| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Education Standard Spending Assessment
Mr. McNulty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment Transport and the Regions if he will review provision for the additional educational needs index within the education standard spending assessment; and if he will make a statement. [6934]
Mr. Raynsford: I am committed to a fair distribution of government grant to local authorities through Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs). As part of our programme of work on SSAs, we intend to review the allowance for additional educational needs within the Education SSA. The review is likely to continue into 1998.
Hybrid Wolves
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations he has received from the RSPCA on the interpretation of the legislation governing hybrid wolves; and what plans he has to meet the RSPCA to discuss these; [6989]
- (2) what plans he has to issue new guidelines to local authorities about the interpretation of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, with particular reference to hybrid wolves. [6990]
Angela Eagle: My hon. Friend the Minister of State has received a letter from the Director General of the RSPCA expressing the Society's concerns about the legislation covering the keeping of wolf hybrids. Officials from my Department will be meeting the Society shortly to discuss this issue.
Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, a licence is required to keep a wolf or a wolf hybrid where one parent is (or both parents are) of a kind so specified in the schedule to the Act. I appreciate that there are detailed arguments about the make up and characteristics of wolf hybrids and there may be different interpretations of the meaning of "hybrid" and "parent" in the context of the Act. A number of local authorities have sought to clarify the position in the Courts. I am aware that a recent Court ruling has confirmed that a licence is required to keep a wolf hybrid under the Act.
I have no immediate plans to issue new guidance on the Act and the keeping of wolf hybrids, but I will wish to consider whether further guidance is required in the light of detailed consideration of the Court ruling and the RSPCA meeting.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will ensure that new council house building schemes incorporate (a) higher insulation standards than have been required up to now and (b) consideration of the applicability of solar power. [7096]
9 Jul 1997 : Column: 497
Mr. Raynsford:
Council house building, in common with private sector house building, has to comply with the Building Regulations which include requirements for the conservation of fuel and power. Strengthened requirements were introduced only two years ago, from July 1995, since when there has been little in the way of council house building. The strengthened requirements should ensure that the annual energy consumption for space and hot water in average new dwellings is 25 per cent. to 35 per cent. lower than before. The requirements represent the minimum compliance level for new housing in England and Wales and my Department is keeping them under review. Local authorities are of course free to apply higher standards in any of their schemes. They and other house builders are encouraged to do so through my Department's Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme. Local authorities are required by Planning Policy Guidance Note 22 to have regard to renewable energy--including solar energy. Detailed technical guidance is freely available from the DTI and my own Department on how to make the most of this energy source.
Mr. Day:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the advantages of including health and safety requirements in those water regulations currently subject to public consultation. [6935]
Angela Eagle:
I understand that the Water Regulations Advisory Committee considered the health and safety of the occupants of premises when formulating its proposals for water regulations. Any representations about the scope and substance of these requirements should be made as a response to the consultation document which the Committee issued on 19 June.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his Department's timetable for dealing with the Year 2000 Computer Problem; who is in charge of the project; how many staff are working on it; what is the projected cost of resolving the problem; and whether the project is on schedule. [7147]
Mr. Prescott:
The DETR and its Executive Agencies are undertaking systems audits and holding discussions with product and service suppliers to analyse the problem in detail in order to produce costed plans by October 1997. Details of costs, schedules and resources will be determined when these are produced, but the target is to complete essential changes by December 1998. Approximately, the equivalent effort of 14 staff is employed on the projects at this stage, excluding work in contracted service suppliers.
Directors and Agency Chief Executives are responsible for addressing the problem in their businesses and in most cases each has appointed a project manager. Government Offices for the Regions are responsible for the Year 2000 compliance of their local applications. GO Central Unit has corporate responsibility for these offices and is setting up a formal project to manage all Year 2000 issues.
9 Jul 1997 : Column: 498
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to co-ordinate Local Agenda 21 plans for sustainable development; and if he will make a statement. [6599]
Angela Eagle
[holding answer 7 July 1997]: In his recent speech to the UN General Assembly Special Session on the environment my Right hon. Friend the Prime Minister paid tribute to the good record of United Kingdom local authorities on Local Agenda 21 and said that he wanted all authorities to adopt Local Agenda 21 strategies by the year 2000.
The Government will be working closely with the local authority associations and the Local Government Management Board to encourage local authorities to meet this target. In doing so, we will take care not to take on a "co-ordinating" role because the strength of Local Agenda 21 derives from the ability of local authorities, community groups, businesses and others to work co-operatively for sustainable development in the light of local and regional needs.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the 10 local authorities with the highest number of empty residential council properties. [7225]
Mr. Raynsford:
The latest available data are for 1 April 1996 when the 10 local authorities in England with the highest numbers of reported management vacants, i.e. dwellings available for letting immediately or after minor repairs, were:
| Management vacants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | As a percentage of total stock | |
| Sheffield | 1,505 | 2.12 |
| Birmingham | 1,500 | 1.52 |
| Islington | 1,484 | 4.01 |
| Leeds | 1,434 | 1.86 |
| Manchester | 1,348 | 1.67 |
| Hackney | 1,098 | 2.85 |
| Liverpool | 1,095 | 2.28 |
| Sandwell | 998 | 2.30 |
| Lambeth | 885 | 2.07 |
| Southwark | 817 | 1.53 |
Source:
1996 Housing Investment Programme (HIP1) returns.
Local Authorities (Debt)
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the 10 local authorities with the highest amount of debt. [7224]
Mr. Raynsford:
The information requested is as follows. It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those which have undertaken capital investment and that longer term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is regulated by Government through the issue of credit approvals.
9 Jul 1997 : Column: 499
| Authority | Outstanding debt at 31 March 1996 £ million |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | 1,218 |
| Manchester | 1,206 |
| Lambeth | 929 |
| Islington | 868 |
| Liverpool | 802 |
| Sheffield | 802 |
| Southwark | 788 |
| Hackney | 762 |
| Leeds | 697 |
| Tower Hamlets | 658 |
Note:
The outstanding debt figures include both long term and short term borrowing. Local authorities provide data on outstanding amounts for temporary debt and investments in the Department's regular monthly and quarterly borrowing and lending inquiries, but information on longer term debt is collected as flows i.e. transactions during the relevant period. The Department conducted special surveys in 1991, 1993 and 1994 seeking information on the amount of outstanding longer term debt and investment. The figure for 1996 has been calculated from information supplied to the Department in the 1994 survey and the regular monthly and quarterly surveys, and may include estimated values.
Source:
DOE borrowing and lending surveys and PWLB.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |