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Drinking Water
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the compliance of provision of public drinking water supplies in Wales with the 1985 World Health Organisation guidelines on drinking water quality. [40520]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The national standards for public drinking water supplies are prescribed by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989, SI 1989 No. 1147. These incorporate the standards of the EC Drinking Water Directive, 80/778/EEC, which in turn are based in many cases on the 1984 World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water quality. Information on compliance in Wales with the regulations is contained in the annual reports published by the chief inspector of the drinking water inspectorate, copies of which are held in the Library of the House.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of implementation since June 1992 of Agenda 21 for sustainable development in Wales. [40517]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Information on the progress made in Wales toward achieving sustainable development in Wales will be included in "The Environment in Wales--Fifth Report", which will be published in the next few weeks by the Welsh Office. I will arrange for copies of the report to be sent to the hon. Member and to be placed in the Library of the House.
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 868
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations have been received in respect of the effect on sites of special scientific interest in wales of airborne and aquatic discharge from (a) power plants and (b) agri-farming. [40515]
Water Pollution
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) major (b) significant (c) minor and (d) unsubstantiated water pollution incidents have been (i) notified and (ii) suspected in Wales in each year since the coming into force of the Water Resources Act 1991; how many prosecution have resulted and what punitive or remedial action has been taken in each case. [40522]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the annual reports published by the Environment Agency and its predecessor the National Rivers Authority on "Water Pollution incidents in England and Wales", copies of which are held in the Library of the House.
Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions since the coming into force of the Water Resources Act 1991 the environmental protection authorities in Wales have dropped a prosecution against an alleged polluter where the incident was notified during the investigation as a category 1 or category 2 case. [40523]
Mr. Evans: The policy of the Environment Agency and previously the National Rivers Authority is to prosecute category 1 pollution incidents where there is adequate evidence to support the case. The policy for category 2 incidents is less rigid and allows for the use of formal cautions or warning letters where appropriate. Information on prosecutions under the Water Resources Act 1991 that have been dropped by the authority and the agency is not held centrally.
Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the meetings he has had in the past 12 months with the head of the Welsh region of the National Rivers Authority and the Welsh divisional office of the Environment Agency to discuss the effectiveness of the application of legislation to protect drinking water sources from pollution; and if he will indicate the outcome of each meeting. [40524]
Mr. Evans: Officials of the Environment Agency, and previously the National Rivers Authority, including the Welsh regional general manager, meet regularly with officials of the Welsh Office to discuss a range of matters relating to the functions of the agency and the authority. My right hon. Friend is advised on the carrying out of these functions by committees which have been established under section 6 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and section 11 of the Environment Act 1995 and annual reports are placed in the Library of the House.
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 869
Homelessness
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of homelessness in Wales; and what steps he is taking to alleviate the problem. [40516]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I am very pleased that the level of homelessness in Wales continues to fall significantly. The recently published "Welsh Housing Statistics 1996", a copy of which is in the Library, recorded a fall in accepted cases of homelessness of 13 per cent. to 9,000 in 1995 and the proportion of priority acceptances at 65 per cent of this figure is the lowest recorded level since 1978.
We have a range of policies and initiatives in place in Wales to assist authorities in tackling homelessness and clearly these are working.
Bullying
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provisions exist to assist schoolchildren in Wales to combat bullying. [40521]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: As part of the Government's commitment to tackling issues of school discipline, we have made available funding of £925,000 under this year's grant for education support and training programme for specific projects aimed at reducing truancy and improving classroom discipline generally. However, primary responsibility for measures to combat and deal with bullying rests with schools themselves supported by local education authorities.
All schools should establish their own anti-bullying policy as part of their overall policy on pupil behaviour and discipline.
We will be bringing forward a package of measures to improve school discipline in the Education Bill which we will be introducing in the next session of Parliament.
Mr. Richards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the urban investment grant scheme will be transferred to the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement. [41073]
Mr. Hague:
Transfer of responsibility for the urban investment grant--UIG--scheme was deferred from 1 April to 1 October 1996 to allow the WDA not only to administer new projects but to act as my agent for existing UIG agreements and for projects where grant was approved subject to the successful conclusion of a legal agreement falling within the WDA's statutory powers. This increased level of responsibility was made possible through section 130 of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, which came into force on 25 September. I appointed the WDA to be my agent in relation to these matters from 1 October 1996.
Also from 1 October 1996, for new business, I have asked the WDA to offer incentives similar to those previously available under the Welsh Office's UIG scheme to promote the economic regeneration of derelict land and buildings in urban areas. For 1996-97, £3.882 million will be transferred to the WDA to fund on-going and new projects.
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 870
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of discussions at the United Nations General Assembly on a nuclear test ban; and if he will place in the Library a copy of all speeches made by representatives of the United Kingdom Government to the UNGA on a test ban since 1 September. [39918]
Mr. David Davis:
A resolution adopting the comprehensive test ban treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996, with the support of 158 states. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs set out the Government's position in his statement to the United Nations General Committee on 24 September, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries currently contribute towards the budget of the European Youth Foundation. [40180]
Mr. David Davis:
The following countries have undertaken to contribute towards the current budget of the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe:
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British youth groups, apart from the scouting movement, presently benefit from the work of the European Youth Foundation. [40178]
Albania
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania.
Mr. Davis: About 70 British youth groups in 1996, apart from the Scout Association, have benefited directly or indirectly from European Youth Foundation grants made to their respective international umbrella youth organisations.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to (a) reduce and (b) end the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Youth Foundation. [40177]
Mr. Davis: We have given the requisite 12 months notice to cease contributing our annual endowment to the European Youth Foundation with effect from 1 January 1997. Our 1996 contribution has been paid in full.
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 871
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the saving to public funds when his Department withdraws its financial support to the European Youth Foundation. [40181]
Mr. Davis: We estimate that our withdrawal from the European Youth Foundation will save the public purse about £325,000 per annum.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many countries currently contribute towards the funding of the European Youth Foundation. [40179]
Mr. Davis: Thirty-six countries have undertaken to contribute to the current budget of the European Youth Foundation.
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