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Written Answers
Wednesday, 4th March 1998.
Cookham Wood: Young Offender Educational Programme
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Williams of Mostyn on 24 November 1997 (WA 104), which referred to the secure training centre at Cookham Wood being available for use in April, what educational programme they plan for offenders aged 12 to 14 years sent there.[HL795]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The centre will provide a positive regime offering high standards of education and training according to the individual needs of a trainee, with a view to maximising his/her potential. The programme will include 25 hours every week of conventional education appropriate to a trainee's academic level and based on the National Curriculum. It will also include tackling offending behaviour and crime avoidance and practical tuition in social skills and domestic training. Full details of the programme are contained in Section D of the Operational Specification in the contract, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.
Phyllis Bowman v. The United Kingdom
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will inform Parliament of the result of Phyllis Bowman v. The United Kingdom and the rights of citizens to publish and inform about the voting record or voting intentions of Parliamentary candidates on any given issue.[HL770]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Government are currently studying the decision and have no plans to make any announcement at present.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans to amend the Representation of the People Act 1983 to comply with the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Phyllis Bowman v. The United Kingdom.[HL767]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Government are studying this decision carefully. Before taking action we will wish to consider the recommendations of the Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life when it completes its review of political party funding and candidates' expenditure.
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will pay compensation to
Mrs. Phyllis Bowman for any psychological damage caused by having a criminal record and having been found guilty of "corrupt practice" and fined on two previous occasions under the Representation of People Act 1983.[HL769]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Government have no plans to do so. The European Court of Human Rights, in reaching its decision, dismissed Mrs. Bowman's claim for damages.
Bahrain Citizens: Asylum Applications
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 26 November 1997 (WA 121), whether they can now give a date by which
they will consider the asylum applications of
Sayed Haider H. A. Hasan, Hamza A. J. Kadem and
Sheikh Ali S. A. Salman, citizens of Bahrain, who applied for asylum on their arrival in the United Kingdom on 17 January 1995, after being imprisoned without charge or trial since early December 1994, and then expelled from their country by the authorities: and why these cases have so far taken more than three times the average time to resolve.[HL755]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: It is not possible to give such a date. However we do expect to be in a position to resolve these applications by the summer. Current delays in dealing with applications are the result of the large backlog of cases in the Asylum Directorate and it is inevitable that some cases will take significantly longer than the average.
Bills for Consideration in Grand Committee
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What criteria are applied in determining whether a Bill is suitable for consideration in Grand Committee.[HL701]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Richard): The question whether a particular Bill is suitable for consideration in Grand Committee is one for agreement through the usual channels. The use of the procedure has been endorsed by the Procedure Committee on several occasions, most recently in its First Report, Session 1996-97 (H.L. Paper 20), which was approved by the House on 21 January 1997. On that occasion, the Chairman of Committees said that "the prime purpose of the Procedure Committee in suggesting these reforms....was to save time in the Chamber. That remains the basic aim." (H.L. Deb., Col. 558).
Vacant Dwellings
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the latest figures for vacant dwellings in England.[HL920]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman): The total number of vacant dwellings in England is down by 23,000 on the April 1996 figure. This fall is encouraging.
At 1 April 1997, a total of 81,200 council homes in England were empty, 2.4 per cent. of local authorities' stock. The 1996 figure was 79,600 (2.3 per cent). All of the increase was in "management vacants" (dwellings available for letting immediately or after minor repairs), which account for 61 per cent. of all vacant local authority homes.
We are disappointed to see that the total number of local authority vacants has risen for the third year running, after falling in successive years between 1990 and 1994. It is clearly part of good housing management practice for local authorities to keep their empty dwellings to a minimum. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Working Group on Best Value in Housing will be looking at performance indicators, and will consider whether it would be appropriate for local authorities to establish local targets for reducing the proportion of their housing stock which is out of effective use.
We are making nearly £800 million available to local authorities in 1997-98 and 1998-99 through the Capital Receipts Initiative, and we hope that local authorities will make the very best use of this additional spending power to improve and renovate their existing stock and make it more attractive to prospective tenants.
It is also disappointing to note that vacancy rates in the Registered Social Landlord (RSL) sector have risen from 23,600 (2.5 per cent.) at April 1, 1996 to 26,800 (2.7 per cent.) at April 1, 1997. The Housing Corporation has published research and held seminars to inform and encourage RSLs to take action to reduce void levels. RSLs should also benefit from the development of Best Value in Housing.
Many local authorities and RSLs already have good empty property strategies for which they can take credit. But there is still much to be done, and the Government will continue to encourage social housing providers to develop and implement effective empty property strategies to make the best use of existing housing stock.
The number of vacancies in the private sector fell from 667,000 in 1996 to 640,000 in 1997. This is the fourth successive year that the numbers have fallen. About 45 per cent. of private sector empty homes are "transactional" vacancies, which are properties lying vacant for a short period as part of the normal buying and selling process. Some 225,000 are problematic vacants which may require action to bring them back into use.
In the government sector, the number of empty homes held by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Ministry of Defence and the Home
Office fell by 754 between 1 April 1996 and 1 April 1997. The number of government empty homes is still too high, and this Government are determined to improve on these figures in the future.We have placed in the Library of the House a list of local authorities in England ranked on the basis of their management vacants at 1 April 1997.
Aquatic Environment: Dangerous Substances
Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they have taken to enhance protection of the aquatic environment against pollution by dangerous substances.[HL921]
Baroness Hayman: New regulations have today been laid in the House setting environmental quality standards (EQSs) for 20 List II substances under the Dangerous Substances Directive. The substances are:
- 4-chloro-3-methyl-phenol
2-chlorophenol
2,4-dichlorophenol
2,4 D (ester and non ester)
1,1,1-trichloroethane
1,1,2-trichloroethane
bentazone
benzene
biphenyl
chloronitrotoluenes
demeton
dimethoate
linuron
mecoprop
mevinphos
naphthalene
omethoate
toluene
triazaphos
- and xylene
Pyrethroid Sheep Dips
Lord Onslow of Woking asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What representations have been received from national or European organisations concerning the damage caused by pyrethroid sheep dips.[HL799]
Baroness Hayman: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has received correspondence from members of the Salmon and Trout
Association expressing concern about the effect on aquatic life of pollution incidents involving synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips.
Last month, the Government published draft regulations relating to England, Wales and Scotland which propose additional protection for groundwater from a number of substances, including synthetic pyrethroids. During the consultation period, which ends on 14 April, we expect to receive further comments on the impacts of synthetic pyrethroids on the aquatic environment.
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