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Irrigation (Water Abstraction)
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the use of abstraction licences to control the use of water for trickle irrigation. [21148]
Mr. Clappison: No licence is currently required for the abstraction of water for irrigation, except for spray irrigation. We have announced that we shall be conducting a full review of the abstraction licencing system.
Fur
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to implement European regulation 3254/91. [21328]
Mr. Clappison: The regulation can be implemented effectively only through concerted action by all EU member states. The European Commission is negotiating with the major fur producer countries an agreement by which the principles of the regulation can be implemented. The Council of Ministers has requested the Commission to introduce a fur import ban if no satisfactory agreement can be reached.
Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been made to him by other Government Departments during the last three years regarding the implementation of European regulation 3254/91. [21329]
Mr. Clappison: There have been regular contacts at both official and ministerial level between all Departments concerned with UK Government policy on this matter.
Payment of Bills
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of bills to his Department for the financial year 1995 to 1996 were paid (a) in accordance with agreed contractual conditions and (b) within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice where no contractual conditions applied. [21202]
Sir Paul Beresford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 18 July 1996, Official Report, column 613. Any additional information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Housing Associations
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was his Department's expenditure on housing associations in Devon in each of the past five years. [21345]
Mr. Curry: The Department provides funding to housing associations through grant in aid to the Housing Corporation. Capital expenditure in Devon through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme in each of the past four years was as follows:
1993-94: £30.2 million
1994-95: £28.8 million
1995-96: £18.8 million
1996-97: £16.9 million (forecast).
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Hedgerow Regulations
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the protection afforded to the linnet under the draft hedgerow regulations. [21089]
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what protection the draft hedgerow regulations provide for the song thrush. [21298]
Mr. Clappison: The draft Hedgerows Regulations 1997, as laid before Parliament, protect hedgerows which are important in terms of their historic, wildlife or landscape value, as set out in the criteria listed at schedule 1. One of the criteria for determining the wildlife value of the hedgerow is the presence of species of birds, mammals, insects or plants within specified categories, which do not include the linnet or song thrush.
A costed action plan to halt the decline of the song thrush by the year 2000 was drawn up by the biodiversity steering group. The group is currently preparing an action plan for the linnet.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the average cost of implementing the draft hedgerow regulations for each local authority in England. [21295]
Mr. Clappison:
Costs of implementing the draft Hedgerows Regulations, as laid in Parliament, together with costs relating to many other individual services, are included within local authorities' "All Other Services" standard spending assessments, but are not separately identified.
Mr. Morley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to enable the biodiversity value of a hedgerow to be measured within the evaluation period; and if he will make a statement. [21297]
Mr. Clappison:
Schedule 1 to the draft Hedgerows Regulations, as laid in Parliament, sets out the criteria which local planning authorities must use to determine the importance of a hedgerow notified to them. The criteria include several relating to the value of the hedgerow for wildlife and for biological diversity.
Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what his plans are for reducing the input of zinc in sewage sludge which may be spread on the land. [21149]
Mr. Clappison:
The Government have accepted in its response to the report of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution on the sustainable use of soil that there should be continued action to reduce the concentration of zinc and other metals in sewage sludge. We intend to commission a further survey of sewage sludge quality in 1998. This will provide the opportunity to confirm the effect of trade effluent controls in considerably reducing metal concentrations over the last
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two decades and will provide a basis for assessing the need for any further steps, taking into account the potential costs and benefits.
Dr. Hampson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the provisions in the Housing Act 1996 relating to the inspection of multi-occupancy accommodation will come into effect. [21428]
Mr. Clappison:
Most of the provisions of part II of the Housing Act 1996 relating to houses in multiple occupation came into effect on 3 March 1997. Section 73 of the Act, which imposes a new duty on landlords of HMOs to keep their property fit for the number of occupants will be introduced at a later date. A number of related statutory instruments also took effect from 3 March 1997. These are the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Fees for Registration Schemes) Order 1997, S.I. 1997/229, the Housing (Fire Safety in Houses in Multiple Occupation) Order 1997, S.I. 1997/230, the Housing (Enforcement Procedures for Houses in Multiple Occupation) Order 1997, S.I. 1997/227, and the Housing (Recovery of Expenses for Section 352 Notices) Order 1997, S.I. 1997/228.
Mr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the United Kingdom action plan for the phasing out and destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls and dangerous polychlorinated biphenyl substitutes. [21562]
Mr. Robert B. Jones:
I am publishing today the action plan which forms part of our strategy for fulfilling the commitment, made by the United Kingdom at the third North Sea conference at The Hague in 1990, to phase out and destroy identifiable PCBs. It is also the first step towards meeting the requirements of EC directive 96/59/EC, which will be implemented by regulations in due course.
It has long been recognised that PCBs pose an environmental threat, particularly to marine life. That is why, in 1986, we banned their sale and most uses. There are many organisations, including factories, offices, schools and hospitals, which may have equipment containing PCBs.
A key element of the action plan is that there should be co-operation between the competent authorities, companies who destroy PCBs and those who may have equipment containing them. Our proposals are designed to ensure an orderly phase-out and the most effective use of destruction capacity, in the interests of industry and the environment.
A copy of the action plan has been sent to all local authorities, education authorities, health authorities and universities throughout the United Kingdom as well as the relevant trade associations. Copies of the action plan have also been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Sykes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an announcement about the
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spending plans of the Department of the Environment, Ordnance Survey and the Office of Water Services for the years 1997-98 to 1999-2000. [21653]
Mr. Gummer:
I have today published the Department of the Environment's annual report for 1997, which sets out in detail the outcome of the public expenditure survey as announced in the November 1996 Budget statement, as it affects my areas of responsibility. The report shows how my Department, Ordnance Survey and the Office of Water Services have discharged their functions over the past year. It provides background on each spending programme, and sets out our achievements to date and plans for the future.
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