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Column 549
Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 16 June 1993
TRANSPORT
Red Star Parcel Service
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the sale of the British Rail Board's Red Star Parcels business will commence.
Mr. MacGregor : The board has today invited prospective purchasers of its Red Star parcels business to apply for an information memorandum describing the business and the proposed basis for sale. The closure date for receipt of detailed proposals is 13 August 1993.
Mersey Ferries
Ms Eagle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requests he has received to end the royal charter which currently covers ferry services across the River Mersey.
Train Accident, York
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cause of the train accident at York on 23 April which involved hospital treatment of injured persons ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail is at present conducting an inquiry into the events which led to this accident. Until conclusions are reached, I am unable to comment on the cause, but I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate is keeping closely in touch with BR on this matter. The inspectorate will consider the report of the BR inquiry in due course and take any necessary action.
M1 to M62 Link Road
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account was taken of the desirability of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the cost benefit analysis for the M1 to M62 link road.
Mr. Key : The reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is not a factor in the Department's cost benefit economic analysis.
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had from hon. Members, lobby groups, businesses and the general public with regard to the M1 to M62 link road.
Mr. Key : The public consultation has so far resulted in : 58 parliamentary questions
137 letters from hon. Members to Ministers
718 letters from the public to Ministers
over 1,500 letters to officials
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12 petitions containing over 20,000 signaturesMr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to seek private sector finance for the M1 to M62 link road.
Mr. Key : Although this scheme is at an early developmental stage, we would be willing to consider any approaches from the private sector about financial involvement.
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received since the formal consultation process ended from local authorities with regard to the M1 to M62 link road.
Mr. Key : Representations have so far been received from Kirklees metropolitan district council and the City of Wakefield MDC since the end of the consultation period.
Railway Centre, York
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will establish a permanent working group incorporating (a) his Department, (b) British Rail, (c) York Chamber of Commerce, (d) relevant local authorities and (e) other relevant interests for the promotion and protection of the Greater York area as a railway centre.
Mr. Freeman : I would be happy to meet hon. Members and representatives of the local authorities and the York Chamber of Commerce to discuss the impact of our proposals for the railways on the York area. I will write to the hon. Member and other hon. Members concerned with proposals for such a meeting.
Is Your Flight Affected by a Royal Flight"
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Civil Airports Authority regarding the leaflet it has distributed to airfields entitled "Is Your Flight Affected by a Royal Flight"; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : None. The leaflet advertises a free telephone service which provides aviators with up-to-date information on temporarily restricted airspace which they should avoid, for their own safety and the safety of others. Royal flights are not the only reason why a temporary restriction might be imposed, as the leaflet indicates.
Forward Look
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will designate one of his Ministers to be responsible for his Department's contribution to the Government's science and technology Forward Look.
Mr. MacGregor : Paragraph 2.37 of the recent White Paper "Realising Our Potential--A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology" describes the preparation of the Forward Look by the Office of Science and Technology, and the participation of Government Departments through the existing, well-established machinery of the official and ministerial Cabinet Committees on Science and Technology.
Near-market Research
Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is with regard to the funding of near-market research.
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Mr. MacGregor : I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.20 to 2.22 of the White Paper "Realising Our Potential--A Strategy for Science, Engineering, and Technology".
Coastguard
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many auxiliary coastguard (a) patrol hours and (b) training hours were worked in each coastguard district in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 ; and how many are expected to be worked in the current year.
Mr. Norris : The historic information on the patrol and training hours could be given only at disproportionate cost. The estimate for the current years figures for the coastguard districts are as follows :
----------------------------------- Aberdeen |1,644 |3,982 Shetland |0 |2,500 Pentland |972 |4,860 Forth |1,284 |3,144 Tyne Tees |1,560 |2,860 Humber |2,540 |4,672 Yarmouth |2,424 |3,840 Thames |6,160 |3,500 Dover |4,778 |4,040 Solent |8,250 |4,422 Portland |7,354 |5,163 Brixham |10,362|3,850 Flamouth |8,758 |9,120 Swansea |3,990 |5,620 Milford Haven |1,272 |3,700 Holyhead |2,210 |3,060 Liverpool |3,363 |3,540 Clyde |2,200 |2,667 Oban |5,892 |4,320 Stornoway |2,612 |7,136 Belfast |2,904 |2,208
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money his Department has provided for auxiliary coastguard pay and allowances (a) excluding and (b) including training costs in each coastguard region in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 at 1979 values.
Mr. Norris : The information in the form required is not readily available and could be given only at a disproportionate cost. The total auxiliary coastguard pay and allowances, including training costs, for coastguard regions for financial years in actual prices are as follows :
Region |1990-91|1991-92|1992-93
|£ |£ |£
-----------------------------------------
Aberdeen |201,889|187,103|200,123
Yarmouth |181,201|181,597|219,218
Dover |115,344|149,805|251,839
Falmouth |448,425|439,077|379,940
Swansea |297,384|287,035|337,332
Clyde |191,330|221,988|237,354
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many auxiliary coastguard (a) patrol hours and (b) training hours were worked in each coastguard region in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 ; and how many are available in the current year.
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Mr. Norris : The historic information on the patrol and training hours could be given only at disproportional cost. The estimate for the current years figures for the coastguard regions are shown as follows :
Region |Patrol hours |Training hours ------------------------------------------------------------ Aberdeen |13,020 |14,486 Yarmouth |6,524 |11,372 Dover |19,188 |11,962 Falmouth |26,474 |18,133 Swansea |10,835 |15,920 Clyde |13,608 |16,331
Railway Vandalism
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 27 May, Official Report, column 687, what information he has on how many of the offences of vandalism on rail lines received sentences of four years' imprisonment and on the nature of the offences in each such case.
Mr. Freeman : The information in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
British Rail (Appointments)
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of Railtrack's senior appointments come from (a) BR, (b) his Department, and (c) elsewhere ; and how pay levels for people in (a) and (b) have altered.
Mr. Freeman [pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1993, column 165] : Mr. Horton's appointment as chairman-designate of Railtrack was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, on 2 February 1993, during the second reading debate of the current Railways Bill. With effect from 3 February, Mr. Horton's salary was increased from £28,640 to £120,000, in recognition of the extra work and responsibilities he was being asked to take on, in planning and implementing the creation of Railtrack, in addition to his ongoing duties as a member and vice-chairman of the BR board.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
High Court Judges
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by year for the last five years, and for this year to date, the number of barristers asked but who have declined to become High Court judges.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Set out below are the numbers of practitioners who have consented, and declined, to allow their names to be recommended to Her Majesty the Queen for immediate appointment to the High Court Bench in each of the last five years, and so far this year. All those who declined, with one exception, have made it clear that they hope to be considered again for appointment to the High Court Bench in the future.
|Numbers consented|Numbers declined
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |7 |-
1989-90 |8 |-
1990-91 |2 |-
1991-92 |7 |1
1992-93 |19 |6
<1>1993-94 |8 |2
<1> to date.
Legal Services Ombudsman
Mr. Heald : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects publication of the second annual report of the legal services ombudsman.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The legal services ombudsman has today published his second annual report and copies have been placed in the Library.
ENVIRONMENT
Environment Statistics
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department's 15th "Annual Digest of Environment Statistics" was published ; how many copies were printed ; at what cost ; and to whom the digest is being distributed.
Mr. Yeo : The 15th annual "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" was published on 27 May 1993. It is on sale through bookshops, priced £14.95. Her Majesty's Stationery Office has printed 1,500 copies, of which my Department has purchased 450. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and have been sent to other Government Departments, to those who contributed data and information and to other contacts.
Council Tenants
Mr. Congdon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority the number and total value of cash incentive grants made to council tenants in 1992-93.
Mr. Baldry : The table shows the number of value of cash incentive scheme grants made to local authority tenants in 1992-93 under section 129 of the Housing Act 1988.
Local Authority cash incentive schemes-grants and expenditure 1992-93
Local authority |Number of grants |Total expenditure
|(£000)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern
Aylesbury Vale<1> |8 |154
Basildon<1> |14 |226
Braintree<1> |3 |22
Broxbourne<1> |10 |180
Castle Point<1> |6 |91
Colchester<1> |29 |491
Dacorum |29 |612
East Hertfordshire<1> |24 |531
Epping Forest |2 |24
Huntingdon |22 |177
Luton<1> |20 |344
Maldon<1> |5 |100
Mid Bedfordshire<1> |11 |160
Milton Keynes<1> |10 |150
North Hertfordshire<1> |6 |68
Peterborough |10 |101
Rochford<1> |8 |173
St. Albans<1> |19 |302
Southend<1> |8 |100
South Norfolk |4 |44
Stevenage<1> |9 |140
Three Rivers<1> |12 |86
Watford<1> |14 |167
London
Barnet<1> |32 |1,250
Bexley<1> |20 |369
Brent<1> |221 |4,000
Bromley |17 |179
Camden<1> |52 |1,017
City of London<1> |5 |92
Croydon<1> |136 |2,337
Ealing<1> |87 |1,148
Enfield<1> |71 |1,368
Greenwich<1> |57 |583
Hackney<1> |73 |933
Hammersmith and Fulham<1> |69 |1,101
Haringey<1> |69 |1,449
Harrow<1> |47 |987
Havering<1> |17 |123
Hillingdon<1> |78 |1,846
Hounslow<1> |71 |1,034
Islington<1> |119 |2,759
Kensington and Chelsea<1> |41 |850
Kingston upon Thames |17 |299
Lambeth<1> |46 |920
Lewisham<1> |25 |328
Merton<1> |27 |475
Newham<1> |51 |750
Redbridge<1> |8 |149
Richmond<1> |84 |1,382
Southwark<1> |15 |198
Sutton<1> |26 |462
Tower Hamlets<1> |25 |412
Waltham Forest<1> |52 |796
Wandsworth<1> |125 |2,481
Westminster<1> |80 |1,598
South East
Adur<1> |21 |302
Arun<1> |11 |110
Brighton<1> |21 |298
Canterbury<1> |20 |263
Cherwell<1> |5 |48
Chichester<1> |18 |214
Dartford<1> |9 |175
Dover<1> |24 |447
Eastbourne<1> |11 |176
Eastleigh<1> |16 |198
East Hampshire<1> |5 |80
Elmbridge<1> |3 |52
Fareham<1> |4 |76
Gillingham<1> |30 |359
Gosport<1> |6 |96
Gravesham<1> |6 |60
Guildford<1> |5 |132
Hart<1> |4 |92
Hastings<1> |13 |112
Havant<1> |10 |147
Horsham<1> |6 |102
Hove<1> |7 |88
Lewes<1> |15 |150
Maidstone<1> |5 |107
Mole Valley<1> |8 |112
New Forest<1> |16 |211
Oxford<1> |3 |41
Portsmouth<1> |162 |1,943
Reading<1> |23 |446
Reigate and Banstead<1> |11 |220
Rother<1> |8 |130
Runnymede<1> |2 |40
Rushmoor<1> |28 |420
Shepway<1> |6 |111
Slough<1> |57 |580
Southampton<1> |68 |445
Spelthorne<1> |4 |321
Tandridge<1> |5 |60
Test Valley<1> |15 |215
Thanet<1> |8 |133
Waverley<1> |4 |76
Wealden<1> |10 |200
West Oxfordshire<1> |6 |107
Windsor and Maidenhead<1> |14 |150
Woking<1> |17 |365
Wokingham<1> |8 |160
Worthing<1> |5 |75
East Midlands
Daventry |7 |70
East Northamptonshire |20 |120
South Kesteven |6 |36
West Midlands
Malvern Hills |1 |10
Solihull |4 |23
Stafford |12 |94
Wyre Forest |6 |50
South West
Bournemouth |19 |165
Cheltenham |25 |249
Cotswold |5 |34
Exeter |5 |49
Kennett |4 |40
Kerrier |1 |5
Kingswood |1 |5
Mendip |10 |120
Penwith |5 |50
Poole |15 |103
Purbeck |2 |20
Restormel |1 |8
Stroud |10 |100
Taunton Deane |21 |162
Teignbridge |3 |22
Yorkshire and Humberside
Hambleton |2 |18
|------- |-------
Total |3,094 |50,226
<1> Expenditure fully or partially funded from additional £30 million made
available to local authorities in London and South-East England as part of the
autumn statement package to stimulate the housing market and help relieve
homelessness.
Water Charges
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the possibility of water companies using council tax banding rates for charging purposes.
Mr. Baldry : Many customers have expressed the view that the fairest way of paying for water and sewerage services is in relation to the amount used. There is no evidence as yet that council tax banding provides a reasonable proxy for water usage.
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Air Pollution, London
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of air pollution in London ; what targets he has for reducing it ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Air quality is currently monitored automatically at four sites in London by my Department.
So far this year the air quality measured at these four sites has been "good" or "very good" on at least 96 per cent of days. On occasions particularly during hot sunny weather, photochemical smog may be produced which can lead to poor air quality.
The main source of air pollution in London is vehicle exhaust emissions. Measures to deal with such emissions include the requirement for catalytic converters on new cars from 1 January this year. This will reduce emissions from each car by at least 80 per cent. In addition, the MOT emission check introduced for cars from 1 November 1991 should secure substantial reductions in carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. A metered smoke test was introduced in the annual test for heavy diesels on 1 September this year.
Council Tax, Harlow
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the substance of representations he received other than from Harlow district council in deciding on the limits to be imposed on the council's rates for council tax for 1993-94.
Mr. Baldry : We received representations from both of the main opposition groups on Harlow council, and from the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes). The Conservative group suggested various options for reducing the authority's expenditure, criticised a number of policy decisions taken by the authority and considered that a budget of about £11.5 million for 1993-94 would be achievable. These representations were supported by the hon. Member for Harlow. The Liberal Democrat group considered that the final cap should be higher than our proposed cap but lower than the authority's alternative.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which representations made on behalf of Harlow district council in relation to the probable consequences of reductions in net expenditure contemplated by his proposed council tax cap he has rejected.
Mr. Baldry : Before taking his decision on the level of the final cap for Harlow my right hon. Friend took account of all the relevant available information, including all representations, both written and oral, made by and on behalf of the authority in support of its alternative cap.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment from which hon. Members he has received representations about council tax capping for (a) Harlow and (b) Castle Point for 1993-94.
Mr. Baldry : We have received representations from the hon. Members for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) and for Castle Point (Dr. Spink) on capping for 1993 -94 in relation to Harlow and Castle Point respectively.
Column 557
Radon
Sir Roger Moate : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received from the National Radiological Protection Board about the number of deaths and incidence of lung cancer attributable to the presence of radon in houses ; what assessment he has made of the results of the programme to tackle the radon problem ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) estimates that 2,000 cases of lung cancer per annum are attributable to the presence of radon in houses. Measurements of radon have been made in 140,000 houses and 35,000 more are being processed. The Government's programme to identify homes with radon levels above the action level is continuing, and is subject to continuous assessment.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are taken to ensure that expenditure and revenue controls imposed on a local authority by his Department are not so substantial or at such short notice as to make the reduction unreasonably difficult to achieve.
Mr. Baldry : In recent years, as local authorities themselves requested, we have announced our provisional capping criteria well in advance of the date by which they must set their budgets. Before proposing a cap for any authority designated for capping, my right hon. Friend takes into account all available relevant information. It is then open to an authority to challenge its proposed cap and to suggest some higher alternative. The supporting case made by the authority and all other relevant available information about its circumstances is carefully considered before a decision is taken on its final cap. That final cap must in the view of my right hon. Friend be reasonable, achievable and appropriate in all the circumstances of the authority.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the five highest year-on-year reductions in net expenditure required of a local authority to bring its budget into conformity with the controls imposed under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, since the Act came into force.
Mr. Baldry : The Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 contains no provisions relating to the reduction of local authorities' expenditure.
Merseyside Development Corporation
Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what major developments are projected within the Merseyside development corporation area for the next five years.
Mr. Baldry : Merseyside development corporation has a substantial programme of encouraging major developments throughout the designated area. MDC's policies are discussed at the ministerial corporate plan meeting and with officials at Merseyside task force throughout the year. MDC's strategy is to secure the self-sustaining regeneration of Merseyside and great emphasis is placed on
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attracting investment to the area. Twenty- two major developments are projected within MDC's area over the next five years. These include five developments on land not owned by the corporation but which could require MDC support.The list is as follows :
South Liverpool
Riverside Housing Area
Herculaneum--Commercial Development
Brunswick Business Park--Further refurbishment of
industrial/commercial units
East Brunswick Housing Site
South Ferry Island--Commercial/residential development
Liverpool Waterfront
Kings Dock--Leisure development
Princes Dock --Commercial/residential/leisure
Baltic Triangle--Office development
Albert Dock--Commercial/leisure
North Liverpool
Sandhills Business Park--Industrial development
BEOCO Site --Mixed use/office/business park/retail
North Liverpool Industrial Area--Industrial development
Vauxhall Housing Area--Social/low cost housing
Waterloo Dock --Further housing
Birkenhead
12 Quays
Rose Brae Phases I and II--Residential development
Scottsfield--Commercial/industrial development by Hanks Group plc. Green Lane--Commercial/industrial development
Cammell Lairds --In ownership of VSEL
New Brighton Area
Kings Esplanade Site--Leisure
Victoria Parade Site--60 residential units
Bootle
Port expansion --Port related activities, warehousing etc.
Non-MDC land/property.
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