---

Asbestos

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will (a) undertake a survey of all public buildings and (b) maintain a database to indicate the presence and location of asbestos in the United Kingdom and if he will make a statement. [33650]

Mr. Clappison: A survey of asbestos in public buildings will not be undertaken. Instead, Government Departments are working together to raise public awareness of the risks of exposure to asbestos and the need for sound management of asbestos materials in all buildings. The Department of the Environment gives advice on surveying buildings for asbestos and its subsequent management within the guidance document "Asbestos Materials in Buildings", which was first published in 1983 and has been regularly updated. This guidance is aimed at building owners, managers and local authorities. The Health and Safety Executive also issues guidance to owners and employers on the management of asbestos in buildings. It advises that employers should locate, identify and keep a record of all asbestos in their premises and ensure that all workers/contractors who are likely to work on it are aware of its presence.

26 Jun 1996 : Column: 134

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if asbestos may still be used for gutters; and if he will make a statement. [33651]

Mr. Clappison: White asbestos incorporated into asbestos cement may still be used to make gutters. In practice, other materials are now more commonly used.

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the current permitted uses for asbestos in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [33652]

Mr. Clappison: The use of asbestos in the United Kingdom is controlled by the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 and the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993. These regulations prohibit the marketing and use of all forms of amphibole asbestos, which includes blue and brown asbestos, and many uses of white, chrysotile, asbestos. Further limitations on the use of white asbestos are contained within the Asbestos Products (Safety) Regulations 1985. Uses of white asbestos which are not specified in any of these regulations are permitted, although in practice the most common use is in asbestos cement and heavy bearing materials such as gaskets.

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the use of asbestos for gutters. [33653]

Mr. Clappison: No assessment has been made specifically of the use of asbestos in gutters. However, a more general assessment of the uses of, and exposure to, asbestos in the non-workplace environment is currently being performed on behalf of this Department. The results of this work will be published early next year.

Albert Dock, Merseyside

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times the Albert Dock Management Co. has carried out repairs to the apartments overlooking the River Mersey since December 1988; and if he will make a statement. [33895]

26 Jun 1996 : Column: 135

Sir Paul Beresford: The Albert Dock Management Co. is not responsible for carrying out repairs to apartments. That responsibility falls on the occupiers. The Albert Dock Management Co. is responsible for the common parts and the structure.

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the current service charges levied by the Albert Dock management; what assessment he has made of the value for money provided; and if he will make a statement. [33896]

Sir Paul Beresford: The service charge at the Albert dock for the Colonnades residential units covers a range of services including 24-hour security, insurance--including terrorism insurance--all repairs to common parts, the cleaning and decoration of common parts, refuse collection, all structural repairs and a contribution to the overall management of the external areas around Albert dock. The service charge account is audited on an annual basis and certified in accordance with the leasehold interest of each resident and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. The level of the service charge is a private and confidential matter between the Albert Dock Management Co. and each individual tenant and it would be inappropriate for the information to be divulged.

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who owned the land in the area of the Albert dock prior to the take over of the development corporation. [33897]

Sir Paul Beresford: Mersey Docks and Harbour Co. owned Albert dock prior to its purchase by Merseyside development corporation in 1982.

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations have been received by the (a) chief executive and (b) chairman of the Merseyside development corporation from (i) the Albert dock residents association and (ii) right hon. and hon. Members concerning the Albert Dock Management Co.; and if he will make a statement. [33898]

Sir Paul Beresford: The chief executive of MDC has received eight letters from the Albert Dock residents association over the last two years and the chairman of the MDC has received five letters from the residents association. The hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside has written to the chairman on one occasion, 11 October 1995, and my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt) wrote to the chairman on 21 February 1996 forwarding a letter from the Albert Dock residents association.

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from residents of Albert dock concerning their future lease after the Merseyside development corporation ceases to exist; and if he will make a statement. [33925]

Sir Paul Beresford: The Secretary of State for the Environment has received nine letters from residents of the Albert dock concerning both their future lease and other issues.

26 Jun 1996 : Column: 136

Development Corporations

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many development corporations are currently in existence; and how many have residential blocks within their grounds. [33899]

Sir Paul Beresford: There are nine development corporations in existence, of which six have residential blocks in their respective areas.

Contracts

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the average value of contracts awarded by his Department (b) the value of (i) the smallest and (ii) the largest contract awarded (c) the number of contracts with a value of (1) £0 to £999, (2) £1,000 to £9,999, (3) £10,000 to £49,999, (4) £50,000 to £99,999, (5) £100,000 to £499,999, (6) £500,000 to £999,999 and (7) above £1,000,000 and (d) the total number of contracts awarded in 1995-96. [34149]

Sir Paul Beresford: The information requested is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Navigation

Sir Anthony Durant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will announce the Government's conclusions on the review of the navigation functions of British Waterways and the Environment Agency; and what proposals the Government have to improve co-operation between navigation authorities and planning authorities. [34855]

Mr. Robert B. Jones: My Department issued a consultation paper on 15 February 1995 reviewing the navigation functions of British Waterways and the Environment Agency--the latter were then the functions of the National Rivers Authority. The Government have considered the responses received to that consultation paper.

The Government recognise that there is room for improvement in the way in which navigation authority arrangements operate but consider that there is no single, obvious, right answer everywhere regardless of local circumstances. The Government therefore support the initiative taken by British Waterways and the Environment Agency to pursue jointly a programme of studies examining individual navigations in consultation with users and others. The studies will examine the present arrangements and the options for change in administering navigation. The Government have asked them to make preliminary reports to Ministers by October 1996. The results of the studies will provide a solid basis for Government decisions on individual transfers of responsibility from one navigation authority to another.

Meanwhile, the Government welcome and will encourage co-operation between British Waterways, the Environment Agency and other navigation authorities to draw better value from the waterway system and develop a more commercial approach and coherent strategy for development of inland waterways. Improvements will include streamlining licensing and charging and providing a better focus for marketing and customer representation.

26 Jun 1996 : Column: 137

The Government have published a paper setting out the results of the consultation exercise and the Government's conclusions and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

The Government believe that planning authorities and navigation authorities should work together in the development of the waterways' potential benefits. The Government will shortly be issuing a consultation paper proposing that planning authorities should be under the statutory obligation to consult British Waterways where their navigations are affected by planning applications. This would give British Waterways the same status in the planning process as other statutory consultees such as the highway authority or the Environment Agency.

---