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Conservation Sites
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the Lappel bank judgment at the European Court of Justice on other development proposals on sites of conservation interest excluded from special protection areas on economic grounds; if he will list all such sites and proposals in the United Kingdom and their status; and if he will make a statement. [37986]
Mr. Clappison [holding answer 18 July 1996]: The European Court of Justice's judgment has clarified that member states are not permitted to take account of economic requirements in classifying special protection areas under article 4(1) and 4(2) of Council directive 79/409 and in defining their boundaries. The specific case of Lappel bank is referred back to the House of Lords.
The judgment effectively means that the proposals for economic development must be considered after designation, in the terms of article 6 of the habitats directive.
There are no other unimplemented development proposals for which permission has been granted on sites of conservation interest excluded from special protection areas on economic grounds.
Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the water companies which maintain a policy of compulsory metering of properties built since 1989. [38462]
Mr. Clappison
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: Most water companies have a policy of metering new properties built since 31 March 1990, for which a rateable value is not available. Of these, Yorkshire Water meters new properties, but provides an alternative method of charging based on the company's assessment of "notional rateable value" and Sutton Water provides the alternative of a flat rate fee. Four companies do not meter properties built since 31 March 1990. Dwr Cymru, Hartlepool Water and
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Portsmouth Water charge a flat rate fee for the annual service; and York Waterworks levy a charge based on the floor area of the property.
Mrs. Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the water companies which offer (a) free and (b) subsidised meter installation. [38464]
Mr. Clappison
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: Where water companies have a programme of meter installation, the meters are installed free of charge. In addition, the following companies offer free installation where a customer requests a meter under their meter option schemes:
Mrs. Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list water companies where all customers who live in properties built since 1989 have an option of paying metered bills or charges based on their property value. [38463]
Mr. Clappison
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: Yorkshire water fits meters to all new properties first occupied from 31 March 1990, but gives the first occupant the opportunity to choose payment by an unmeasured, notional rateable value charge, provided that the first occupant exercises that right within 12 months of the date of occupation.
Mrs. Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his oral statement on 9 July, Official Report, column 200, what proposals he has to ensure that those companies which continue to install compulsory meters in properties built since 1989 take steps to give their customers an option not to have a meter installed. [38487]
Mr. Clappison
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: It is for each water company to decide the most appropriate method of charging for water in its area. I have no powers to require a water company to provide a particular charging option.
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that English Partnerships may break up the portfolio of redundant coalfield sites it is seeking to transfer from British Coal in cases where prospective developers of new industry and jobs are otherwise seriously delayed. [38664]
Sir Paul Beresford
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: The transfer of the portfolio depends upon the creation of
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a balanced package of assets and liabilities. Singling out individual sites could disturb such a balance.
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what factors have led to the delays in transferring 80 sites from British Coal to English Partnerships; how many of these are in enterprise zones in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire; what is the approximate total value of the sites; and when he expects these transfers to be completed.[38666]
Sir Paul Beresford
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: Acquisition of a complete package totalling 2,700 hectares must be based on an independent assessment of the values and all associated liabilities. English Partnerships has, rightly, been concerned to satisfy itself that the assumptions made by British Coal were sound. Two of the individual sites are located in the Nottingham and Yorkshire enterprise zones. The value of individual sites depends on the terms of an overall transfer.
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his letter of July if he will make it his policy to ensure that English Partnerships agency has enough resources to transfer and process the priority sites at Manton Wood, Worksop, Nottinghamshire from British Coal to prospective factory developers.[38663]
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Sir Paul Beresford
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: The use of English Partnerships' resources is a matter for the agency. It would not agree to take on the British Coal portfolio unless it was confident that it had the resources to tackle the priority sites.
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will extend the 10-year benefits of enterprise zone status in coal mining areas to 11 years in cases where there have been serious delays by British Coal in transferring sites to English Partnerships. [38662]
Sir Paul Beresford
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: All enterprise zones have been designated for a period of 10 years.
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he gives to prospective factory developers who wish to move to enterprise zones and consequently sell their existing premises but find that enterprise zones cannot operate because British Coal and English Partnerships have not agreed on the transfer of the land. [38661]
Sir Paul Beresford
[holding answer 22 July 1996]: I would advise prospective developers to ensure that suitable premises to relocate are identified before existing premises are sold.
The remaining water companies charge for installation under their meter option schemes. The level of the charge is a matter for each company.
Anglian Water
Severn Trent Water
Wessex Water
Folkestone and Dover Water
Mid-Southern Water
South East Water
Sutton and East Surrey Water
Wrexham and East Denbighshire Water