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Local Government Finance
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated pool for England of total receipts from national non-domestic rates in 1997-98; what the pool was in 1996-97; what the pool was in 1996-97; what is the estimated grant from the pool in 1997-98 to the county councils of (a) Somerset, (b) Devon and (c) Dorset; and what was the grant for (a) to (c) for the national non-domestic rating pool in 1996-97. [8065]
Sir Paul Beresford: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North-East (Mr. Congdon) on 27 November, Official Report, columns 242-44.
| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | |
| Somerset county council | 98.200 | 93.555 |
| Devon county council | 216.439 | 205.917 |
| Dorset county council | 138.277 | 73.691 |
The figure for Dorset CC for 1997-98 take account of reorganisation at 1 April 1997.
Oil Pollution
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the long-term ecological implications of the discharge of oil-based drilling mud from the North Cormorant platform in April 1989. [8357]
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Genetically engineered Crops
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many genetically engineered crops are permitted to be grown in the United States. [7841]
Mr. Clappison: The Secretary of State has granted 99 consents for specific trials of genetically modified engineered crops in Great Britain since the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992--as amended in 1995--came into force on 1 February 1993. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Three genetically modified crops have been authorised to be grown throughout the European Union under the marketing provisions of Council directive 90/220/EEC.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions there are on the importation of genetically engineered crops into the United Kingdom. [7842]
Mr. Clappison: The importation and marketing of genetically modified engineered crops in Great Britain are controlled by part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and regulations made under it, in particular for import the Genetically Modified Organisms (Risk Assessment) (Records and Exemption) Regulations 1996, as amended in 1995. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Public Appointments
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8538]
Sir Paul Beresford: The public appointments unit is a valuable source of candidates. No central record is maintained of the sources of names of appointees and in some cases they may have been nominated from more than one source. I regret that the information cannot be provided in the form requested.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Computers
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what has been the total cost to date of cabling the parliamentary estate for access to the parliamentary data and video network; what is the estimated cost of completing the cabling; what estimate he has made of the impact on hon. Members' office cost allowances of hon. Members upgrading their computer systems to make use of the PDVN network; for what reasons the Director of Communications has refused to connect to the PDVN machines using Microsoft Windows 95; and if he will make a statement on problems encountered. [8342]
Mr. Waller: The cabling for the parliamentary data and video network--PDVN--is being installed in conjunction with electrical rewiring, telephone cable renewal and associated asbestos removal, and it is not possible to give a meaningful figure for the cost of the PDVN cabling alone.
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The pace of change in information technology inevitably means that desktop equipment may have to be updated at intervals if hon. Members wish to have access to the full range of enhanced services available on the PDVN. Guidance on the most appropriate systems for connection to the PDVN, making effective use of resources available from the office costs allowance, is given by the Director of Communications on request.
The Director of Communications encourages the continued use of Windows 3.11, while the reliability of network use of Windows 95 is being assessed, but recognises that increasing numbers of new machines purchased by hon. Members come with Windows 95 installed and will arrange for connection of Windows 95 machines to the PDVN. Connection of Windows 95 machines to the PDVN via modem is, however, currently not available, due to technical incompatibilities. Changes to the PDVN are currently being tested with a view to offering this service in the new year.
Children Act Advisory Committee
Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the future of the Children Act Advisory Committee. [8815]
Mr. Streeter: On 14 May 1996, during the passage of the Family Law Bill through Parliament, my right hon. and noble friend the Lord Chancellor announced his intention to set up a new advisory board for five years to monitor the implementation of the Family Law Act 1996, and to advise the Lord Chancellor on issues arising from its implementation. The board will be appointed early in the new year; it will be inter-disciplinary, and its chairman will be independent of the court system. As a consequence, the Children Act Advisory Committee will cease to exist after July 1997.
The new body will be known as the Advisory Board on Family Law. It will report to the Lord Chancellor, and will deal--broadly speaking--with those aspects of family policy and law which are covered by the Family Law Act 1996 and fall within his departmental responsibility. Its precise terms of reference will include a remit to consider the overall impact of Children Act work within the family courts system. To provide continuity with the work of the Children Act Advisory Committee, the membership of the Advisory Board on Family Law will include a family division judge or a Court of Appeal judge with family division experience.
The network of family court business committees and family court forums will continue to deal with operational aspects of Children Act work at local level. They will, as now, be able to refer policy issues to the Lord Chancellor, the Court Service, or the relevant Government Department, as appropriate. At national level, the children's services strategy group, which was recently set up by the Secretary of State for Health, will have a wider role in co-ordinating the interests of Government and other key agencies.
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Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8549]
Mr. Streeter:
No appointments have been made in the past year from names which had been first identified by the public appointments unit. The candidates for appointment to the Department's more significant public bodies have been identified following advertising, in line with the code of the commissioner for public appointments.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from the Coventry magistrates court committee in respect of the proposed amalgamation of the Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull magistrates court committees. [7848]
Mr. Streeter:
As at yesterday morning, the Coventry magistrates courts committee had not submitted a response to the consultation paper issued by my Department on this proposed amalgamation. However, the consultation period does not end until 16 December 1996.
Mr. Cunningham:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many letters (a) in support of and (b) against the proposed amalgamation of the Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull magistrates court committees he has received; and who they were from. [7846]
Mr. Streeter:
By yesterday morning, four letters had been received in support of the proposal and 105 opposing it. Representations have been received from magistrates courts committees, magistrates, court staff, members of Parliament and local justice agencies.
The consultation period closes on 16 December 1996.
Mr. Cunningham:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consultations he has had regarding the proposed amalgamation of the Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull magistrates court committees. [7845]
Mr. Streeter:
A consultation document proposing the amalgamation of the Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull magistrates courts committees was issued by my Department in October 1996. Copies of the document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The document was sent to the three magistrates courts committees concerned and the magistrates in those areas, the staff employed by the committees, local authorities, local members of Parliament, criminal justice agencies, Her Majesty's Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate and neighbouring magistrates' courts committees. Once the consultation period has closed, all the repsonses received will be given detailed consideration.
10 Dec 1996 : Column: 98
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