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Air Travel (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research is being undertaken by the Government into links between deep vein thrombosis and air travel. [40677]
Mr. Jamieson: Rather than undertaking its own research into possible links between deep vein thrombosis and air travel, the Government will support the international research project being planned by the World Health Organisation.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the reasons why the research into links between deep vein thrombosis and air travel announced by the World Health Organisation in August 2001 has not yet begun; and what representations the Government made to the World Health Organisation as to beginning the research. [40678]
Mr. Jamieson: Members of the Aviation Health Working Group, which includes this Department, met representatives of the Scientific Committee responsible for the proposed WHO project on 26 February to discuss
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the timing of the study. Details of the various research protocols have now been agreed and it is planned to begin the work on 1 April 2002, subject to sufficient funding being in place.
Local Government Finance
Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what
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proportion of local government expenditure has been met by (a) Government grant, (b) business rates and (c) council tax in each of the last five years. [40775]
Dr. Whitehead: English local authorities have reported the following funding of revenue expenditure:
| Revenue expenditure(16) | Government grant(17) | Non-domestic rates(18) | Council tax(19) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ billion | £ billion | Per cent. | £ billion | Per cent. | £ billion | Per cent. | |
| 1997–98 | 47.256 | 23.840 | 50 | 12.034 | 25 | 11.241 | 24 |
| 1998–99 | 50.189 | 25.291 | 50 | 12.531 | 25 | 12.332 | 24 |
| 1999–2000 | 53.651 | 26.421 | 49 | 13.619 | 25 | 13.278 | 25 |
| 2000–01 | 57.324 | 27.784 | 48 | 15.406 | 27 | 14.200 | 25 |
| 2001–02(20) | 61.270 | 30.341 | 50 | 15.144 | 25 | 15.245 | 25 |
(16) "Revenue expenditure to compare with TSS" i.e. expenditure financed from Revenue Support Grant, specific and special grants within AEF, non-domestic rates, council taxes and balances. Also includes spending met by SSA Reduction Grant, Police Grant, Central Support Protection Grant (1999–2000 onwards) and General Greater London Authority Grant (2000–01 onwards). This column is not the total of the others. The difference is due to funding by balances and other adjustments.
(17) Includes Revenue Support Grant, specific and special grants within AEF, SSA Reduction Grant, Police Grant, Central Support Protection Grant (1999–2000 onwards) and General GLA Grant (2000–01 onwards).
(18) Distributable amount from non-domestic rate pool. This is not exactly equal to the payments from businesses in any year, but adjustments are made to the distributable amount in future years to ensure that, over time, all rates received are redistributed to receiving authorities. Includes City Offset.
(19) Gross of council tax benefit and council tax transitional reduction scheme.
(20) Budgets.
Right to Buy
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the impact on the numbers of local authority tenants in London applying for the right to buy of (a) reducing the maximum discount to £25,000, (b) extending the discount clawback period to five years and (c) extending the cost floor liability period to 15 years. [40774]
Ms Keeble: No such estimates have been made. As explained in our December 2000 Housing Policy Statement "Quality and choice: a decent home for all", the Government have no proposals for further significant changes to the Right to Buy scheme.
South West Regional Assembly
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what expenses and allowances are available to members of the shadow South West Regional Assembly. [41139]
Dr. Whitehead: Expenses and allowances are a matter for the Assembly. Its accounts are published annually.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will set out the division of functions between the shadow South West Regional Assembly and (a) the South West Regional Development Agency, (b) the Government Office of the South West, (c) county councils, (d) district councils and (e) unitary authorities; and if he will make a statement. [41135]
Dr. Whitehead: The South West Regional Assembly is a voluntary body. It has not statutory duties and determines its own functions. However, I understand that its top priorities for the next two years are to:
- further develop its role as the voice of the South West;
continue to identify present and future needs of the region; and
encourage and promote integrated policy-making for the delivery of regional objectives.
The purposes of Regional Development Agencies are set out in s.4 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998:
- to further the economic development and regeneration of their area;
to promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness in their area;
to promote employment in their area;
to enhance the development and application of skills relevant to employment in their area; and
to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom, where it is relevant to their area to do so.
The functions of local authorities are set out in many different pieces of legislation and are summarised, for
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example, on the website of the Local Government Information Unit www.lgiu.gov.uk. In summary:
- counties provide the following services: education, libraries, social services, trading standards, waste disposal, highways and transport, strategic land use planning.
districts provide the following services: housing, parks, sports, arts and entertainment, land use planning permission, environmental health, waste collection and recycling, street cleaning, council tax collection, council tax and housing benefits, electoral registration and administration.
unitary authorities are responsible for all the functions carried out by a county and district where there are two tiers of local government.
- (2) if he will list the policy areas for which the proposed South West Regional Assembly will have executive authority. [41137]
Dr. Whitehead: The forthcoming Regional Government White Paper will set out our proposals for elected assemblies for the English regions.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the budget (a) this year and (b) next year is of the shadow South West Regional Assembly. [41132]
Dr. Whitehead: The Assembly receives funds from a number of sources and is responsible for its own budget. Its accounts are published annually. The Department has made available £0.5 million for the Assembly in this financial year and proposes to make available £0.6 million in 2002–03.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what powers, deriving from which statutes, can be exercised by the shadow South West Regional Assembly. [41131]
Dr. Whitehead: The Assembly is a voluntary, non- statutory body. As such, it does not exercise any statutory powers or duties, and does not need specific statutory authority to carry out the activities determined by its members. However, the Assembly could not take an effective role in scrutinising the activities of the regional development agency for the South West unless the agency was required to play its part. Accordingly, provisions in the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 allow the Secretary of State to designate a chamber for the region (which is the Assembly), and to direct the agency to have regard to the chamber's views and to consult it about the exercise of specified functions.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the terms of reference are of the shadow South West Regional Assembly. [41134]
Dr. Whitehead: The Assembly has no "terms of reference" set by Government. However, I understand that the Assembly has set as its top priorities for the next two years:
- to further develop its role as the voice of the South West;
to continue to identify present and future needs of the region; and
to encourage and promote integrated policy-making for the delivery of regional objectives.
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Dr. Whitehead: Membership is a matter for the Regional Assembly.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many staff are employed by the shadow South West Regional Assembly; and how many staff will be employed next year. [41133]
Dr. Whitehead: "South West Regional Assembly" is the name used by the regional chamber designated by the Secretary of State under s.8 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. It is not a "shadow" body of possible future elected regional assembly for the South West, but a voluntary body which has been recognised by Ministers for the purposes of scrutiny of the South West Regional Development Agency.
Staffing levels are a matter for the Assembly.
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