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WALES

Public Bodies

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 13 March 1996, Official Report, column 629, if he will give the figures for (a) running costs and (b) expenditure on consultants by each of the five listed non-departmental public bodies in each of the past five years, using the new definition of running costs. [22804]

Mr. Hague [holding answer 22 March 1996]: Expenditure on running costs incurred prior to 1 April 1996 was not recorded in the format requested and cannot be produced. Available information on outturn expenditure on running costs and consultants for each of the five non-departmental public bodies is as follows:

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 203

£ million

Year	Running Costs	Consultants
Development Board for Rural Wales
1991-1992	3.101	0.524
1992-93	3.276	0.489
1993-94	3.270	0.508
1994-95	3.137	0.517
1995-96 (estimated outturn)	2.920	0.340
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
1991-92	3.473	5.510
1992-93	4.012	6.559
1993-94	4.100	10.044
1994-95	4.004	6.536
1995-96 (budget)	4.319	8.093
Land Authority for Wales(22)
1991-92	1.668	0.433
1992-93	1.732	0.604
1993-94	1.787	0.600
1994-95	1.795	0.414
1995-96 (budget)	1.882	0.350
Wales Tourist Board(23)
1991-92	3.666	0.281
1992-93	4.013	0.289
1993-94	3.859	0.297
1994-95	3.884	0.307
1995-96 (estimated outturn)	3.820	0.383
Welsh Development Agency(24)
1991-92	13.750	4.858
1992-93	14.231	5.917
1993-94	15.094	6.276
1994-95	14.130	6.370
1995-96 (estimated outturn)	13.200	7.074

(22) All fees are recovered from trading activities, therefore net nil cost to the public purse.

(23) Figures for expenditure on consultants are best estimates in the time available.

(24) Figures for expenditure on consultants include professional fees.

Homelessness

Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of households accepted as homeless by each local authority in Wales in 1995. [23107]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The number of households accepted as homeless in 1995 is shown in the following table.

Households accepted as homeless in 1995

Local authority	Number
Aberconwy	62
Alyn and Deeside	190
Arfon	36
Blaenau Gwent	250
Brecknock	92
Cardiff	1,290
Carmarthen	113
Ceredigion	131
Colwyn	68
Cynon Valley	99
Delyn	104
Dinefwr	201
Dwyfor	46
Glyndwr	32
Islwyn	140
Llanelli	72
Lliw Valley	37
Meirionnydd	80
Merthyr Tydfil	179
Monmouth	125
Montgomery	147
Neath	302
Newport	652
Ogwr	1,230
Port Talbot	165
Preseli Pembrokeshire	160
Radnor	39
Rhondda	106
Rhuddlan	42
Rhymney Valley	130
South Pembrokeshire	122
Swansea	1,356
Taff-Ely	252
Torfaen	218
Vale of Glamorgan	238
Wrexham Maelor	398
Ynys Mon	100

Source:

Local authority returns.

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 204

Oil Pollution (Sea Empress Incident)

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of the Sea Empress disaster on (a) local business activity, (b) local tourism and (c) the fishing industry. [23392]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Compensation is available to businesses which have suffered economic loss caused by pollution damage from the Sea Empress. My right hon. Friend is monitoring the situation and maintaining close links with the Wales tourist board, Pembrokeshire county council, and organisations representing local fishing interests.

Home Energy Conservation Scheme

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many senior citizens households over 60 years of age will not now be eligible for home energy conservation grants because of means testing. [23747]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Planning, Construction and Energy Efficiency, to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) on 26 March, Official Report, column 825.

Hedgerows and Headlands (Conservation)

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he has given to farmers concerning the preservation of hedgerows and headlands. [23564]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The Welsh Office has published a "Guide to Hedgerow Management and Establishment" in conjunction with ADAS and the Countryside Council for Wales.

Advice is also given on the management of both hedgerows and headlands under the environmentally sensitive area scheme and on hedgerows under other environmental measures. All schemes are supported by appropriate explanatory literature. The council also provides advice and supporting literature under the hedgerow renovation scheme.

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 205

Right to Buy

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local people have exercised their right to buy their council house by each local authority giving the sales receipts total for each local authority up to the latest possible date; and if he will make a statement.[23750]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The available information is given in the following table:

Total right to buy sales and receipts from the sale of council houses(25)

	Right to Buy Sales October 1980 to December 1995 (Number)(26)	Receipts from the sale of council houses April 1981 to March 1995 £ million(27)
Aberconwy	1,849	16.3
Alyn and Deeside	1,778	18.4
Arfon	1,579	16.5
Blaenau Gwent	2,872	26.5
Brecknock	1,630	15.9
Cardiff	8,581	101.0
Carmarthen	493	16.4
Ceredigion	1,788	20.7
Colwyn	14	8.9
Cynon Valley	1,757	13.6
Delyn	1,420	15.7
Dinefwr	1,032	9.7
Dwyfor	467	3.9
Glyndwr	1,390	13.1
Islwyn	4,136	36.9
Llanelli	3,863	28.3
Lliw Valley	2,192	18.2
Meirionnydd	994	7.6
Merthyr Tydfil	2,520	20.2
Monmouth	2,308	31.9
Montgomeryshire	1,547	13.6
Neath	2,721	21.7
Newport	4,725	53.5
Ogwr	5,126	50.3
Port Talbot	3,990	33.4
Preseli Pembrokeshire	2,744	27.0
Radnorshire	684	8.0
Rhondda	906	5.7
Rhuddlan	1,024	9.5
Rhymney Valley	4,339	35.5
South Pembrokeshire	1,006	12.6
Swansea	4,895	47.9
Taff-Ely	4,339	36.4
Torfaen	4,834	58.4
Vale of Glamorgan	2,985	38.7
Wrexham Maelor	4,288	42.0
Ynys Mon	1,883	17.5

Notes:

(25) Right to buy legislation was introduced in October 1980.

(26) Excludes voluntary sales.

(27) Includes receipts from the right to buy and voluntary sale of dwellings and the repayment of principal from local authority mortgages: receipts information for right to buy sales is not separately collected.

Source:

Local authority returns.

Horticultural Industry

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy on the horticultural industry; and if he will make a statement. [23531]

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 206

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The Government's policy on horticulture is set out in the joint memorandum which the Agriculture Departments submitted to the Agriculture Committee on 30 November 1994, House of Commons Paper No. 61-11, Session 1994-95, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Staff (Location)

Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer on 19 March, Official Report, column 172, how many civil servants work at each location within Wales. [23572]

Mr. Hague: The number of permanent full-time equivalent Welsh Office staff, excluding Cadw, by location are as follows:

	Number
London	28
Cardiff	1,463
Caernarfon	101
Carmarthen	93
Llandrindod Wells	130
Lampeter	6
Colwyn Bay	29
Haverfordwest	2
Milford Haven	4
Dolgellau	2
Swansea	3
Newtown	2
Brecon	3
Ruthin	6
Holyhead	1
Conwy	2

1. From 1 April Welsh Office staff at Aberystwyth office transferred to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

2. From 1 April there have been no Welsh Office staff based at the Newport office. The area will be covered from the Brecon office.

3. The figures do not include staff on maternity leave, career breaks and secondment.

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