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Local Government Reorganisation

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of England in (a) area and (b) population is currently covered by unitary local authorities; and what the figures will be when the changes arising from the proposals of the local government commission have been implemented. [27434]

Sir Paul Beresford: At present 11 per cent. of the area and 43 per cent. of the population of England are covered by unitary local authorities, including London boroughs and metropolitan districts. Once all the structural changes which the Government have accepted have been implemented the percentages will be 16 per cent. and 54 per cent. respectively.

Battersea Power Station

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions are taking place, and with whom, on the future development of Battersea power station; and if he will make a statement. [27621]

Sir Paul Beresford: Discussions are continuing between Wandsworth council, English Heritage and consultants appointed by 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.

Local Authorities (Out-of-court Payments)

Sir Gerard Vaughan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in respect of out-of-court payments made by local authorities with special reference to the payment by Northumberland county council to a former employee, on the ground of stress in the performance of his job; what assessment he has made of whether such payments are a proper use of public funds; and if he will freeze this payment until it has been examined by the district auditor. [27645]

Mr. Curry: Following an award of damages by the courts against Northumberland county council, and prior to an appeal, the county council reached an out-of-court settlement with a former employee which was met by its insurers. The district auditor has no locus as regards payments met by insurers.

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Refuse Tip (Attlebridge)

Mr. Garrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the leaking of toxic and infected material from the refuse tip at Attlebridge in Norfolk. [27411]

Mr. Clappison [holding answer 2 May 1996]: Responsibility for ensuring that the site at Attlebridge in Norfolk does not harm human health nor cause pollution of the environment now rests with the Environment Agency. The site is subject to a recent planning application and in view of the appellate role of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, I cannot comment on the merits of the application.

Housing (Coventry)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households were on the Coventry city council housing waiting list for each year since 1990; and how many are currently on the waiting list. [27906]

Mr. Clappison: Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list at 1 April each year in their annual housing investment programme--HIP--returns.

The data reported by Coventry city council for each year since 1990 are as follows:

Number of households on the waiting list
April 19906,984
April 19916,851
April 19928,664
April 19938,917
April 19947,690
April 19956,857

Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new (a) social dwellings and (b) specialised social dwellings he estimates Coventry will need in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 1997-98. [27908]

Mr. Clappison: The Department does not prepare local estimates of the need for new social housing or specialised social homes. It is for local authorities to assess local housing needs and to identify these in their housing strategies.

Employees' Rights

Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision is available to employees of his Department for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries, (m) child care allowances, (n) carer's leave and (o) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [27576]

Sir Paul Beresford: My Department has a range of policies designed to help staff combine their career and domestic responsibilities. Full details are included in the terms and conditions of staff and set out in the

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Department's "Staff Handbook" or other published guidance. In some cases eligibility is statutory or automatic and in others an element of local management discretion is involved. I will write further to the hon. Member with full details and enclose the relevant extracts from the Department's guidance.

Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision is available to employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries, (m) child care allowances, (n) carers leave and (o) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [27577]

Sir Paul Beresford: My Department's three executive agencies, the Planning Inspectorate, the Building Research Establishment and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, all provide a range of policies designed to help staff combine their career and domestic responsibilities. In most cases the initiatives follow the terms and conditions adopted for my Department's employees as set out in the Department's "Staff Handbook" and other published guidance. However, there are variations to take account of local circumstances in the individual agencies. I will write further to the hon. Member with the full details of the eligibility criteria and these variations.

Advertisements (Special Control)

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many orders for areas of special control of advertisements have been approved since 1966; [27833]

Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is not readily available in the form requested. I am writing to the hon. Member with such information as we have.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the area of land covered by approved orders for areas of special control of advertisements, given (a) in total and (b) by district. [27836]

Mr. Jones: It is estimated that approximately 50 per cent. of the land area of England and Wales is subject to area of special control of advertisements designation. The area by district is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment if he will list the proposals for new orders for areas of special control of advertisements that he is currently considering. [27837]

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Mr. Jones: No new orders for areas of special control of advertisements are currently before my right hon. Friend. He is currently considering modifications to existing orders in South Shropshire district council, Enfield London borough council and Vale Royal borough council.

North Sea (Protection)

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the Government's proposals on the implementation of the ministerial declaration of the fourth international conference on the protection of the North sea. [27838]

Mr. Clappison: The Government are preparing a comprehensive United Kingdom guidance note on the implementation of the fourth North sea conference declaration, as has been the practice after previous North sea conferences. It will be published shortly.

Rural Development Areas

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list rural development areas, indicating when their boundaries last changed. [28155]

Mr. Clappison: A map of the Rural Development Commission's priority rural development areas can be found in the commission's 1995 corporate plan, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. The current areas are as follows:


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The commission carried out a comprehensive review of its rural development areas during 1992-93. The current boundaries became effective on 1 April 1994.

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