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Rendering Plants
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many animal rendering plants there are in Britain; what are the procedures for the treatment of their effluent; how many discharge their effluent into the domestic sewerage system; and how many spray their effluent on to agricultural land. [34509]
Mr. Clappison: There are 36 rendering plants in Great Britain, authorised under the Animal By-Products Order 1992. Treatment of effluent will normally include the removal of solids and will reflect conditions in trade effluent consents issued by sewerage undertakers for
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discharges to sewer, or conditions in consents from the Environment Agency for discharges direct to receiving waters. No central records of the number of rendering plants discharging effluent to sewer, or spraying it on agricultural land, are held by my Department or the Environment Agency.
Energy Saving Trust
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what mechanisms exist to reallocate money from the Energy Saving Trust to the home energy efficiency scheme. [34666]
Mr. Clappison: Uncommitted resources may be redeployed between the different parts of my Department's environment protection programme in accordance with the Government's priorities.
Mr. Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what Government funding has been made available to the Energy Saving Trust in the current financial year; what proportion of this funding has been committed to specific programmes; and what estimates he has made of the trust's actual expenditure during the period. [34667]
Mr. Clappison: The Government will make up to £25 million available to the Energy Saving Trust in 1996-97. More than 95 per cent. of this is for specific projects within a programme of work that has been agreed with the trust, the remainder covers the trust's management and administration costs. It is too early yet to estimate the outturn expenditure.
Waste Disposal
Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received opposing the implementation of a tax on waste disposal.[34587]
Mr. Clappison: The consultation paper setting out the Government's proposals for the introduction of a new tax on the disposal of waste to landfill was published on 21 March 1995 by seven Government Departments, including the Department of the Environment. Of the 720 responses that were received, 166 opposed the introduction of the tax.
Although this Department has received further representations about the introduction of the landfill tax, it keeps no central record of the number of representations that have been submitted.
Castle Cement
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring of plume grounding at Castle Cement in Clitheroe the Environment Agency has carried out since the earlier testing of air quality by the National Physical Laboratory. [34738]
Mr. Clappison: Observations of the plumes are made on a regular basis by Environment Agency inspectors. However, the agency does not consider that further monitoring would provide any additional useful information, since the monitoring carried out by the National Physical Laboratory during August and September 1995, using a mobile laboratory and
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differential scanning lidar, provided sufficient information for the Environment Agency to evaluate the position and to determine appropriate action. As a result, Castle Cement was required to submit proposals to the Environment Agency to resolve the problem of plume grounding, and these proposals are required to be implemented by 31 December 1996. Castle Cement has appealed to the Secretary of State for the Environment against the implementation time scale.
Homelessness
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money was given to each London borough council in revenue support grants settlement in relation to homelessness in the current financial year. [34594]
Sir Paul Beresford: It is not possible to specify a portion of revenue support grant--RSG--for revenue expenditure on homelessness because RSG is not hypothecated to particular services.
Energy Efficiency Voucher Scheme
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has completed the assessment of his Department's energy efficiency voucher scheme; what has been the total cost to his Department of this initiative; how many householders have installed practical energy efficiency measures benefiting from discounts offered under the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [34865]
Mr. Clappison: The assessment is not complete, and I can not add to the answer given to the hon. Member on Wednesday 22 May, Official Report, columns 222-23.
Community Charge
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of community charge still outstanding and owed to local authorities; and how much has been written off. [34858]
Sir Paul Beresford: The latest information relates to 31 March 1995. As at that date, we estimate that community charge arrears totalled £1,200 million, and write-offs totalled £430 million.
Albert Dock, Merseyside
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been made to the Government office on Merseyside by the Albert dock residents association concerning its lease when the Merseyside development corporation is wound up. [34461]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Government office for Merseyside has received three letters during the past two years from the Albert dock residents association concerning that lease and other issues.
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many residents have had court proceedings taken against them by the Albert Dock company for leasing their apartment between 1 January 1989 and 1 January 1995. [34384]
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Sir Paul Beresford: This is a confidential matter between the Albert Dock Company and each and every occupier, and I am unable to provide this information.
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the clawback clauses included in the terms of the sale of the leases of properties by (a) the Albert Dock Company, (b) Barratt and (c) other companies within the Merseyside development corporation. [34487]
Sir Paul Beresford: The detailed terms of each and every sub-disposal by the Albert Dock Company, Barratt and, indeed, any other developer within the corporation's area is really a matter of negotiation between a purchaser of an interest and the seller of that interest. It is a confidential matter, and I am unable to provide the information required.
National Rivers Authority
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the value of the National Rivers Authority's receipts from water abstraction licensing and changes in each year of its operation. [34845]
Mr. Clappison: The receipts from water abstraction licensing and charges generated by the National Rivers Authority in each of the years of its operation are set out in the table.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 79.2 |
| 1990-91 | 58.3 |
| 1991-92 | 64.6 |
| 1992-93 | 77.0 |
| 1993-94 | 77.3 |
| 1994-95 | 64.7 |
| 1995-96 | 80.3 |
Abattoirs
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what research he has evaluated as to the size of filter pore needed to prevent possible contamination of potable water from abattoir discharges; [34776]
- (2) what information he has collated as to how many water companies are requiring abattoirs involved in the national BSE cull to provide fine filter systems; [34777]
(3) what is his policy with regard to the provision of fine filter systems at abattoirs dealing with cattle from the national BSE cull; and if he will make a statement. [34778]
Mr. Clappison: The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee has advised that filtration systems in abattoirs that are capable of removing particulate matter from effluent are adequate to prevent the infective agent being carried into the aquatic environment. The Environment Agency and water companies, who have statutory responsibilities for authorising discharges from abattoirs, ensure that the required standards are applied at relevant abattoirs. In addition, waste water receives further treatment at sewage treatment works. Natural
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processes within catchment areas and drinking water treatment processes form a further multiple barrier providing adequate protection for drinking water supplies.
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