HC Deb 28 February 1991 vol 186 cc575-6W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who in his Department has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.

Mr. David Hunt

I have taken personal charge on environmental issues and the follow up to the Environment White Paper published last September.

Local Authority Persons registered for the community charge1 Persons in receipt of community charge benefit2 Persons in receipt of community charge benefit and receiving income support2 3
Alyn and Deeside 55,360 10,700 5,000
Colwyn 42,714 N/A N/A
Delyn 50,852 N/A N/A
Glyndwr 31,647 6,500 2,800
Rhuddlan 44,221 11,600 6,100
Wrexham Maelor 88,462 21,900 9,600
Carmarthen 42,537 7,100 4,000
Ceredigion 53,303 7,700 4,400
Dinefwr 29,590 6,200 2,700
Llanelli 57,913 16,300 8,000
Preseli Pembrokeshire 51,889 11,600 6,500
South Pembroke 31,135 6,300 3,800
Blaenau Gwent 58,152 17,500 8,500
Islwyn 50,567 9,400 5,600
Monmouth 58,658 7,600 3,900
Newport 101,455 29,800 14,500
Torfaen 68,288 17,200 9,000
Aberconwy 40,867 8,200 4,400
Arfon 43,134 11,900 6,500
Dwyfor 20,835 4,900 2,300
Meirionnydd 25,344 5,100 2,500
Ynys Mon 51,711 13,100 6,400
Cynon Valley 49,536 15,500 9,100
Merthyr Tydfil 44,832 13,500 7,600
Ogwr 102,021 28,000 11,400
Rhondda 59,902 19,000 9,900
Rhymney Valley 77,050 22,100 13,100
Taff Ely 73,449 16,100 8,200
Brecknock 31,262 N/A N/A
Montgomeryshire 40,772 5,600 2,900
Radnorshire 18,036 2,700 1,500
Cardiff 218,353 50,900 31,300
Vale of Glamorgan 84,286 15,700 9,900
Lliw Valley 47,274 12,200 6,100
Neath 50,118 13,400 6,100

Environmental issues are an integral part of the work of civil servants in a range of Welsh Office divisions. Staff and financial resources are devoted as necessary to these responsibilities.

Work in progress includes, for example, the two major initiatives by the Welsh Development Agency which I announced last September—"Landscape Wales" and "Urban Development Wales"—on which the agency will spend about £34 million this year. Also the 1991–92 urban programme package which I announced in December, and which now stands at £6.6 million, will support many environmental improvements in the Principality. It is important too to promote knowledge and understanding amongst the young and that is why I was pleased to announce last September a competition for both primary and secondary schools in Wales on environmental issues.