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Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (i) how many grants have been paid under the home energy efficiency scheme in 1996-97 to date; and how many of these grants have been paid at the lower rate; [6587]
- (2) how many grants he expects to be paid under the home energy efficiency scheme during 1996-97; how many of these are expected to be paid at the lower rate; and if he will make a statement. [6588]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: A total of 288,525 grants were paid between 1 April and 31 October, the most recent date for which figures are available; 1,351 were paid at the lower rate. I estimate that 406,000 grants will be paid in 1996-97 under this scheme, which has already helped over 2 million vulnerable households. A total of 2,300 of these grants are expected to be at the lower rate. The 1997-98 output will be boosted by the proposed 3 per cent. increase in the allocation. I intend soon to announce changes to the structure of the scheme to make it more flexible and even better value for money.
Homelessness (North-West)
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people have been housed by each local authority in the north-west during the last five years under housing legislation relating to homelessness. [6658]
Mr. Clappison: There is a table in the Library that shows the numbers of households accepted for re-housing by each local authority under the homelessness legislation, for each year since 1980.
Prisoners (Rents)
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce measures to prevent local authorities and housing associations (a) charging rent to tenants who are in custody and (b) charging rent for four weeks to offenders who relinquish tenancy on arrest. [6654]
Mr. Clappison: None. Rent collection is a matter for local authorities and housing associations. The Government encourage local authorities and housing associations to collect rent due and to pursue rent arrears.
Planning Guidance
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the provision in PPG13
3 Dec 1996 : Column: 572
in respect of new dwellings for agricultural and forestry workers to give greater priority to the environmental disadvantages of frequent commuting. [6787]
Sir Paul Beresford: We have no plans to do so.
Housing (Fire Safety)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if local authorities which implement a registration scheme for houses in multiple occupation under the Housing Act 1996 will be required to provide the local fire authority with details of all premises registered with them so that the fire service may make such inspections as are necessary under section 1(1)(d) of the Fire Services Act 1947 relating to the siting and layout of the properties. [5714]
Mr. Clappison: Section 1(1)(d) of the Fire Services Act 1947 places a duty on fire authorities to secure efficient arrangements for obtaining information about the character of buildings for fire-fighting purposes. Local housing authorities are required by law to make available for public inspection the information contained in their registers of houses in multiple occupation. Fire authorities will therefore be able to obtain this information if required.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding the revised consultation procedures between fire authorities and local authorities under section 75(3) of the Housing Act 1996; and what assessment he has made of whether such procedures will ensure the safety of tenants in such properties, in case of fire. [5715]
Mr. Clappison: The Housing Act 1996 provides for a range of measures to secure improved standards in houses in multiple occupation particularly for fire safety. Local authorities will retain the prime responsibility for enforcing fire safety standards in HMOs but will be required to consult with the fire authorities where enforcement action is required in specified categories of high risk HMOs. I announced on 26 November, Official Report, column 147, the issues of a consultation paper setting out details of the secondary legislation we propose. Copies are available in the Library.
Departmental Properties
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those departmental responsibilities which relate to (a) England, (b) England and Wales, (c) England, Wales and Scotland and (d) the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the approximate proportion of the time and budget of his Department which exclusively relates to each of the above categories. [5960]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Department of the Environment's responsibilities, which are set out in the Department's annual report, generally relate to England only. The main exceptions are:
England and Wales
Drinking Water Inspectorate
Environment Agency
England, Wales and Scotland
Policy responsibility for the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Countryside research and long-term monitoring programme
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- Sponsorship of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee
CITES licensing
Registration of birds (Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981)
Monitoring and encouraging action to reduce Government Departments' empty residential properties.
Maintenance of qualification list for building contractors and consultants wishing to undertake Government contracts (NB--the list is available for use in Great Britain and to a limited extent in Northern Ireland.)
Health and Safety Commission/Executive
British Waterways
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Policy responsibility and UK lead Department for:
EC Birds Directive
EC Habitats Directive
UK Biodiversity Action Plan
International Conservation Conventions (Bern, Bonn, Ramsar)
Sponsorship of HOMES (Housing Organisation and Mobility Exchange Schemes)
Environmental protection, including leading in international fora, in consultation with the relevant Northern Ireland Departments and the relevant Scottish and Welsh Offices
UK Round Table on Sustainable Development
Panel on Sustainable Development
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.
Show Houses
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) under what statutory provisions local authorities may levy the uniform business rate on show houses; and if he will make a statement; [6772]
- (2) if he will make a statement on the steps which he is taking to assist the housebuilding industry with particular regard to reducing the regulatory and local government tax burden. [6773]
Sir Paul Beresford: Show houses are non-domestic under section 66 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Local authorities are obliged, under paragraphs 1 to 4 of schedule 9 to the 1988 Act, to levy non-domestic rates on all non-domestic property, apart from those which are exempt.
The rates bill on over 1 million small properties in 1997-98 in England and Wales will be held at this year's level under measures recently announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Budget. Nearly all show houses are likely to benefit from these measures.
Mr. Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the law with respect to the levelling of local government taxes on show houses following the case of Ideal Homes v Ian Walker heard by the rating tribunal in 1995; and if he will make a statement. [6774]
Sir Paul Beresford:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, North-West (Sir M. Grylls) on Monday 2 December 1996, Official Report, column 487.
3 Dec 1996 : Column: 574
Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated, into the use of economic measures in the control of pollution (i) in general and (ii) in the water sector. [7156]
Mr. Clappison:
In 1993 the Government published "Making Markets Work for the Environment", a statement of both policy and practice, intended to facilitate the introduction of market-based methods for the improved delivery of environmental policy objectives. This was based on extensive evaluation of research conducted within Government, in academic and other research organisations and in international organisations including the OECD. Since then the Government have kept the extensive body research literature under review, and supplemented this evaluation by specific commissions covering all sectors of environment policy.
Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the environmental technology best practice programme is devoted to (a) schemes to reduce effluent discharges and (b) schemes to reduce demand for water. [7159]
Mr. Clappison:
Committed expenditure under the environmental technology best practice programme on water and effluent projects is currently 41 per cent. Eight per cent. of this expenditure is on projects with a focus on water minimisation; 22 per cent. is on projects with a focus on effluent reduction; and 11 per cent. is on projects that cover both areas.
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