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Cardiff Bay Barrage
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in relation to the implications of the Lappel bank judgment of the European Court of Justice for (a) the Cardiff bay barrage and (b) other wetland schemes with present or previous conservation protection; and if he will make a statement. [4134]
Mr. Clappison: The Secretary of State has received one representation about the implications of the Lappel bank judgment for the Cardiff bay barrage. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales informed the hon. Member on 18 July, Official Report, column 643, the European Commission has accepted the Government's position on the construction of the Cardiff bay barrage. We have had no representations about other wetland schemes.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had in 1996 with non-governmental groups on the protection of sites of special scientific interest. [4081]
Mr. Clappison: There is effective dialogue across a range of environmental issues with non-governmental groups, but Ministers in my Department have not consulted them specifically in 1996 about the protection of sites of special scientific interest.
Information Flows
Mr. Deva: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to publish the outcome of his recent efficiency scrutiny into information flows between central and local government; and if he will make a statement. [4499]
Mr. Curry: I have today published for consultation the report of an efficiency scrutiny into information flows between central and local government in England.
I am determined to cut the burden of paperwork generated by the demands for information from local government. This report makes a number of challenging recommendations for both central and local government which aim to cut the paper flow by up to one third, making savings of £8 million to £10 million a year, as well as delivering improvements in the accuracy and value of the information.
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We will look carefully at the report's recommendations and, following consultation with local government, prepare, and publish in the new year, an action plan for implementing the report. As the report recognises, improvements are already happening. Today's publication will give a welcome boost to that work.
I am today writing to the chairmen of the local authority associations inviting their comments on the report's recommendations, which we shall take into account in the preparation of the action plan. I am also inviting the associations to join a joint group with representatives of the main Whitehall Departments involved to oversee implementation of the action plan.
The key recommendations of the report cover:
Mr. Thomason:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to issue the draft housing revenue account subsidy and item 8 determinations for 1997-98. [4565]
Mr. Clappison:
Local authorities have today been sent the draft housing revenue account subsidy and item 8 determinations for 1997-98. They have been invited to let my Department have their views by 6 December 1996.
We are proposing that the average guideline rent for 1997-98 should be £35.36 a week. It is only 73p per week more than this year's guideline rent. Guideline rent increases for individual authorities would range between 48p and 98p.
To encourage authorities to keep their rent increases within the guideline increase, we propose to continue with the present rule limiting rent rebate subsidy. This does not affect tenants' entitlement to housing benefit, but does provide authorities with a strong incentive to keep rent increases down to reasonable levels.
Total provision within the subsidy system for expenditure by authorities on management and maintenance in 1997-98 will be over £3.3 billion. This is about the same per dwelling as in the current financial year.
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We believe that there is still scope for town hall housing departments to secure efficiency savings and reduce their spending. The opportunities are there. We would like to see authorities taking a hard look at their housing services and finding better and more efficient ways of delivering them. This might include, for example, the involvement of housing associations or others in the private sector in the delivery of services. Even modest economies would help tenants by keeping rent increases down.
Copies of the draft determinations have been placed in the House Library.
Sir Jim Spicer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to make an order to commence parts VI and VII of the Housing Act 1996. [4694]
Mr. Curry:
I shall make the order to commence these provisions in England and Wales shortly. Part VII will commence on 20 January 1997. Part VI will commence on 1 April 1997; this will give local authorities additional time to set up effective new allocation schemes.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people, aged 80 years or above, are currently in receipt of an additional pension of 25p per week; how many of those people are currently in receipt of income support; how many of those people have their additional pension deducted in full from their income support; and if he will make a statement. [4137]
Mr. Roger Evans:
It is estimated that 2,299,000 persons were eligible for the age addition as at September 1995. As at November 1995, 746,000 also received income support, either as the claimant or a partner, accounting for 700,000 benefit units. It is assumed that all of these persons will have the additional amount deducted in full from their income support.
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Mr. Evans:
No, we have no plans to introduce a disregard of the 25p age addition in the calculation of income support. Income support has a three-tier structure to reflect the increasing costs of older income support claimants. The pensioner premium is awarded automatically when a claimant reaches age 60, this is replaced by the enhanced pensioner premium at age 75 and the higher pensioner premium at age 80.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the net cost of increasing the additional pension paid to those aged 80 years or above by the rate of inflation since the additional pension was introduced; what would be the net cost of increasing the additional pension by that figure (a) by inflation plus £5 per week and (b) by inflation plus £10 per week; and if he will make a statement. [4154]
Mr. Heald:
The net cost of increasing the 25p age addition in retirement pension by the rate of inflation since 1971 would be £100 million in 1996-97. The age addition itself would be £1.65 per week.
The net cost of increasing the age addition in 1996-97 by inflation since 1971 and an extra £5 a week would be £460 million.
I am arranging for copies of the report to be placed in the Library of the House. Copies are being sent to the local authority associations and to individual local authorities in England.
Reducing the volume of data collected by cutting down the level of detail or the frequency with which information is collected, eliminating duplication and making greater use of sample surveys.
Improving the value and usefulness of data by standardising definitions, reviewing forms with those who have to complete them, and taking steps to improve understanding of: what is required, how the data will be used, and how the information provided relates to the quality and level of activity on the ground.
Further work or separate reviews in a number of areas, including specific grant regimes, fire and probation services, school building projects and grants for higher education.
Improving the arrangements for housing and transport capital programmes, and for European regional development fund and European social fund--ESF--grants, including greater delegation of responsibility in some areas to the Government offices for the regions.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that the additional pension paid to those of 80 years and above be disregarded in full payment of income support. [4139]
Notes:
1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Benefit units may be a single person or a couple. Either the claimant, their partner, or both claimant and partner may be in receipt to the age addition.
3. The data given assume that any person aged 80 or over receives the additional 25p per week, and that this amount is deducted from the person's income support in all cases.
4. Data refer to persons entitled to the additional amount. No data are available regarding numbers actually receiving the age addition.
5. Numbers include persons in residential care and nursing homes.
Source:
1. "Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry November 1995" (5 per cent. sample)
2. "Retirement Pension Biannual Enquiry" correct at 30 September 1995.
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