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Housing
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if new homes built by local authorities are compulsorily subject to secure tenancies; and if he will make a statement. [9095]
Mr. Raynsford:
Section 79 of the Housing Act 1985 states that a tenancy is a secure tenancy at any time when the landlord and tenant conditions are satisfied. The landlord condition is that the interest of the landlord belongs to one of a number of bodies listed, such as a local authority, and the tenant condition is that the tenant is an individual and occupies the dwelling house as his only or principal home.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 429
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if a local authority that has transferred its housing stock to a housing company is permitted to provide funds to the company in subsequent years; and if he will make a statement. [9094]
Mr. Raynsford:
Yes. A local authority may give grants for housing to any registered social landlord.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to adopt a sea level rise limit objective as part of his climate policy. [8923]
Angela Eagle:
We have no plans currently to adopt a sea level rise limit objective. However, in developing our policy on climate change, we keep under continual review the implications of its impacts, including sea level rise.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many and what percentage of employees in his private office are (a) of Asian origin and (b) of Afro-Caribbean origin. [8958]
Angela Eagle:
In the whole of the private office for all Ministers, the total number of employees, including support grades and typists, who have declared their ethnic origin through voluntary and confidential surveys as Asian are eight, or 7.4 per cent., and as Afro-Caribbean seven, or 6.5 per cent. The combined percentage is 14 per cent.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the estimated number of privately owned properties in the Greater London area that are in need of modernisation; and if he will make a statement. [9087]
Mr. Raynsford:
There is no agreed definition of properties "in need of modernisation". However, the 1991 English house condition survey--EHCS--identified dwellings in which the kitchen and bathroom fittings were at least 25 years old. This provides an indication of the rate of modernisation and the figures for privately owned properties in Greater London are shown in the table. More recent information, collected in the 1996 EHCS, will be available later this year.
| Number | Percentage of stock | |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen fittings more than 25 years old | 325,000 | 14.1 |
| Bathroom fittings more than 25 years old | 486,000 | 21.1 |
| Kitchen and bathroom fittings more than 25 years old | 224,000 | 9.7 |
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 430
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the recent survey of local authorities relating to the financial impact and results of CCT. [9074]
Mr. Raynsford: Research recently published by the Department looked at both the financial and service quality impact of CCT on blue collar services covered by the Local Government Act 1988. It showed average annual savings on contract prices of 9 per cent. for the second round of tendering. This finding is, however, dependent on the way in which the social costs and benefits of CCT are treated. Other research, commissioned outside the Department, suggests a wide variation in estimates of savings when these factors are taken into account.
The departmental study also indicates that these savings have been accompanied by only relatively minor improvements in service standards; more attention needs to be given to the development of local performance indicators. A majority of the authorities surveyed also thought that user involvement in the specifying and monitoring of services could be improved. These issues will be addressed by our best value proposals, currently being developed with the support of local government and the private sector.
Green Belt
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about Government policy on large-scale housing developments in the green belt. [8985]
Mr. Prescott: The Government's policy on development in the green belt is set out in planning policy guidance--PPG--2. There is a presumption against inappropriate development in the green belt unless very special circumstances exist which outweigh the harm caused by the development.
Proposals in draft plans that would result in releasing land from the green belt must be fully justified. The Government are committed to protecting the green belt and encourage the recycling of land urban areas wherever possible to meet development needs.
Hostel Conversions
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many enforcement orders have been issued by local authorities against the unlicensed conversion of hotels, bed-and-breakfast establishments and guest houses to hostels since 1994. [9491]
Mr. Raynsford:
This information is not available. Although local authorities provide my Department with quarterly statistics showing the number of enforcement notices they have issued, the figures do not differentiate between different kinds of breaches of development control.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 431
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to meet representatives of the Local Government Association to discuss the effect of the abolition of the advance corporation tax credit on local authorities. [9400]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Secretary of State, with ministerial colleagues, last met the Local Government Association on Wednesday 16 July. The subjects discussed included the likely impact of the abolition of the advance corporation tax on local authority pension funds.
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each local authority the effect on their pension fund contributions of the withdrawal of ACT credits in the Budget. [9908]
Mr. Raynsford:
The next valuation of local authority pension funds in England and Wales is due in March 1998. Only after that exercise has been completed will a true picture emerge of the effect of the Budget proposal on ACT credits and what effect this will have on future employer contributions to the separate funds.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have to issue guidance to local authorities in respect of families who seek planning permission to accommodate dependent relatives; and if he will make a statement. [8975]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: This issue was raised for discussion in last year's Green Paper on household growth. The Government are still considering the responses to the consultation, on which we will make a statement in due course. I have no plans currently to issue further advice.
Rights to erect annex buildings in the gardens of dwelling houses similar to those that currently apply under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 have existed for many years. To benefit from permitted development rights, however, such new buildings in the gardens of dwelling houses must be "incidental to the enjoyment" of the house. The creation of a separate main residential unit would constitute development requiring planning permission.
However, extensions to create annexes for dependent relatives may be appropriate in certain circumstances, subject to conditions. This is to prevent the creation of independent living accommodation which could subsequently be let or sold off separately from the main house.
The same is true for separate buildings--often conversions of outbuildings--intended for use for dependent relatives. In these cases, it is even more likely that a separate unit of accommodation will be created.
The Government are aware of the need to give householders as many rights to develop their properties as possible, but consider that these freedoms should not be detrimental to the interests of neighbours or the quality of the area in general, and therefore have to draw a line beyond which a planning application is required.
21 Jul 1997 : Column: 432
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms are in place to ensure objectivity in planning decisions; what plans he has to change planning regulations; and if he will make a statement. [9133]
Mr. Raynsford
[holding answer 18 July 1997]: The law requires that planning decisions are made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The principal mechanisms to secure objectivity are up-to-date development plans and a prompt, efficient appeals systems. The Department is carrying out a comprehensive review of the planning system.
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