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Environmental Technology
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will assess which industries were the top five largest spenders on environmental technology in (a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992, (d) 1993, (e) 1994 and (f) 1995. [24112]
Mr. Clappison: Expenditure by industry on environmental technology is not available by industrial sector. In 1990, the top five spending industries on pollution control, including capital and current spending, are listed below, together with estimated amounts spent. This information is taken from the results of a research report, "A Review of UK Environmental Expenditure", published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1993.
| Expenditure in 1990 £ million | |
|---|---|
| Chemicals | 580 |
| Energy | 550 |
| Metals | 450 |
| Food processing | 360 |
| Engineering | 330 |
No information is available for other years. A survey is being carried out by my Department on environmental spending by industry in 1994 and the result of this study will be published in May 1996.
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 173
Mr. Elletson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will issue the new guidance on the conduct of compulsory competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement. [24586]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Following consultation on the draft guidance, issued on 15 October 1995, we have today published a new departmental circular No. 5/96--Welsh Office No. 11/96--which provides guidance on the conduct of compulsory competitive tendering.
The Department received 222 responses to the consultation exercise. Of these, 162--or 73 per cent.--were from local authorities and related organisations. Thirty-two--or 15 per cent.--were received from contractors and trade associations. Police and fire authorities submitted 12--or 5 per cent.--of the responses and there were 16--or 7 per cent.--other responses. A further 15 responses were received by the Welsh Office and 45 by the Scottish Office, in both cases predominantly from local authorities. I have today placed a list of responses in the Library of the House. Copies of the responses are held in the Department's library.
Respondents broadly welcomed the move away from detailed emphasis on anti-competitive behaviour practices as set out in DOE circular 10/93--Welsh Office circular 40/93.
The new guidance identifies five principles for good tendering practice which local authorities are required to apply in subjecting work to compulsory competitive tendering. These stress the need for transparency and fairness as between potential contractors, and for key decisions to be informed by market conditions.
Local authorities are expected to provide clear account of the way in which key strategic decisions affecting the tendering process have been taken. The guidance also encourages authorities to provide reports to appropriate committees at key stages. These reports should explain the way in which strategic decisions are compatible with authorities' duty to avoid acting anti-competitively.
The circular makes clear that local authorities should consult, where appropriate, a range of suppliers and professional bodies before making decisions about the way in which work is selected and packaged for competition. Authorities will satisfy the provisions of the legislation only where they have taken steps to ensure that their tendering practices are consistent with securing a good market response.
The remaining principles encourage the adoption of output, rather than input, based specifications for services, require clear procedures for evaluating tenders to ensure that quality can be achieved and seek to ensure that the conduct of tendering between external contractors and in-house teams does not put any one of them at a disadvantage.
CCT has proved itself in delivering on price and quality. Average savings of 6.5 per cent. have been achieved and the same or higher standards have been adopted in the overwhelming majority of cases. I intend that the benefits of competition are made available to all local taxpayers.
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 174
The new guidance applies immediately to those services currently subject to competition. The Secretary of State will take into account the extent to which there has been a contravention of the guidance in determining whether authorities have acted anti-competitively.
Mr. Elletson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will direct the Local Government Commission to carry out the electoral reviews referred to in his answer of 14 March, Official Report, column 695, to the hon. Member for Blackpool, North. [24590]
Mr. Curry:
We are today directing the Local Government Commission to carry out electoral reviews of the eight areas where my right hon. Friend announced on 14 March that he was accepting the commission's recommendation that there should be unitary authorities. The eight areas are Blackburn, Blackpool, Halton, Peterborough--including minor boundary changes which the commission recommended and we have accepted--The Wrekin, Thurrock, Warrington, and the combined area of Gillingham and Rochester-upon-Medway.
We have asked the commission to submit its final reports by 3 December so that any new warding can be implemented in time for elections in May 1997.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his press release of 28 February, if he will make a statement on the link between economic growth and traffic growth and its impact on the environment; and what assessment he has made of future trends. [23452]
Mr. Norris:
I have been asked to reply.
I refer to the answers that I gave to the hon. Member on 18 March, Official Report, column 44 and on 26 March, Official Report, column 552.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide up-to-date information on termination payments made by NHS trusts or health authorities to (a) chief executives and (b) general and senior managers including the number and amounts. [22170]
Mr. Malone
[holding answer 22 March 1996]: The limited information available for 1995-96 shows that national health service trusts made four payments totalling £265,938 to chief executives and 92 payments totalling £1,930,588 to senior managers and that health authorities made 54 payments totalling £2,181,000 to general and senior managers.
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will place in the Library the advice (a) his Department and (b) the NHS executive have received concerning disciplinary and legal aspects of the movement of staff between employers within the NHS; [22748]
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 175
Mr. Malone:
Disciplinary procedures for national health service staff employed on national terms and conditions are governed by the provisions of section 42 of the General Whitley Council handbook. This agreement provides the national framework within which each health authority determines it own procedures. NHS trusts are free to introduce their own arrangements.
Legal advice to Ministers is given in confidence. However, the general legal position is set out in paragraph 16 of the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, HC280 Session 1995-96, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued, and when, to NHS personnel on the declaration of conflicts of interest. [22742]
Mr. Malone:
Guidance on standards of business conduct for NHS staff, including conflicts of interest, was issued in HSG(93)5 on 18 January 1993. On 9 August 1995 the chief executive of the NHS executive wrote to all NHS employers re-emphasising the need for NHS bodies to follow the NHS regulatory framework and observe the codes of conduct and accountability. Executive letter (96)12 issued on 16 February 1996 again reminded NHS employers of the importance of avoiding potential conflicts of interest. Copies of these documents are available in the Library.
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health service bodies have operated car leasing schemes within the last five years that have been contrary to regulations; how many vehicles have been involved; and what has been the cost to the NHS. [22744]
Mr. Malone:
Information about the operation of car leasing schemes of health bodies is not available centrally.
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken on cases revealed by the departmental trawl of questionable severances in the health service. [22890]
Mr. Malone:
The national health service executive, with the Treasury, has examined each case and action to recover moneys paid irregularly will be taken where it is feasible and cost-effective to do so.
(2) what plans he has to revise disciplinary procedures within the NHS as a result of the inquiry into the former Yorkshire regional health authority. [22736]
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