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Annual Report
Mr. Flynn: To ask the hon. Member as representing the Church Commissioners how much of the income from each source shown in the consolidated statement on page 24 of the Church Commissioners' annual report for 1996 was (a) restricted and (b) unrestricted. [1842]
Mr. Stuart Bell: All the income identified in the question was unrestricted. The Commissioners' restricted income, i.e. income which it is not within the Commissioners' discretion to allocate between their general objectives, is dealt with in the note on page 45 of their annual report.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the hon. Member as representing the Church Commissioners how much of the £145.9 million net income shown in the consolidated statement on page 24 of the Church Commissioners' annual report for 1996 contributes to the surplus of £1.9 million mentioned in note 28 on the accounts. [1840]
Mr. Bell: The short table may help to explain the relationship between these figures.
16 Jun 1997 : Column: 35
The reason for the consolidated income exceeded the Commissioners' own income is that the income of the Commissioners' subsidiary companies in 1996 exceeded the dividends they paid to the Commissioners in that year.
Church Income
Mr. Flynn: To ask the hon. Member as representing the Church Commissioners how much income was received by the Church Commissioners in 1996 on the specific trusts of section 10(6) of the Church Commissioners Measure of 1947. [1841]
Mr. Stuart Bell: All the income of the Church Commissioners was received on the trusts of section 10(6) of the Church Commissioners Measure as expanded by subsequent legislation.
I am sending the hon. Member additional information about the nature of the Commissioners' trusts.
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
ENVIRONMENT AND THE REGIONS
Environmental Standards
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the use of economic instruments as a means of promoting higher environmental standards.[3021]
Angela Eagle: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions recently set out his attitude to economic instruments in his speech at the conference on Earth Summit II.
He said:
16 Jun 1997 : Column: 36
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the reliability of the figure for the projected increase in the number of households up to 2016. [2858]
Mr. Raynsford:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 3 June 1997, Official Report, column 163.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plans to publish a climate change action programme; and if he will make a statement. [3194]
Mr. Meacher:
We are currently reviewing the United Kingdom's Climate Change Programme looking at policies and measures across all sectors which could contribute to a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels by 2010. These include improvements in areas such as domestic and industrial energy efficiency, measures to tackle emissions from the transport sector as part of the integrated transport strategy, and a large increase in the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources and combined heat and power schemes. We shall produce a revised Programme after Kyoto.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the establishment of a New Forest national park.[3144]
Angela Eagle:
The designation of new National Parks is the responsibility of the Countryside Commission. Ministers will meet shortly with the Countryside Commission to discuss the potential for new National Parks in England, as well as the Commission's proposals for the future funding and management of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Mr. Leslie:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Drinking Water Inspectorate plans to publish the findings of its investigation into the alleged cryptosporidium outbreak in drinking water from the Gilstead treatment works in Bingley, West Yorkshire, in June 1993. [3673]
Angela Eagle:
The investigation by the Drinking Water Inspectorate of this incident is continuing. As is standard practice, as part of its investigations, the Inspectorate is considering whether there is a case for prosecuting Yorkshire Water plc under section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991 for the alleged offence of supplying water unfit for human consumption. The timing of the publication of the Inspectorate's findings will depend on whether or not there is a prosecution.
16 Jun 1997 : Column: 37
Mr. Soames:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the cost to public funds of the diving suit and accoutrements he wore on 8 June off St. Mary's Island. [3523]
Mr. Prescott:
None, unlike the asking and answering of this question. The diving equipment was kindly loaned to me at no cost to the public, and my dive highlights this Government's belief that actions, not words, will protect our seas into the next century.
Mr. Edward Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct the United Kingdom delegation to the forthcoming convention in international trade in endangered species in Zimbabwe to oppose proposals to downlist elephants from Appendix I to Appendix II of CITES. [3347]
Angela Eagle:
The UK delegation will consider the proposals to downlist elephants from Appendix I to Appendix II of CITES, taking account of all the evidence available, the views of Range states, and the Conference debate. The Government's main objective is to help African countries to protect elephants against the threats they face from declining habitat and ivory poachers. A final decision will be taken during the Conference in co-ordination with other EU Member States.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what (a) timetable and (b) process will be followed for the removal of capping on the budgets of local authorities.[3741]
Mr. Raynsford:
We have given a commitment to do away with crude and universal capping, although we will retain reserve powers to control excessive council tax increases. We are now considering ways to implement our commitment.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the UK delegates to the Earth Summit 2 Conference. [3745]
Angela Eagle:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on Tuesday 10 June 1997, Official Report columns 392-93. Further to that reply the following officials from the Department for International Development will also attend:
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Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to review planning policy guidance in respect of out-of-town retail parks and shopping centres; and when his Department will publish the revised guidance. [2573]
Mr. Raynsford:
We have no current plans to review PPG6, although we are concerned to apply it firmly and consistently, and to monitor its effectiveness. The Government is currently considering its response to the more detailed and specific matters raised by the Environment Committee's report on shopping centres.
"Whatever the environmental concern, we must find the best way to deal with it, and ensure that the polluter bears the cost of measures required. A regulatory approach is often the right one, to ensure consistent standards of environmental protection. Voluntary agreements can also work well in the right circumstances. And economic instruments also have a role, which is why our Manifesto highlighted the use of taxes to discourage pollution.
Tax is not a popular word. But environmental taxes can encourage industry to find cost effective, innovative ways of reducing pollution. They can be particularly attractive if they provide revenue which may be used to reduce other taxes, or recycled in other ways. This is not to say they are always appropriate - for example if they would have unacceptable social and distributional effects. What we must do is to consider how to achieve the best package of measures to meet our environmental objectives."
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