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Indonesia
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his Department's policy to provide aid to Indonesia for projects of general application which treat East Timor as a province of Indonesia. [21405]
Dr. Liam Fox: While it is not our policy to provide aid on a Government-to-Government basis for projects in East Timor, we do not consider it necessary, or indeed practicable in most cases, to exclude East Timor from projects of general application within Indonesia. This does not imply support for or recognition of Indonesian sovereignty over the territory.
ENVIRONMENT
Packaging Waste
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish (a) the recommendations of the advisory committee on packaging for statutory guidance to be made by the Environment agencies under section 94(4) of the Environment Act 1995 and on accreditation of reprocessors and (b) the background analysis to his decision to adopt shared producer responsibility approach as the basis for the Producer Responsibility Obligation (Packaging Waste) Regulations made under the Environment Act 1995.[21826]
Mr. Gummer: I am today placing in the Library of the House copies of Sir Peter Parker's letter to me of 7 March setting out the recommendations of the advisory committee on packaging on statutory guidance to be made by the environment agencies under section 94(4) and on accreditation of reprocessors. I am also placing in the House copies of the background analysis to the decision to adopt shared producer responsibility as the basis for the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations made under section 93(10) of the Environment Act 1995.
I am also placing in the Library of the House a list of responses to the 1996 consultation papers and arranging for copies to be available for inspection. I will be making similar arrangements for the 1995 consultations responses.
Building Research Establishment
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many members of the current staff of the Building Research Establishment he estimates will leave its service through (a) retirement and early retirement and (b) (i) voluntary and (ii) involuntary redundancy, before the sale of the BRE is completed; and what are the estimated costs. [21363]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: Of the 660 staff employed at BRE at close of play on 14 March, none left its service through retirement, early retirement or redundancy before the completion of the sale of BRE on 19 March.
Development Corporations
Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many jobs have been created by development corporations since their inception; and if he will make a statement. [21364]
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Mr. Curry:
Up to 31 March 1996, the urban development corporations have created 187,277 gross jobs in new developments.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Water Services which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter; [21452]
Mr. Clappison:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 22 July 1996, Official Report, column 29.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21710]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Details of the advisory non-department public bodies sponsored by my Department are listed in the Cabinet office publication, "Public Bodies 1996". A copy is available in the House of Commons Library.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on Tuesday 12 March 1996, Official Report, column 518. The information contained in that answer remains correct.
Since then, three new advisory non-departmental public bodies have been established: the Advisory Committee on Building Materials Exports; the Advisory Committee on Plant and Machinery and the Water Regulations Advisory Committee. None of these bodies has been set up on a statutory basis. There is no requirement for them to publish their advice to government, to publish an annual report or to lay an annual report before Parliament.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from.[21736]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Details of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department are listed in the Cabinet office publication. "Public Bodies 1996". A copy is available in the House of Commons Library.
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I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on Thursday 21 March 1996, Official Report, columns 273-74. The information contained in that answer remains correct.
Since then, three new advisory non-departmental public bodies have been established: the Advisory Committee on Building Materials Exports; the Advisory Committee on Plant and Machinery and the Water Regulations Advisory Committee. The Government are under no obligation to consult these bodies on legislative proposals or to publish any response to advice from them.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21693]
Sir Paul Beresford:
Details of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department are listed in the Cabinet office publication, "Public Bodies 1996". A copy is available in the House of Commons Library.
I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on Wednesday 20 March 1996, Official Report, columns 213-14. The information contained in that answer remains correct.
Since then three new advisory non-departmental public bodies have been established: the Advisory Committee on Building Materials Exports; the Advisory Committee on Plant and Machinery and the Water Regulations Advisory Committee. All three bodies conduct public consultation exercises and conduct consultation exercises with outside
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commercial interests. These are not a statutory requirement. These bodies do not carry out any of the other activities specified in the question.
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those of the Office of Water Services advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from. [21749]
Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Water Services (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21726]
Mr. Clappison:
The Office of Water Services national consumer council is a non-statutory advisory body established by the Director General of Water Services. Accounts of the council's activities are published in its annual report, copies of which are in the Library. There is no statutory requirement on the council to publish or lay any papers.
Mr. Dobson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the non-elected bodies responsible to his Department which are responsible for providing advice or services in London, indicating in each case the (i) overall budget and (ii) estimated running costs for each year from 1996-97 to 1999-2000. [21379]
Mr. Gummer:
Non-departmental public bodies responsible to my Department for providing advice or services in London are listed below:
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(2) which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Water Services have a statutory base; if he will list those bodies which (a) admit members of the public to all board and committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement.[21436]
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Budget | Running costs (estimate) | Budget | Running costs (estimate) | Budget | Running costs (estimate) | Budget | Running costs (estimate) |
| London Docklands Development Corporation(7) | 84.7 | 23.9 | 97.4 | 23.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Waltham Forest Housing Action Trust(8) | 31.1 | 3.9 | 32.4 | 2.8 | 20 rent(8) | 2.2 | 18.5 rent(8) | 2.1 |
| Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust(8) | 12.5 | 2.8 | 13 | 3 | 10 rent(8) | 3.1 | 10 rent(8) | 3 |
| Stonebridge Housing Action Trust(8) | 9.5 | 3.6 | 12.9 | 2.8 | 11 rent(8) | 3 | 16 rent(8) | 3.3 |
(7) London Docklands Development Corporation wound up on 31 March 1998.
(8) HAT budgets for 1998-99 to 1999-2000 do not include rental income, which will cannot yet be estimated with accuracy being dependent on progress in redevelopment.
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In addition, a number of national bodies responsible to my Department, including the Housing Corporation, the Health and Safety Executive, English Partnerships and the Environment Agency, are responsible for delivery of services in London. Expenditure and running costs associated with these activities are not readily separable from overall national expenditure. I refer the hon. Member to my Department's annual report, published yesterday, copies of which are available in the Library.
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