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Planning and Telecommunications

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the planning and telecommunications consultation paper was subject to an environmental appraisal using the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment"; if he will publish the appraisal; what alternative courses of action from those set out in the planning and telecommunications consultation paper were considered in the environmental appraisal; how the paper was modified following the appraisal; and what procedures have been put in place by his Department to monitor the environmental impacts arising from the implementation of the paper. [29493]

Sir Paul Beresford: Our consultation paper, "Planning and Telecommuncations", seeks views on whether a general planning permission should be granted for certain kinds of telecommunications development. The potential environmental impact was considered in drawing up the paper although a full environmental assessment was not judged appropriate. Likely environmental implications will be fully taken into account in the formulation of any new policies, in the light of responses to the consultation. We are not proposing special arrangements to monitor the impact of any new legislation arising from this consultation exercise but this will be kept under a review in the normal way.

Waste Management

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the waste management regulations were subject to an environmental appraisal using the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment"; if he will publish the appraisal; what alternative courses of action from those set out in the waste management regulations were considered in the appraisal; how the regulations were modified by the results of the appraisal; and what procedures have been

16 May 1996 : Column: 553

put in place by his Department to monitor the environmental impacts arising from the implementation of the regulations. [29494]

Mr. Clappison: The main purpose of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 is to transpose into national law the requirements of the amended EC framework directive on waste. In view of the objectives and requirements of the directive, a separate environmental appraisal in relation to the 1994 regulations would not have been appropriate.

The Environment Agency is a competent authority for the purpose of the regulations and has a duty under section 42 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to ensure that licensed activities do not cause environmental pollution or harm to human health.

Durham Chemicals, Birtley

Mr. McWilliam: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the report by the Environment Agency concerning the release of chlorine gas by Durham Chemicals in Birtley on 17 April; [29585]

(2) if he will make a statement regarding his power to insist that where poison gas is released, the local authorities environmental health department and local health authority must be informed, with special reference to the incident at Durham Chemicals on 17 April; [29586]

(3) if he will give an instruction to the director of the Environment Agency to ensure that all companies manufacturing hazardous chemicals in the United Kingdom are aware of their duty to report immediately a leak of those chemicals to the Environment Agency and to the local authority environmental health committee. [29590]

Mr. Clappison: The Environment Agency learnt on 24 April that there had been an unauthorised release of chlorine gas from the Durham Chemicals process. The agency promptly investigated the incident, which had occurred on 17 April, and as a result of its findings, issued an enforcement notice to Harcros Chemical UK Ltd. the operator of the process, on 2 May. The notice states that conditions of the company's integrated pollution control--IPC--authorisation were breached by the operator's failure to report the release to the agency within 24 hours of its occurrence, the failure to provide adequate supervision of staff and the failure to follow written operating instructions. There was a regrettable delay in discussing the incident with officers of Gateshead metropolitan borough council, but the agency is now in discussion with both officers and councillors, and with the Health and Safety Executive, which regulates the site under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984. The agency is reviewing the options for further enforcement, including prosecution.

The Environment Agency routinely includes in its IPC authorisations a condition requiring operators to report any unauthorised release within 24 hours of its occurrence. The Secretary of State considers that such conditions are essential. In the event of any serious incident at an IPC process which is likely to give rise to significant local public concern, he would also expect that the agency would inform interested bodies such as the local authority and, where there are implications for public health, the local health authority.

16 May 1996 : Column: 554

Integrated Regional Offices

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the (i) running costs and (ii) number of staff employed for each integrated regional office in 1995-96. [29662]

Sir Paul Beresford: The information is as follows:

Government office	Running costs (forecast outturn 1995-96) (k)	Number of staff employed on 1 October 1995
North East	8,918	297
North West	9,984	323
Yorkshire and Humberside	9,125	318
Merseyside	4,746	169
West Midlands	10,500	326
East Midlands	7,125	233
Eastern	6,137	184
South West	7,666	251
South East	8,348	220
London	11,065	323

Waste Disposal

Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is made available by the Government on the disposal of urban waste water and sludge. [30110]

Mr. Robert B. Jones: Environment Ministers have today issued a leaflet on sewage collection, treatment and disposal in the United Kingdom. The leaflet is in the Department of the Environment series of "One World" information sheets. It describes on-going and major new initiatives on sewage treatment in the UK, and the investment programme which is involved, in order to ensure that we safeguard and build on our successes in protecting and improving the water environment.

The UK's extensive and effective systems for the continuous collection and treatment of sewage play an essential part in the management and improvement programmes, promoted by our pollution control authorities, for our inland and coastal waters. The £9,000 million investments by the UK water industry since 1989 on sewage collection and treatment services have made significant contribution to improvements in our inland and coastal waters. For example, between 1990 and 1994 there has been a net upgrading of over 26 per cent. of the total length of rivers and canals surveyed in England and Wales.

The leaflet is being disseminated to the public in the UK through local authorities and libraries and the relevant pollution control authorities.

I am placing copies of the leaflet in the House Library.

Council Tax

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the band D council tax levied in respect of each of the English police authorities in 1995-96 and 1996-97; and if he will indicate the percentage increase in each case. [29589]

Sir Paul Beresford: The information requested is as follows:

16 May 1996 : Column: 555

	1995-96	1996-97	Percentage increase
	£	£
Receiver for the Metropolitan Police	54.08	56.01	3.6
Greater Manchester Police	45.53	45.86	0.7
Merseyside Police	53.42	57.87	8.3
South Yorkshire Police	44.95	45.80	1.9
Northumbria Police	44.92	45.95	2.3
West Midlands Police	44.48	45.65	2.6
West Yorkshire Police	45.28	45.28	0.0
Avon and Somerset Police	45.32	45.73	0.9
Devon and Cornwall Police	45.60	45.66	0.1
Hampshire Police	45.00	45.81	1.8
Sussex Police	45.18	45.99	1.8
Thames Valley Police	46.86	46.96	0.2
West Mercia Police	44.94	45.34	0.9
Bedfordshire Police	45.40	46.46	2.3
Cambridgeshire Police	44.64	45.00	0.8
Cheshire Police	44.71	45.10	0.9
Cleveland Police	45.23	46.02	1.7
Cumbria Police	49.54	51.14	3.2
Derbyshire Police	45.04	45.18	0.3
Dorset Police	56.13	57.49	2.4
Durham Police	45.00	45.45	1.0
Essex Police	47.25	48.42	2.5
Gloucestershire Police	44.92	44.96	0.1
Hertfordshire Police	44.89	46.02	2.5
Humberside Police	45.09	45.72	1.4
Kent Police	45.09	45.81	1.6
Lancashire Police	45.18	45.71	1.2
Leicestershire Police	45.27	45.32	0.1
Lincolnshire Police	62.21	66.96	7.6
Norfolk Police	45.27	44.82	-1.0
Northamptonshire Police	63.29	64.26	1.5
North Yorkshire Police	45.47	45.34	-0.3
Nottinghamshire Police	45.51	45.94	0.9
Staffordshire Police	47.87	48.15	0.6
Suffolk Police	44.64	45.09	1.0
Surrey Police	41.94	42.93	2.4
Warwickshire Police	44.60	46.70	4.7
Wiltshire Police	48.45	49.44	2.0

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