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Employment Service Overheads (New Deal)
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which overheads incurred by the Employment Service are attributable to the implementation of the New Deal. [141694]
Ms Jowell [holding answer 11 December 2000]: The Employment Service funding for all New Deals is determined on a marginal cost basis on the assumption that these programmes will be delivered through the existing ES infrastructure of offices and IT. The Employment Service overheads which are attributable to the implementation of the New Deals are therefore those specific costs related to project design; implementation; marketing and publicity and limited refurbishment in some offices for the individual New Deals.
15 Feb 2001 : Column: 206W
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Departmental Expenditure Limit
Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes will be made to the Departmental Expenditure Limit and Running Costs Limit for her Department in 2000-01. [151103]
Clare Short: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, for Class VIII, Vote 1: Department for International Development, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2000-01 will be increased by £68,000,000 from £2,121,732,000 to £2,189,732,000 for voted expenditure giving a total of voted and non-voted expenditure of £2,827,768,000. The increase is the net effect of:
- an increase of £59,000,000 End Year Flexibility from an underspend against the 1998 EC Attributed Aid;
- an increase of £9,000,000 from the Reserve in respect of humanitarian assistance in response to the earthquake in India.
15 Feb 2001 : Column: 207W
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Housing Investment Programme (Wandsworth)
Mr. Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how much the Government Office for London allocated to Wandsworth Council's housing investment programme for (a) 2000-01 and (b) 2001-02; and if he will make a statement; [148139]
(2) how much the Government Office for London has allocated to Wandsworth council for major repairs (a) through the major repairs allowance for 2001-02 and (b) through the housing investment programme for 2000--01; and if he will make a statement. [148124]
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The allocations made to Wandsworth to support the authority's housing capital programmes in 2000-01 and 2001-02 are as follows:
| 2000-01 | 2001-02 | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing annual capital guidelines | 20.592 | 11.386 |
| Private sector renewal | (8)-- | 1.500 |
| Disabled facilities grants | 0.240 | 0.237 |
| Total housing investment programmes allocations | 20.832 | 13.123 |
| Major repairs allowance (MRA) | (8)-- | 14.773 |
| Total | 20,832 | 27.896 |
(8) Not applicable
The MRA, which was introduced for 2001-02, is ring-fenced for works on council housing. The resources allocated through housing annual capital guidelines provide unhypothecated support for authorities' housing capital programmes which cover expenditure on private sector renewal and support for new provision by housing associations as well as work on council housing.
Allocations made to Wandsworth doubled between 1997-98 and 2001-02.
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the special advisers working for him will relinquish their posts on the dissolution of Parliament. [149318]
Ms Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 130W.
Planning Appeals
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many planning appeals were lodged with his Department against decisions of (a) Brentwood council and (b) planning authorities in Essex in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how many such appeals were dismissed by his Department in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [149811]
15 Feb 2001 : Column: 208W
Ms Beverley Hughes: The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the planning inspectorate. I have asked the Inspectorate's chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Eric Pickles, dated 12 February 2001:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about planning appeals in Brentwood and other local authorities in Essex.
- Statistics at this level are only available from 1994. The table attached gives the number of appeals received in each year from then and, of those, the number dismissed for Brentwood Council and other planning authorities in Essex.
15 Feb 2001 : Column: 210W
Planning
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to provide a bias in favour of conservation in future planning legislation. [150026]
Ms Beverley Hughes: Our planning policy guidance note 1 "General Policy and Principles" reflects the Government's commitment to the principles of sustainable development. It advises that a sustainable planning framework should include provision for the nation's economic and social needs while conserving the cultural and natural heritage. Other planning policy guidance notes advise planning authorities on the extent to which they should take conservation issues into account in preparing development plans and in reaching decisions on planning applications. The weight that should be given to conservation issues relative to other material considerations in deciding a planning application is for the planning authority to determine in the first instance and will depend on the circumstances of the particular case.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2001, Official Report, column 528W, if he will review the operation of planning legislation with particular reference to the rights of objectors. [150129]
Ms Beverley Hughes: We have no immediate plans to change planning laws that would affect the current rights of objectors.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will issue guidance to local authorities on making public pre-application discussions between planning officers and applicants or their representatives. [150128]
Ms Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to his previous questions on 13 February 2001, Official Report, column 115W.
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