| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Housing Capital Funding
Sir Michael Grylls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to make an announcement about the distribution of housing capital funding for 1996-97. [6790]
Mr. Curry: I am today announcing decisions about the distribution of capital funding for housing in 1996-97.
Councils will receive housing investment programme allocations totalling over £1.2 billion for 1996-97. Under the competitive HIP process, we have again been able to direct funding to those councils that are best able to make use of them.
Within the HIP programme, £943 million is for general purpose allocations, the housing "annual capital guidelines". As last year, these have been allocated 40 per cent. on the basis of a statistical assessment of local housing needs and 60 per cent. on a competitive basis related to performance.
As part of the assessment of its programme, each local authority is required to submit a housing strategy statement, setting out a comprehensive framework for housing programmes for at least the next three years, covering not only the plans of the local authority but the contribution to be made by the private housing sector. The strategy is prepared in consultation with all those interested in the local housing scene, including the Housing Corporation, housing associations, tenants' groups and the private sector. Once again, there is a continuing improvement in the performance of the great majority of local authorities, with most of them now producing good quality housing strategies.
In addition to these annual capital guidelines, £270 million has been allocated for private sector renewal and housing defects in the form of "specified capital grant". Once again, 40 per cent. of funding has been distributed on a statistical assessment of local needs, and 60 per cent. on a competitive basis.
Since the competitive system was introduced in 1991, the performance of local housing authorities has improved considerably. As described in the housing White Paper published in June, local authorities have an important role as strategic enablers and the Government wish to encourage all authorities to produce good strategies and fulfil their functions effectively and efficiently. Therefore, I propose to change the system of annual capital guideline and specified capital grant allocations for 1997-98 to a fully competitive basis, under which 100 per cent. of the allocations locally will be decided competitively. The Department will be consulting representatives of the local authority associations on this proposal early next year.
I am depositing tables in the Library of the House showing each authority's annual capital guideline and specified capital grant allocation for 1996-97. Together, these comprise the HIP allocations. In addition, I am depositing a list of the authorities whose performance is assessed as being well above the average for their region.
14 Dec 1995 : Column: 726
Sir Michael Grylls:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the United Kingdom's progress towards meeting its commitment under the climate change convention to take measures aimed at returning carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. [6791]
Mr. Gummer:
I have today published an update of the carbon dioxide chapter of the United Kingdom climate change programme. The document, entitled "Progress Report on Carbon Dioxide Emissions", sets out details of policy developments and progress since January 1994 on each of the measures in the programme aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The revised chapter reflects energy projections, published by the Department of Trade and Industry earlier this year, which indicate that carbon dioxide emissions will be 4 to 8 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2000. In the light of the latest evidence of man-made climate change and its effects, this is most welcome progress.
This rate of progress puts us at the forefront of international efforts to combat climate change and demonstrates once again the United Kingdom's determination not to promise more that it can deliver on its environmental commitments, but to do better if at all possible.
We shall continue to put pressure on others to achieve real cuts, and to agree new commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the period beyond 2000.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil servants are currently employed in those areas of his Department for which tenders have been sought under the private finance initiative, and how many he expects to be employed after the completion of this process. [5047]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
No tenders have yet been sought for any PFI project. It is likely that about 25 IT staff out of the current total of 91 will be affected by any eventual local office county count system--LOCCS--contract. The LOCCS computer system is expected to save staff time equivalent to 600 posts; however, it does not follow that there will be a reduction in staff numbers of the same magnitude. Initiatives such as Lord Woolf's proposals for the civil courts will almost certainly require the redeployment of skilled staff to new tasks. It is also possible that about another 11 posts will be affected by plans to establish a probate record centre to take over routine records storage functions from the Court Service.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the effects on job security of existing employees of his Department of the private finance initiative. [5046]
Mr. Evans:
It is likely that the LOCCS project will affect about 25 IT staff. The Court Service has said that it will consult its trade union side on how any transfer of these staff to the successful bidder might be achieved,
14 Dec 1995 : Column: 727
and on what terms, and whether there are alternatives to permanent transfer. Any permanent transfer would be on broadly equivalent terms, and conditions of service. It is also possible that the proposed probate records centre project will affect about 11 staff. The trade union side will also be consulted on these proposals.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to extend the private finance initiative to the administration of the magistrates courts. [4865]
Mr. Evans:
There are no plans to include the administrative functions of the magistrates courts in PFI schemes for the provision of accommodation. Nor are there plans to apply PFI to the provision of existing computer systems there. The Department intends to explore whether PFI might make a helpful contribution in the replacement of those systems by the new standard system which is currently under development.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for what routine administration elements of Crown and county court work tenders have been invited under the private finance initiative; and if this includes aspects of the work of court ushers, clerks and bailiffs. [5049]
Mr. Evans:
Administrative functions currently performed in the Crown court and the county courts would not be covered by the LOCCS contract.
Mr. Boateng:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to respond to the concerns about the private finance initiative project, contained in Lord Woolf's interim report on the future of the civil justice system, with special reference to the role of the private sector in running the information technology infrastructure of the system and his Department's ability to retain control of issues of policy. [4868]
Mr. Evans:
Any contractor will have to satisfy the Lord Chancellor's Department that confidentiality will be protected. The Department will retain full control of its policies and strategies.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide a breakdown of administration costs incurred to date and forecast for the future on PFI work. [5747]
Mr. Evans:
Administrative costs incurred to date on the LOCCS procurement project amount to about £250,000. Expenditure of a further £300,000 is anticipated. As the scope of other PFI projects is still being defined and none has yet gone to procurement, it is too early to make meaningful estimates of the administrative costs to be incurred on them.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will provide revenue forecasts for the current year and the next five financial years of expenditure on schemes provided under the PFI. [5748]
Mr. Evans:
Tentative initial forecasts of revenue expenditure under the LOCCS procurement project are: 1995-96 nil; 1996-97--£6 million; 1997-98--£8 million; 1988-99--£9 million; 1999-2000--£10 million; 2001-01--£10 million. As the scope of other PFI projects
14 Dec 1995 : Column: 728
is still being defined and none has yet gone to procurement, it is too early to make meaningful estimates of the revenue expenditure to be incurred on them.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |