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Hereford and Worcester SSA

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total standard spending assessment for Hereford and Worcester county council, in both cash and real terms, for each year since 1990-91, after allowing for changes in statutory responsibilities and boundaries. [2187]

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Sir Paul Beresford: The information requested on Hereford and Worcester's standard spending assessment in cash and real terms is as follows. The adjusted figures are comparable with the year immediately following and take into account changes in function and geographical responsibilities. The figures in real terms have been rebased using the gross domestic product deflator for 1995-96.

£ million

	SSA in cash terms	SSA in real terms
1990-91	317.834	377.959
1991-92	374.058	418.040
1992-93	397.044	425.812
1992-93 adjusted	363.391	389.720
1993-94	372.565	388.404
1993-94 adjusted	379.948	396.101
1994-95	388.036	397.423
1994-95 adjusted	359.668	368.369
1995-96	364.554	364.554
1995-96 adjusted	372.168	372.168
1996-97	384.187	375.733

Information on standard spending assessments from 1990-91 onwards in cash and real terms for all local authorities has already been placed in the Library.

Young Homeless

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's estimate of the number of young people who were homeless in 1995. [2038]

Mr. Clappison: Local authorities in England accepted responsibility to secure accommodation for 3,620 homeless households in priority need with a vulnerable young person, and 1,700 young single people not in priority need, under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act in 1995.

Policy Initiatives

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the results of his policy initiatives (a) freedom of the cities and (b) initiative and trust councils. [2011]

Sir Paul Beresford: We have no plans for a freedom of the cities initiative or for a trust councils initiative.

Rural Development

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned of low-impact development in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [2342]

Sir Paul Beresford: No such research has been commissioned or evaluated. The draft revised planning policy guidance note 7, "The Countryside--Environmental Quality and Economic Development" aims to integrate the development necessary to sustain the rural economy with protection of the countryside.

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Nuclear Safety

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since 1973 nuclear safety inspectors from Euratom have visited United Kingdom nuclear plants to conduct an environmental audit, pursuant to the provisions of the health and safety article 35 of the Euratom treaty; and if he will place in the Library copies of all environmental reports forwarded by nuclear plant operators to the European Commission under articles 36 and 37 of the Euratom treaty. [2117]

Mr. Clappison: Experts appointed by the European Commission have visited the United Kingdom on two occasions to verify the operation and efficiency of facilities for the monitoring of environmental radioactivity, in accordance with article 35 of the Euratom treaty. Following both visits, to the north of Scotland in May 1993 and to Cumbria in December 1993, the Commission concluded that the relevant monitoring facilities were operated in an efficient and satisfactory manner.

Information supplied under article 36, on the levels of radioactivity to which the United Kingdom public is exposed, is published periodically in a Commission document entitled, "Environmental Radioactivity in the European Community". I have arranged to place the last two issues of this document, covering the years 1984 to 1990, in the Library. The next edition, covering 1991, is due to be published shortly and I shall place it in the Library once it is available.

Submissions under article 37 Euratom are regarded as private communications of technical data between the Government and the Commission and are not normally in the public domain. However, I shall seek the agreement of the Commission and the current owners of the facilities concerned to placing in the Library copies of the submissions of data relating to decommissioning of Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor 1995, Sizewell B 1992, THORP 1991, Windscale waste vitrification plant and vitrified product store 1989, Torness 1986 and Heysham B 1986.

Darwin Initiative

Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the species included in the Darwin initiative and those currently under consideration for inclusion. [2566]

Mr. Clappison: The main aim of the Darwin initiative is to fund United Kingdom biodiversity institutions in collaborative projects with countries rich in biodiversity but lacking sufficient financial resources or capacity. The projects are varied and it is not possible to list all the species covered. There are projects which concentrate on the taxonomy of one particular species. Others study the options for sustainable use of several species. There are also projects carrying out inventories of all the species in a specific area such as a nature reserve. So far the range of species has been wide, from parasitic wasps to seahorses and from rare ferns to fungi.

We have recently called for applications for fifth round of funding to start from April 1997. We will consider all proposals which fit the principles of the initiative and which are received by 29 November 1996. I have sent my hon. Friend our Darwin information package.

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Local Elections

Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what mechanism he is proposing for aligning parish council and local council election dates. [2592]

Sir Paul Beresford: The Local Government and Rating Bill proposes amendments to the Local Government Act 1992 which will enable the Secretary of State by order to alter permanently the cycle of parish council elections where there is, or is to be, a unitary county council.

Coalfield Areas (Regeneration)

Mr. Riddick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his proposals for the regeneration of areas affected by coalfield closures; and if he will make a statement. [2924]

Mr. Gummer: British Coal non-operational properties will be transferred to English Partnerships which will take forward their regeneration, reclamation and development. English Partnerships has prepared a detailed investment plan, including a development strategy for each site. The aim is to achieve area regeneration, environmental improvements and secure new employment opportunities in the coal closure areas. Receipts from sales will be used to fund the costs of reclaiming and servicing other sites in the portfolio. A total of 2,250 acres of land will be reclaimed for residential, commercial and retail uses and a further 2,750 acres will be developed for forestry, leisure and agricultural purposes. About 55,000 jobs will be created and £850 million of private sector investment attracted.

A managed disposal strategy will ensure that the market is not flooded with development land. In this way considerable benefits will accrue to the coalfields communities in the next 10 years.

This is a challenging programme for English Partnerships but it has already shown itself capable of the challenge. The agency has quickly established itself as a key player in economic and physical regeneration throughout England with its activity carefully directed to achieve the maximum impact in areas of greatest need. I am convinced that the benefits for the coalfields communities will be considerable and that this new agreement ensures the best possible future for the coalfield sites in the north of England.

Regeneration will start immediately on a number of the sites including Agecroft in the north-west, Dawdon in the north-east, Glasshoughton in Yorkshire and the Humber and Manton Wood in the east midlands.

English Partnerships will receive £12.5 million from British Coal in a detailed agreement which has, as a key requirement, a balanced package where the cost of meeting enforceable liabilities and reclaiming sites to a minimum standard is offset by the positive value within the portfolio. The arrangements provide for an appropriate allocation of liabilities and risks between English Partnerships and British Coal.

I am today laying details of the sites being transferred in the House and copies will also be available in the Library.

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City Pride Initiative

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to extend the city pride initiative. [2925]

Mr. Gummer: I am today announcing a challenge to seven new areas to join the successful city pride initiative. The seven areas are:

Bristol;
Leeds;
Liverpool, Birkenhead, Wallasey and Bootle;
Newcastle upon Tyne;
Nottingham, Ashfield, Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe;
Plymouth;
Sheffield.

City pride has already forged partnerships in Birmingham, London and Manchester in an unprecedented way. Local people have come together with a vision for their areas and have agreed the practical steps for achieving that vision. City pride has already produced considerable benefits in terms of a shared understanding between public and private sector partners about the opportunities, priorities and needs of their areas. I want to challenge other great industrial or port cities of regional importance to match this achievement.

I am writing today to the civic leaders in these seven areas to invite them to come forward with city pride proposals. I want them to develop a vision for their areas and set out the steps needed to achieve it.

Each of the seven areas is served by a Government sponsor Minister, whose responsibilities include encouraging regeneration initiatives in their area and providing a link with Whitehall Departments. I know that sponsor Minister colleagues will be working closely with the civic leaders of their areas to make city pride a success. Part of their task will be to encourage central Government programmes to work effectively alongside the local vision.

Before working up a full prospectus, city pride areas will need to satisfy four conditions. First, city pride partnerships must show that they have the capacity to deliver what they promise to local people, including a clear understanding of what each partner is prepared to contribute. Secondly, there must be a clear vision and planned targets, with an emphasis on achieving results and effective arrangements for tracking progress. Thirdly, the geographical area and population which city pride is intended to cover should be defined and be appropriate to the vision. Fourthly, there must be arrangements for involving and accounting to local people in achieving city pride goals.

I am not ruling out other areas coming forward with city pride proposals, but putting together a successful city pride prospectus and making it work requires a good deal of concentrated effort on the part of areas themselves and by Government offices for the regions and we therefore need to limit numbers. There is, of course, nothing to stop other areas from applying city pride principles, and, indeed, some are already doing so.

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