§ Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for the period from 1989 to date those works carried out by North West Water to achieve environmental improvements which were(a) required by statute and (b) undertaken without statutory requirement by the company; and if he will publish the cost benefit information on the works listed in each category. [47540]
§ Angela EagleGovernment set the statutory framework for water quality standards. The Environment Agency, through its monitoring and enforcement functions, has responsibility for ensuring that the water quality standards set by statute are met. It is for the privatised water companies to determine how those standards are met. In some cases, water companies may elect to exceed statutory requirements. The Director General of Water Services, as financial regulator of the privatised water companies, has responsibility for ensuring that water companies meet both statutory requirements and discretionary improvements in a cost-effective manner.
Information on the works undertaken to meet statutory requirements and discretionary improvements is not held centrally.
Name of agency 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 Highways Agency — — 2,115,465 1,854,510 1,651,520 1,555,145 Vehicle Certification Agency1 -93 -96 -250 -22 -44 -120 Maritime & Coastguard Agency2 — — 79,238 83,393 88,747 83,247 Vehicle Inspectorate3 1 1 1 0 0 1 Driving Standards Agency4 1,629 1,540 1,567 1,050 921 1 Planning Inspectorate 21,296 25,661 23,065 24,579 21,238 22,951 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 685 6,951 6,561 6,171 4,792 7,484 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 162,617 165,226 172,095 173,345 178,342 155,041 1This Agency was subject to a net running cost control regime and receipts more than offset voted expenditure 2Launched on 1 April 1994 as two agencies (Coastguard Agency and Marine Safety Agency). The two agencies were merged on 1 April 1998 3The Inspectorate operates as a trading fund and has only a token Vote 4The Agency commenced operation as a trading fund with effect from 1 April 1997 Grant-in-aid (in £000s) paid to non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department in 1992–93
Name of body 1992–93 1993–94 1994‒95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 Housing Corporation 2,303,900 2,539,987 2,098,693 1,732,140 1,655,398 1,476,477 Castle Vale HAT — 2,000 6,400 11,787 11,464 18,800 Liverpool HAT — 16,000 13,715 17,340 20,750 18,800 North Hull HAT — 26,500 27,450 17,000 17,000 2,381 Stonebridge HAT — — 850 2,750 5,320 9,000 Tower Hamlets HAT — 8,600 6,900 10,043 9,800 10,000 Waltham Forest HAT — 22,000 36,650 23,168 22,530 30,100 Black Country UDC 59,650 52,150 40,000 23,500 20,800 20,000 Birmingham Heartlands UDC 5,490 10,200 7,500 8,500 8,000 — Bristol UDC 22,900 12,800 8,000 — — — Central Manchester UDC 17,225 6,500 8,800 6,125 — — Leeds UDC 7,790 4,700 3,591 — — — London Docklands UDC 156,455 105,364 70,700 64,500 54,680 59,600 Merseyside UDC 32,000 22,447 17,000 20,600 15,950 18,300