| Previous Section | Home Page |
Turkey (Natural Gas Project)
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the developmental purpose of the aid and trade provision-supported natural gas conversion project in Turkey ; what is the total value of the contract ; over what period the ATP grant is expected to be paid ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : The purpose of this project is to provide a cheaper alternative to other fuels for meeting Ankara's energy demands and to reduce the atmospheric pollution caused by the use of oil, coal and lignite as domestic fuels.
The cost is $200.7 million of which $108.5 million is being financed by a long-term concessional loan to meet the costs of 85 per cent. of the British goods and services. Aid and trade provision grant funds, calculated on exchange rates applying at the date of implementation of
Column 120
the loan and estimated not to exceed £58.7 million, are being provided to support interest payments due on this loan. Repayments of principal will be made over a 20-year repayment period. Allowing for a five-year grace period the final payment will be made in 2013. Payments from the ATP grant to meet interest "make-up" and Export Credits Guarantee Department premium costs have amounted to £6.35 million to date.The hon. Member will be aware that the figure of £58.7 million differs from that given in my reply to the hon. Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington (Ms. Abbott) on 28 February at column 565. I have written separately to the hon. Member correcting this latter figure.
Column 121
WALES
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department ; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, I have responsibilities which include the use of energy. The publication of the Welsh Office energy efficiency plan was announced on 8 May 1989 by the then Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Walker), and copies were placed in the Library of the House. The plan is currently being updated to reflect the increasing concern for energy efficiency exemplified by the recently instigated ministerial group on energy efficiency.
Water Rates
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by district authority in Wales the numbers of council tenants evicted, or currently under threat of eviction, by district councils because they are in arrears with respect to payments of water rates, where those rates are charged inclusive of rent by the councils in 1990, and in the first two months of 1991.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This information is not available centrally.
Cadw
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the future management arrangements for Cadw.
Mr. David Hunt : I have concluded that Cadw should become an executive agency on 1 April 1991. I shall be announcing the objectives and targets that I have set for the agency shortly.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Moyle Hospital, Larne
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of Moyle hospital, Larne, in the delivery of acute hospital services.
Mr. Hanley : The Department of Health and Social Services has not yet assessed the efficiency and effectiveness of actue services in the Moyle hospital. This is primarily a matter for the Northern health and social services board.
Fire Advisory Panel
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members serve on the Fire advisory panel for Northern Ireland ; and how many of those members are also members of the Society of Fire Safety Engineers.
Mr. Needham : There are 30 members who serve on the fire advisory panel which in Northern Ireland is known as
Column 122
the Northern Ireland fire liaison panel. Of these, only one member is also a member of the Society of Fire Safety Engineers.Job Clubs
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which council districts in Northern Ireland currently have a job club.
Mr. Needham : The Training and Employment Agency provides support for job clubs in the following council districts :
Antrim, Ards, Belfast, Larne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Coleraine, Craigavon, Dungannon, Derry, Newry and Mourne, Omagh.
Fair Employment
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when was the last examination of the employment records of the Bank of Ireland under the provisions of fair employment legislation ; and if there has been any progress towards eliminating the underemployment of Protestants in the Bank of Ireland since the first fair employment report on this bank.
Mr. Needham : A report by the Fair Employment Agency in March 1986 dealt with the employment patterns and practices of the five main banks in Northern Ireland, including the Bank of Ireland ; a copy of that report is held in the Library. The Fair Employment Commission has decided to make available, upon request, monitoring information from individual concerns following receipt of their monitoring returns for 1991. The Bank of Ireland is required to make its monitoring return by 6 June 1991. This return will indicate the religious composition of its work force and applicants for jobs and will, therefore, enable a comparison to be made with the position as shown in the 1986 report.
Nephrops
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the catch of nephrops in 1988, 1989 and 1990 ; and what is the projected catch in 1991 based upon the experiences of the first two months of the year.
Mr. Hanley : Landings of nephrops into Northern Ireland totalled 5, 344 tonnes, 5,595 tonnes and 5,606 tonnes for the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 respectively. Landings in the first two months of 1988, 1989 and 1990 totalled 423 tonnes, 370 tonnes and 222 tonnes respectively compared with 397 tonnes for the same period in 1991. This does not give a statistically sound basis from which to project the total 1991 landings.
Fish Marketing and Processing
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much of the £15 million in EC grants for the United Kingdom's fish marketing and processing industry for the period 1991 to 1993 will be allocated to Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement on the implementation of this scheme in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : Of the £15 million in EC grants, some £1.5 million has been separately allocated to Northern Ireland.
Column 123
The scheme is open for applicants, but is competitive and not all applicants can be guaranteed support. I hope that the Northern Ireland industry will make full use of the moneys available.Belfast Action Teams
Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the expenditure in each of the Belfast action teams which were created and the projects on which the money was spent.
Mr. Needham : In view of the considerable number of projects involved, it will take some time to collate the information. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as the information is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Disability
Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many applications were made by employers for capital grants in each of the financial years since 1985 to enable them to adapt (a) premises, and (b) equipment, to employ disabled people in Northern Ireland ;
(2) what was the total amount of grant aid paid in each financial year since 1985 to employers to enable them to employ disabled people in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of applications approved and amount of grant aid paid to employers to adapt premises and equipment to enable them to employ disabled people is as follows :
|Number of |Grant aid
|approved
|applications|£
----------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |3 |5,750
1986-87 |4 |7,860
1987-88 |3 |2,872
1988-89 |7 |5,124
1989-90 |6 |23,000
<1>1990-91 |3 |8,000
<1> To February 1991.
HEALTH
Hospital Incinerators
Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date all hospital incinerators in the United Kingdom will be operating in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Department of the Environment.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 27 February 1991] : With the removal of Crown immunity, new incinerators will have to meet the requirements of environmental protection legislation from 1 April 1991. Health authorities and NHS trusts that currently operate incinerators which do not comply with the new standards will be required by 30 September 1991 to agree with the local authority pollution inspectorate a programme for ensuring that all incinerators meet the new standards in full. These agreed programmes will set interim standards which will have to be met.
Column 124
Although there is a maximum transitional period of five years we have made clear that NHS incinerators must meet as quickly as possible the new standards laid down in environmental protection legislation. We are about to issue guidance on the different options which are available to health authorities and NHS trusts. They include the sharing of facilities across district and regional boundaries and the use of private sector waste management companies.SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people who will be eligible for the new lower rate of care component of the disability living allowance by virtue of (a) the requirement of attention for a significant portion of the day and (b) inability to prepare a cooked meal ; what is his estimate of the take-up rate for each group ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : We expect 140,000 people to receive the lower rate care component of disability living allowance in 1993-94. It is not possible to give any reliable estimates of how many of the anticipated caseload will qualify by each of the alternative routes to entitlement.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe of 28 February, column 610 , what is his estimate of the number and proportion of people who need special diets who will qualify for the new lower rate of care component of the disability living allowance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : Something under 500,000 people below the age of 65 said that they needed a special diet in response to an Office of Population Censuses and Surveys question. Many of this group would be at the lower levels of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys severity scales. The comment in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys fourth report that
"not all the problems included under this heading (eating, drinking, and digesting difficulties) were strictly speaking disabilities", applies even more strongly to this group. Nevertheless, even after allowing for overlaps between the different rates and components of disability living allowance, we estimate that nearly 200,000 of the people in this group would be in receipt of at least one of the rates of the new benefit.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 28 February, Official Report , column 610 , if he will explain the basis for the increase in his estimate of the number of recipients of the new lower care component of the disability living allowance from paragraph 4.12 of "The Way Ahead"--Cm. 917--to the figure given in his answer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : The figure of 240,000 given to the right hon. Member on 28 February 1991 represented the number of people whom we anticipate will be eligible for the new lower rate care component of the disability living allowance. The figure of 140,000 quoted in paragraph 4.12
Column 125
of "The Way Ahead"--Cm. 917--represents our best estimate of the numbers who will be receiving the new lower rate care component in 1993-94.Alzheimer's Disease
Sir Charles Morrison : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people suffering from Alzheimer's disease are in receipt of terminal grant (a) in nursing homes and (b) in residential homes.
Miss Widdecombe : Details of conditions suffered by claimants in receipt of the terminal illness limit of income support are not collected by the Department.
Mobility Allowance
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made on introducing regulations to guarantee the mobility allowance entitlement of double leg amputees.
Mr. Scott : I am extremely pleased to announce that regulations have been laid today which come into force on 10 April 1991. These will ensure the eligibility to mobility allowance of people who are without both legs for any reason, including amputation. I am also glad to state that the regulations will allow these claims to be fast tracked. That is, they could be decided without a medical examination if suitable evidence about the person's medical condition, such as a general practitioner's letter or previous medical report, is available.
Column 126
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate the savings to the Exchequer arising from the failure to increase unemployment benefit in line with average earnings since 1979 ; and if he will specify the saving in 1990 and the anticipated saving in 1991.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 13 March 1991] : Unemployment benefit is increased annually in line with the retail prices index. If the benefit had been uprated in line with average earnings from 1979 onwards the estimated net additional cost in the financial year 1990-91 would be £125 million and in 1991-92 £150 million. Estimates for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Family Credit
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are dependent on (a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) housing benefit broken down into claimants, dependants and children for (i) Leeds, West, (ii) Leeds metropolitan district council area, (iii) West Yorkshire and (iv) England.
Miss Widdecombe [pursuant to her reply, 6 March 1991, c. 72.] : I regret that information was omitted from my reply. The correct information is as follows :
Income Support and Family Credit
Information for Leeds, West, Leeds metropolitan district council area and West Yorkshire is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information in respect of England is as follows :
Column 125
|Claimants |Dependants|Children |Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income support<1> |3,429,000 |599,000 |1,688,000 |5,716,000
Family credit<2> |264,000 |164,000 |569,000 |997,000
<1> Data derived from 1989 annual statistical inquiry.
<2> Data derived from 5 per cent. sample of family credit caseload at 31
July 1990.
Housing Benefit
Information for Leeds, West is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information in respect of the metropolitan borough of Leeds, West Yorkshire and England is as follows :
Column 125
Claimants Dependants Children TotalMetropolitan Borough of Leeds 63,700 18,000 Not available 81,700
West Yorkshire 159,100 44,800 Not available 163,900
England 3,153,000 902,000 Not available 4,055,000
Data relate to August 1990 and is in respect of those receiving either rent rebate or rent allowance only.
Partially estimated.
ENVIRONMENT
Seals and Dolphins
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to prevent the disappearance of seals and dolphins from United Kingdom coastal waters.
Mr. Trippier : Preliminary indications are that our coastal waters continue to support a wide range of marine mammal species and regular surveys carried out for Government by the Natural Environment Research
Column 126
Council's sea mammal research unit show that grey seal populations continue to increase. Common seal numbers are now stable following the 1988 viral epidemic, and we hope to see signs of recovery soon. As far as dolphins are concerned no reliable estimates of population are available.My Department has already commissioned a number of new research projects on marine mammals including the appointment of a co-ordinator to oversee the recording and sampling of marine mammal strandings in England and Wales, the carrying out of post mortem and
Column 127
contaminant analysis for selected cetaceans, including dolphins, washed ashore and support for improved sighting schemes and population studies.More generally the initiatives we have taken to implement measures agreed at the third North sea conference, held in the Hague in March 1990, which apply to all our coastal waters, will do much to improve the quality of our seas. Marine mammals may be particularly at risk from PCBs which can accumulate in their fatty tissues and notable amongst the third conference measures is the agreement to phase out and destroy all remaining identifiable uses of PCBs by 1999.
River Pollution
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to amend the criteria used to determine river quality so as to reflect pollutant levels in river life.
Mr. Trippier : We are currently reviewing with the National Rivers Authority the existing schemes for classifying river quality in conjunction with the work of developing the system of statutory quality objectives provided for in the Water Act 1989. The outcome of the review will be published for consultation in due course.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ask the district auditor to review the action of councils and councillors when a substantial proportion of the community charge has not been collected.
Mr. Key : All community chargepayers have a right to expect their local authority to collect the charge in a diligent and economic manner. The Audit Commission has published useful guidance to local authorities on improving collection performance. In general local authorities are seeking to collect the charge efficiently. I would expect that there are no cases where action by councillors is impeding effective collection, but if there were the auditor already has a duty to under section 20 of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 to certify, where a loss has been incurred or deficiency caused by wilful misconduct of any person, that the amount of that loss or deficiency is due from that person. The auditor may recover the amount for the benefit of the authority from that person concerned. Councillors may therefore be liable for uncollected community charges where the failure to collect results from their misconduct.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the various guidance circulars he has issued to local authorities concerning collection of the poll tax.
Mr. Key : My Department issued a practice note to local authorities covering all aspects of the collection of the community charge. A copy is in the Library. The note is currently being revised and updated by the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation.
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households he expects to benefit from the new community charge reduction scheme in Berwick borough, Castle Morpeth borough and Alnwick district.
Column 128
Mr. Key : Information on the number of people expected to benefit from the community charge reduction scheme broken down by local authority areas will be available once authorities have returned their initial grant claim forms.
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the year on year increase in standard spending assessment for 1991 -92 in respect of (a) Westminster, (b) Salford, (c) Wigan and (d) Bolton.
Mr. Key : The percentage increases in SSA between 1990-91 and 1991- 92 are as follows :
(a) 22.1, (b) 16.3, (c) 18.6 and (d) 17.9.
Pollution Inspectorate
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, in tabular form, (a) the establishment of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and (b) the number of staff employed for each year since 1987.
Mr. Baldry : The complement and number of staff in post in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution from its formation in 1987 are set out in the table.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution staffing<1> Year |Complement |Number of (1 April) |staff in post -------------------------------------------------------- 1987 |199 |133 1988 |183 |158 1989 |194 |165 1990 |212 |172 1991 |248 |<2>232 Notes: <1>All figures exclude the former radioactive waste policy and administrative division, (25 administrative, 2 professional staff) which transferred from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to the DOE directorate of pollution control and waste in November 1990. <2>1 March.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's complement has been authorised to expand to over 300 by 1 April 1992 and may require a further increase to around 400 when integrated pollution control is in full operation.
A recruitment competition for pollution inspectors has recently been completed, and has produced 38 successful candidates to fill the remaining vacancies and authorised new posts.
Beaches
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will detail the criteria used to assess the level of pollution on British beaches.
Mr. Baldry : Bathing water quality is assessed according to standards set out in directive 76/160/EEC.
Environmental Action Guide
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the "Environmental Action Guide" was issued to Government Departments ; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Baldry : An initial working version of the "Environmental Action Guide" was circulated to all Government Departments immediately following publication of the environment White Paper last year. The guide
Column 129
itself, together with the first of a continuing series of advisory notes on specific environmental topics such as CFCs and timber in buildings, will be published by HMSO shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library.Leeds Development Corporation
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out for 1988-89, 1989-90 and 1990 to 28 February 1991, how many planning applications have been determined by Leeds development corporation (a) within one month of receipt, (b) between one and two months of receipt and (c) after more than two months of receipt.
Mr. Key : Information is not collected in the format requested. The available information shows that, for the year ending September 1989, 131 planning applications were decided by the Development Corporation of which 57 per cent. were determined within eight weeks of receipt. For the year ending September 1990, 179 applications were decided of which 58 per cent. were determined within eight weeks.
Rural Development Commission
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to allow the Rural Development Commission to retain receipts from the sale of its portfolio ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : It is our policy that the Rural Development Commission should retain receipts from the sale of their workspace portfolio : up to the targets agreed for each year. The receipts are used to finance the commission's agreed expenditure.
Environment Council
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council on 18 March.
Mr. Heseltine : My hon. Friend the Minister for Environment and Countryside and I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting. The Council agreed a common position on a directive to tighten up controls on emissions from lorries and buses. The United Kingdom took a lead in pressing for this measure, which will introduce strict new pollution standards for large diesel engined vehicles to match those set last year for cars. The controls, which will come into effect in 1995 and 1996, represent the toughest achievable standards. The motor industry will have a clear target and a manageable timetable for the substantial work which now needs to be done.
Agreement was reached on a directive setting minimum standards for the collection and treatment of sewage. The so-called municipal waste water directive requires that all communities above a certain size should be provided with sewerage systems, and that sewage should in general receive full secondary treatment before it can be discharged. Additional treatment to remove nutrient substances is required where this is necessary to protect the water environment. The directive also allows for primary treatment only for certain coastal discharges where this can be demonstrated to be sufficient to protect the environment. Other provisions require treatment of
Column 130
analagous industrial discharges, and an end to the disposal of sewage sludge at sea. This measure represents a major step forward in the protection of the water environment throughout the community. The Government's decision last year to introduce treatment for all remaining major coastal discharges, and the huge investment programme put in place at the time of water privatisation, means that the United Kingdom is well placed to comply with the directive. The Council agreed a common position on a directive amending for the seventh time directive 67/548/EEC on the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances. The amending directive updates requirements for manufacturers or importers of a new chemical substance to provide data on its hazardous properties. It introduces harmonised notification requirements for substances produced in small quantities, with exceptions in certain circumstances to encourage research and development.A directive on the content and disposal of batteries and a new framework directive on waste management, the substance of which had been agreed at previous meetings, were formally adopted by the Council.
The Council had a useful discussion on aspects of a proposed regulation controlling the movement of waste within, into and out of the European Community. The United Kingdom, supported by other member states, stressed the importance of incorporating the principle of self-sufficiency in waste disposal, both within countries and for the Community as a whole.
Proposals for a directive to protect fauna, flora and habitats, and for a Community ecological labelling scheme were briefly discussed. In both cases the United Kingdom called for the measures to be agreed as soon as possible, and the presidency said it would seek agreement at the next Environment Council.
The Council had preliminary discussions on two new proposals on the evaluation and control of environmental risks from existing chemicals, and on a Community environment fund--LIFE.
The Council also discussed action taken by member states and the Commission in response to environmental problems in the Gulf. Ministers were briefed by Mr. Al Arrayed, Health Minister of Bahrain, on the environmental situation in the Gulf states. Member states welcomed the efforts co- ordinated by the European Commission to complement initiatives by the International Maritime Organisation and the United Nations Environmental Programme. The Council agreed on the need to provide further assistance to the Gulf clean-up operations, and to develop proposals for responding to similar disasters in the future in collaboration with member states and other international organisations.
| Next Section
| Home Page |