§ Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision other than supplementary credit approvals has been made by central Government for local authorities in respect of their responsibilities in relation to contaminated land under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in each year since 1993; and what provision he expects to be made in this respect for future years. [7920]
§ Mr. Clappison[holding answer 6 December 1996]: Each year, the Government set a level of revenue spending—total standard spending, or TSS—which they consider appropriate for local authorities, in aggregate, to spend. TSS is made up from seven main service blocks. Provision for local authorities' existing expenditure on contaminated land under the statutory nuisance regime in part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 forms part of the other services block, as will revenue spending under the specific contaminated land regime in part IIA of that Act when those provisions are brought into force.
In deciding on the appropriate level of TSS each year, the Government take account of all spending pressures faced by local authorities, as well as the scope for efficiency savings and what the country as a whole can afford. TSS, however, is the Government's assessment of the appropriate level of spending in total. It is not possible to identify how much has been included to meet individual burdens or pressures.
Apart from the contaminated land supplementary credit approval programme, no specific provision is made by central Government for capital expenditure by local authorities in relation to their responsibilities for contaminated land under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.