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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 22 May 1991
TRANSPORT
MV Derbyshire
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the full report produced by the marine accident investigation branch entitled, "Derbyshire : Review of New Material."
Mr. McLoughlin : The formal report submitted by the chief inspector of marine accidents and placed in the Library on 25 March set out all the reasons for the recommendation that the formal investigation should not be reopened.
Wheel Clamping
Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning activities of private wheel clamping firms in operations directed against vehicles allegedly parked on private land.
Mr. Chope : I have received several letters from hon. Members who have received complaints from constituents.
Nuclear Fuel Transport
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions each year since 1979 nuclear reaction fuel has been transported to Sellafield via Leeds ; and what safeguard provisions covered the fuel in transit.
Mr. McLoughlin : The timing and routeing of such consignments are matters for British Rail. However, I am informed that irradiated nuclear fuel would not normally travel through Leeds.
B5356, Stretton
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has agreed to special motorway signs on the M56 in order to direct heavy goods vehicles away from the B5356 in Stretton, near Warrington.
Mr. Chope : Yes. We are now considering approval of the signs which the local councils wish to erect on local roads.
Freight
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what planning his Department is undertaking to achieve the objective of moving freight from roads to railways ; whether he envisages any specific targets over the next decade ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : We are reviewing ways in which industry could be further encouraged to make more use of the rail systems, given in particular the advent of the channel tunnel and developments in combined transport. I do not have specific targets.
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Bus Lanes, London
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total mileage of bus lanes in the Greater London area.
Mr. Freeman : I understand from London Transport that there are 47 miles of bus lane in the Greater London area.
ENERGY
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress of the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [pursuant to his reply, 14 May 1991, c. 87- 88] : Experience with the first four months operation of the home energefficiency scheme has confirmed that it meets a real need and is being well received. However, it has also shown that work must be closely monitored and controlled to maintain the high standards for which the scheme aims. I have today announced changes to the scheme designed further to protect those clients who make direct applications under the scheme.
I have placed in the Library copies of a press release which gives details of these changes, which are designed to maintain the principle of customer choice whilst ensuring high standards.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Local Government Finance
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, for 1990-91 and 1991-92 separately for local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland (i) capital grants from central Government, (ii) other receipts, showing separately items of £0.5 billion or more, (iii) total receipts, (iv) current expenditure on goods and services, showing housing separately, (v) current grants and subsidies, showing housing separately, (vi) interest repayments, (vii) capital expenditure and net lending and (viii) total expenditure showing that on the basis of national accounts and public expenditure measurement.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested on capital grants from central government to local authorities on a public expenditure basis is given in table 5.5 of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"--Cm 1520. Data on capital grants on a national accounts basis cannot readily be split between terrritories. Data on local authority income from the community charge and non-domestic rates by territory are given in reply to a question from the hon. Member today. Detailed data on other local authority receipts in 1990-91 and 1991-92 are not yet available.
The analysis of local authority expenditure requested is given, for 1990- 91, in the table. The data are consistent with the economic category analysis of local authority expenditure given in table 5.7 of Cm 1520. Data on local authority debt interest cannot readily be split between
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territories. Information on the public expenditure basis for 1991-92 and for both 1990-91 and 1991-92 on a national accounts basis is not yet available.
Local authority expenditure<1> in Great Britain by territory and
economic category, 1990-91
£ million
|England |Scotland|Wales
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Current expenditure on goods
and services<2> |33,255 |4,335 |2,057
of which: housing |309 |4 |13
Current grants and subsidies |5,981 |686 |340
of which: housing<3> |- |2 |-
Net capital expenditure<4> |3,989 |816 |471
|------- |------- |-------
Total |43,224 |5,837 |2,868
<1> Excluding debt interest.
<2> Including pay.
<3> Excluding housing benefit.
<4> Including net lending.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables which reconcile to table 6.7 in the 1991 Financial Statement and Budget Report and which show separately for England, Wales, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom and for each of the years 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 the following information on local authority transactions (a) gross income from community charge and domestic rates before deduction of (i) rate rebates, (ii) community charge benefit, (iii) transitional relief, (iv) community charge reduction scheme and (v) community charge grant, showing each item separately, (b) net income from community charge and domestic rates and (c) income from non-domestic rates.
Mr. Mellor : The following tables show the information requested :
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1989-90
Outturn
£ billion
|England |Wales |Scotland|Great |Northern
|Brirain |Ireland
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross community charge/domestic rate income |9.7 |0.4 |1.0 |11.1 |-
Community charge benefit/domestic rate rebates |1.3 |0.1 |0.2 |1.5 |-
Net community charge/domestic rate income |8.4 |0.3 |0.8 |9.6
Gross non-domestic rate payments |9.8 |0.4 |1.2 |11.4
|0.1
Non-domestic rate rebates |0.3 |- |- |0.3
Net non-domestic rate rebates |9.5 |0.4 |1.2 |11.1
1990-91
Estimated outturn
£ billion
England Wales Scotland Great Britain Northern Ireland Gross community charge income 12.3 0.5 1.1 13.9 --
Community charge benefit 1.9 0.1 0.2 2.2 --
Transitional relief 0.3 -- -- 0.4 --
Net community charge income/domestic rate income
Non-domestic rate payments 10.2
10.7 0.4
0.4 0.9
1.3 11.4
12.5
0.1
Less than £50 million.
1991-92
Forecast
£ billion
England Wales Scotland Great Britain Northern Ireland Gross community charge income 8.5 0.2 0.9 9.8 --
Community charge reduction scheme/transitional relief 1.1 0.1 0.1 1.4 --
Community charge benefit 1.1 -- 0.1 1.2 --
Net community charge income/domestic rate income
Non-domestic rate payments 6.4
12.1 0.2
0.5 0.7
1.4 7.2
14.1
0.1
Note : community charge grant 4.8 0.3 0.5 5.6 --
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1990-91
Estimated outturn
£ billion
|England |Wales |Scotland|Great |Northern
|Britain |Ireland
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross community charge income |12.3 |0.5 |1.1 |13.9 |-
Community charge benefit |1.9 |0.1 |0.2 |2.2 |-
Transitional relief |0.3 |<1>- |<1>- |0.4 |-
Net community charge income/domestic rate income |10.2 |0.4 |0.9 |11.4
|0.1
Non-domestic rate payments |10.7 |0.4 |1.3 |12.5
<1>Less than £ 50 million.
1991-92
Forecast
£ billion
|England |Wales |Scotland|Great |Northern
|Britain |Ireland
Gross community charge income |8.5 |0.2 |0.9 |9.8 |-
Community charge reduction scheme/transitional relief |1.1 |0.1 |0.1 |1.4 |-
Community charge benefit |1.1 |<1>- |0.1 |1.2 |-
Net community charge income/domestic rate income |6.4 |0.2 |0.7 |7.2
|0.1
Non-domestic rate payments |12.1 |0.5 |1.4 |14.1
Note: community charge grant |4.8 |0.3 |0.5 |5.6 |-
<1>Less than £ 50 million.
VAT
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table, comparable to table 3 of appendix 7 to HC 289 of Session 1990-91 but expressed to the nearest £1 per year, of VAT payments by income decile group, showing separately the results for (a) all households in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom and (b) retired households but continuing to attribute such retired households to income decile groups calculated on the basis of all households.
Mr. Mellor : The figures in the table referred to were derived from Central Statistical Office analysis of the family expenditure survey. Because the statistical adjustments made to the data for this analysis have been designed at the United Kingdom level, separate figures for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not available. Moreover the sample sizes for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be too small to provide reliable results. Figures for the United Kingdom and retired households on the basis requested are set out in the table.
Estimated increase in VAT payments in 1991-92 as a result of the
rise in the VAT rate to 17.5 per cent.: average by decile group of
households ranked by disposable income: £ per year.
|All United Kingdom|Of which retired:
|households:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bottom |40 |32
2 |52 |42
3 |78 |69
4 |114 |123
5 |140 |142
6 |164 |143
7 |200 |195
8 |232
9 |279 |253
Top |369
Average |167 |79
Notes:
1. Based on the 1987 Family Expenditure Survey uprated to 1991.
Figures do not take account of any changes in the pattern of
household expenditure which might follow on from a change in the
VAT rate.
2. In order to provide an estimate for a reasonably large sample, the
figures for the retired households in the top three decile groups have
been combined.
Next Steps
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those bodies currently with agency status within his department under the next steps initiative ; and whether he has identified any further candidates for agency status under the initiative within his Department.
Mr. David Mellor : I refer my hon. Friend to the Minister for the Civil Service's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 30 April 1991, at columns 111-13. Within Her Majesty's Treasury the Chessington computer centre, which provides computerised payroll and other services to Government departments and other customers, is due to become an agency on 1 April 1993. Of the other Chancellor's Departments the Central Office of Information, Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the Royal Mint have been established as agencies. The Valuation Offices of the
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Inland Revenue will be established as a single agency from 30 September 1991. The Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise are implementing announced programmes of action which will enable them to operate fully on next steps lines.Local Authority Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table, consistent with table 2.1 of Cm 1520, showing for the years 1963-64 to 1990-91 and expressed to the nearest £ million, (a) local authority expenditure on a national accounts definition, (b) local authority expenditure on goods and services on a national accounts definition, (c) general Government expenditure excluding privatisation proceeds, (d) general Government expenditure on goods and services and (e) gross domestic product at market prices.
Mr. Mellor : Information up to the fourth quarter of 1990 is included on the CSO database in the following series--identified by their database code--and published in the "Statistical Supplement to Autumn Statement"--Cm 1520.
(a) --ABAD : Local authority expenditure on a national accounts definition.
(b) --GTEF : Local authority expenditure on goods and services on a national accounts definition.
(c) --Table 2.1 General government expenditure exclu-
of Cm 1520 : ding privatisation proceeds.
(d) --GTEG : General government expenditure on goods and services. (e) -- CAOB : Gross domestic product (average estimates) at market prices.
The CSO database is accessible in the Library of the House.
WALES
Recycling
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the local authorities and their associations in Wales regarding the need for supplementary credit approvals specifically earmarked for the encouragement of recycling initiatives in Wales ;
(2) what provision he intends to make concerning supplementary credit approvals for local authorities and voluntary bodies in Wales for initiatives to encourage recycling.
Mr. David Hunt : Capital resources in Wales are distributed by means of unhypothecated formulae which have the support of the local authority associations. This method of distribution of resources was introduced so that local authorities can determine individually how the resources made available are spent.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has had from local authorities and voluntary bodies in Wales regarding the absence of any funds earmarked for the encouragement of recycling initiatives.
Mr. David Hunt : Two letters have been received as well as a number of telephone inquiries.
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South Glamorgan Training and Enterprise Council
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan training and enterprise council concerning the provision of (a) new offices and (b) training facilities for the TEC, both in the immediate needs and for the medium term.
First Aid
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will introduce an education support grant specifically for the training of first-aiders in educational establishments ;
(2) if any specific financial support is made available by his Department to ensure that the guidance in the Welsh Office circular entitled "Arrangements for First Aid in Schools and Colleges", and advice in other publications is implemented in schools and colleges.
Sir Wyn Roberts : First aid provision in educational establishments forms part of the normal responsibilities of local education authorities. Their expenditure on such provision is supported by revenue support grant and I have no plans for further support by way of education support grant. The 1991-92 local authority revenue support settlement allows for a 7.9 per cent. increase in education spending at an all-Wales level.
Next Steps
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those bodies currently with agency status within his Department under the next steps initiative ; and whether he has identified any further candidates for agency status under the initiative within his Department.
Mr. David Hunt : There is currently one executive agency within my Department, Cadw Welsh Historic Monuments executive agency. Work is proceeding in concert with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to establish the agricultural Development Advisory Service as a joint England and Wales Agency in April 1992. I am actively reviewing other functions discharged by my Department with a view to applying next steps principles to them.
Welsh Language Bill
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he received from the Welsh Language Board a copy of its final draft for a new Welsh Language Act ; and on how many occasions since then he or an official of his Department, has met representatives of the Welsh Language Board to discuss that draft Bill.
Sir Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend received a final draft copy of the Welsh Language Board's report on its legislative proposals on 9 January of this year. Welsh Office officials have subsequently been considering the board's proposals. We will be meeting the chairman of the board to discuss this matter on 23 May.
Sheep and Beef Producers
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total payment made last year to sheep and beef producers in Wales under the EC scheme for
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less-favoured area support ; and how much more would have been paid if the United Kingdom Government had allowed such payments to be made to the full EC maximum permitted level last year, and not limited by the United Kingdom restriction level.Mr. David Hunt : A total of £33.3 million was paid out to 15,103 hill livestock compensatory allowance claimants in 1990. The United Kingdom financial limits led to payments to 529 claimants being reduced by a total of £220,949--0.66 per cent. of the total expenditure. The amount that would have been payable if the United Kingdom had adopted the EC maximum limits could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.
Footpaths and Bridleways
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by year for the last 10 years, and for the current year to date, the number of (a) public footpaths and (b) public bridleways that have been (i) created and (ii) closed to the general public.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is not held centrally.
Correspondence
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state on what date he received a letter posted by Gwynedd county council on 12 March, concerning the community charge transitional relief and alleged inconsistencies in this scheme within the county of Gwynedd ; on what date a reply was sent ; and if he will make a statement on the issues raised by this letter.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The letter from Gwynedd county council dated 12 March 1991 was not received. A copy of the letter was received from the county council on 14 May 1991. A reply has been sent.
Towyn Floods
Sir Anthony Meyer : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to make further grant payments under the Bellwin scheme to local authorities in north Wales which were involved in carrying out emergency works following the flood emergency at Towyn.
Mr. David Hunt : As my hon. Friend will know, I have already made payments under the Bellwin scheme, amounting to over £2 million, to local authorities in Wales which were directly affected by the severe weather during the Winter of 1989-90. In the case of the north Wales flooding, one of the ways in which I recognised the exceptional nature of the problems was by extending the deadline for receipt of authorities' final audited claim forms to 30 June 1991.
Parliamentary approval to payment of grant in respect of these claims is being sought in a summer supplementary estimate on the "rate rebates, community charge reduction grants and flood and storm emergency services, Wales" vote--class XVI, vote 11. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure on meeting mature claims will be met by a repayable advance of £500,000 from the Contingencies Fund.
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Opencast Mining
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the planning appeals relating to opencast coalmining sites in Wales currently under consideration by his Department.
Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 20 May 1991] : The information is as follows :
Llanilid West, Mid Glamorgan
Brynhenllys, Powys
Bannel Bridge, Clwyd
Park Slip West, Mid Glamorgan
Graweth Farm, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan
In addition, the planning application for an opencast coal mine at Pwll Du has been called in for determination by the Secretary of State. The cases are at various stages in their determination.
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