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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 19 March 1991
ENVIRONMENT
Business Rate Arrears
Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many companies are currently in arrears in payment of the business rate in 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : This information is not available. However by 31 December 1990, charging authorities in England had collected 76 per cent. of their estimated non-domestic rate income for 1990-91. My Department, which is responsible for collecting non-domestic rates in respect of hereditaments entered on the central rating list, has now collected the whole of the amount payable for 1990-91.
Loan Charges
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the loan charge proportion of each pound of rent charged by each local authority in the last available financial year ; and what are the regional and national averages.
Mr. Yeo : I cannot strictly say what proportion of rent is attributable to loan charges because local housing authorities also have other sources of income, particularly that of housing revenue account subsidy. Nevertheless, I have today placed in the Library a copy of a table showing, for each local authority, the proportion of rental income and subsidy spent on loan charges.
Wakefield
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from Wakefield metropolitan district council with regard to the difficulties facing the authority in attempting to collect standard community charge payments from individuals who do not have the financial resources to make such payments.
Mr. Key : I am not aware of any representations having been made by the council, although officials in my Department meet on a regular basis officers from Wakefield metropolitan district council in the group with which matters of this kind are discussed with the local authority associations.
Rents-to-Mortgages Scheme
Mr. Walden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a rents-to-mortgages scheme for the new town tenants at Milton Keynes will come into operation.
Mr. Yeo : Milton Keynes development corporation is today writing to its tenants inviting them to consider
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buying their homes under rents to mortgages. Sales will be completed before the transfer of the corporation's housing stock to new landlords.I warmly welcome this further opportunity for new town tenants at Milton Keynes to own their homes.
Community Charge
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average poll tax for 1990-91 in England and Wales ; how many people are registered for the poll tax ; and how much extra central Government finance would be necessary for the average poll tax to be reduced by (a) 10 per cent., (b) 25 per cent., (c) 50 per cent., (d) 75 per cent. and (e) 100 per cent.
Mr. Key [holding answer 15 March 1991] : In 1990-91 there are 36 million charge payers in England and the average community charge is £357. Authorities have budgeted to raise £10.2 billion from the charge net of community charge benefits and transitional relief grant. This can be reduced without any extra central Government finance if authorities control their expenditure and improve their efficiency.
Information for Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Departmental Publicity
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all documents, advertisements, promotion or events undertaken by his Department to publicise elements of his Department's work, showing the cost in each case for each year since 1987, including the budget for 1991-92.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 15 March 1991] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Stoke-on- Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher) on 12 December 1990, Official Report, column 442. The outturn for 1990-91 is not yet available and the budget for 1991- 92 has not yet been finalised. A list of each item which has contributed to the publicity programmes could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish a timetable for implementation of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo [pursuant to the reply, 28 November 1990, c. 404] : My right hon. Friend has today laid before the House the Litter Etc (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 1991.
These provide that, where an authority has assigned its street cleaning work to its own work force or DSO under part I of the Local Government Act 1988, and it needs to undertake additional work to comply with the duties imposed on it by the Environmental Protection Act, the authority will be able to assign that additional work to the DSO, provided that it is accounted for separately from the work originally assigned to the DSO. If the cost of the additional work carried out between 1 April and 30 September 1991 is more than 20 per cent. of the cost of the work originally assigned to the DSO over that period, the
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authority will be required to expose its street cleaning services to further competition in accordance with the following timetable :Date by which work first had to |Date by which work has to be be exposed to competition |retendered ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 August 1989 |1 October 1992 1 January 1990 |1 January 1992 1 August 1990 |1 August 1993
Where an authority has assigned street cleaning services to an independent contractor it will be taken as complying with the duties imposed by the Environmental Protection Act if it can demonstrate that it has used its best endeavours to negotiate any necessary variations in the contract with the contractor concerned, but he is either not prepared to agree such variations or is prepared to do so only on unreasonable terms.
The regulations also contain provisions relating to the transfer of highway cleaning responsibilities from county to district councils under the Environmental Protection Act. They allow district councils to assign such work to their DSO, provided that they account for it separately and that they first use their best endeavours to enter into an agreement with any contractor who previously carried out this work under contract with the county council. They also facilitate the making of works contracts between district councils to which this responsibility has been transferred and the authorities who were carrying it out before 1 April 1991.
The regulations apply also to Scotland and Wales except that regulations 5 and 6 dealing with the transfer of highway cleaning responsibilities from county to district councils are not applicable in Scotland.
Community Charge
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the community charge figures declared by each district in England for the forthcoming year in ascending values.
Mr. Heseltine [pursuant to the reply, 18 March 1991, Official Report, column 40] : As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House today in his Budget speech, the Government are providing £4.3 billion of extra grant to local authorities in Great Britain in 1991-92 to permit a major reduction in community charges.
Accordingly, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I shall shortly be introducing a Bill which, on enactment, will mean that the community charges which authorities have set for 1991-92 will be replaced by new lower charges. Each new charge will be £140 lower than the one it replaced, or zero in those cases where the original charge was less than £140. The Bill will suspend the liability of charge payers to pay any 1991-92 charges until a charge bill has been received reflecting the reduced charges.
The community charge reduction scheme will continue to help those who would still face large increases over their previous rate bills. Although the total help that will need to be given through this scheme will be much reduced by the lower charges announced today, I expect that, together with the effect of community charge and other benefits, it will mean that the average charge actually paid in England will be less than £170.
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The Bill will also require grants to be paid to charging authorities in England and Wales, and to local authorities in Scotland. It is our intention that the grants paid under these provisions should provide full compensation for the community charge income forgone and should also fully reimburse authorities for their reasonable additional administrative costs as a result of the reduction in charges. I also intend in England to advance the distribution of the non-domestic rates pool to offset the inevitable cash flow losses which authorities will incur as a result of this measure. Broadly similar funding arrangements are intended for Scotland and for Wales.All this means that where authorities have already issued their charge bills for 1991-92--which many have already done--they will need after the Bill's enactment to issue fresh bills reflecting the new lower charges. Until fresh bills are issued authorities may think it best not to enforce payment from their charge payers. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I propose to amend the regulations on the community charge demand notice slightly to provide the basis for the new bills, but we believe not in ways that would result in significant changes to authorities' computing arrangements. Where authorities have not yet issued their bills, they may think it right to suspend action until bills complying with the new arrangements can be issued.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be advising Scottish authorities about the details for billing and collecting charges.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Mortgage Repossessions
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Attorney-General how many court actions relating to mortgage repossessions there were in Cardiff county court in each year since 1979.
The Attorney-General : The number of mortgage actions for possession entered and orders made for possession in Cardiff county court in each year since 1986, the first year for which figures are available, are shown in the table.
Promoter/Consortium |Location |Estimated |Fuel
|output
|(MW)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barking power Ltd. |Barking, London |1,000 |Gas
East Midlands Electricity plc/
British Coal Corporation |Bilsthorpe |150 |Coal
Berisford Bristar plc |Brigg, South Humberside |240 |Gas
British Nuclear Fuels plc |Calder Hall, Sellafield |160 |Gas
Corby Power Ltd |Corby, South Humberside |350 |Gas
Coryton Cogen Ltd |Coryton, Essex |460 |Gas
Deeside Power Development Co Ltd |Deeside, Clywd |450 |Gas
MetroPower Ltd |Lots Road, Chelsea, London |370 |Gas
Forth Energy Ltd |Newcastle |150 |Gas
Texaco Ltd/Mission Energy |Pembroke, Dyfed, (Angle Bay)|1,100-1,280 |Gas
Peterborough Power Ltd |Peterborough |355 |Gas
Lakeland Power Ltd |Roosecote, Cumbria |235 |Gas
Rugby Power Co. Ltd. |Rugby, Warwickshire |380 |Gas
Kelt (UK) Ltd |Ryedale (Claypit Plantation)|50-60 |Gas
Sheffield Heat and Power |Sheffield |160 |Gas
Shell UK Exploration Ltd |Shellhaven, Essex |524 |Gas
Neptune Consortium |Teesside |1,050 |Gas
Teesside Power Ltd |Wilton, Cleveland |1,725 |Gas
ENERGY
Independent Generation
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list, stating size, fuel and ownership, all the independent generating projects of which his Department is aware.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My Department is aware of 20 proposed major independent electricity generating projects which have been made public. The following is the information requested by the hon. Member :
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Energy Efficiency
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department ; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.
Mr. Wakeham : I chair the ministerial group on energy efficiency which is composed of a Minister from each major Government Department. My hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) represents the Department of Energy.
Each Minister on the group is expected to take forward the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate and secure 15 per cent. annual savings in their Department's energy bill by 1995-96. In addition, all Ministers on the group have agreed to consider how energy efficiency can be incorporated into their Department's policy and publicity initiatives. The group intends to promote and raise awareness of energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy. My hon. Friend and I also have specific responsibility for the work of the Energy Efficiency Office within the Department of Energy, which has the following main objectives :
(i) to encourage consumers and buildings professionals to take action which will lead to improved energy efficiency, by stimulating their interest and providing them with specific and authoritative guidance on what can be achieved ;
(ii) to stimulate the development and application of energy management skills and techniques ;
(iii) to tackle market barriers such as the obstacles to public sector use of private sector expertise, and the inability of some low-income householders to raise funds and manage projects ; (
(iv) to help develop technical standards.
(v) to help the energy efficiency industry develop, and encourage it and the energy suppliers to develop and market goods and services which help consumers improve their energy efficiency ;
(vi) to promote combined heat and power where it is cost effective.
Electricity Privatisation
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates were made, in preparing for privatisation of the electricity generating companies, of the
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average costs per tonne or equivalent (a) of transporting coal (i) by road and (ii) by rail from ports to power stations, (b) by tranche of coal supplied by British Coal to power stations, (c) of heavy fuel oil supplied to power stations, (d) of orimulsion supplied to power stations and (e) of imported coal by country of origin.Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Fuel procurement is a commercial matter for the companies concerned. All material information relating to the companies is included in the prospectus, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Electricity Transit
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (i) what discussions he has had with organisations representing electricity consumers in the United Kingdom concerning the principle of third-party access prior to his negotiations with his EC counterparts on the EC's proposed regulation on electricity cross-border transit ;
(2) when he next expects to meet his EC counterparts regarding third-party access to electricity grids ; and what considerations underlie his policy in these negotiations ;
(3) what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the regional electricity distribution companies, generating companies and Gridco, regarding the principle of third-party access in negotiations with the European Commission.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The directive on electricity transit was adopted by the Energy Council on 29 October 1990 and is to be implemented by 1 July 1991. Third-party access would go much further in contributing to an open and competitive market in electricity. The Commission has established two consultative committees to advise on third-party access : a member states committee and a parallel professional committee which includes the chairman of NGC and representatives from the generators and large consumers. My right hon. Friend will consider with his colleagues in the Energy Council any proposals which the Commission may bring forward.
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TRANSPORT
Buttermere Valley (Parking)
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received about the decision of Cumbria county council to restrict parking in the Buttermere valley ; and what response he intends to make.
Mr. Chope : Including those that the hon. Member has sent me, the Department has received 16 separate representations about this matter. I understand that my right hon. Friend Secretary of State for the Environment has received a similar number.
As I indicated in my previous reply on 11 March, this is essentially a local highways issue well within the management responsibilities of the county council as the locally elected highway authority.
I shall arrange for all representations received to be passed to the county council for its information and action as it considers necessary.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department ; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am the Minister within the Department of Transport responsible for promoting energy efficiency and I represent the Department on the ministerial group on energy efficiency. My brief is to see that the Department meets the Government's target of a 3 per cent. annual saving in energy costs on its estate through to 1995-96, and to ensure that the Department promotes greater energy efficiency in its policy and publicity initiatives.
International Leisure Group
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) at what point his Department was in a position to warn passengers of the problems they faced in relation to the financial difficulties confronting the International Leisure Group ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) when his Department became aware of the financial difficulties facing Air Europe ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : It is the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority to monitor the financial fitness of air carriers and air travel organisers. The Department of Transport was kept informed of the position as it developed and of the attempts to maintain trading. To have made public statements about the companies' financial affairs while there was still a serious prospect of rescue would simply have precipitated the crisis.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has met the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss Air Europe.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Civil Aviation Authority has kept my right hon. and learned Friend informed of developments concerning Air Europe.
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Cyclists (Crash Helmets)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government are currently considering any proposals to make the wearing of crash helmets by cyclists compulsory.
Mr. Chope : No, but we do advise cyclists to wear safety helmets.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statistics he has regarding the beneficial effects of the wearing of crash helmets by cyclists in the prevention of serious head injuries.
Mr. Chope : The standard road injury accident report provides no information on cyclist crash helmets, but hospital-based research suggests that if those seriously injured had worn helmets 11 per cent. would have been uninjured and 18 per cent. would have been only slightly injured.
BR Rolling Stock
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail to discuss the performance of British Rail rolling stock during the recent severe weather ; and what the results of that meeting were.
Mr. Freeman : Yesterday. British Rail has been carrying out a review of the railway's performance during the recent snow and it plans to announce the results shortly.
M54
Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of the M54 in Shropshire what was the original cost, the cost of subsequent repairs and the lowest tender for the orginial construction to have been in tarmacadam rather than concrete.
Mr. Chope : The original construction cost was £26,248,992. Had the lowest tenders for blacktop construction been accepted the extra cost would have been £881,883.
Repair costs to date including those programmed for 1990-91 total £5,303,500. The latter includes bridgeworks and covers part of the Staffordshire section for which Shropshire county council is responsible.
Offshore Standby Vessels
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the names of all standby vessels currently certificated engaged in the offshore oil and gas industries, the year of build and the date of the last survey of each vessel.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am placing in the Library a list of the names of all standby vessels currently certificated engaged in the offshore oil and gas industries, the year of build and the date of the last survey of each vessel.
Motorway Driving
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve lane discipline in motorway driving.
Mr. Chope : My Department continues to attach high importance to improving standards of motorway driving.
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As part of the "Safety on the Move" campaign we shall be mounting a fresh publicity initiative later this year about safe motorway driving practice, including lane discipline. This will complement the major police national motorway campaign to be launched in July, aimed at improving motorway driving standards. We have also commissioned research to investigate driver behaviour on motorways to help explore the further scope for improving safety and traffic flows on those roads.Headlight Dazzle
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to warn motorists of the danger of headlight dazzle.
Mr. Chope : The "Highway Code" advises drivers to dip their headlamps when meeting other vehicles or road users and before they dazzle the driver of a vehicle travelling in the same direction in front of them. The code emphasises that badly adjusted headlamps can dazzle road users and lead to accidents.
Dazzle is also reduced if headlamps are correctly aimed on the vehicle. As I announced last year, the Department is introducing stricter arrangements for checking that new vehicles come off the production line with correctly aimed headlamps. We are also introducing a stricter check of headlamps aim into the MOT test.
A12
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress to date on upgrading the A12 from Ipswich to Great Yarmouth including dualling and bypasses.
Mr. Chope : The proposals to upgrade the A12 in Norfolk and Suffolk have been split into seven schemes. The Gorleston relief road is the most advanced with construction work scheduled to start on 5 April 1991. A preferred route for the Lowestoft relief road, extending the route southward to the Kessingland bypass, was announced on 9 November 1990 and the normal design and statutory procedures are now in hand. We expect to announce preferred routes for all the remaining schemes by 1993 and anticipate that the whole programme of improvements will be completed by the end of the decade.
PRIME MINISTER
Camden
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) of 21 February, Official Report, column 434, what place is occupied by Camden in the list of authorities with (a) the highest community charge, net of safety net, (b) the worst education results and (c) the largest rent arrears ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : After it had been capped, reducing its charge by £34, Camden set a community charge of £500 in 1990-91, the third highest in England. After allowing for the effect of the safety net, Camden's charge after capping is £425, the 27th highest in England. Camden took over responsibility for education in April 1990. Before that it was part of the Inner London
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education authority which, despite the highest spending per pupil in England, ranked 91st out of 96 local education authorities in terms of education results.As at 31 March 1990, Camden had arrears of rent of £7.45 million, representing approximately 18 per cent. of the rent roll, the 10th highest level in England.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Books
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what assessment he has made concerning the availability of books for the national curriculum ;
(2) how many representations he has received concerning the availability of books for the national curriculum.
Mr. Eggar : The latest report from Her Majesty's senior chief inspector of schools says that most classrooms are adequately provided with books. But some schools will need to offer a wider range of books if they are to meet the full requirements of the national curriculum. That is why the Government are deploying specific grant to support £15 million expenditure on books for the national curriculum in the financial year 1991 -92. My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet representatives of the educational publishers from time to time and over the last year have also received six letters about the availability of books from schools and members of the public.
Primary Pupils (Testing)
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received concerning primary testing in schools.
Mr. Eggar : Since 1 January this year the Department has received 187 letters from hon. Members and the general public, specifically concerned with the testing of primary school pupils.
CTC/CCTA Funding Agreement
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance or undertakings have been issued, in the event of the provisions of section 105(5) of the Education Reform Act 1988 and paragraph 24A(iv) of the model city technology college/Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency funding agreement being brought into operation on termination of a CTC/CCTA funding agreement, with respect to limitations on the percentage of the then market value of the relevant assets to be repaid to him.
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School Governors
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his future plans for the training of school governors.
Mr. Fallon : Legal responsibility for the training of school governors rests with local education authorities, which plan in the light of local needs. This work is encouraged through central grants which will have supported some £17 million of expenditure in the three years to 1992. Grants are expected to continue at least at the same level in 1992- 93. The Department will also continue to provide written information and advice to all governors free of charge, including a personal copy of the guide to the law which is regularly updated, and to support and subsidise the production of nationally available training materials.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has carried out any review of the effectiveness of expenditure under the education support grants for training of school governors ; and if he will make a statement.
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