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Tobacco Products: Additives
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What arrangements they have put in place to control and monitor additives in tobacco products.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege): A new 10 year voluntary agreement between the Tobacco Manufacturers Association, the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council and the Department of Health has been successfully negotiated and will come into force shortly. The new agreement covers the additives which may now be included in tobacco products and arrangements for the approval by the Department of Health of new additives in the future.
Manufacturer have undertaken to sign a certificate that their products conform to the terms of the agreement one year from the date when it comes into effect. Current arrangements for monitoring the constituents of tobacco products and their smoke by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist remain in place. Copies of the text of the agreement have been placed in the Library.Scottish Agricultural Science Agency: Performance Targets
Lord Cochrane of Cults asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the performance of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency against its targets for 1996-97 and the setting of targets for 1997-98.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Lindsay): The agency is on course to meet the key performance targets for 1996-97 which my right honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, set out in his Written Answer of 3 April 1996.
For 1997-98 I have set the agency the following key performance targets: -- Fulfilment of the Service Level Agreement with SOAEFD within the running costs allocated to SASA for 1997-98; -- Continuation of the programme of consultation with all customers on the quality of the work done by the Agency; -- Completion of 93 per cent. of all scientific tests and analyses within the timescales set by customers; -- Improvement in the unit cost of the scientific work of the Agency (cost per direct scientist hours); -- Publication of a comprehensive review of the scientific work of the agency 1992-97.
Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes
The Earl of Balfour asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will place in the Library a further memorandum concerning the prior options reviews of the Scottish Office Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes.
The Earl of Lindsay: I have placed in the House Library a memorandum setting out the rationale underlying the Government's decisions on the prior options reviews of the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes.
DoE, Ordnance Survey and Office of Water Services: Spending Programme
Lord Dixon-Smith asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the spending plans of the Department of the Environment, Ordnance Survey and the Office of Water Services for the years 1997-98 to 1999-2000.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers): My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today published the Department of the Environment's Annual Report for 1997, which sets out in detail the outcome of the Public Expenditure Survey as announced in the November 1996 Budget Statement, as it affects the Department of the Environment's areas of responsibility. The report shows how the Department of the Environment, Ordnance Survey and the Office of Water Services have discharged their functions over the past year. It provides background on each spending programme, and sets out our achievements to date and plans for the future.
North Sea Conference, 13-14 March
The Earl of Selborne asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was achieved at the North Sea Conference Intermediate Meeting of environment and fisheries Ministers in Bergen on 13 and 14 March; whether they are satisfied with the outcome; and how the meeting is to be followed up.
Earl Ferrers: The North Sea Fisheries and Environment Ministers and the responsible Members of the European Commission were able to reach political agreement on the principles, objectives and strategies which should guide fisheries and environmental management in the North Sea. Within this framework, they invited the competent authorities to consider a wide range of actions which are set out in the Statement of Conclusions which they adopted. I have arranged for a copy of the statement to be placed in the Library of each House.
The conclusions call for the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and environmental conservation and protection; and recognise that the same principles of sustainable management should apply to industrial fisheries as to human consumption fisheries. The detailed measures put forward include: --the introduction of new target and limit reference points as a basis for stock management, underpinned by recovery plans for specific stocks; --measures to protect juvenile fish, notably by minimising discards; --measures to protect species and habitats, notably by adjusting fishing practices;
--measures to protect North Sea ecosystems, notably to safeguard spawning grounds and nursery areas for fisheries resources; --measures to improve enforcement, including the extension to Norway of the European Community's new system of satellite monitoring; --additional research to strengthen the implementation of effective measures; and --greater involvement of fishermen and other interested parties in management decisions.The Government believe that the conclusions make a major contribution towards achieving sustainable management of North Sea fisheries. They will be drawn on by the European Commission in developing measures under the Common Fisheries Policy, and will also guide wider environmental policy in the North Sea. The United Kingdom and Germany indicated that they would take steps to review follow-up action within the European Community during their EU Presidencies in 1998 and 1999 respectively.
Planning Applications for Retail Development
Lord Geddes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the average length of time in England over the last five years from the application for planning consent for retail development to its final approval or rejection.
Earl Ferrers: Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the table below shows the percentage of planning applications relating to retail, distribution and servicing developments which were decided within eight weeks and within 13 weeks of receipt in England in the five years 1992 to 1996.
| Percentage of planning applications for retail, distribution and servicing developments which were decided: | ||
| Year | within 8 weeks of receipt | within 13 weeks of receipt |
| 1992 | 55 | 80 |
| 1993 | 58 | 82 |
| 1994 | 60 | 83 |
| 1995 | 60 | 82 |
| 1996 | 58 | 81 |
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why World Heritage Sites do not appear among the "designated areas" in which "special considerations" should apply in the Table of Contents of Planning Policy Guidance PPG7 (revised) of February 1997, The Countryside--Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development, given the responsibilities adopted by the Government towards these areas by their adherence to the World Heritage Sites Convention.
Earl Ferrers: Guidance on World Heritage Sites is included in Planning Policy Guidance note 15 (PPG15)--Planning and the Historic Environment. Advice on historic designations in Planning Policy Guidance note 7 should be read alongside the more detailed advice in PPG15. PPG15 acknowledges that World Heritage sites have been designated for their outstanding universal value, and advises local planning authorities to place great weight on the need to protect them for the benefit of future generations as well as our own.
Regional Government Offices
Lord Hooson asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made with regard to establishing integrated regional government offices to co-ordinate the work of government departments at regional level and setting out the staffing at each of the established offices.
Earl Ferrers: Ten Government Offices integrating the former regional offices of the Departments of Environment, Trade and Industry, Transport, and Education and Employment (formerly Employment) were established in April 1994. Their staff levels at 1 November 1996 were:
| Number | |
| North East | 332 |
| North West | 308 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 302 |
| Merseyside | 137 |
| West Midlands | 341 |
| East Midlands | 241 |
| Eastern Region | 185 |
| South West | 218 |
| South East | 220 |
| London | 295 |
These figures include casual staff and those on fixed term appointments; they also include staff seconded out, and those on career breaks, maternity leave , and special leave without pay. The figure for the Government Office for the North East includes those in the Import Licensing Branch of the Department of Trade and Industry, which is based in Billingham.
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