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Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996

Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the local authority powers in the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 will be brought into force. [3527]

Mr. Clappison: On 17 July this year, we consulted on the practical implementation of the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. A list of responses to this consultation has been placed in the Library of the House; copies of individual responses may be obtained through the Library.

Following this consultation, we have now made regulations setting the procedure by which local authorities can create areas where people have to clear up after their dogs. We have also made an order setting the fixed penalty for the new offence at £25 and providing a form for the penalty notice. These statutory instruments come into force on 1 December and will allow local authorities to take full advantage of these welcome new powers. We also issuing a circular to local authorities to inform them of the new powers.

Standards in Public Life

Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government will respond to the issues raised by the Committee on Standards in Public Life on aspects of conduct in local government in England, Scotland and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [3651]

Mr. Curry: The Government's observations on the matters--which were raised in the "Issues and Questions" paper, which was published by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in June this year--have today been submitted to the Committee. The observations describe the current statutory and other rules governing conduct in local government, offer views on how the particular rules appear to be working, and comment on issues on which the Government would welcome the Committee's views. Copies of the observations have been placed in the Library.

Construction Contracts

Mr. Waller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to consult on the regulations to be made under section 114 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. [3829]

Mr. Robert B. Jones: I have today published a consultation document entitled "Making the Scheme for Construction Contracts" containing proposals for regulations to underpin the fair construction contracts provisions in part II of the 1996 Act.

11 Nov 1996 : Column: 9

These proposals concern the fall-back arrangements which contracting parties may use if their contracts do not comply with the Act in respect of adjudication and payment procedures. It includes detail on a number of important issues such as the appointment of adjudicators, criteria for appointing bodies, the conduct of adjudication proceedings, and payment machinery.

Scheme procedures may be called upon in a variety of circumstances across all sectors of construction, so I am inviting comments from a wide cross-section of the industry and its customers.

Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library.

Krill

Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has carried out on the effect of the decline in krill on the world's whale population. [2590]

Mr. Ian Taylor: I have been asked to reply.

The UK continues to play a leading role in research into krill populations and the likely impact of developing krill fisheries in the Southern ocean on the whole of the ecosystem, including whale populations, through the research programme of the British Antarctic Survey.

The two BAS programmes concerned with the question of population fluctuations in krill are:

(i) Pelagic ecosystem studies, dealing with the question of sea-ice formation and the effect of surface sea-current systems; average annual expenditure amounts to £100,000 per annum, exclusive of infrastructure costs; and


(ii) Higher predator, studies, dealing with the breeding success and diet and feeding habits of mammals and birds whose food chains depend to varying degrees on the krill population; average annual expenditure in this programme amounts to £100,000 per annum, exclusive of infrastructure costs.

Largely as a result of this UK research, fluctuations in the availability of krill to certain predators are now known to be related to two main causes. These are:

(i) the extent of sea-ice formation in certain years, which impacts on the ability area to survive; and


(ii) the effects of climate phenomena, such as the El Nino southern oscillation.

A further related impact is that of the breeding success of those species which depend on krill.

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 [pursuant to his reply, 5 November 1996, c. 464-65]: The figure contained in column 1 (1994-95) represented a five-year span from 1990-92 to 1994-95 in the case of critical sewers renovated and a four-year span from 1991-92 to 1994-95 in the case of critical sewers replaced, rather than just the financial year

11 Nov 1996 : Column: 10

1994-95. The figures included for 1994-5 are also subject to verification. The following tables have therefore been amended accordingly:

Critical sewers renovated (km)

Company	1990-91 to 94-95	1995-96
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)

Company	1991-92 to 94-95	1995-96
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 in 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 [pursuant to his reply, 5 November 1996, c. 465-66]: The figures contained in column 1 (1994-95) represented a five-year span from 1990-91 to 1994-95 rather than just the financial year 1994-95. The figures included for 1994-95 are also subject to verification. The following tables have therefore been amended accordingly:

Water mains relined (km)

Company	1990-91 to 94-95	1995-96
Anglian	147	0
Dwr Cymru	487	64
North West	186	0
Northumbrian(1)	1,219	145
Severn Trent	5,202	407
South West	905	156
Southern	162	30
Thames	316	129
Wessex	197	78
Yorkshire	785	167
Bournemouth and West Hants	0	0
Bristol	31	9
Cambridge	12	0
Chester	0	0
Essex and Suffolk	79	55
Folkestone and Dover	131	13
Hartlepool	8	0
Mid Kent	6	0
Mid Southern	13	50
North Surrey	0	0
Portsmouth	1	7
South east	561	81
South Staffs	2	0
Sutton and east Surrey	24	0
Tendring Hundred	49	17
Three Valleys	16	22
Wrexham	100	4
York	0	0

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Water mains relined (km)

Company	1990-91 to 94-95	1995-96
Anglian	1,889	518
Dwr Cymru	907	429
North West	2,470	612
Northumbria(1)	612	149
Severn Trent	2,236	499
South West	179	10
Southern	123	27
Thames	144	15
Wessex	280	84
Yorkshire	699	114
Bournemouth and West Hants	29	23
Bristol	83	3
Cambridge	91	17
Chester	15	2
Essex and Suffolk	42	117
Folkestone and Dover	3	1
Hartlepool	14	3
Mid Kent	178	4
Mid Southern	104	20
North Surrey	25	8
Portsmouth	179	36
South East	113	38
South Staffs	220	102
Sutton and East Surrey	170	22
Tendring Hundred	34	8
Three Valleys	151	49
Wrexham	43	5
York	16	2

(1)Figures for Northumbrian include those of north-east following their merger in 1996.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Nuclear Waste

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information British Nuclear Fuels is required to provide to his Department with regard to the environmental safety arrangements made prior to and during the transport of high-level radioactive waste canisters from Sellafield to (a) Japan and (b) European Union countries; and what is the planned date of the next transport to (i) Japan and (ii) another EU member state. [2960]

Mr. Page: The transport of vitrified waste complies with all relevant national and international regulations governing its movement. The flasks are specifically designed, constructed and transported in accordance with

11 Nov 1996 : Column: 12

the recommendations and regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The date of the next transport is an operational matter for BNFL.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what environmental provisions covering plutonium-based mixed oxide nuclear fuel and associated wastes will be included in the proposed Euratom-Japan nuclear co-operation agreement. [2957]

Mr. Page: The scope of the proposed Euratom-Japan nuclear co-operation agreement has yet to be worked out between the two parties. Any eventual agreement will be negotiated by the European Commission on behalf of the European Community, after negotiating directives have been agreed by the Council.

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