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Mink and Arctic Fox
Mr. Donald Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he plans to list mink and arctic fox under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. [6548]
Angela Eagle: I have no plans to add mink and arctic fox to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have lead responsibility for legislation concerning animals farmed for fur.
Housing
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what structures exist at ministerial level to allow inter-departmental co-operation on housing matters. [6637]
Mr. Raynsford: The Ministerial Committee on Home and Social Affairs (HS) considers housing matters. Other committees may also consider particular housing issues from time to time as necessary.
Travellers
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will consider reintroducing the provisions of the Caravan Sites Act 1968, with special reference to the requirement on local authorities to provide sites for travellers. [6639]
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Mr. Raynsford:
We have no plans to reintroduce a statutory duty on local authorities to provide gypsy caravan sites. Local authorities already have a discretionary power (in section 24 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960) to provide sites for gypsies if necessary. My Department's Circular number 18/94, "Gypsy Sites Policy and Unauthorised Camping" also advises local authorities to keep their existing gypsy sites open and well maintained, and to consider the provision of emergency stopping places for gypsies visiting their area.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has made to (a) his European counterparts and (b) other bodies in respect of the proposed international agreement on humane trapping standards discussed at the European Environment Ministers' meeting on 19 June. [6681]
Angela Eagle:
My hon. Friend the Minister of State has met his opposite numbers from a number of Member States to discuss the Commission's proposals for a "Framework Agreement on humane trapping standards". We have made it clear that we do not support the Commission's proposal since we believe that it does not go far enough in banning the use of leghold traps.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in which parts of the country the system of ground rents still exists; what representations he has received concerning abuses of the ground rent system; and what plans he has to review the legislation concerning ground rents. [7108]
Mr. Raynsford:
I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to rent charges levied by landowners who have released their land for development, which are otherwise known as ground rents or chief rents, rather than to ground rents for leasehold property.
The vast majority of rent charges are on properties in the Bristol, Manchester and Wearside areas. The Rentcharges Act 1977 enables some householders who are liable to pay rent charges to redeem them cheaply and easily. However, certain rent charges are excluded from the Act and we are actively studying suggestions that there may as a result be scope for abuse by owners of such rent charges.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has undertaken into the possible environment implications of the draft European Parliament and Council directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions; and if he will make a statement. [7354]
Angela Eagle:
The Department has a research programme to consider the environmental implications arising from the release of biotechnological products, in particular to identify the potential hazards and assess the risks to the environment from the proposed release of
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genetically modified organisms. The Department has no responsibility for the legal protection of biotechnological inventions.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government will be conducting its review of abstraction licences; if he will make a statement on the review; and if it will include a review of pricing mechanisms. [7331]
Angela Eagle:
We shall be launching the review shortly. A key aim will be to ensure that the environment is properly protected, while providing fair and flexible arrangements for access to water resources to meet properly managed demands in a sustainable way. Economic instruments including pricing mechanisms will be amongst the measures to be studied.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plan to take steps to establish duties on water companies to (a) conserve water when carrying out their functions and (b) prepare and implement drought contingency plans. [7335]
Angela Eagle:
We shall bring forward legislation on these matters when Parliamentary time allows. Following the Water Summit in May, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister asked water companies what steps they were taking to prepare and agree drought contingency plans voluntarily and he will be making an announcement on their responses shortly.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the replies he has received from the water companies in response to the Government's water summit will be available to interested parties. [7330]
Angela Eagle:
The replies will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the timetable for the Government's review of water company charging systems. [7334]
Angela Eagle:
My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment launched the Government's review of the system of charging for water in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 25 June 1997 Official Report, column 514. My Department has written to interested bodies seeking their representations on the full range of issues which will be considered in the review. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library. The closing date for comments on the review is 31 July 1997. The Government intends to set out its proposals in the autumn. There will then be a period of formal consultation, with a view to reaching decisions fairly early in 1998.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those water companies that have agreed voluntarily to (a) offer domestic customers free simple devices to reduce toilet flushes, (b) offer free water efficiency audits to
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domestic customers, (c) increase efforts to encourage water efficient gardening and (d) publish more performance and financial information [7333]
Angela Eagle:
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will be making an announcement on these matters shortly.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment his Department has made of the reduction in the income of occupational pension funds administered on behalf of local authority employees from the abolition of payable tax credits; [7338]
Ms Armstrong:
An assessment of the abolition of tax credits on the income flow of local authority pension funds will in the first instance be a matter for each of the funds to consider, in discussion with their actuaries, investment managers and other advisers. The findings can then be built into the 1998 valuation of the funds and used to inform decisions on employers' future contribution rates with effect from the financial year 1999-2000.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the value of the tax credits available on occupational pension schemes for local authority employees during the last financial year. [7337]
Ms Armstrong:
The information requested is not collected in such a way that is readily identifiable to individual pension schemes.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultations he has had with the Local Government Association about the effect on occupational pension schemes of the abolition of payable tax credits.
Ms Armstrong:
Liaison between my Department, the Local Government Association and the United Kingdom Steering Committee on local authority pensions continues on a regular basis on these matters.
Mr. Yeo:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the impact on council tax bands of the abolition of payable tax credits. [7336]
Ms Armstrong:
None. The council tax is based on a system of banded valuations according to the open market value of properties on 1 April 1991 and these valuations will be unaffected by the abolition of payable tax credits.
(2) what assessment his Department has made of the cost of local authorities of the increase in pension contributions following the abolition of payable tax credits. [7339]
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