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Non-domestic Rating
Mr. McNulty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for legislation on valuation for non-domestic rating; and if he will make a statement. [54063]
Ms Armstrong: In its decision dated 11 March 1998 in the case of Benjamin v Anston Properties, the Lands Tribunal decided that, in valuing a property for non-domestic rating purposes, it cannot be assumed that the property is in a reasonable state of repair if, on the material day, it is not. This decision runs counter to the approach adopted for compiling and maintaining rating lists under the Local Government Finance Act 1988. The Government therefore propose to introduce legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows to reverse the effect of the Lands Tribunal decision.
It is intended that this legislation will have effect from 1 April 1990, when the first rating lists under the 1988 Act were compiled. However, outstanding cases in which the proposal for reduction in the rateable value was made on or before 11 March 1998, will not be affected.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government will undertake public consultation on the review of legislation relating to the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. [54134]
Mr. Meacher: I announced on 8 April 1998, Official Report, columns 306-07, that we would review the legislation relating to the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, with a view to identifying any barriers preventing the Agencies from taking an integrated approach to the environment. We are issuing the relevant consultation paper today, copies of which have been placed in the Library. We are sending it to a wide range of bodies, and publishing it on the Internet.
Countryside and Rural Programmes
Mr. Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out his spending plans for the countryside and rural programmes of his Department following the Comprehensive Spending Review. [54135]
Mr. Meacher:
The review of countryside and rural policy, conducted jointly by my Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has concluded that there is a strong case for Government intervention to support rural communities, protect the landscape and wildlife resources of the countryside, and promote access to and enjoyment of the countryside. This Government want to see a living, working and sustainable countryside, and are determined both to increase resources towards meeting these objectives, and to improve the co-ordination and delivery of countryside and rural programmes in the future.
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Support for individual DETR agencies or programmes will be as follows:
English Nature's allocation will rise from £38.5 million in 1998-99 to £44.6 million in 1999-2000. This will allow the agency to continue and develop its nature conservation work, deliver obligations under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, improve the management of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and accelerate the implementation of the Biodiversity Action Plan's species and habitats plans. We have asked English Nature to assist its smaller voluntary partners to play a full part in the Biodiversity Action Plan process.
The merged agency to be formed on 1 April 1999 from the Rural Development Commission and the Countryside Commission will receive an increase of £8.68 million in 1999-2000. This will give the agency an effective start by strengthening its work protecting and conserving the natural landscape, supporting rural communities, and promoting access to and enjoyment of the countryside, and will also provide for pilot projects. Part will be used for necessary restructuring costs.
The National parks and Broads Authority grant will increase from £17.412 million in 1998-99 to £19.277 million in 1999-2000.
Support for the National Forest Company will increase from £2.5 million in 1998-99 to £3.1 million in 1999-2000, to help meet its planting targets, increase the resources available for partnership formation and bidding, and begin to develop the tourism potential of the Forest.
Funding for DETR's countryside research will grow from £1.527 million in 1998-99 to £1.727 million in 1999-2000, and countryside publicity from £0.257 million in 1998-99 to £0.317 million in 1999-2000.
In addition to increasing resources, we also intend to improve the delivery and co-ordination of programmes for the countryside. The Regional Development Agencies, which will begin operation in April next year, will be responsible for developing an integrated approach to economic development and regeneration in rural areas, in a way that contributes to sustainable development. At the centre, DETR and MAFF already work closely together in many ways, but there is room for improvement in the way the Government deliver rural policy in an integrated way. Together with the decision already taken to merge the Rural Development and the Countryside Commissions from 1 April 1999, we will be taking forward steps to improve co-ordination of the countryside programmes across the two Departments, to ensure that our countryside and rural policy objectives are fully met.
Further decisions on the level of resources for the following two years will be announced in 1999, in the light of the joint financial planning to be developed by DETR and MAFF.
Mr. Burgon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish his response to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee's report on Sewage Treatment and Disposal, HC 266-I of Session 1997-98. [54147]
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Mr. Meacher:
I will be laying before the House tomorrow the Government's formal response to the Second Report of the Environmental, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee on Sewage Treatment and Disposal tomorrow. Copies will be placed in both Libraries of the House.
Within days of taking office, we called a Water Summit to signal our intention to ensure a world-class, water efficient, environmentally sustainable water industry. We remain firmly committed to that goal. We welcomed the publication of the Select Committee's report as an important contribution to the debate.
Within our broad objective, the Government's response to the Select Committee will set out significant elements of our approach to the quality of the water environment. Our approach will strike a balance between the need for and value of environmental improvements by the water industry and the need to protect consumers from large increases in their water bills as a result of those improvements.
Mr. Stephen Twigg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the National Disability Council will report on its activities during the 1997-98 financial year. [54064]
Ms Hodge:
I am pleased to announce that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has today laid the National Disability Council's third annual report before Parliament. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries.
The Council has worked very hard during the year on an impressive array of initiatives and to develop proposals for a code of practice on improved rights of access to goods and services for disabled people. These new rights will be introduced in October 1999. The Council, therefore, has another busy year ahead as it consults on and refines the proposals. I look forward to continuing to work with the Council on this and on other initiatives to help end discrimination against disabled people.
Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects the report of the quinquennial review of the Equal Opportunities Commission to be published; and if he will make a statement. [52504]
Ms Hodge:
We expect to publish the report immediately after the summer adjournment.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will ensure that all year 11 pupils receive information on appropriate post-16 providers who operate courses in their immediate locality. [52809]
Mr. Mudie:
To improve the current system of providing information on post-16 learning opportunities, the Government have proposed that careers services, in
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their role as independent broker, are best placed to take responsibility for ensuring that all young people in years 10 and 11 have access to the full range of information at times, and in ways, appropriate to their needs. To do this, careers services would need to work closely with local schools, colleges and other training providers and arrangements for the provision of this information would be agreed locally.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many full-time students in higher education are currently enrolled on design-related courses; and how many there were (a) five and (b) 10 years ago. [52291]
| Academic year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1987-88 | 18.6 |
| 1992-93 | 31.8 |
| 1997-98(2) | 44.7 |
(1) In former UFC establishments in the GB, and former polytechnics, HEIs and FEIs in England
(2) Provisional
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