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Households
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what evidence his Department's projections of the increase in the number of households by the year 2016 is based in respect of (a) each region and (b) each county of the south-east region. [13696]
Mr. Raynsford: Descriptions of the methodology and main statistical assumptions underlying the household projections to 2016 are set out in the annexes of "Projections of Households in England to 2016", published by the Stationery Office in March 1995. A copy of this publication is in the Library of the House.
Projections were published for every county, metropolitan district and London borough. Separate household projections were made independently for each of these projection areas, based on sub-national population projections compiled by the Office for National Statistics (formerly OPCS), and these are calibrated to ensure consistency with the regional and national projections.
Civil Aviation Authority
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his decision on the future of the Civil Aviation Authority; and what are his plans for its eventual privatisation. [13746]
Ms Glenda Jackson: We are considering, with colleagues, the options for the future of the National Air Traffic Services of the Civil Aviation Authority. Privatisation is one of the options under consideration. We shall announce our decision in due course.
Regional Airports
Mr. Stringer:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment
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he has made of the wider benefits to the regional economy of granting transatlantic fifth freedom rights to selected far and middle east carriers in respect of United Kingdom regional airports. [13364]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
It is normal practice for the Department to ask the CAA to carry out an economic analysis before air services negotiations. This covers a range of factors including, where appropriate, benefits to the regional economy, and is taken into account by the Department in its strategy for the negotiations.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the counties in England and Wales which (a) have and (b) have not implemented a houses in multiple occupation registration scheme. [14210]
Mr. Raynsford:
This information is not currently available. Since 3 March 1997, local housing authorities in England and Wales have been free to adopt registration schemes for houses in multiple occupation, which conform to models prepared by the Secretary of State, without the need to notify or obtain prior approval from central Government.
The Government are committed to introducing a national licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation. The coverage of the existing registration schemes will be a relevant issue in formulating proposals for such a scheme and we will be collecting this information from local authorities in due course.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision he is making to supply low-income families with more advice centres and family centres. [13733]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) supports a range of locally led community projects which include the provision of advice, family and community centres and other initiatives of benefit to low-income families. Round 4 of the SRB Challenge Fund has been specifically recast to target it more effectively on those in the greatest need.
More generally, the need to spend on local authority services is reflected in local authorities' Standard Spending Assessments which are used for the distribution of Revenue Support Grant. Decisions on spending priorities are a matter for each local authority.
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Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the county services block SSA; and if he will include in it an economic index element. [14197]
Mr. Raynsford:
This has been discussed with the Local Government Association this year. We expect to announce our proposals for SSAs for 1998-99 at about the beginning of December.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the total capital receipts to be released to each London borough and over what period; and what proportion will be spent on housing. [13496]
Mr. Raynsford:
Subject to Royal Assent to the Local Government Finance (Supplementary Credit Approvals) Bill, the entitlement of each London borough under our Capital Receipts Initiative in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is set out in the attached table. These additional capital resources will be available to local authorities to support housing, and housing associated regeneration works. Final decisions about the application of these resources, however, will be for individual local authorities. Decisions about the release of resources under the Capital Receipts Initiative over the longer term will be taken in the context of our Comprehensive Spending Review.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the total housing deficit for affordable housing for each London borough. [13497]
Mr. Raynsford:
There are no official estimates of either the current or future housing need for London boroughs.
The Department has released estimates of housing need for England as a whole. In 1995 the Department released estimates of housing need for England which projected the newly arising need for social housing at between 60,000 and 100,000 units per year over the period 1991-2001 and research was commissioned in 1995 to develop an economic model of housing need. This work was undertaken by the Department of Applied Economics, Cambridge University (DAE). The report on this feasibility research is expected to be published later this year. DAE have been commissioned to undertake further research on the model including work to explore the possibility of regional estimates of housing need.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his Department's current estimate of the rate of global warming; and what are their current predictions for 1998 and the subsequent five years. [13498]
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Angela Eagle:
Over the next century, the rise in global average temperatures caused by the net effect of warming due to man-made emissions of greenhouse gases and cooling due to man-made sulphate particles is expected to be some 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade. This is the consensus view of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Due to the large natural variations in temperature between years, the Government does not make predictions of global average temperatures for specific future years.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what measures he is taking to ensure that as few families as possible are forced to live in bed-and-breakfast accommodation; [13730]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government are committed to placing a new duty on local authorities to protect those who are homeless through no fault of their own and are in priority need.
As soon as possible after being elected to office, we made regulations which require local housing authorities to give reasonable preference in the allocation of social housing to people who are being accommodated temporarily--or who have recently been assisted to secure accommodation themselves--by the authority under the homelessness legislation. These regulations (SI 1997 No 1902, made under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996) come into force on 1 November and restore the link between homelessness and the allocation of long-term settled accommodation.
Moreover, as the Chancellor announced in the Budget, under the Capital Finance Initiative, £784 million will be made available in support of additional capital spending on housing needs in England in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to ensure that bed-and-breakfast accommodation for homeless families is clean, safe and comfortable. [13731]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Government encourage local housing authorities to explore all alternatives before resorting to bed-and-breakfast establishments to provide temporary accommodation for homeless families. The Code of Guidance on parts VI and VII of the Housing Act 1996, to which authorities must have regard by law, states that authorities should ensure that bed-and-breakfast accommodation meets the statutory requirements on standards for houses in multiple occupation.
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(2) what measures he is taking to ensure that as many homeless families as possible are provided with permanent accommodation. [13732]
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