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Air Sampling
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the locations of the air sampling station used for official purposes in Greater London ; and what assessment he has made as to the adequacy of the range of samples for the safeguarding of the public.
Mr. Yeo : The Government are advised on their monitoring strategy by the Department of the Environment's independent export review groups : the quality of urban air review group ; the photochemical oxidants review group ; and the review group on acid rain. Advice concerning potential health effects is provided by Department of Health independent export groups, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes.
The location of the Department of the Environment's automatic and non- automatic air quality monitoring sites in Greater London are given in the tables.
Site type |Location
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automatic
Enhanced urban site |Camden (Bloomsbury)
Hydrocarbon site |Camden (University College)
Hydrocarbon site |Greenwich (Eltham)
NOx, O, CO, SO2 |Westminster (Bridge Place, Victoria)
NOx, CO |Kensington and Chelsea (Earls Court)
NOx, CO, SO2 |Kensington and Chelsea (Cromwell Road)
Non-automatic
Smoke and sulphur |Croydon
dioxide<1> |Ealing (2)
|Enfield
|Greenwich (2)
|Hackney
|Harrow
|Islington
|Kensington and Chelsea
|Lambeth
|London (City)
|Redbridge
|Tower Hamlets
|Westminster
Nitrogen dioxide<1> |Barking
(4 diffusion tubes in |Barnet
each borough) |Brent
|Bromley
|Camden
|Ealing
|Enfield
|Greenwich
|Hackney
|Havering
|Hillingdon
|Islington
|Kensington and Chelsea
|Lambeth
|London (City)
|Southwark
|Waltham Forest
|Westminster
Toxic organic |Marsham Street, Victoria, Westminster
micropollutants
Multi-element and lead |Neasden, Brent
|Cromwell Road, Kensington and Chelsea
|Bridge Place, Victoria, Westminster
<1>Monitoring undertaken in collaboration with local authorities.
Bathing Water
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the quality of sea water off the beaches in and adjacent to the Castle Point constituency meets the European Community directive on bathing water standards.
Mr. Yeo : The results of water quality monitoring in the 1993 season for bathing waters in the area are shown in the Department's press release No. 818 copies of which have been placed in the Library.
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the results of the study into the effects on health of sea water bathing around the British coastline which was conducted by pilot study in collaboration with the University of Wales water research centre ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : A report on the pilot study was published on 19 June 1990 and placed in the Library.
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the results of the sea water bathing health study which took place at Southend on Sea on 4 July 1992 ; and what implications can be drawn from that study on the advisability of sea water bathing in and around the Castle Point constituency.
Mr. Yeo : The study at Southend in 1992 forms part of the four-year programme of research at a number of locations on which the final report will be published shortly.
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is safe to bathe from beaches serving the coastline in and adjacent to the Castle Point constituency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Safety will depend on a large number of factors including wind, wave and tidal conditions and the competence of the bather. Methods of risk assessment are described in "Safety on British Beaches" published by
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RoSPA and RLSS UK. The advice from the Department of Health is that there is minimal risk of serious disease from swimming in British coastal waters.Civil Servants
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department (a) the total number of people employed, (b) the total number of black people and (c) the total number of Asians.
Mr. Gummer : The total numbers, and the numbers of black and Asian staff at each grade level are as follows :
|Total in grade |Black |Asians (excluding Chinese)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 1 |1 |0 |0
Grade 2 |7 |0 |0
Grade 3 |34 |0 |0
Grade 4 |7 |0 |0
Grade 5 |144 |0 |0
Grade 6 |309 |1 |0
per cent. |0.3
Grade 7 |776 |8 |2
per cent. |1.0 |0.3
SEO and equivalent |740 |3 |12
per cent. |0.4 |1.6
HEO and equivalent |981 |18 |24
per cent. |1.8 |2.4
EO and equivalent |1,224 |28 |42
per cent. |2.3 |3.4
AO and equivalent |1,601 |131 |76
per cent. |8.2 |4.7
AA and equivalent |790 |65 |36
per cent. |8.2 |4.6
|------- |------- |-------
Total |6,614 |254 |192
per cent |3.8 |2.9
<1>Figures are for permanent full time and part-time non-industrial staff, including those in agencies based on those who have
responded to ethnic origin surveys as at 1 October 1993. Respondents account for 91 per cent. of all staff; a total of 510
respondents-7.7 per cent. of all staff overall-are of ethnic minority origin.
London : Making the Best Better"
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount paid to the Evening Standard for distributing and advertising the questionnaire and document "London : Making the Best Better" ; if separate amounts where payable for (i) distribution and (ii) advertising ; if any advertisements were provided free of charge as part of a distribution package ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Information about the amount paid to the Evening Standard is commercial in confidence.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a full list of all polling organisations who were consulted about draft copies, or asked to undertake pilot studies, in connection with his questionnaire accompanying "London : Making the Best Better" ; what was the total cost involved in such pilot studies or consultations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The organisations invited to tender to undertake a pilot study on the questionnaire accompanying the document "London : Making the Best Better" were
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MORI, NOP and the London Research Centre. The contract was awared to MORI, at a total cost of £4,500 including VAT.Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what who was responsible for printing copies of the documen, "London : Making the Best Better" and the accompanying questionnaire.
Mr. Gummer : The Department of the Environment was responsible for printing both the booklet amd the questionnaire. The work was competitively tendered and the contract awarded to Flair Press Ltd.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the task of analysing replies to the document "London : Making the Best Better" has been put out to tender.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer10 December 1993] : No. The analysis of the replies is being undertaken within my Department.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many replies so far received to the document "London : Making the Best Better" questionnaire have been deemed invalid.
Mr. Gummer [holding answer 10 December 1993] : Of about 6,500 replies received so far, under 30 are unusable.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider including within the remit of the new agency for environmental protection responsibility for the promotion of recycling and environmentally friendly technology.
Mr. Yeo : The proposed environment agency will bring together the work of the National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the local authority waste regulators. The detailed functions, powers and duties of this new agency are still under consideration.
Sewage Sludge
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the successive estimates given by his Department of the cost of ending sewage sludge dumping in Britain, together with the names of the external consultants employed to assist with the preparation of such estimates.
Mr. Yeo : The Department said in October 1990 in evidence to the House of Lords Committee on the European Communities, that the initial estimate was of the order of £200 million. In the document "Paying for Quality" published by the Director General for Water Services in July 1993 an estimate of capital costs of around £440 million was given. Further estimates are now being made by the sewerage undertakers in preparation for their submissions to the director general in the context of the current periodic review of price limits.
Coal Workings (Toxic Leaks)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he plans to ensure that leakage of toxic substances from coal workings will continue to be dealt with following privatisation ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Yeo : It is for mineowners to ensure that they comply with any discharge consents determined by the National Rivers Authority. The Government will ensure that British Coal's current responsibilities with regard to the physical legacy of mining will be carried forward after privatisation.
Harzardous Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be put in place to replace Directive 78/319/EEC on toxic and dangerous waste.
Mr. Yeo : The Council of Ministers has agreed that member states will continue to apply the provisions of this directive, which is repealed on 12 December, until the Hazardous Waste
Directive--91/689/EEC--comes into force in the spring of 1995. In the United Kingdom this agreement will be effected by retaining waste management controls including the 1980 Special Waste Regulations. The regulations will be revised to implement the new directive ; they will be the subject of future consultation.
Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the United Kingdom's submission to the European Commission under article 37, provisions of the Euratom treaty concerning radioactive waste discharges from THORP.
Mr. Yeo : The "General Data" required to be provided to the EC Commission under article 37 of the Euratom treaty on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield, have been placed in the Library of the House. The Commission gave a favourable opinion on this plant as published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 21 May 1992.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what expenditure was incurred by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1991-92 and 1992-93, and what is the projected expenditure for 1993-94, on work contracted out in sampling and monitoring ;
(2) what expenditure was incurred by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1991-92 and 1992-93, and what is the projected expenditure for 1993-94, on work contracted out in research on areas other than preparation for technical guidance ; (3) what expenditure was incurred by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1991-92 and 1992-93, and what is the projected expenditure for 1993-94, on work contracted out in information technology ;
(4) what expenditure was incurred by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1991-92 and 1992-93, and what is the projected expenditure for 1993-94, on work contracted out in preparation for technical guidance ;
(5) what expenditure was incurred by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1991-92 and 1992-93, and what is the projected
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expenditure for 1993-94, on work contracted out in management consultancy services other than information technology.Mr. Yeo : The information is as follows :
£ million
|1991-92 |1992-93 |Projected 1993-94
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sampling and monitoring |1.3 |1.6 |2.0
Research |6.0 |4.9 |4.0
Information technology |0.4 |1.4 |1.4
Technical guidance |0.6 |1.0 |0.4
Management consultancy |0.3 |0.7 |0.9
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the current minimum standards of qualification and industrial experience required by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution for new entrants (a) to the pollution inspector grade and (b) to the assistant pollution inspector grade ; and if he will make a statement on planned changes in these requirements.
Mr. Yeo : New entrant pollution inspectors and assistant pollution inspectors require a relevant honours degree or equivalent qualification. They must also possess relevant professional experience--normally at least five years for pollution inspectors and two years for assistant pollution inspectors--ideally in a process industry. In addition, they must hold a current United Kingdom driving licence. There are no plans to change these requirements.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the salary costs of civil service staff working for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in each of the financial years 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94, and what are the projected salary costs for 1993-94, for (a) inspectoral staff and (b) all other staff.
Mr. Yeo : The information is as follows--in £ million :
|1991-92 |Projected 1992-93|1993-94
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspectors' salaries |4.5 |5.3 |7.2
Other salaries |2.1 |3.3 |4.6
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of external entrants to (a) the pollution inspector grade and (b) to the assistant pollution inspector grade in each year since 1984 ; and if he will make a statement on planned changes to the ratio of PIs to APIs at recruitment.
Mr. Yeo : The pollution inspector and assistant pollution inspector grades were not established until 1989 and 1990 respectively. Recruitment since then is as follows :
Number of external recruits
[NL] |Date of recruitment campaign|PI
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |8 |-
1990 |36 |7
1991 |32 |9
1992 |24 |1
Recruitment from each campaign is geared to HMIP's needs at the time and not to any predetermined PI/API ratio.
Correspondence
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to give a substantive reply to the matters raised with him in a letter dated 16 October by Occan and Morton consultants of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Mr. Baldry : The matters raised in this letter have already been dealt with in official correspondence and in correspondence from the authors of the report by Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd.
National Rivers Authority
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of funding for the National Rivers Authority in 1990, 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Yeo : Grant-in-aid paid to the National Rivers Authority was £99.518 million in 1990-91, £83.850 million in 1991-92 and £81.802 million in 1992-93. The reductions are more than offset by increases in income from non-grant sources. Expenditure on grant-aided functions increased by £14 million to £188 million between 1990- 91 and 1992-93.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the expected level of funding for the National Rivers Authority in 1994 and 1995.
Mr. Yeo : The public expenditure plans announced on 30 November envisage grant-in-aid funding to the National Rivers Authority of £67.861 million in 1994-95 and £59.876 million in 1995-96. Year on year reductions in grant support largely reflect efficiency savings, and increases in forecast income.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement of the reasons for the cuts in National Rivers Authority funding for 1993-94.
Mr. Yeo : Since the 1992 autumn statement there have been no reductions in grant-in-aid provision for the National Rivers Authority for 1993-94. However, I understand that the authority may underspend its provision.
Ecclesiastical Buildings
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he is considering in relation to the way in which listed building consent is unnecessary in connection with ecclesiastical buildings owned by the Church of England.
Mr. Baldry : Responsibility for the subject of this question is a matter for the Secretary of State for National Heritage.
Urban Regeneration Agency
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations the Urban Regeneration Agency has had with local authorities ; and if he will list those authorities.
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Mr. Baldry : David Taylor, the chief executive, and his senior staff are undertaking an extensive programme of regional visits to help inform the development of English Partnerships--the Urban Regeneration Agency-- strategy. On each visit they have met representatives from several of the region's local authorities. I will ask Mr. Taylor to write to the hon. Member with a list of the local authorities concerned. Mr. Taylor is also about to meet representatives from local authority associations and individual authorities to discuss the development of a unified financing regime for English Partnerships. In addition, my Department has consulted all local authorities on our draft guidance to English Partnerships which was published in August 1993.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment where the Urban Regeneration Agency is to be based.
Mr. Baldry : English Partnerships--the Urban Regeneration Agency-- will have a strong regional structure including a small London office. Its central administrative functions will be based outside London. Other decisions on the locations of its offices have yet to be taken.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on progress in establishing the Urban Regeneration Agency ;
(2) if he will state the budget for 1993-94 and 1994-95 for the Urban Regeneration Agency.
Mr. Baldry : The Urban Regeneration Agency, under its new name of English Partnerships, was launched on 10 November. It has taken over from my Department responsibility for the city grant programme with a budget for the remainder of 1993-94 of £34 million. From April 1994, it will incorporate the derelict land grant and English Estates programmes. For 1994-95, English Partnerships will have a budget of around £250 million including grant-in-aid and estimated receipts from its own activities and the European Union.
City Pride
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the budget for city pride for the years 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Mr. Baldry : No specific resources are set aside for city pride.
Allerton Estate, Bradford
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to announce his decision in relation to the estate action bid, submitted by Bradford council, to regenerate the Allerton estate ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : I expect to announce decisions on this and other bids for estate action resources later this month along with local authority HIP allocations.
Local Government Review
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the more strategic functions which will have to be done at a level above unitary councils referred to in the Minister's letter of 22 November to all hon. Members.
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Mr. Baldry : My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Planning had land use planning particularly in mind. Annex B of the policy guidance which we have issued to the Local Government Commission suggests that shared arrangements may also be necessary for functions like transport planning, library and archive services, or emergency planning. Paragraph 17 of that guidance draws attention to the special position of law and order services, where the combining of local government areas may be necessary in order to preserve appropriate structures.
Ozone-depleting Substances
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to imposing a ban on the sale of fridges that use ozone-depleting substances and global warming gases ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The production of chlorofluorocarbons is to be phased out in 1995, and the use within the European Community of
hydrochlorofluorocarbons in 2015. The use of HCFC's as refrigerants in domestic fridges and freezers will be banned from 1996, and in industrial refrigeration from 2000. There are no restrictions on the use of HFC's as refrigerants. These have some global warming potential but are essential to enable the industry to move away from ozone-depleting CFC's and HCFC's.
These controls provide strong encouragement to the fridge manufacturing industry to move out of ozone-depleting substances. A ban on sales would not conform to current deregulation initiatives, nor to our commitments under the Montreal protocol. It would threaten free trade within the single market. It would cost jobs and severely hamper the competitiveness of British industry. For these reasons, the Government do not feel that a ban on sales would be appropriate.
Housing
Mr. Milligan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the names of the authorities to be included in the programme for housing transfers by councils in 1994-95
Sir George Young : I am today announcing the names of the 12 authorities who will be able to proceed, on a voluntary basis and subject to the approval of their tenants, with proposals to transfer their housing stock to housing associations during 1994-95. I am pleased that 14 authorities responded to our invitation and that, as a result of an expanded programme, it has been possible to programme some 50,000 dwellings.
The 12 authorities which have successfully gained a place on the 1994-95 disposals programme, together with the 15 intended recipient housing associations are as follows :
(a) (i) a disposal by Basingstoke and Deane borough council to Basingstoke and Upper Test Housing Association of not more than 4,900 dwelling houses ;
(ii) a disposal by Basingstoke and Deane borough council to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Housing Association of not more than 4,800 dwelling houses ;
(b) a disposal by Castle Point borough council to Castle Point Housing Association of not more than 1,900 dwelling houses ; (
(c) (i) a disposal by Cherwell district council to Banbury Homes Housing Association of not more than 3,483 dwelling houses ;
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(ii) a disposal by Cherwell district council to Cherwell Valley Housing Association of not more than 3,489 dwelling houses ; ((d) a disposal by Harborough district council to South Leicestershire Housing Association of not more than 2,853 dwelling houses ;
(e) a disposal by Maldon district council to Plume Housing Association of not more than 2,100 dwelling houses ;
(f) a disposal by Malvern Hills district council to Elgar Housing Association of not more than 4,900 dwelling houses ;
(g) a disposal by Mid Beds district council to Mid Beds Housing Association of not more than 3,015 dwelling houses ;
(h) a disposal by North Dorset district council to North Dorset Housing Association of not more than 3,000 dwelling houses ; (
(i) a disposal by Thanet district council to Thanet Community Housing Association of not more than 1,760 dwelling houses ; (
(j) a disposal by Vale of White Horse district council to the Vale Housing Association of not more than 5,000 dwelling houses ; (
(k) a disposal by Walsall metropolitan borough council to Beechdale Community Housing Association of not more than 1,548 dwelling houses ;
(l) (i) a disposal by Wychavon district council to Evesham and Pershore Housing Association of not more than 4,144 dwelling houses ; and
(ii) a disposal by Wychavon district council to Droitwich Spa and Rural Housing Association of not more than 2,626 dwelling houses. The programme comprises some 50,000 dwellings valued at more than £560 million.
Section 135 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 enables the Secretary of State to control housing stock disposals through this annual programme.
Construction Industry
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received a copy of the interim report by Sir Michael Latham to the joint review of procurement and contractual arrangements in the United Kingdom construction industry.
Mr. Baldry : Sir Michael Latham has now presented his interim report, which was due before the end of the year, and I have received a copy. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library. I announced the appointment of Sir Michael as the independent reviewer for the joint Government/industry review of procurement and contractual arrangements in the United Kingdom construction industry to the House on 5 July this year.
Sir Michael's final report will be completed in July 1994 and will contain recommendations to Government and other bodies about practical reforms to reduce conflict and litigation and to encourage productivity and competitiveness.
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