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Planning Guidance (Agricultural Land)
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he gives to local authorities on giving planning permission for building housing estates on grade 2 agricultural land. [20289]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Advice on the development of grade 2 agricultural land is contained in planning guidance (Wales): planning policy (May 1996), technical advice note (Wales) 6: development of agricultural land (November) 1996 and annex A to planning policy guidance note 7, "The Countryside and the Rural Economy" (January 1992). In development control decisions, considerable weight should be given to protecting grades 1, 2 and 3a land from development because of its special importance. Within these grades, where there is a choice between sites of different grades, development should be directed to land of lower quality.
Trunk Road Programme (Property Purchases)
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that private companies carrying out negotiations relating to compensation for property purchased by compulsory purchase order for trunk road improvements in Wales will have a detailed knowledge of the north Wales property market. [20322]
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that private companies carrying out negotiations relating to compensation for property purchased by compulsory purchase order for trunk road improvements in Wales will be able to provide a full Welsh language service where it is required. [20321]
Mr. Jones: Yes. In line with the requirements of the Welsh Office Welsh language scheme, which came into effect on 13 January, contractors are bound by the terms of their contract to communicate appropriately in the medium of Welsh where it is relevant to the services they are providing for the Department.
Annual Departmental Report
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish the annual departmental report. [20218]
Mr. Hague: I expect to publish the Welsh Office departmental report for 1997 on Thursday 20 March.
NHS Trusts (Mergers)
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date his Department was first told of the proposed merger between Derwen and Pembrokeshire trusts; if his Department participated in meetings of the trusts to develop the merger proposals; and if he will list the dates of such meetings and the levels of participation. [20222]
Mr. Hague:
My Department was first informed of the proposed merger on 1 July 1996. From that date, Welsh Office officials maintained links with senior trust staff by telephone, correspondence and meetings to advise them on the processes necessary to complete the merger.
17 Mar 1997 : Column: 442
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what merger proposals for trusts other than Derwen and Pembrokeshire trust have been notified to his Department; what merger-related meetings have taken place (a) on his Department's premises and (b) at other locations with departmental participation; and if he will list the dates and attendance at such meetings. [20223]
Mr. Hague:
My Department has not received any other proposals for NHS trusts to merge. Trust configuration is on occasion raised in discussions between my Department and the NHS about service improvements and financial performance. A review is being undertaken by the Welsh ambulance policy and advisory group which might, in due course, produce a formal expression of interest to reconfigure the ambulance NHS trusts in Wales.
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received (a) in support of and (b) against the merger of Derwen NHS trust with Pembrokeshire NHS trust; and if he will list the (i) organisations and (ii) individuals from whom he has received representations. [20290]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
A list of those organisations and individuals that responded to the public consultation on the application to merge the Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS trusts, detailing their preferences, has been placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. Marek:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he gives to local authorities undertaking highway works as to the desirability of not closing to traffic highways affected. [20288]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Advice on procedures to be used when undertaking highway works is contained in the traffic signs manual, chapter 8 "Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations".
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by local education authority (a) the number of classes with mixed aged groups and (b) the number of children taught in them in each of the last five years, and in 1979, 1983 and 1987. [20625]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what reasons he has not published the league tables for Welsh primary schools. [20545]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
Teacher union action disrupted the assessments in Wales during 1995; data collection and validation arrangements were then subject to comprehensive test in 1996. Extensive information on key stage 2 results, by local authority area, was published on 24 February. Now that the assessment arrangements are firmly established, performance tables giving key stage 2 results by named schools will be published after this year's round.
17 Mar 1997 : Column: 443
Mr. Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) of 6 March Official Report, column 725, if he will provide figures for his Department's PFI projects in the same form as used by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, in his answer to the hon. member for Darlington of 6 March, Official Report, columns 692-93. [20391]
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the link between housing land shortages and the house price increase of the late 1980s; and if he will make a statement. [19023]
Sir Paul Beresford:
In 1990, my Department commissioned Gerald Eve, chartered surveyors in association with the department of land economy, University of Cambridge to undertake research on the relationship between house prices and land supply.
The study concluded that it would require significant additional land release, on a national scale and over a considerable period of time, to have a measurable effect on reducing average house prices.
Further research will be commissioned in the coming financial year to examine whether the links between planning and land and property prices can be further clarified.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the Landscape Foundation to discuss the improvement of ponds and lakes in (a) parks and (b) nature reserves. [19654]
Mr. Clappison:
As far as I am aware the Secretary of State has not met the Landscape Foundation.
Ms Armstrong:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the average (a) domestic rates (b) community charge (c) council tax per household and (d) non-domestic rates payment per hereditament for each year since 1989-90 [20013]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The information requested is not available on a completed consistent basis across all years. The available information for England is as follows. All figures are net of benefit, transitional relief and non-domestic rate relief.
17 Mar 1997 : Column: 444
| Local domestic taxes per hereditament | Non-domestic rates per hereditament | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1989-90 | (21)454 | (24)2,647 |
| 1990-91 | (22)524 | (25)5,603 |
| 1991-92 | (22)331 | (25)(26)6,408 |
| 1992-93 | (22)368 | (25)(27)6,029 |
| 1993-94 | (23)376 | (28)6,082 |
| 1994-95 | (23)393 | (28)6,173 |
| 1995-96 | (23)416 | (28)6,382 |
| 1996-97 | (23)445 | (28)6,918 |
(21) Calculated as net domestic rate yield (i.e. net of non-collection), divided by the number of domestic hereditaments. No information is available about the domestic rate debit (i.e. gross of non-collection) raised in the year.
(22) Calculated as estimated net community charge yield (net of non-payment), divided by the estimated number of chargeable dwellings. The 1991-92 figures is net of £140 per adult community charge reduction grant. No information is available on the amount of community charge debit (i.e gross of non-collection) raised in each year.
(23) Calculated as the estimated council tax debit (i.e. gross of non-payment), divided by the number of chargeable dwellings on valuation lists.
(24) Calculated as non-domestic rate yield (i.e. net of non-collection), including crown contributions in lieu, divided by the number of non-domestic hereditatments. The definition of a non-domestic hereditament was changed on 1 April following the introduction of the national non-domestic rate. There were a number of changes to the definition of a non-domestic hereditament at this time, for example lock up garages were taken out of rating. No information is available about the non-domestic rate debit (i.e. gross of non-collection) raised in the year.
(25) Calculated as the rateable value on local rating lists for the year, multiplied by the non-domestic rates multiplier, less estimated rate reliefs, divided by the number of hereditaments on local rating lists. This figure is gross of non-collection, and taken no account of the effect of subsequent appeals on the rates payable for the year.
(26) The average rates payable in 1991-92 increased partly as a result of NHS properties transferring to local rating lists on 1 April 1991.
(27) The average rate payable decreased in 1992-93 because successful appeals resulted in a lower average rateable value for the year.
(28) Calculated as non-domestic rate debit for the local rating list for the year, divided by the number of hereditaments on local rating lists.
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