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Disablement Facilities Grant

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of the disabled facilities grant. [2464]

Mr. Clappison: Mandatory disabled facilities grants are retained under part I of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, which is due to

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come into force during December. The new provisions will extend the availability of disabled facilities grants, and new means test regulations will ensure that only the resources of disabled persons and their spouses--or parents in the case of disabled children--will be taken into account.

Sewers

Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many critical sewers were (a) renovated and (b) replaced in each area in England and Wales in each of the 10 years immediately before the privatisation of the water industry; and how many critical sewers have been (i) renovated and (ii) replaced in each year since privatisation. [1888]

Mr. Clappison: The information was not collected centrally prior to privatisation or in 1989-90, and figures for 1990-91 are not available on a consistent basis. Figures for 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 are still subject to verification on a company-by-company basis and will be made available in December this year by the Director General of Water Services when the July returns are placed in the public domain. The figures for the last two years, which have been published by the Director General of Water Services, are contained in the tables:

Company	1994-95	1995-96
Critical sewers renovated (km)
Anglian	13	14
Dwr Cymru	13	7
North West	82	26
Northumbrian	102	16
Severn Trent	79	5
South West	29	2
Southern	19	0
Thames	113	24
Wessex	37	14
Yorkshire	17	2
Critical sewers replaced (km)
Anglian	31	3
Dwr Cymru	46	18
North West	85	16
Northumbrian	15	1
Severn Trent	225	9
South West	12	4
Southern	14	1
Thames	47	20
Wessex	14	2
Yorkshire	0	2

Water Mains

Mrs. Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many kilometres of water mains were (a) renewed and (b) relined in each area of England and Wales in each of the 10 years immediately before the privatisation of the water industry; and how much has been (i) renewed and (ii) relined in each year since privatisation. [1887]

Mr. Clappison: The information was not collected centrally prior to privatisation or in 1989-90, and figures for 1990-91 are not available on a consistent basis. Figures for 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 are still subject to verification on a company-by-company basis and will be made available in December this year by the

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Director General of Water Services when the July returns are placed in the public domain. The figures for the past two years, which have been published by the Director General of Water Services, are contained in the tables:

Company	1994-95	1995-96
Water mains relined (km)
Anglian	147	0
Dwr Cymru	487	64
North West	186	0
Northumbrian	623	741
Severn Trent	5,202	407
South West	905	156
Southern	162	30
Thames	316	129
Wessex	197	78
Yorkshire	785	167
Bournemouth and West Hampshire	0	0
Bristol	31	9
Cambridge	12	0
Chester	0	0
East Surrey	23	0
Essex and Suffolk	79	55
Folkestone and Dover	131	13
Hartlepool	8	8
Mid Kent	6	0
Mid Southern	13	50
North East	596	0
North Surrey	0	0
Portsmouth	1	7
South East	561	81
South Staffordshire	2	2
Sutton and East Surrey	1	23
Tendring Hundred	49	17
Three Valleys	16	22
Wrexham	100	4
York	0	0
Water mains renewed (km)
Anglian	1,889	518
Dwr Cymru	907	429
North West	2,470	612
Northumbrian	481	280
Severn Trent	2,236	499
South West	179	10
Southern	123	27
Thames	144	15
Wessex	280	184
Yorkshire	699	114
Bournemouth and West Hampshire	29	23
Bristol	83	3
Cambridge	91	17
Chester	15	2
East Surrey	157	0
Essex and Suffolk	42	117
Folkestone and Dover	3	1
Hartlepool	14	3
Mid Kent	178	4
Mid Southern	104	20
North East	131	0
North Surrey	25	8
Portsmouth	179	36
South East	113	38
South Staffordshire	220	102
Sutton and East Surrey	13	179
Tendring Hundred	34	8
Three Valleys	151	49
Wrexham	43	5
York	16	2

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Cyclotetramethylenetetra-nitramine

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what environmental impact assessment has been (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned by his Department into cyclotetramethylenetetra-nitramine. [1834]

Mr. Clappison: As far as I am aware, an environmental impact assessment into cyclotetramethylenetetra-nitramine has neither been undertaken nor commissioned by this Department.

Water Efficiency Plans

Mr. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make arrangements for the water efficiency plans to be (a) made publicly available to hon. Members and (b) placed in the Library; [2287]

(2) what consultation has taken place with consumer, industry and environmental bodies during the compilation of the water efficiency plans; [2289]

(3) if he will list the water undertakers which have submitted their water efficiency plans to the Director General of Water Services; and if they are publicly available; [2286]

(4) when he plans to report on the water efficiency plans. [2288]

Mr. Clappison: The Director General of Water Services has received water efficiency plans from all the companies and will be reporting on them in due course. It is for each water company to publish its plan and disseminate it to its customers.

The director general asked the companies to prepare their plans in consultation with the Environment Agency and the Office of Water Services customer service committees. They are also assisting the director general in his assessment of the plans.

The companies will report on their plans in their July returns to the director general. The first reports will be included in the 1997 returns.

British Coal (Land Transfers)

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what recent discussions he has held about the transfer of land to English Partnerships for British Coal; when such a transfer will be completed; and if he will make a statement; [2334]

(2) when he expects the transfer of land from British Coal to English Partnerships to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [2335]

Sir Paul Beresford: An announcement will be made shortly.

Millennium Date Change

Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [2616]

Sir Paul Beresford: My Department is aware of the potential problems to departmental computer systems that may be caused by the millennium date change. As previously stated when answering the same question in

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June of this year, our replacement programme for older systems should ensure a high level of 2000 compliance. Notwithstanding this we are undertaking a study taking guidance from colleagues in CCTA-CITU which will produce a year 2000 compliance audited inventory of systems to form the basis of a costed departmental year 2000 programme. The Department is also working with others as a participant of the year 2000 public sector group.

Global Warming

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the impact of global warming on the sea level in Hampshire in each of the last five years. [1971]

Mr. Clappison [holding answer 4 November 1996]: My Department published an independent "Review of the Potential Effects of Climate Change on the UK" in July 1996 which provides an assessment of how climate change could affect the UK. The review suggests a global sea level rise of up to 19 cm by 2020 and a range of 26-50 cm by 2050 against a 1961-1990 baseline, with more rapid sea level rise along the East Anglian and south coasts taking into account projected vertical land movements. Only global assessments of the effects of climate change on sea level rise are available.

Air Pollution

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the contracts which his Department has placed with consultants to investigate air pollution since 1979. [2285]

Mr. Clappison [holding answer 4 November 1996]: Detailed summary documents of the research undertaken to investigate air pollution between the years 1990 and 1995 have been placed in the Library of the House. For the years 1979 to 1990, a list of contracts has been collated and a copy also placed in the Library of the House. This list may not be complete, as this information can be collected only at disproportionate costs.

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