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River Thames
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in rank order the approximate mileage of Thames river frontage (a) for each constituency abutting the Thames from Teddington to the estuary limits and (b) for each London borough and district council authority abutting the Thames from Teddington to the estuary limits. [28344]
Sir Paul Beresford: The approximate length of Thames river frontage (km) for the London boroughs and district councils are, in rank order:
| Length (km) | |
|---|---|
| Thurrock | 30.50 |
| Rochester upon Medway | (10)28.00 |
| LB Richmond upon Thames (downstream of Teddington) | 21.80 |
| Southend | 14.00 |
| LB Greenwich | 13.48 |
| LB Tower Hamlets | 11.81 |
| Gravesham | (10)11.00 |
| LB Bexley | 9.86 |
| LB Hounslow | 9.74 |
| Dartford | (10)9.00 |
| LB Newham | 8.13 |
| LB Wandsworth | 8.13 |
| LB Southwark | 7.58 |
| LB Hammersmith and Fulham | 7.18 |
| LB Havering | 5.61 |
| LB Barking and Dagenham | 4.86 |
| LB Westminster | 4.37 |
| LB Lambeth | 2.95 |
| LB Kensington and Chelsea | 2.44 |
| City Corporation | 2.21 |
| Castle Point | 1.00 |
| LB Lewisham | 0.58 |
(10) To the nearest km.
No information is held for individual constituencies.
Construction Industry
Mr. Gunnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with representatives of small companies in the construction industry following publication of the provisions of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Bill; and if he will make a statement. [28375]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Ministers in the Department of the Environment regularly meet representatives of small firms in the construction industry, and this has continued during the passage of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Bill.
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The Bill offers considerable benefits for small construction firms. If enacted, it will provide a right to refer contractual disputes to adjudication and will ensure that all contracts provide an adequate payment mechanism. It will render ineffective the notorious pay-when-paid and pay-if-paid contract provisions, except in the case of insolvency, and it will give contractors the right to suspend work if they were not getting paid in accordance with the contract. All these objectives have been welcomed by representatives of small construction companies.
Mining Industry (Major Accidents)
Mr. Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many accidents involving major injury occurred in the mining industry in 1995-96; and what has been the change in the number of accidents involving major injury per man shift since the changes in safety regulations were effected. [29266]
Sir Paul Beresford: This information is not available in the form requested. However the provisional figure for major injuries in coal mines for the period from April 1995 to December 1995 is 126.
Housing Need
Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the Government's response to the Environment Select Committee's second report of Session 1995-96 on Housing Need (HC 22); and if he will make a statement.[29613]
Mr. Curry: The Government remain committed to responding to housing need and to an open public debate on the issue. I am pleased that the Environment Select Committee has welcomed our publication of estimates of housing need and recognised the importance of a full and open debate. I welcome the Committee's endorsement of the steps we are taking to improve the forecasting and estimates of future housing need.
The response that I am publishing today makes clear the Government's view that our estimate of the number of social lettings required each year is correct. Latest evidence of continued growth in private rented housing and home ownership shows that we are right to provide social housing at the lower end of our range of estimates of 60,000 to 100,000 social housing outputs a year.
Housing is improving and evidence shows that the numbers of people with severe housing problems is falling.
15 May 1996 : Column: 488
currently before Parliament will help us meet need more effectively--for example by ensuring that social housing is allocated fairly.
The private sector has a significant role to play in meeting housing need and can offer a variety of housing options, especially to meet the needs and preferences of older people. The quality of housing in this sector is improving and the Committee should be reassured that provisions in the housing Bill will substantially improve standards in houses in multiple occupation.
I fully share the Committee's concern that some people who bought homes under the right to buy cannot sell them because potential buyers cannot get mortgages, and my Department has taken measures within the housing Bill to resolve the situation, including reducing leaseholders' charges for major works, and further encouragement to local authorities to guarantee loans. Discussions also continue to be held with lenders to encourage a more flexible approach.
I am encouraged that the Committee's report also recognises the contribution of the planning system in assisting the delivery of affordable housing. The Government will continue to consider ways to improve planning guidance.
Mr. Butler:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities will receive supplementary credit approval resources for recycling projects in 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. [29727]
Mr. Clappison:
I am today announcing the allocation of over £10 million in supplementary credit approval resources for investment in recycling projects by local authorities in 1996-97. This is the sixth year of the programme and the allocations announced today bring the total number of recycling projects supported by the programme to over 1,300.
The programme forms part of the Government's environmental partnership initiative, which aims to maximise investment through a combination of Government resources, authorities' own resources and private sector contributions. This year we received bids totalling almost £40 million. We have given priority in allocating resources to large-scale projects of strategic significance, aimed at delivering the objectives set out in our White Paper, "Making Waste Work: a strategy for sustainable waste management in England and Wales". If recycling infrastructure is to expand and recycling increase, all those involved in dealing with waste, including Government, local authorities and the private and voluntary sectors, need to work together. Partnership and co-operation are at the heart of our strategy for more sustainable waste management.
Authorities working in co-operation with the private and voluntary sectors have therefore done particularly well in the allocations. The programme also provides the opportunity for authorities to work with the private sector to respond to our producer responsibility challenge for packaging. A number of bids are the result of partnerships between industry and local authorities and are aimed at recycling packaging. A variety of schemes have been successful, including a new materials reclamation facility
15 May 1996 : Column: 489
at Peterborough, a municipal composting facility to be run jointly by Sandwell and Dudley metropolitan borough councils and a kerbside collection scheme in Amber valley.
One of the features of the SCA programme has been to provide assistance to projects which although environmentally beneficial may not attract support from the private sector. Home composting is a good example of this. We see composting as an important way in which the environmental impact of household waste can be reduced, as well as providing a valuable alternative to peat-based products.
In our waste strategy, "Making Waste Work", we have set a target of 40 per cent. of domestic properties with a garden to carry out home composting by the year 2000. I am therefore pleased that so many authorities are enabling householders to taking increased responsibility for their own waste, by establishing home composting schemes, and I am happy to announce support for home composting which totals £1.1 million.
Each authority is today being notified of the outcome of its bid. Lists of the allocations have been placed in the Library.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to implement the proposals in the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Bill for the establishment of a residuary body to deal with those assets, rights and liabilities remaining when the Commission for the New Towns, the urban development corporations and the housing action trusts are wound up. [29728]
Mr. Curry:
Powers to establish such a residuary body are included in the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Bill. Subject to parliamentary approval of these powers, our intention is to base the new body on the Commission for the New Towns. The reformed body will be a small organisation with clearly defined targets and a limited life. It will concentrate on the disposal of the remaining new town land holdings and other assets at a rate consistent with maximising receipts by achieving full open market values, while also disengaging from the remaining liabilities.
(a) the number of people sleeping rough in central London has fallen from over 1,000 in 1990 to around 270 in 1995;
We are getting ahead, not falling behind, in meeting the need for new homes. We will continue to take a balanced approach, promoting sustainable home ownership, encouraging growth in the private rented sector, and investing in social housing. Provisions in the housing Bill
(b) the number of households living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation has fallen by 66 per cent. since its peak in 1991 to 4,450 in 1995;
(c) the number of households in overcrowded conditions is around 3 per cent. of all households, compared with 5 per cent. in 1981.
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