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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 16 December 1996
ENVIRONMENT
Battersea Power Station
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when Battersea power station was closed as an electricity generating station. [8715]
Sir Paul Beresford: I understand that operations ceased in 1982.
Transport Schemes
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations his Department has had concerning the regulations making utilities liable for 18 per cent. of the costs of diversionary works for major transport schemes. [9295]
Mr. Clappison: Discussions have taken place at official and ministerial level with the Department of Transport which has the main responsibility for the legislation in question and these are still continuing Consultations have also taken place with the national joint utilities group.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution he estimates the private finance initiative will make to the capital programme of local authorities. [7789]
Mr. Curry: We have announced support for up to £50 million of PFI investment in 1996-97, and £200 million in 1997-98. The public private partnerships programme has recently announced a series of PFI pathfinder projects which are expected to be signed during the next 18 months.
Personal Social Services Funding
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the 1996-97 and 1997-98 standard spending assessment control totals for personal social services--PSS--by sub-block, putting the 1996-97 figures on the same basis as those for 1997-98, adjusted for changes in function and with the community care special transitional grant--STG--added to PSS control totals for 1996-97; what was the percentage change in each total so calculated; and if he will relate the above figures to the totals for funding for personal social services. [9046]
Sir Paul Beresford: The information on standard spending assessments is set out in the table. Funding for local authorities comes from specific and special grants and from the general revenues of the local authority. Specific and special grants for personal social services are proposed to be £453.9 million in 1997-98. Other forms
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of revenue funding are not hypothecated so it is not possible to determine their contribution to funding personal social services.
| Adjusted 1996-97 (£ million) | Provisional 1997-98 (£ million) | Change (Percentage) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social services | 1,754.7 | 1,754.7 | 0.0 |
| Elderly residential social services | 2,557.5 | 2,558.3 | 0.0 |
| Elderly domiciliary social services | 1,599.9 | 1,599.9 | 0.0 |
| Other social services | 1,479.2 | 1,479.2 | 0.0 |
Waste Management (Costs)
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the on-cost to business of the implementation of the European initiated waste management strategy; and if he will make a statement. [8961]
Mr. Clappison: The European initiated waste strategy does not have any legal force and as such it has no direct cost implications for business. It is simply a review, largely summarising existing EU policies, which will provide a framework for future work.
Any specific proposals which may arise as a result will of course require a compliance cost assessment to be undertaken before passing into United Kingdom law. We would also expect the Commission to produce a fiche d'impact. In negotiations for any future proposals, the UK will always take into consideration the important balance between the need to improve environmental standards and practices against the costs to industry.
Care (Accommodation)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what discussions he has had regarding accommodation for young people with welfare agencies; [9205]
- (2) if he will estimate the number of care leavers who are at present seeking accommodation; [9209]
(3) what proposals he has to assist care leavers to find accommodation; [9207]
(4) if he will list the figures for care leavers in (a) Coventry and (b) the west midlands seeking accommodation; [9210]
(5) what discussions he has had with charities with special reference to Barnardos and the Children's Society regarding accommodation for care leavers. [9208]
Mr. Clappison: Ministers and officials in the Department have contact with many organisations to discuss and seek views on a range of housing issues, including the housing needs of young people such as care leavers. For example, the views of Barnardos and the Children's Society were obtained to inform the drafting of the code of guidance on parts VI and VII of the Housing Act 1996. On 20 January 1997, section 179 of that Act will come into force, requiring local housing
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authorities to ensure that advice and information about homelessness and the prevention of homelessness is available to anyone in their area, including care leavers.
On 1 April 1997, provisions in the 1996 Act will come into force requiring local housing authorities to give reasonable preference in the allocation of social housing to people with a particular need for settled accommodation on welfare grounds, which can include care leavers and other young people at risk. These new measures complement social services authorities' duties and powers under the Children Act 1989 to assist care leavers, and housing authorities' duties under the homelessness legislation to ensure that vulnerable young people who become homeless unintentionally have access to suitable accommodation. My Department does not collect data on the numbers of care leavers seeking accommodation.
Uniform Business Rate
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been conducted (a) by and (b) on behalf of his Department, on the impact of the uniform business rate on small businesses in (i) urban and (ii) rural settings; and if he will publish the findings.[9211]
Sir Paul Beresford: Research into the impact of non-domestic rates costs on different types of business, conducted by IFF Research Ltd. on behalf of my Department, was published in February 1995.
Housing Registers
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to publish the new code of practice for housing registers. [9206]
Mr. Clappison: The new code of guidance on the allocation of local authority housing and homelessness, issued under parts VI and VII of the Housing Act 1996, was published on 31 October. Copies have been sent to all local housing authorities in England.
Telecommunications Antennae
Sir Michael Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the results of his Department's consultation on amending the planning controls regarding the installations of telecommunications antennae. [9153]
Sir Paul Beresford: The Government expect to make an announcement shortly.
Housing Resources
Mr. Stephen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to make an announcement about the distribution of housing resources for 1997-98.[9602]
Mr. Curry: I am today announcing decisions about the distribution of resources for housing in 1997-98.
Councils will receive housing investment programme allocations totalling nearly £900 million for 1997--98. Under the competitive HIP process, we have again been able to direct funding to those councils which are best able to make use of them.
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Within the HIP programme, £628 million is for general purpose allocations, or housing "annual capital guidelines". For the first time this year, these have been allocated on a fully competitive basis in line with the Government's move towards increased challenge and competitive funding as a means of improving the allocation of capital funding and the value for money obtained.
In addition to these annual capital guidelines, £193 million has been allocated for private sector renewal and £56 million for disabled facilities grant. These have also been allocated on a fully competitive basis.
As part of the assessment of its performance, each local authority is required to submit a housing strategy statement, setting out a comprehensive framework for housing programmes for at least the next three years, covering not only the plans of the local authority, but the contribution to be made by the private housing sector. The strategy is prepared in consultation with all those interested in the local housing scene, including the Housing Corporation, housing associations, tenants' groups and the private sector. Once again, there is a continuing improvement in the performance of the great majority of local authorities.
I am depositing tables in the Library of the House listing each authority's annual capital guideline and allocations for private sector renewal and disabled facilities grants for 1997--98. Together these comprise the HIP allocation. In addition, I am depositing a list of the authorities whose performance is assessed as being well above the average for their region.
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