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Single Regeneration Budget
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the bidding guidance for round 3 of the single regeneration budget challenge fund will be published. [23585]
Mr. Curry: The bidding guidance for round 3 of the single regeneration budget fund will be published tomorrow, 29 March. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
Sir George Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State or the Environment if he has yet considered the response by Reigate and Banstead borough council to the notice served on the authority on 6 November 1995 under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement. [23588]
Sir Paul Beresford: My right hon. Friend has considered carefully the response which Reigate and Banstead borough council has made to the notice served on the authority on 6 November 1995. He is still of the view that the authorities' actions during the tender process for the two contracts, worth £363,000, had the effect of distorting and restricting competition.
He has today given the authority a direction, under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988, requiring it to retender the work, included in the grounds maintenance contracts 1 and 2, which was the subject of the notice, so that new arrangements are in place by 1 January 1997, and to seek the Secretary of State's consent should it wish to reassign the work to the direct service organisation.
The Government are fully committed to fair and open competition for local authority services and we are determined to ensure that obstacles which stand in the way of such competition are removed.
Mr. Butler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in implementing Lord Cullen's recommendations on the review and reform of offshore health and safety legislation following his inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster. [23586]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Since the Government accepted in full the recommendations in Lord Cullen's 1990 report on the Piper Alpha disaster, a total of four sets of new health and safety regulations for the offshore sector have been made. The latest, the Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc) Regulations 1996 were laid before Parliament today. They mark a significant milestone in the review and reform programme undertaken by the Government as a result of Lord Cullen's report.
The new legislation effects fundamental changes in the management of safety offshore, as recommend by Lord Cullen. A safety case regime for offshore installations has been established. This requires all installation operators and owners to assess the risks arising from offshore installations, and demonstrate how those risks will be controlled. It is now unlawful to operate an installation without acceptance of its safety case by the offshore
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safety regulator, the Health and Safety Executive. Provision has also been made for the prevention of fire and the explosion, for emergency response--areas of high risk identified by Lord Cullen as requiring specific legislation--and for management and administration issues. Moreover, the new regulations complete offshore implementation of a European directive concerned with health and safety in the extractive industries. Much old legislation has been revoked both by these new regulations and other reform initiatives in the programme.
The Government have therefore met their obligation to review and reform offshore health and safety legislation in the manner set out by Lord Cullen in his report. I commend the Health and Safety Commission for its efforts in taking forward this programme and all parts of the industry for their positive approach to it. Together, they have secured a legislative regime providing a firm foundation or the continued improvement of health and safety standards in the offshore sector.
Mr. Elletson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the results of the recent review of the Local Authorities (Recovery of Costs for Public Path Orders) Regulations 1993. [23959]
Mr. Clappison:
We have accepted the central conclusion of the review into the operation of the Local Authorities (Recovery of Costs for Path Orders) Regulations, which is that the maximum charge for administrative cost does not, in most cases, cover the costs incurred by local authorities.
We therefore intend to amend the regulations to remove the current, £400, ceiling. Instead, local authorities will be required to draw up scales of charges, indicating the likely costs for unopposed orders and the maximum cost which they would charge.
This change will be implemented by amending regulations, which we hope to have in place by the summer.
Mr. Elletson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the Environment Agency charging schemes for 1996-97 for regulation under integrated pollution control and the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. [23960]
Mr. Clappison:
The Environment Act 1995 requires the Environment Agency to make charging schemes so as to recover the costs of carrying out its regulatory functions.
The Government have consulted those who are likely to be affected by the schemes. In the light of that consultation, and with the consent of the Treasury, of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales and--with regard to the Radioactive Substances Act--of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Environment Agency has now made charging schemes for 1996-97 for regulation under integrated pollution control and the Radioactive Substances Act.
The schemes will take effect from 1 April 1996. I have placed copies of them in the Library of the House.
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The schemes are similar to those which were previously administered by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, and there are no changes to the levels of charges as they were set out in the equivalent schemes for 1995-96. This represents a reduction in real terms of around 3 per cent. and has been achieved by continuing improvements in efficiency.
Since responsibility for these schemes is shortly to pass from the inspectorate to the Environment Agency, now is an appropriate time to acknowledge the hard work which the inspectorate has done over the past three years to reduce the level of direct charges in real terms while maintaining a credible regulatory regime. I am also pleased to see the Environment Agency making these schemes, which demonstrates its intention to build upon the improvements in regulatory effectiveness and efficiency which were achieved by the inspectorate, and to limit any increases in charges to those which are essential in order to reduce pollution and to improve the environment.
Copies of the schemes will shortly be sent to relevant operators and to other interested bodies.
Mr. Lord:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of Anglian Water's efforts to bring drinking water in Suffolk within the EU standard for nitrate levels; if he will reconsider the imposition of nitrate-vulnerable zones; and if he will make a statement. [22084]
Mr. Clappison:
My right hon. Friend is satisfied that Anglian Water Services Ltd. has taken appropriate steps to ensure that drinking water supplies in Suffolk comply with the standard for nitrate in the EC drinking water directive. I announced on 22 March the Government's decision to designate 68 nitrate vulnerable zones in England and Wales. We have carefully targeted the designations in those parts of surface water catchments or aquifers where there is a danger of nitrate levels continuing to rise. Designation of the zones followed extensive consultation and advice from an independent review panel.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to bring in a registration scheme for skin piercers and to enable byelaws, including the imposition of a minimum age limit, to be made under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982; and if he will make a statement. [22819]
Mr. Bowis:
I have been asked to reply.
The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 1982 gives local authorities in England and Wales the power to make byelaws requiring acupuncturists, tattooists, ear piercers and electrolysists to be registered. All the legislation relating to the registration of skin piercing by local authorities is currently being reviewed and a consultation paper will be issued shortly.
The Tattooing of Minors Act 1969 makes it an offence to tattoo someone below the age of 16. The Government have no plans to introduce an age limit for other forms of skin piercing.
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Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress he has made in establishing the funding formula for local authorities in respect of the costs that they face in connection with provision for asylum seekers. [19614]
Mr. Roger Evans:
Meetings have taken place between local authority associations, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Health. It was decided that grants should be paid covering 80 per cent. of unavoidable additional expenditure, above a certain threshold, incurred by social services departments under the Children Act 1989, and 80 per cent. of the housing benefit subsidy forgone, above a certain threshold, by housing authorities who incur costs in respect of certain asylum seekers and other persons from abroad housed under the homelessness legislation. The precise details of
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the funding formula will depend on further discussions with local authority associations. Officials in the Department for the Environment and the Department of Health will be meeting the local authorities association to discuss the issue of the threshold.
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