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Deprivation Index
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list his Department's index for deprivation for (a) Newham, (b) Tower Hamlets, (c) Hackney, (d) Redbridge, (e) Waltham Forest and (f) Barking and Dagenham. [6858]
Mr. Raynsford: Table 1 below shows the ranked position of the local authorities listed above on the three different measures which make up the Department's Index of Local Conditions (ILC). The attached background note gives further information on the ILC and on the difference between the three measures.
| Rank on DETR's Index of Local Conditions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | Intensity | Extent | |
| Newham | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| Tower Hamlets | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Hackney | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Redbridge | 120 | 67 | 93 |
| Waltham Forest | 21 | 6 | 16 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 18 | 36 | 30 |
Council House Sales
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the current level of set-aside capital receipts derived from the sale of council houses in the boroughs of (a) Newham, (b) Tower Hamlets, (c) Hackney, (d) Redbridge, (e) Waltham Forest and (f) Barking and Dagenham, expressed (i) in absolute terms and (ii) per head of population; and what are the corresponding national absolute and per head figures. [6828]
Mr. Raynsford: The amounts of housing capital receipts which were set aside by each of the local authorities referred to in the question between 1990-91 and 1995-96 are set out both in absolute terms and per head of population in the table below, as are the corresponding figures for England. However, individual authorities may have used these set-aside receipts to repay debt or in lieu of further borrowing, and so may no longer retain them in the form of cash and investments.
| Total £000s | Per head of mid-1995 population £s | |
|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | 25,418 | 164 |
| Hackney | 41,651 | 214 |
| Newham | 30,618 | 134 |
| Redbridge | 23,931 | 105 |
| Tower Hamlets | 42,643 | 247 |
| Waltham Forest | 18,449 | 83 |
| England | 5,283,436 | 108 |
Source of data: HRA subsidy claim forms.
7 Jul 1997 : Column: 337
We are in the process of consulting the Local Government Association and local authorities on the Government's Capital Receipts Initiative. The final decision about the basis on which resources are to be distributed to individual authorities will be made when that consultation process is complete.
Occupational Injury and Ill Health
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the costs to the United Kingdom economy of occupational injury and ill health over each of the last five years. [7120]
Angela Eagle: The Health and Safety Executive estimate that the total cost to the British economy of work accidents (including preventable damage-only accidents) and work-related ill health was between £6 billion and £12 billion in 1990.
Estimates of the cost since 1990 have not been made because of the absence of more recent comprehensive data on work-related ill health. New data will start to become available later this year, covering 1995. Using this data, the Health and Safety Executive will prepare updated costs in 1998.
The estimate in the draft reply of £6 billion-12 billion (1990 prices) is about 1-2 per cent. of national output. This includes the costs of damage and disruption to production, health care costs, and other administrative costs. An estimate of the total cost to society, which includes an allowance for the human costs of pain, grief and suffering, is £11 billion-16 billion.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what sums his Department has spent on preventing occupational illness and injury in each of the last five years. [7122]
Angela Eagle:
The Health and Safety Commission and Executive's aim is to ensure that risks to people's health and safety activities are properly controlled. This extends beyond occupational illness and injury to work activities that might put members of the public at risk but it is not possible to identify separately the work involved in achieving both aspects of the aim. However, it is estimated that the additional cost of protecting the public would represent only a small proportion of the total cost.
The Health and Safety Executive spent the following sums in each of the last five years:
| Year | £ Million |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 173.00 |
| 1993-94 | 181.00 |
| 1994-95 | 180.00 |
| 1995-96 | 181.00 |
| 1996-97 | 178.00 |
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the number of those (a) injured, (b) killed and (c) made ill by their work for each of the last five years.[7121]
7 Jul 1997 : Column: 338
Angela Eagle:
The table shows the total number of fatal and other injuries to employees, trainees and self-employed people reported to enforcing authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 and 1995 (RIDDOR) between 1992-93 and 1996-97 (years commencing 1 April).
| Year | Fatal injuries | (4)Total injuries |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 339 | 161,675 |
| 1993-94 | 296 | 155,734 |
| 1994-95 | 272 | 160,844 |
| 1995-96 | 258 | 150,968 |
| 1996-97(5) | 287 | 155,582 |
(4) Including fatal, major and those leading to more than three days incapacity for work.
(5) Provisional. Finalised figures will be available in early 1998.
HSE gets to know of virtually all workplace deaths, but non-fatal injuries are subject to under-reporting. To estimate the reporting levels HSE included a set of questions in the Labour Force Surveys in 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96. The results of these surveys combined estimate that around 424,000 reportable non-fatal injuries to workers occur annually, giving a reporting level for RIDDOR of about 40 per cent.
From responses to a special set of questions in the 1990 Labour Force Survey, which is based on self reporting, it has been estimated that in the 12 months prior to the survey, 2.2 million people in England and Wales suffered from an illness which they believed had been caused or made worse by their work.
In terms of detailed reporting of occupational illness, there is no one single fully reliable source. The Health and Safety Executive makes use of a range of sources to produce figures for ill-health for the Health and Safety Commission's annual publication "Health and Safety Statistics". I will send the hon. Member a copy of the most recent report.
Mr. Geraint Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Seventh Annual report of the Drinking Water Inspectorate will be published. [7401]
Mr. Meacher:
The Drinking Water Inspectorate will publish its seventh Annual Report on Tuesday 8 July.
The Inspectorate will also publish two leaflets for consumers. "How Good is Your Drinking Water?", will summarise the main points of the Report. "About Your Water Company" will give brief details of the quality of drinking water supplied by individual water companies.
Copies of the Report and leaflets will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish the guidance for Round Four of the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund. [7160]
7 Jul 1997 : Column: 339
Mr. Caborn:
The Government is issuing today supplementary guidance for Round 4 of the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund. The guidance describes the Government's policies and priorities for the Challenge Fund, which are:
Copies of the supplementary guidance have been placed in the Library of the House.
7 Jul 1997 : Column: 340
In addition to the supplementary guidance, each Government Office for the Region has issued its own regional guidance for the purposes of Round 4 of the Challenge Fund. This is intended to give extra help to bidders in putting together their proposals. Government Offices for the Regions will also be setting up small Advisory Panels to help them in considering Round 4 bids. These panels will have, amongst others, representatives from the business sector, local authorities and the voluntary sector.
a requirement that proposals for funding contribute to the Government's Manifesto commitment to carry out a concerted attack against the multiple causes of social and economic decline, and fit with its new policies, including those relating to employment, including child care provision, education, crime, housing, public health and sustainable development;
a greater emphasis on tackling the needs of communities in the most deprived areas;
a requirement that proposals should take account of existing strategies for promoting economic development and tackling deprivation; and
a requirement for a more collaborative approach between those preparing proposals, their partners and Government Offices for the Regions in order to arrive at a shared understanding of regeneration needs and priorities, and to stimulate fresh thinking.
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