House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Mar 1999 (pt 14)

Genetic Modification

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 1999, Official

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Report, column 430, on genetic modification, what criteria inform his decisions as to whether or not he releases information about meetings with private individuals or companies. [75187]

Dr. Jack Cunningham [holding answer 8 March 1999]: I refer to the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Discretionary Rate Relief

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each (a) metropolitan district council, (b) shire district council, (c) unitary council, (d) shire county council and (e) London borough council the sums of money in the 1999-2000 financial year they will be required to pay to the Government in respect of (i) discretionary rate relief and (ii) other grants issued in previous financial years. [74776]

Ms Armstrong: I have placed two tables in the Library. The first shows the amounts which local authorities have budgeted to pay into the non-domestic rates pool as a result of their own decisions to grant discretionary relief to businesses in 1999-2000. These payments ensure that the rates pool, and hence the amount to be redistributed to local authorities, is not adversely reduced by decisions taken by individual local authorities to reduce non-domestic rates bills for certain businesses. The table gives figures for each authority responsible for the billing and collection of non-domestic rates.

The second table shows the effect on local authorities in 1999-2000 of the Local Government Finance Report (England) 1997/1998: Amending Report 1999.

Housing Associations

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many housing associations received Government funding in (a) London, (b) the North West and (c) England as a whole in the last two years. [75264]

Mr. Raynsford: The number of housing associations receiving Government funding through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is shown in the table.

Number of housing associations receiving social housing grant through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme

Region 1997-98 1998-99

London 183 171

North West 57 56

England 548 500

Region	1997-98	1998-99
London	183	171
North West	57	56
England	548	500

Note:

1997-98 information is based on schemes given approval to start during the year

1998-99 information is based on start of year allocations

In addition, the Housing Corporation provides revenue funding to housing associations, eg Supported Housing Management Grant and Innovation and Good Practice grants. Housing associations also received funding from local authorities under the Local Authority Social Housing Grant scheme.

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Mining Waste Disposal

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of safeguards on the disposal of mining waste. [75345]

Mr. Raynsford: The effectiveness of safeguards on the disposal of mining waste is kept under review by the Health and Safety Commission in respect of stability and safety, by the Environment Agency in respect of pollution aspects, and by the monitoring of planning permissions by local authorities. The comprehensive framework of UK legislation which deals with location, stability and safety, and the pollution potential of tips and related structures, has ensured that very few problems have arisen in recent years.

Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to change the rules on the disposal of inert mining waste. [75346]

Mr. Raynsford: There are no plans at present to change the rules for the disposal of inert mining waste. There are, however, proposals for new quarries health and safety regulations which will include safety and stability of tips. These would not lead to any diminution of health and safety standards at quarries.

Housing Stock Transfers

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he proposes to announce the next round of approval for housing stock transfers; and if he will make a statement; [75466]

(3) how many applications his Department has received for housing stock transfers in the last year for which figures are available. [75465]

Ms Armstrong: I am today announcing the names of the 25 local authorities which will be able to proceed, on a voluntary basis and subject to the approval of their tenants, with proposals to carry out 31 transfers of all or part of their housing stock to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in 1999-2000. The programme will involve over 140,000 dwellings in large-scale voluntary transfers, generating capital receipts of over £822 million. Nine of the transfers will be supported by Estates Renewal Challenge Funding.

Transfers can offer significant benefits for tenants. The new landlord must plan for proper maintenance and future repairs. Increased investment means that any backlog of repairs can be carried out more quickly than if the properties had remained in local authority ownership. Rent increases are normally limited by a guarantee that rents will not rise by more than 1 per cent. above inflation for the first five years. In addition, RSLs are regulated

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by the Housing Corporation, a government body which requires RSLs to adhere to performance standards in areas such as housing management, tenant consultation, and rents.

But housing transfers are voluntary and may take place only if tenants are in favour. The consent of the Secretary of State is also required before a transfer can proceed and will not be granted if it appears that a majority of tenants do not wish the transfer to proceed.

The 1999-2000 programme reflects the Government's commitment to support a continuing programme of transfers as a means of generating private finance to repair and improve the condition of social housing.

Both Coventry (20,349) and Tameside (16,959) are above the Department's size limit for transfers to one landlord. I am agreeing to proposals to transfer their stock to new group structure landlords involving, in each case, two asset owning RSLs.

Two of the authorities on the 1999-2000 programme--Coventry City Council and Burnley Borough Council--expect to have housing debt remaining in their Housing Revenue Account (HRA) after their stock is transferred. This is because the capital receipt will not be sufficient to clear all of the debt in their HRA. Transfer will depend on the successful resolution of this issue. We plan to issue a consultation paper on how to tackle overhanging debt in the near future. Our objective is to enable as wide a range of authorities to consider transfer as possible.

The authorities who have successfully gained a place on the programme, together with the intended recipient RSL are as follows:

(a) a disposal by Boston Borough Council of not more than 5,114 dwelling-houses to Boston Mayflower;

(b) a disposal by Burnley Borough Council of not more than 5,354 dwelling-houses to Burnley and Padiham Community Housing;

(d) a disposal by Elmbridge Borough Council of not more than 5,022 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

(e) a disposal by Fenland District Council of not more than 4,445 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;