| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Local Government Finance
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority in England the (a) total standard spending allocated and (b) amount spent in each year since 1990-91. [11595]
Sir Paul Beresford:
I have placed the information in the Library of the House.
29 Jan 1996 : Column: 576
Dr. Spink:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the outcome of consultation on the local government finance settlement; and if he will make a statement. [12731]
Mr. Gummer:
I am today laying before the House the Local Government Finance Report (England) 1996-97, the limitation of Council Tax and Precepts (Relevant Notional Amounts) Report (England) 1996-97, the Special Grant Report (No. 16) and the National Parks Supplementary Grant Report (England) 1996-97. These reports establish the amounts of revenue support grant and non-domestic rates to be paid to local authorities in 1996-97, and the basis of their distribution; specify the amounts which are to be used as the basis of comparison for measuring increases in certain local authorities' budgets in 1996-97 for the purposes of capping, provide for a special standard spending assessment reduction grant to be paid to certain authorities for 1996-97 and specify the amount of supplementary grant to be paid to certain authorities in connection with national parks. Drafts of these reports were issued for consultation on 30 November 1995. Two hundred and fifty authorities made written representations and Ministers met 84 delegations from local councils.
I shall be sending copies of these reports to all authorities today, together with tables showing each authority's standard spending assessment and its entitlement to RSG, NDR and special grant. I have also placed copies of the reports and further information to be sent to the local authority associations in the Library and the Vote Office.
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to the oral statement of 11 January, Official Report, columns 331-45 (1) in what proportion he plans that local authorities should be reimbursed for the costs they face in respect of the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 1996; [11627]
Mr. Curry:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, Central (Sir P. Beresford), on 23 January to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), Official Report, column 204.
Mr. George Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities, housing authorities and other bodies on the implementation of clause 9 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill; and if he will place copies of all representations on this matter in the Library. [12109]
Mr. Clappison
[holding answer 26 January 1996]: No such representations have been received.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the additional costs
29 Jan 1996 : Column: 577
or savings to housing authorities as a consequence of the implementation of clause 9 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill. [12108]
Mr. Clappison
[holding answer 26 January 1996]: The effect of the provisions in clause 9 of the Asylum and Immigration Bill will be to relieve local housing authorities of an obligation to provide housing assistance for persons from abroad who are not entitled to social security benefits. Information about the present cost of housing such persons is not collected centrally, but it is expected that worthwhile savings will result in the longer term.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to the ministerial reply of 22 January, Official Report, column 81, relating to sums received by local government from sale of dwellings, if he will estimate the total unused amounts remaining with receiving local authorities. [11894]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The Department does not have information on how much of the receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings is still unused. The stock of usable receipts from all assets stood at £1.5 billion at 31 March 1995. About 90 per cent. of these receipts are held by authorities whose responsibilities include housing. Since 1990, local authorities have been required to set aside 75 per cent. of their capital receipts from the sale of council housing to repay debt, but it is not known how much of these amounts have not yet been used for debt repayment.
Any unused receipts can be invested and will generate interest for the authority.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol for (a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11923]
Sir Paul Beresford:
My Department and its agencies do not at present use the Employment Service's positive about disabled people symbol, but there are plans to do so in the near future.
29 Jan 1996 : Column: 578
Mr. Raynsford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much expenditure was incurred by (a) the Housing Corporation and (b) the local authority in relation to each of the proposals for a transfer of tenanted council housing in Torquay to another landlord since 1988; and what were the numbers and percentages of tenants voting (i) for and (ii) against each proposal. [11714]
Mr. Curry:
The available information is as follows.
In January 1989, Torbay borough council balloted tenants on its proposal for a large-scale voluntary transfer of 3,425 dwellings to two housing associations. Fifty-nine per cent. of the eligible tenants voted in the ballot, of whom 27 per cent. were in favour of transfer and 73 per cent. voted against.
(2) what estimates he has made of the likely total costs of the assistance he plans should be given to local authorities in respect of costs arising from the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 1996. [11628]
| Area covered by bid | Eligible tenants | Number (percentage) Votes cast | Ballot result (expressed as percentage of eligible tenants) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against | For | |||
| Torquay | 986 | 902 (92) | 844 (86) | 58 (6) |
| Paignton(34) | 715 | 667 (93) | 588 (82) | 77 (11) |
| Brixham | 270 | 254 (94) | 239 (86) | 15 (6) |
| Total | 1,971 (100) | 1,823 (93) | 1,671 (85) | 150 (8) |
(34) Two tenants indicated an express wish to abstain.
The Housing Corporation's total grant spend on the Torbay tenants' housing association was £1,546,866. The local authority's costs amounted to £650,000.
Mr. Raynsford:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications for a transfer of tenanted council properties to another landlord under the provisions of part IV of the Housing Act 1988 have been made since 1988; how many tenancies have been involved; and what was the outcome of the tenants' ballot in each case. [11713]
Mr. Curry:
Since part IV of the Housing Act 1988 came into force in 1989, there have been nine applications for a transfer of property, seven of which progressed to a ballot of tenants. The available information on these applications is contained in the table.
29 Jan 1996 : Column: 577
| Case name | Number of units | Ballot | Ballot result (per cent.) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For | Against | Did not vote | |||
| Walterton and Elgin Community Homes | (35)918 | Yes | 59 | 23 | 18 |
| Westside House, LB Merton | (35)8 | Yes | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Holtspur, South Buckinghamshire DC | (35)55 | Yes | 66 | 22 | 12 |
| Peterborough individual | (35)1 | Yes | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Hayles, LB Southwark | (36)21 | Yes | 75 | 20 | 5 |
| Wheathampstead, St. Albans | 500 | Yes | (37)-- | -- | -- |
| Torbay Tenants | 2,709 | Yes | 8 | 85 | 7 |
| Trowbridge Community Homes | 260 | No | -- | -- | -- |
| Dawson Heights, LB Southwark | 297 | No | -- | -- | -- |
(35) Number of properties transferred.
(36) 18 properties to transfer when the transfer takes place.
(37) Ballot result not available, but the majority voted against transfer.
29 Jan 1996 : Column: 579
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost to public funds to date of the tenants' advice scheme set up under part IV of the Housing Act 1988 with particular reference to (a) setting up costs incurred by his Department and the Housing Corporation, (b) publicity and promotional expenditure, (c) annual revenue expenditure incurred by the Housing Corporation in each year since 1988, (d) grants to tenants' organisations and others and (e) any other expenditure. [11715]
Mr. Curry: The Housing Corporation's total salary costs for tenants' choice activities between 1988-89 and 1994-95 amounted to £2,001,913. Since the scheme's introduction in 1989, the Housing Corporation total grant spend in support of tenants' choice cases has been £3,826,853. The further information requested is not available.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |