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Climate Change
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the construction industry on adapting for climatic change. [155616]
Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no specific discussions with the construction industry on the subject of climate change. However my Department is in regular contact with the construction industry on a wide range of environmental issues, including those specifically related to climate change. Since I launched our strategy for more sustainable construction: "Building a Better Quality of Life" a year ago, my colleagues and I have been encouraging the industry and its clients to address the issues set out in that strategy, including the reduction of greenhouse gases, by eliminating wasteful and polluting practices which contribute to climate change.
My Department supports research aimed at raising awareness within the construction industry on the implications of climate change. We have recently commissioned a study jointly with the Scottish Executive, the Environment Agency and others to prepare guidance on the flood proofing of buildings and to look at what further research needs to be done in this area. We support the UK Climate Impacts Programme at the University of Oxford to help organisations assess their vulnerability to climate change. We have also invited the Construction Research and Innovation Strategy Panel to consider what research the construction industry needs on climate change.
I commend the recent report from the Foundation for the Built Environment on "Potential Implications of Climate Change on the Built Environment" which sets out ways in which the construction industry can adapt to meet these challenges.
Incinerators
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which firms have provided testing of (a) ash residues and (b) air emissions at the Byker, Edmonton, SELCHP, Tyseley and Teesside incinerators since 1996. [155336]
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Mr. Meacher [holding answer 26 March 2001]: The information is as follows:
Tyseley
(a) The firm that has provided testing of ash residues is EUS Ltd.
(b) The firms that have provided testing of air emissions are:
CRE Group Ltd. for the Environment Agency
EUS Laboratories Ltd. for Tyseley Waste Disposal (the operator) and during commissioning for Birwelco (the construction engineers)
AEA Technology for Birwelco during commissioning
Byker
(a) The firm that has provided testing of ash residues from is Energy Supplies Ltd. Analysis was carried out by the former Warren Springs Laboratories.
Ash analyses have also been carried out by the Environment Agency's own laboratories as part of the Agency's prosecution investigation (court date adjourned to 1 May).
(b) The firms that have provided testing of air emissions are:
NIFES Ltd., Altrincham 1992-93
EUS Laboratories Ltd., Manchester 1994-95
EMCO Ltd., Reading 1996 to present.
In 1995 HM Inspectorate of Pollution engaged ENTEC, Newcastle, to carry out stack monitoring as a check against the operator's own compliance monitoring.
SELCHP
(a) The firms that have provided testing of ash residues are:
WRc/Rechem
AEA Technology
(b) The firms that have provided testing of air emissions are:
AEA Technology
EUS Laboratories Ltd.
CRE Group Ltd.
Edmonton
(a) The firms that have provided testing of ash residues are:
BCRA
CRE Group Ltd.
(b) The firms that have provided testing of air emissions are:
Symonds Travis Morgan
EUS Laboratories Ltd.
Resources Environmental Consultants Ltd.
CRE Group Ltd.
Teesside
(a) The firms that have provided testing of ash residues are:
Analytical and Environment Services Ltd. (AES Ltd.)
EUS Laboratories Ltd.
(b) The firm that has provided testing of air emissions is AES Ltd.
Department Policies (North Devon)
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the North Devon constituency, the effects on North Devon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [155907]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The principal funding that this Department has provided to North Devon and Mid Devon District Councils and to Devon County Council in the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 is shown in the table. These include grants and borrowing approvals for revenue and capital expenditure.
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It is not possible to determine how much of this money has been spent on North Devon constituency. It is for the
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local authority to decide where within its boundary these resources are applied.
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| Nature of funding | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02(12) |
| North Devon District Council | |||||
| Revenue Support Grant(13) | 3.811 | 3.352 | 3.315 | 3.250 | 3.559 |
| Income from National Non-Domestic Rates(13) | 2.718 | 2.765 | 2.988 | 3.317 | 3.294 |
| Housing Investment Programme | (14)0.840 | 0.858 | 0.980 | (15)2.035 | (16)0.900 |
| Housing Revenue Account Subsidy | 1.770 | 1.585 | 0.927 | (17)0 | -- |
| Capital Receipts Initiative | 0.177 | 0.577 | 0.541 | n/a | n/a |
| Cash Incentive Scheme | 0.047 | 0.025 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Loan Charges Defective Housing | 0.016 | 0.016 | 0.016 | (18)0.016 | (18)0.016 |
| Capital Challenge(19) | 0.004 | 0.013 | 0.380 | 0 | 0 |
| Mid Devon District Council | |||||
| Revenue Support Grant(13) | 1.917 | 1.842 | 1.769 | 1.695 | 1.894 |
| Income from National Non-Domestic Rates(13) | 2.096 | 2.118 | 2.286 | 2.567 | 2.547 |
| Housing Investment Programme | (14)0.744 | 0.667 | 0.747 | (15)1.772 | (16)2.554 |
| Housing Revenue Account Subsidy | 0.570 | 0.324 | 0.182 | (20)0.191 | -- |
| Capital Receipts Initiative | 0.171 | 0.581 | 0.538 | n/a | n/a |
| Cash Incentive Scheme | 0.100 | 0.080 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Loan Charges Defective Housing | 0.047 | 0.047 | 0.047 | (18)0.047 | (18)0.047 |
| Capital Challenge(19) | 0.120 | 0.880 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon County Council | |||||
| Revenue Support Grant(13) | (21)266.389 | 155.634 | 158.924 | 150.930 | 166.866 |
| Income from National Non-Domestic Rates(13) | (21)205.912 | 138.460 | 151.558 | 173.050 | 170.054 |
| Local Government Reorganisation Supplementary Credit Approval | 1.812 | 0.765 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transport Supplementary Grant | 1.738 | 1.238 | 1.861 | 0 | 0 |
| Transport Annual Capital Guideline | 1.738 | 1.238 | 1.861 | 0 | 0 |
| Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval | 2.560 | 1.214 | 2.842 | 10.281 | 20.703 |
| Rural Bus Challenge Grant(22) | 0 | 0 | 0.640 | 0.300 | (12)-- |
| Rural Bus Subsidy Grant | 0 | 1.409 | 1.409 | 1.409 | 1.799 |
| Capital Challenge(19) | 2.694 | 2.257 | 1.554 | 0 | 0 |
(12) Where known
(13) The amounts of Revenue Support Grant and Income from National Non-Domestic Rates shown for 1997-98 and 1998-99 are the revised amounts allocated under "The Location Government Finance Report (England) 1997-98 Amending Report 1999" and "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1998-99 Amending Report 2000" respectively
(14) 1997-98 HIP allocation inherited from the previous Government's spending plans. Present Government introduced CRI from 1997-98
(15) Single Housing Pot introduced from 2000-01 resulting in CRI being merged with HIP
(16) Resource accounting has resulted in a change to the way capital resources are allocated for 2001-02 with the introduction of a new Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) to cover the cost of maintaining local authority housing in a sound condition. Mid Devon's MRA allocation for 2001-02 is £1.712 million and, for comparison purposes, is included in the 2001-02 HIP allocation above. North Devon's MRA allocation for 2001-02 is £0 million
(17) North Devon District Council was not eligible for Housing Revenue Account subsidy in 2000-01 as it held no properties in its HRA
(18) Estimated
(19) Supplementary Credit and Basic Credit Approvals
(20) Provisional
(21) Devon was subject to a Structural Change Order on 1 April 1998. The figures for Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates quoted for Devon County Council for 1997-98 include an amount for the areas covered by The City of Plymouth and The Borough of Torbay. The figures for 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 exclude the amount for the areas covered by The City of Plymouth and The Borough of Torbay
(22) Rural Bus Challenge figures represent awards--actual spend profiles for schemes may cover more than one year
(23) N/K
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Single Regeneration Budget (SRB)
Parts of the constituency are included in two SRB schemes. Funding provided for these schemes since 1997-98 is included in the table.
| SRB scheme | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | (24)2001-02 |
| VISIONS | 0.099 | 0.217 | 0.233 | n/a | n/a |
| Forches | n/a | 0.018 | 0.033 | 0.076 | n/a |
(24) Where known
Parts of North Devon Constituency were included in the South West Objective 5b programme that closed for new applications at the end of 1999. North Devon District
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in the constituency is included in the designated South West Objective 2 area which stands to benefit from £108 million of European Funds over the next seven years.
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