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Mr. Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide financial assistance to (a) Warwick District Council, (b) Wychavon District Council and (c) Northamptonshire Police Authority under the Bellwin scheme in respect of costs incurred following the severe flooding on the weekend of 9 to 12 April. [54815]
Ms Armstrong: I am satisfied that financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme is justified in these cases. Schemes will, therefore, be established under section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Grant will be paid to each authority to cover 85 per cent. of eligible costs which are above a threshold and which have been incurred by the authority in dealing with the flooding.
Ms Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his decision on the Local Government Commission's recommendations on the future of local government in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton; and if he will make a statement. [54873]
Ms Armstrong:
I am today announcing that we have decided to accept the Local Government Commission's recommendation for no change in the structure of local government in Sefton. I believe this will be the most satisfactory way forward for the whole of Sefton in terms of effective and convenient local government. We have also decided to accept the Commission's recommendations for minor changes to electoral arrangements in the borough.
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Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will provide financial assistance to North Wiltshire District Council under the Bellwin scheme in respect of costs incurred following the discovery of two World War II bombs in Chippenham on 12 and 13 February. [54874]
Ms Armstrong:
I am satisfied that financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme is justified given the exceptional circumstances in this case. A scheme will, therefore, be established under section 155 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Grant will be paid to cover 85 per cent. of eligible costs which are above a threshold and which have been incurred by North Wiltshire District Council in dealing with this incident.
Mr. Burgon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has reached conclusions on his review of policy on environmental information for consumers, and on the Financial Management and Policy Review of the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board; and if he will make a statement. [54155]
Mr. Meacher:
These reviews have been taking place against a background of helpful developments at EU level. EU institutions have recently been considering the future direction of the EU ecolabelling scheme, while interest has been growing in a more integrated approach to policy on consumer products and the environment. The UK Presidency tabled these issues for discussion at the Council of Ministers in June. There was a very constructive debate, which gave some clear guidance about future revision of the ecolabelling regulation and confirmed a close interest among member states in work being developed by the Commission on an integrated policy for products and the environment.
Against this background, the Government propose to look afresh at ways of stimulating a more sustainable market in consumer products, including more effective ways of informing consumers about the benefits. This will involve consideration of a range of approaches depending on the specific characteristics of products and the way they are consumed. I shall be issuing a strategy paper later this summer which will set out our analysis of the issues, our view on the part that can best be played by different instruments, and some specific propositions for future action on which we will be seeking views.
To help take matters forward, I intend setting up a new advisory panel to assist my Department across the range of product-related issues. The panel will be asked to advise on the development of strategic product policies, priorities and mechanisms for national approaches to labelling, and practical action to raise the standard of information available in the market. Membership of the panel will be drawn from a range of stakeholder interests, and make use of experience already available within the UK Ecolabelling Board (UKEB).
On the "prior options review" of UKEB itself, copies of the report are being placed in the Library of the House. The text is also available on request from my Department and will be placed on its Internet site.
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UKEB was set up under the European Communities Act 1972 with the sole purpose of administering the EU ecolabelling scheme. Unfortunately, that scheme has had only limited impact in the market; the level of take-up is still low and is not expected to increase dramatically in the foreseeable future. The review found that UKEB has done a good job in these difficult circumstances. I endorse this view and pay tribute to the dedicated work done by the Board members and staff of UKEB to advance the EU ecolabelling scheme. However, in the circumstances of low market take-up of the label, and bearing in mind that UKEB's duties could not be widened without new legislation, the Government would not feel justified in retaining an executive Non-Departmental Public Body solely to administer this function.
The Government will therefore be formally winding up UKEB later this year, at which point the role of "UK Competent Body" under the EU ecolabelling regulation will be taken on by my Department while wider policies are being developed. The new advisory panel will be asked to assist the Department in this work by offering advice on strategic ecolabelling issues. The EU scheme is a valuable voluntary instrument, with potential for influencing consumer choice across the single market, but experience has shown that it will need to operate within a wider framework of measures if it is to make a significant contribution. In aiming to develop a more comprehensive approach to consumer products and the environment, the Government hope to unlock more of the potential which schemes such as this offer.
Mr. Burgon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what analysis his Department has undertaken of the incidence effects of changing the basis of charging for domestic water and sewerage services. [54136]
Mr. Meacher:
My Department will today publish research carried out by the consultancy firm Maxwell Stamp to examine the incidence effects of changing the basis for charging for domestic water and sewerage services in England and Wales. The alternatives to the current rateable value based bills examined as part of this research are council tax based charges, flat rate charges and a number of measured tariffs.
This research was taken into account when writing the "Water Charging in England and Wales--A New Approach" Consultation Paper, and will also inform our decisions in light of responses to that Consultation Paper.
Mr. Burgon:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will be consulting on options for amending the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997; and if he will make a statement. [54156]
Mr. Meacher:
I am today placing in the Library a copy of the Government's consultation document on amendments to the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997.
The consultation document puts forward a number of options and proposals for modifying the Regulations and many of those reflect the recommendations made at the end
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of June by the Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP), chaired by Sir Peter Parker. The ACP undertook a review of the Regulations in the first part of this year and have, in particular, advised that, at this early stage, adjustments to the Regulations should be kept to the minimum in order to minimise uncertainty, and encourage investment in the collection and reprocessing infrastructure for packaging recycling and recovery. The Government also need to be assured that the requirements of the Regulations will be sufficient to enable the UK to meet the targets in the EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste in 2001. The options and proposals in the paper are therefore designed to ensure the smooth working of the Regulations in order to meet our objectives.
The document invites views on the options presented for changes to the Regulations. Decisions on any changes to the system will be made on the basis of the views received in response, and will of course be subject to Parliamentary approval later in the year.
Hon. Members may wish to note that this document is relevant to a number of the issues that were raised by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee in its Sixth Report, Substantial Waste Management. The Government are preparing a full response to the Committee's recommendations, including those relating to the management of packaging waste, and hope to publish it shortly.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement concerning the case of R v. Bristol City Council ex parte Everett (The Times 21 May 1998) with reference to the implications for the health and safety of tenants whose properties may be structurally unsafe. [50738]
Mr. Meacher
[holding answer 16 July 1998]: The circumstances of this case do appear to be somewhat special. I understand that it is likely that there will be an appeal and no further comment would be appropriate at this stage.
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