recommendation for a national strategy, in due course.

Mrs. Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he plans to remove lead from drinking water. [18498]

Mr. Clappison: Water companies have installed treatment to reduce lead levels at consumers' taps. In addition they have programmes for replacing lead communication pipes. Lead levels in drinking water supplies are now lower than they have ever been.

Water and Sewerage Companies (Surplus Land)

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 76-77, if he will make it his policy to allow public access to information regarding the projected and actual capital receipts of water and sewerage companies from the sale of surplus land. [18213]

Mr. Clappison: The Director General of Water Services has not since 1989 required water and sewerage companies to report projections of receipts from the sale of surplus land. Aggregate capital receipts from the sale of assets in the preceding financial year, including receipts from the sale of surplus land, are given in companies' annual reports.

Safety Signs Directive

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what actions the Health and Safety Executive has taken in response to EC directive 92/58/EEC on safety signs in relation to United Kingdom brands of tampons; [18561]

(3) if he will list the products which are required to comply with EC directive 92/58/EEC on safety signs. [18560]

Sir Paul Beresford: The EC Safety Signs Directive 92/58/EEC was made under article 118A of the treaty of Rome. This article exclusively concerns health and safety requirements for the workplace. Article 1 of the directive specifically excludes signs used in the marketing of products, and therefore no action of the sort envisaged by the hon. Member is required.

Mrs. Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions on EC directive 92/58/EEC on safety signs have been held (a) in the Council of Ministers and (b) with the Commission. [18564]

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Sir Paul Beresford: The European Commission first produced proposals in 1989 for a directive to replace an earlier, 1977, safety signs directive. A formal proposal to the Council of Ministers was published in early 1991, and common position was agreed by December of that year. The directive was then adopted by the Council of Ministers in June 1992.

Sea Empress

Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to improve environmental protection following the grounding of the Sea Empress. [18468]

Mr. Clappison: The Department of the Environment will continue to liaise closely with the statutory environmental protection and nature conservation agencies. The agencies are currently advising local authorities on the best means of ensuring environmental protection in the wake of the Sea Empress oil spill. That advice is being given on the basis of experience and on the findings and recommendations given by the ecological steering groups on the oil spill in Shetland after the grounding of the Braer in January 1993. The success of measures undertaken to protect the environment, and specifically wildlife and habitats, will be reviewed in the light of experience gained in dealing with the current incident.

Rough Sleepers Initiative

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for the next phase of the rough sleepers initiative. [19135]

Mr. Curry: The rough sleepers initiative which has operated in central London since 1990 has been an outstanding example of co-operation between Government and voluntary organisations to bring effective help to people in the greatest need. This partnership to tackle the problems of people sleeping rough in central London has helped thousands of people to start a new life away from the streets, and has prevented many more from having to sleep rough. When the rough sleepers initiative began, voluntary sector agencies estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 people were sleeping rough in central London. The numbers now sleeping rough in this area have fallen to around 270 on any one night. This is a tremendous achievement.

By the end of this month, the Government will have invested over £180 million through the initiative, providing at least 3,300 permanent homes, 950 short-term hostel places, 700 places in flats and houses leased from the private sector for up to three years, an annual winter shelter programme of up to 400 beds--with further emergency beds available during episodes of particularly severe weather--and, importantly, year-round outreach and resettlement work to engage people sleeping rough and to support them in moving to new accommodation.

The White Paper "Our Future Homes: Opportunity, Choice, Responsibilities", published in June 1995, confirmed that the Government would continue a programme to help people sleeping rough in central London beyond March 1996, and would also consider

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assisting the development of the rough sleepers initiative model in areas outside central London where rough sleeping could be demonstrated to be a major problem.

In October 1995, the Government issued a consultation paper on future plans for the initiative. The paper invited views on a number of proposals for continuing the initiative in central London. It also asked local authorities outside central London to assess the extent of rough sleeping in their areas. 258 responses to the consultation document were received.

Following analysis of those responses, I am publishing today a strategy paper, "Rough Sleepers Initiative, The Next Challenge", which sets out our plans for a third phase of the Initiative over the next three years. 1996-97 to 1998-99. The emphasis of the third phase will be on providing extra help for the hard core of people who have been sleeping rough for considerable periods of time, often because they suffer complex problems, such as mental ill health, alcohol or drug misuse, which require special care.

My Department plans to make £73 million available over the next three years to fund the third phase of the rough sleepers initiative. In addition, we plan to make £25 million available over the same period in grants under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to voluntary sector agencies for the relief of homelessness.

In central London, our plans for the third phase of the Initiative are to fund:

the provision of at least 250 new homes providing permanent accommodation for people sleeping rough;
up to 40 beds in permanent high care accommodation for the homeless mentally ill;
up to 200 new beds in hostel accommodation;
continued funding for some hostel and night shelter accommodation already funded under the initiative;
ring-fencing of up to 80 beds in existing hostels, about 30 of which would be for clients with disruptive behaviour and 50 specifically for clients referred by outreach agencies;
up to 30 beds in a new "wet" hostel for people sleeping rough who have drink problems;
an annual programme of winter shelters for people at risk of sleeping rough during the coldest months of the year; and
more effective outreach and resettlement work.

Also, we plan to retain the clearing house system as a means of allocating permanent accommodation until at least March 1997; and to uphold the current criteria for access to permanent accommodation--people sleeping rough or with a clear history of sleeping rough.

Responses to the consultation document did not provide clear, quantified evidence of a major problem with rough sleeping in any area beyond central London. Therefore, our plans for the rest of England will impact in two stages.

First, we will extend the rough sleepers initiative to Bristol, the only area outside central London where a major rough sleeping problem has been demonstrated conclusively. Bristol city council is invited to form a consortium with voluntary sector organisations, the private sector, housing associations, the Housing Corporation, the police, health care providers and other relevant bodies. The consortium will be expected to agree a local strategy for targetting rough sleeping in Bristol, and to bid for Government resources.