HC Deb 06 April 1978 vol 947 cc196-204W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish details of the boards, commissions, committees or other types of organisations established by his Department since October 1974, giving in each case the purpose of the organisation, the chairman's and members' salaries and expenses, and the total cost of the organisation for each year since 1974.

Mr. Shore

Details of the bodies set up since October 1974 are given below. Neither the chairmen nor the members of these bodies are or were salaried, though some are and were paid fees. Details of the expenses paid to the chairmen and members could be compiled only at a disproportionate cost to public funds.

A. LIST OF EXISTING BODIES SET UP SINCE OCTOBER 1974
Name of Body Date set up Membership Salaries/Fees Purpose
Area Archaeological Advisory Committees (13). 1975 … … … Each Committee consists of a Chairman and not more than 17 members. All unpaid … … To advise on policies and priorities for surveys and rescue excavations, on applications for grants and on the need for support facilities to ensure completion and publication for reports.
Commission of Energy and Environment. Set up jointly by the Secretaries of State for Energy, Environment, Scotland and Wales in March 1978. Chairman plus 10 members. All unpaid … … To advise on the inter-action between energy policy and the environment.
Committee on Recreation Management Training. December 1976 … Chairman plus 10 members. All unpaid … … To review and make recommendations on the training of staff (in both the public and private sectors) in the management of resources and facilities for sport whether outdoors or indoors and all forms of outdoor recreation, whether in town or country.
Committee on Sculpture in the Royal Parks. March 1977 … … Chairman plus 8 members (includes 2 civil servants). All unpaid … … To supervise arrangements for exhibitions of sculpture in the Royal Parks.
Construction Industry Manpower Board. February 1976 … Chairman plus 6 members. Chairman receives £26 per day, all the members are unpaid. To advise on: (a) the extent and effect of sub-contracting by the self-employed in the construction industry in the light of Government measures to tackle the abuses of 'the lump' and of developments in the industry generally, and on (b) the desirability of statutory or other measures to increase the stability of employment in the construction industry and, in particular, the desirability of establishing a statutory authority to implement measures for that purpose which could also include a register of employers and employees.
Detergents and Allied Products—Voluntary Notification Scheme, Scrutiny Group. 1976 … … … Chairman plus 8 members (includes 4 civil servants). Chairman receives £15.75 per day, all the members are unpaid. To consider notifications made to DoE by manufacturers who are proposing either a change in the formulation of an existing product or the introduction of a new material which, in their opinion, may leave a significant effect on the environment; to evaluate information supplied with notifications and to make further enquiries as necessary. To advise the Secretary of State in the event of difficulties arising in reaching agreement with the manufacturer as to the environmental acceptability of the product.
Name of Body Date set up Membership Salaries/Fees Purpose
Hadrian's Wall Advisory Committee. November 1977 … Chairman plus 9 members. All unpaid … … To advise the Department on archaeological research and rescue policies on Hadrian's Wall, on the protection and preservation of the monuments, and, when appropriate, upon all other archaeological matters relating to the Roman frontier system.
Hadrian's Wall Museum Liaison Committee. January 1978 … … Chairman plus 6 members. All unpaid … … To link the museums in the Hadrian's Wall area for the exchange of ideas, expertise, the co-ordination of policy and, where appropriate, the policy of resources to the mutual benefit of the institutions concerned.
Housing Corporation Advisory Committee on Co-operatives. January 1976 … … Chairman plus 12 members. All unpaid … … To provide guidance to the Housing Corporation in their role of advising housing co-operatives.
Housing Services Advisory Group. December 1975 … Chairman plus 13 members. All unpaid … … (i) To consider the form and role of the Housing Service Advisory Unit; (ii) to identify the field which the Housing Service should embrace; (iii) to identify, examine and provide guidance on the handling of specific issues.
New Towns Staff Commission November 1976 … Chairman plus 2 members. Chairman receives £26 per day, all members £22 per day. To provide advice on the arrangements necessary for the protection of the interests of staff affected by housing transfer schemes.
Ordnance Survey Review Committee. January 1978 … … Chairman, Deputy Chairman plus 8 members (includes 2 civil servants). Chairman receives £27 per day, all the other members are unpaid. Taking account of the views of users and other interested parties, in the context of national surveying and mapping needs, to consider and make recommendations about the longer term policies and activities of the Ordnance survey and ways of financing them.
Regional Councils For Sport and Recreation (9). 1976 … … … Each Council consists of a Chairman, Vice/Deputy Chairman and not more than 5 members. All unpaid … … The aims of the regional councils are to prepare long term strategies for the provision of sport and recreation facilities in their regions.
Scientific Authority for Animals January 1976 … … Chairman plus 13 members. All unpaid … … To advise the Department on the operation in the United Kingdom of the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which is implemented in this country by the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976.
Name of Body Date set up Membership Salaries/Fees Purpose
Waste Management Advisory Council. December 1974 … Joint Chairmen (Ministers of DoE and DTI). The Council is currently being reorganised and membership is likely to be reduced from 32 to 16 members. All unpaid … … To keep under review the development of waste management policies in the United Kingdom having regard to the need to secure the best use of resources and the safe and efficient disposal of wastes; to give particular consideration to ways of reclaiming materials from waste, recycling techniques, the inter-relationship of waste utilisation and waste disposal and the reduction on transformation of waste arising; to consider the technical, economic, administrative and legal problems involved; to consider the programme of research and development and to make recommendations.
B. LIST OF BODIES SET UP SINCE OCTOBER 1974 BUT NOW DISBANDED
Name of Body Date set up Membership Salaries/Fees Purpose
Advisory Group on Commercial Property Development (The Pilcher Group). January 1975 … … Chairman plus 9 members. All unpaid … … To examine the arrangements for carrying out development of commercial property and the part played by investors, developers and local authorities; to consider how these may change; and to advise the Secretary of State, either generally or on issues referred to them.
Committee of Inquiry into Remuneration of Members of Local Authorities (Robinson Committee). November 1976 … Chairman plus 4 members. Chairman received £25 per day, all members received £21 per day. To examine all aspects, other than traveling and subsistence allowances, of the present system of payment under the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 of local authority elected and co-opted members including any anomalies in the system, consideration of its alleged abuses and its social security implications; to consider alternative systems and their consequences; and, having regard to the requirements of pay policy and the present severe constraints on local authority expenditure, to make recommendations.
Name of Body Date set up Membership Salaries/Fees Purpose
Construction Exports Advisory Board. August 1975 … … Chairman, Vice-Chairman plus 9 members (includes 2 civil servants). All unpaid … … To advise the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Trade on the selection of firms or groups of firms to pursue particular construction projects overseas; and generally, on ways of harnessing additional resources in the constructional industries, and associated professions, to meet export opportunities.
Construction Industry Liaison Group. March 1975 … … Chairman (Minister for Housing and Construction or the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State) plus 9 members. All members were unpaid. To consider and keep under regular review the situation in the construction industry, with particular reference to the balance of supply and demand and the planning and other measures needed to enable them to meet future increases in demand quickly and economically.
Housing Policy Review Advisory Group. April 1975 … … Chairman plus 14 members. All unpaid … … To monitor the work undertaken within the Government on housing matters, so as to ensure that it is adequate and consistent with outside experience.