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Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which of the three Scottish water authorities they regard as the most cost effective for its customers in the provision of water services.[HL845]
Lord Sewel: The three Scottish water authorities operate in very different circumstances, and it is therefore difficult to make valid comparisons of cost-effectiveness which take full account of factors such as geographical situation and quality of outputs.
Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish asked Her Majesty's Government:
- For each of the three water authorities in Scotland, what are its unit costs per cubic metre for (a) water delivered and (b) sewage collected and treated, distinguishing in each case between (i) the cost of operation; (ii) capital maintenance; and (iii) return on capital.[HL841]
Lord Sewel: The figures in the following tables show the water authorities' apportionment of their total costs to give gross unit costs for water supply and sewerage services in 1996-97. For each service the costs are split into operating costs, capital maintenance and interest charges. Some of the apportionment of costs is provisional, and there may be inconsistencies in the assumptions behind the apportionment of costs by the three authorities. These figures take no account of the different geographical operating conditions of the three authorities.
The water authorities have reported their gross unit costs for water supply as:
| Operating costs | Capital maintenance | Interest | |
| (pence/m) | (pence/m) | (pence/m) | |
| North of Scotland Water | 33 | 10 | 15 |
| East of Scotland Water | 28 | 12 | 12 |
| West of Scotland Water | 27 | 12 | 11 |
The water authorities have reported their gross unit costs for sewerage services:
| Operating costs (pence/m) | Capital maintenance (pence/m) | Interest (pence/m) | |
| North of Scotland Water | 26 | 6 | 10 |
| East of Scotland Water | 24 | 8 | 11 |
| West of Scotland Water | 23 | 5 | 13 |
Armed Forces: Lamb Supplies
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Gilbert on 18 February (WA 48), why no British lamb is expected to be supplied to the Armed Forces for the 12-month period ending September.[HL786]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert): Our requirement is for frozen lamb, for which the primary sources are overseas. Our contractor's estimate is based on its market analysis of the sources expected to provide the most competitive prices consistent with meeting our quality specification and the need to guarantee supplies throughout the year.
Welfare Reform
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the course of studying welfare reform in the United States, they will study the reports of the charity Second Harvest.[HL653]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): The Government have not had an opportunity to study the reports of the charity Second Harvest. However, we are keen to learn from experiences abroad as we develop our welfare reform programme.
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why they suppose that key fact 2, in The Case for Welfare Reform (Department of Social Security, 15 Janaury), that the proportion of households with no one working has doubled since 1979, indicates any failure in the welfare state.[HL655]
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: Many economic and social factors have contributed to the increase in workless households. The Government's concern is to correct any deficiencies in the provision of welfare which contribute to, rather than alleviate, this problem, such as disincentives to working.
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why they suppose that key fact 2 in The Case for Welfare Reform (Department of Social Security, 15 January), that there are nearly four million children living in poverty, indicates any failure in the welfare state; and whether they are suggesting that it is a reason for raising benefit levels.[HL656]
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The Government believe the welfare state should prevent poverty, not just meet the costs of failure. Worklessness is a major cause of low incomes and we are determined to reform the welfare system so that it does everything possible to help and encourage people of working age to work where they are able to do so.
Water Abstraction Licensing System
Lord Onslow of Woking asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to publish a further consultation paper on the review of the water abstraction licensing system in England and Wales.[HL910]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman): The Government are currently conducting a review of the water abstraction licensing system in England and Wales. A consultation paper is expected to be published within the next few weeks.
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)
Lord Lofthouse asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have regarding the future administration of the EC Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).[HL1006]
Baroness Hayman: We have decided that from 1 May this year the Institute of Environmental Assessment will take over this function from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), which has administered EMAS in the United Kingdom since it came into operation in April 1995. The institute will be the official Competent Body responsible for registering sites under the scheme on a fee charging basis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A separate announcement will be made later about Scotland.
When the DETR was designated as the Competent Body in 1994, the declared intention was to keep the arrangements simple by limiting the number of key
players involved, particularly in the initial stages of setting up EMAS. EMAS has now moved beyond this developmental stage, with nearly 50 registered sites in the United Kingdom. Its effectiveness in helping industry to manage its impacts on the environment and publicise its results is becoming increasingly recognised, alongside ISO 14001, the international environmental management systems standard, which has been achieved by over 430 companies in the United Kingdom--more than anywhere else in Europe--and which can be used by any organisation, either as the environmental management system for EMAS or on its own.The decision therefore reflects the importance which the Government attach to motivating businesses to adopt externally verified environmental management systems. The Environment Agency is firmly committed to encouraging the use of such systems because of their value in improving the environment, and we welcome its work in this respect. We will be looking to all leading companies to respond by committing themselves to EMAS and ISO 14001.
Household Waste Statistics
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will provide an estimate of the total tonnage of domestic waste collected by or on behalf of local authorities during 1997 and of the tonnage collected 21 years earlier.[HL827]
Baroness Hayman: A new annual survey by DETR found that in 1995-96 almost 24 million tonnes of household waste was collected by, or on behalf of local authorities in England and Wales. Figures were published in January 1998 in a new statistical bulletin, Municipal Waste Management 1995-96. A copy was placed in the Library of the House of Lords. Figures for 1996-97 will be published in early summer, 1998.
The only data on waste handled by local authorities for earlier years derive from surveys carried out in the 1970s and 1980s by CIPFA. These surveys used different definitions and suffered from a declining response rate, so it is not easy to make comparisons over time. However, recent research suggests that between 1983 and 1993 household waste arisings may have grown by as much as 2 per cent. per annum.
A-Level: Analysis of Results 1994-97
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish data for England for comprehensive schools, grammar schools, modern schools, independent schools, Further Education Funding Council schools and colleges and for all institutions in each of the years 1994 to 1997 giving for each kind of institution the average A-level points
- obtained per pupil in each of the subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, English literature, history, geography, French and economics.[HL904]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): The information requested in respect of GCE A-level achievements is shown in the attached tables.
| 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | |||
| Comprehensive schools | ||||||
| Mathematics | 5.5 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6.0 | ||
| Physics | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.2 | ||
| Chemistry | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.1 | ||
| Biology | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | ||
| English Literature | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.4 | ||
| History | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | ||
| Geography | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 5.0 | ||
| French | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.2 | ||
| Economics | 4.3 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 5.3 | ||
| Selective schools | ||||||
| Mathematics | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | ||
| Physics | 6.0 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.5 | ||
| Chemistry | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 6.4 | ||
| Biology | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 6.3 | ||
| English Literature | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.7 | ||
| History | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 | ||
| Geography | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 6.2 | ||
| French | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.1 | ||
| Economics | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.0 | ||
| Modern schools | ||||||
| Mathematics | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | ||
| Physics | 2.8 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 4.1 | ||
| Chemistry | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 4.1 | ||
| Biology | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | ||
| English Literature | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | ||
| History | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.2 | ||
| Geography | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.5 | ||
| French | 3.8 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 4.2 | ||
| Economics | 2.2 | 3.7 | 5.5 | 5.1 | ||
| Independent schools | ||||||
| Mathematics | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.5 | ||
| Physics | 6.5 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.2 | ||
| Chemistry | 6.7 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 7.3 | ||
| Biology | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.9 | ||
| English Literature | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.2 | ||
| History | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.8 | ||
| Geography | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.5 | ||
| French | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.0 | ||
| Economics | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.1 | ||
| Sixth form colleges | ||||||
| Mathematics | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.6 | ||
| Physics | 4.7 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.7 | ||
| Chemistry | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 5.7 | ||
| Biology | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 5.1 | ||
| English Literature | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | ||
| History | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | ||
| Geography | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.2 | ||
| French | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | ||
| Economics | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 5.8 | ||
| Other FE sector colleges | ||||||
| Mathematics | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 | ||
| Physics | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 | ||
| Chemistry | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | ||
| Biology | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | ||
| English Literature | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.7 | ||
| History | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | ||
| Geography | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | ||
| French | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.4 | ||
| Economics | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | ||
| Schools and FE sector colleges | ||||||
| Mathematics | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.7 | ||
| Physics | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.8 | ||
| Chemistry | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.8 | ||
| Biology | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 | ||
| English Literature | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.8 | ||
| History | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | ||
| Geography | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.4 | ||
| French | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.7 | ||
| Economics | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 5.4 | ||
| The GCE A level point scores | |
| Grade A | 10 |
| Grade B | 8 |
| Grade C | 6 |
| Grade D | 4 |
| Grade E | 2 |
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