§ Mr. Ron Thomasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make' more resources available by grant or otherwise to local authority departments of environmental health to enable them to monitor and control emissions of dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere and air pollution in areas where there is a high concentration of chemical plants such as at Avonmouth, Bristol; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:Where works arc registered under the Alkali Act, the control of emissions is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Alkali and Clean Air Inspectorate. The Inspectorate will where necessary require emissions to be monitored or carry out its own monitoring.
Local authorities are responsible for the control of emissions from other premises. They also have power, under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, to require information about emissions from any premises in their area and may monitor the quality of the general atmosphere there.
ESTIMATED* AMOUNTS FOR 1977–78 £million Housing Revenue Account England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland † Total Supervision and management expenditure 330.2 13.5 26.0 7.3 377.0 Repairs and maintenance expenditure 449.6 27.1 75.0 20.2 571.9 Gross rent income (unrebated) 1,382.0 77.2 183.9 38.3 1,681.4 Rent rebates paid 315.1 9.5 27.4 2.6 364.6 *subject to adjustment on audit. † Housing administered by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, a public body with broadly the same range of housing duties as a local authority.