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Motor Racing: Environmental Pollution
Lord Lloyd-Webber asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of their commitment to sustainable development, and in preparation for the Kyoto Conference on Climate Change, whether they will seek to end activities which cause noise pollution, air pollution and environmental degradation, and in particular activities such as Formula One racing in rural areas such as Silverstone in Northamptonshire.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman): While the Government sets the framework for environmental policies, local authorities are responsible for dealing with pollution from activities such as motor racing. Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 includes powers for local authorities to require the abatement of excessive noise, smoke, steam, smell and other effluvia emitted from premises. We understand that Northamptonshire County Council and South Northamptonshire Council are promoting the establishment of a trans-national network among European Formula One and other major motor racing circuits. They envisage such a network could, for example, be used to address environmental concerns, including looking at innovative ways of reducing noise and air pollution.
Local Authority Guideline Rents
Baroness Lestor of Eccles asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What guideline rents they propose for local authority tenants in England for 1998-99.
Baroness Hayman: We are proposing that the average guideline rent for 1998-99 should increase from £35.38 to £36.35 a week. This is 97p per week more than the current year's guideline rent in cash terms. Guideline rent increases for individual authorities would range between 72p and £1.22.
To encourage authorities to keep their rent increases within the guideline increase, we propose to continue with the present rule that limits rent rebate subsidy. This gives authorities a strong incentive to keep rent increases down to reasonable levels, but does not affect tenants' entitlement to housing benefit.
Total provision within the subsidy system for expenditure by authorities on management and maintenance in 1997-98 will be more than £3.3 billion. This is about the same per dwelling as in the current financial year.
Our proposals are set out in the draft housing revenue account subsidy and Item 8 determinations for 1998-99, which we have sent to housing authorities today. Authorities have been invited to let the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions have their views by 17 December 1997.
So that they can make full use of the extra capital resources released under the Government's capital receipts initiative, the draft determinations also provide for authorities to receive additional revenue support where these resources are used in respect of council housing.
Copies of the draft determinations have been placed in the House Library.
Valuation Tribunals: Response to Consultation Paper
Baroness Amos asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What response was received to the consultation paper on the appointment of members of valuation tribunals in the light of local government reorganisation in parts of England in April 1998.
Baroness Hayman: The list of responses received has been placed in the Library of the House: copies of individual responses may be obtained through the library of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Regulations will be introduced shortly to give effect to the following measures: (i) That, with effect from 1 April 1998, the appointing bodies for the valuation tribunals listed in column 1 below be those authorities listed in column 2 below, who will be entitled to appoint members in the proportion given in column 3--the membership, revised in some cases, being that shown in column 4.
| column 1 | column 2 | column 3 | column 4 |
| Name | Appointing bodies | Proportion | Complement |
| Berkshire | Newbury (W. Berkshire) DC | 2 | 30 |
| Reading BC | 2 | ||
| Slough BC | 2 | ||
| Windsor & Maidenhead BC | 2 | ||
| Bracknell Forest BC | 1 | ||
| Wokingham DC | 1 | ||
| Cambridgeshire | Cambridgeshire CC | 3 | 48 |
| Peterborough City Council | 1 | ||
| Cheshire | Cheshire CC | 7 | 60 |
| Warrington BC | 2 | ||
| Halton BC | 1 | ||
| Devon | Devon CC | 5 | 42 |
| Plymouth City Council | 1 | ||
| Torbay BC | 1 | ||
| Essex South | Essex CC | 9 | 30 |
| Southend-on-Sea BC | 4 | ||
| Thurrock BC | 2 | ||
| Herefordshire & | Worcestershire CC | 3 | 32 |
| Worcestershire | County of Herefordshire DC | 1 | |
| Kent | Kent CC | 8 | 45 |
| The Medway Town DC | 1 | ||
| Lancashire | Lancashire CC | 15 | 100 |
| Blackpool BC | 3 | ||
| Blackburn with Darwen BC | 2 | ||
| Nottinghamshire | Nottinghamshire CC | 2 | 54 |
| Nottingham City Council | 1 | ||
| Shropshire | Shropshire CC | 3 | 36 |
| The Wrekin DC | 1 |
- (ii) Existing members should continue to hold office until their term of office expires.
(iii) Vacancies should be filled as they arise (whether through retirement of members or an increase in complement) by the new appointing authorities, until their entitlement is reached. All subsequent vacancies would be filled by the authority who appointed the departing member.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Cambridgeshire Valuation Tribunal
Hereford and Worcester County Council
Herefordshire District Council
Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation
Nottinghamshire County Council
Nottinghamshire Valuation Tribunal
Society of Clerks of Valuation Tribunals
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
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