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Planning Policy Guidance
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to revise PPG13; and if he will make a statement. [9474]
Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 18 July 1997]: We have no immediate plans to revise PPG13. However, better integration of transport and land use planning will be an important part of the wide-ranging review of policy leading to a White Paper on an integrated transport strategy to be published next spring.
Care Homes
Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if a planning permission for residential and nursing home can, without a change of use, apply to a residential care home for people with challenging behaviour. [9592]
Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 18 July 1997]: Planning permission is not required for changes of use within each class of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987. Use class C2 of the order covers use for the provision of residential accommodation and care to people in need of care, use as a hospital or nursing home, and use as a residential school, college or training centre. Use class C3 can cover use as a dwelling house where care is provided for not more than six residents living together as a single household.
Area Cost Adjustment
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of the area cost adjustment. [9325]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: The work of the review of the area cost adjustment during 1996 provided an examination of the issues, although not one the local authority associations wanted implementation for 1997-98 standard spending assessments. The Department has commissioned research to examine some of the concerns of local government about the review's proposals. It is due to report this week. We shall discuss with local government both the research findings and the way forward on the area cost adjustment.
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Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide advice to local authorities on time scales for consultation with health and welfare authorities before proceeding to evict unauthorised campers. [9473]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: My Department has commissioned researchers from the university of Birmingham to examine the scope for disseminating good practice for local authorities to deal with unauthorised camping. The research is well under way and includes discussions with local authorities on how they liaise with the relevant statutory agencies when deciding whether to evict unauthorised campers. We want to encourage all relevant agencies to work together and to be clear about each other's responsibilities.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers exist for local authorities to evict unauthorised campers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 when health and welfare authorities do not respond to consultations on individual cases. [9330]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: Local authorities intending to use their powers in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to direct unauthorised campers to leave land should make reasonable attempts to ascertain the campers' health and welfare needs before deciding whether eviction is justified. They need to inquire first from the campers themselves if they are receiving assistance from health and welfare services. Even if they are not, this does not mean that they do not need assistance. If it appears that assistance is being received, or is needed, local authorities should liaise with the relevant statutory agencies; the local authority may well at this stage have sufficient information to assess whether it would be justified in evicting.
It is important that local authorities maintain close relationships with the statutory agencies and that, if those agencies have relevant information, this is made known.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets his Department sets for responding to letters from hon. Members. [9854]
Angela Eagle:
My Department's target for responding to letters from hon. Members is 15 working days.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which animals he proposes to add to the list of those covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. [9538]
Angela Eagle:
The Department has no plans to add any animals to the list covered by the Act.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 434
Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to change the solvency and funding requirements for local authority pension funds. [9648]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 1995, which control this statutory pension scheme in England and Wales, already require actuaries, as part of each triennial valuation, to set an employer contribution rate to ensure fund solvency, having regard to existing and prospective liabilities and the desirability to maintain as constant a rate as possible. There are no plans to change the current provisions.
Mr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent discussions have taken place with Clydeport and other interested parties about the safe navigation of vessels and off-shore installations through the River Clyde and the firth of Clyde; and if he will make a statement. [9086]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have asked the chief executive of the Marine Safety Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Norman A. Godman, dated 21 July 1997:
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many civil servants there are on each pay band in his Department.[8960]
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 435
Angela Eagle:
The following information covers non-industrial staff in my Department and its agencies at 1 April 1997. The Health and Safety Executive has a pay band structure, but still with some non-banded grades. The senior civil service has nine pay bands, which are
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 436
combined as a single total for this reply, and the Department and its agencies are moving towards the introduction of pay bands for remaining grades.
Except where stated, therefore, numbers are shown against standard grade equivalents for the civil service.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 435
The Deputy Prime Minister has asked me to reply to your Question as to what recent discussions have taken place with Clydeport and other interested parties concerning safe navigation of vessels and off-shore installations on the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde. This question was referred from the Secretary of state for Scotland to the Deputy Prime Minister as the matter falls within the responsibilities of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
The question of safe navigation on the Clyde was discussed at the meeting of the Strathclyde Sub-Committee of the West of Scotland District Marine Safety Committee at its meeting on 28 February this year. The Sub-Committee meeting was chaired by the Marine Safety Agency's Regional Chief Surveyor for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Sub-Committee includes representatives of a wide range of interested bodies, including Clydeport Ltd., the Competent Harbour Authority (CHA) for the Clyde, and the Scottish Guild of Pilots.
At the meeting there was a very full discussion of the case, put by the representative of the Scottish Guild of Pilots, for compulsory pilotage of all tankers on the Clyde. There was some but not unanimous support for the views put forward on pilotage. However, it was made clear at the meeting that, under the Pilotage Act 1987, the statutory responsibility for this matter lies with Clydeport Ltd in its role as Competent Harbour Authority. The Sub-Committee is a consultative body only, providing a forum for discussion of marine safety issues amongst interested parties. It has no executive or statutory powers itself.
We understand that, since the meeting in February, there have been further exchanges between the management of Clydeport Ltd and the Pilots and that an agreed view on the matter has been reached.
| Grade equivalent | DETR central | DETR staff in Government offices | Agencies | Total | Pay band | HSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior civil service | 186 | 25 | 48 | 259 | Senior CS including Band 0 | 47 |
| Grade 6 | 79 | 11 | 256 | 346 | Band 1 | 96 |
| Grade 7 | 524 | 100 | 342 | 966 | Band 2 | 481 |
| SEO | 327 | 108 | 570 | 1,005 | Band 3 | 1,026 |
| HEO | 706 | 157 | 1,134 | 1,997 | Band 4 | 462 |
| EO | 796 | 223 | 2,758 | 3,777 | Band 5 | 409 |
| AO | 1,053 | 229 | 3,179 | 4,461 | Band 6 higher | 809 |
| AA | 331 | 132 | 2,976 | 3,439 | Band 6 lower | 671 |
| Non-banded grades | 217 | |||||
| Total | 4,002 | 985 | 11,263 | 16,250 | 4,218 |
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 435
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