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Plastic Baton Rounds

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary asked for information on the testing of (a) the weapons used to fire plastic baton rounds and (b) plastic baton rounds during his inspection in 1996.[6114]

Mr. Ingram: Her Majesty's Inspector was asked to examine the RUC's use of plastic baton rounds, not the baton rounds themselves and the weapons used to fire them. Nevertheless, during the course of his inspection he satisfied himself that all weapons are tested prior to being taken into use and in the event of a complaint being received as a result of an incident involving the use of a baton gun, the weapon is tested to assess the accuracy of its sighting system and to assess that it functions correctly.

Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary was informed of the results of tests carried out in 1995 on plastic baton rounds when he discussed the subject with officers at all levels during 1996. [6112]

Mr. Ingram: At the time Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary carried out his inspection it would have been impossible for the RUC to inform him of the results of tests carried out in 1995 on plastic baton rounds, since they were not aware of them.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Crown Immunity

Ms Walley: To ask the Right hon. Member representing the House of Commons Commission if she will make a statement on Crown immunity in the Palace of Westminster. [4833]

Mrs. Ann Taylor [holding answer 27 June 1997]: Legislation affecting Crown immunity in the Palace of Westminster is a matter for HM Government.

However, it is the policy of the Commission, notwithstanding immunities and exemptions provided for in legislation, to apply relevant statutory provisions throughout the parliamentary estate. These include building and asbestos regulations, planning regulations, standards under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 (the Palace and outbuildings have now been issued with individual fire certificates) and requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Housing Conditions

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what proposals he has for consultation with interested bodies following publication of the report of the 1996 English House Condition Survey; [5144]

(2) what evaluation of the risks to the health and safety of occupants of living in unfit and otherwise inadequate dwellings will be included in the 1996 English House Condition Survey; [5145]

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(3) what assessment of the costs to the NHS of people living in unfit houses will be included in the 1996 English House Condition Survey; [5146]

(4) what account the 1996 English House Condition Survey will take of the impact of proposals for amending the housing fitness standard. [5189]

Mr. Raynsford: The results of the 1996 EHCS will be widely disseminated. We shall consider arrangements for consultation with those bodies which have an interest in housing conditions when these results are published.

The first report of the 1996 EHCS, to be published later this year, will show the number of dwellings that were, at the time of the survey, unfit under the current housing fitness standard, and those that were in other respects inadequate. The report will also identify the occupants of poor housing, in terms of their age, income, and other characteristics. Some information on the health of occupants was recorded during the course of the survey and the analysis of this information will be included in future reports.

There are no plans to include an estimate of the cost to the NHS of people living in unfit dwellings in any report of the 1996 EHCS. Further research is required to identify specific costs to the health service which might be directly attributable to people living in unfit homes.

The 1996 EHCS will report housing conditions in terms of the fitness standard as it is now defined. However, 1996 EHCS data will be helpful in assessing the effect of any changes to the standard proposed in the current review.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what research has been undertaken to ascertain the costs to the NHS of people living in dwellings which are unsatisfactory on grounds of (a) dampness, (b) inadequate fire precautions, (c) poor indoor air quality, with particular reference to radon, (d) hazardous internal design features and (e) homes energy rating (SAP) of 30 or less; [5149]

(2) what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects on demand on the national health service from increased investment in improving housing conditions; and to what extent health and safety issues are taken into account when local authorities devise their housing strategies. [5150]

Mr. Raynsford: The reviews conducted by the Building Research Establishment of Building regulation and health and Building regulation and safety, published in 1995, and Building regulation and fire safety, to be published later this year, give an indication of the relative risks to health and safety of dampness, inadequate fire precautions, poor indoor air quality and radon, hazardous internal design features and cold homes.

The Department has also contributed recently to the fifth sweep of the National Child Development Study which includes housing and health data and we are currently considering options of the analysis of this material. We have also seen studies made by others in London, Sheffield and elsewhere.

A common feature of all this research is the lack of reliable evidence of changes in health which follow from changes in housing conditions. However, the Department

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has recently published a research report Housing and Health Research: measuring the health benefits of housing improvements which explores the feasibility of researching the links between health and housing conditions and we are considering with the Department of Health ways in which these could be established.

In developing their housing strategies it is for local authorities to take account of the needs of all people in their areas and decide on priorities accordingly.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the current definition of fitness used in the review of the housing fitness standard; [5148]

(2) when he expects to publish the outcome of the review of the housing fitness standard which was announced by the previous Government; and what plans he has for subsequent consultation. [5147]

Mr. Raynsford: We are looking at the definition of fitness as part of the current review of the housing fitness standard. We plan to publish a consultation paper in the autumn setting out our proposals in the light of the review.

Special Advisers

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the special advisers in his Department, the Minister to whom each is responsible, the subjects on which they advise and the number of advisers in his Department in the year up to 1 May. [5349]

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Mr. Prescott: There are three special advisers in my Department. They are employed under terms and conditions based on the model contract for special advisers, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House of Commons. Joe Irvin currently advises me on all areas which are my responsibility, David Taylor advises me chiefly on Regional and Regeneration issues, and Kate Davies advises Gavin Strang on Transport Issues.

There were four advisers in the Department of the Environment in the year to 1 May (Keith Adams, who started in June 1993, Tom Burke, who started in March 1991, Gavin Barewell, who started in May 1993 and Liam O'Connor, who started in March 1994) and one in the Department of Transport (Lucy Miller, who started in July 1995).

Planning Policy Guidance

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review planning policy guidance to give greater preference to the regeneration of town centre and district centre shops and retail outlets, as against out-of-town and greenfield retail developments; and if he will make a statement. [5456]

Mr. Raynsford: PPG6 already gives strong preference to the regeneration of existing centres and sets tough tests for out-of-centre developments, including retail, office and leisure. My Department is closely monitoring the way in which this guidance is being followed. We have no plans to revise it at this moment.

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Recycled Paper

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the price per tonne of recycled newsprint in (a) January and (b) June for each year since 1987; and what steps he proposes to facilitate a stable market for recycled paper collected within the United Kingdom. [5454]

Angela Eagle: The Government does not collect these statistics. However, the Paper Federation of Great Britain has collected information on the average prices, paid by British mills, for old newspapers for recycling into newsprint and other paper grades since 1989. These are as follows:

£ per tonne

Year	January	June
1989	39.93	38.89
1990	34.41	29.44
1991	28.77	28.16
1992	28.25	26.38
1993	24.50	22.98
1994	20.93	21.44
1995	46.72	116.76
1996	55.05	47.40
1997	28.53	(21)--

(21) Not yet available.

Average prices for newsprint made from recycled fibres are not available, and are based on private contracts. The Government will consider whether any measures are required to improve the market for recycled paper.

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