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Selective Schools

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of selective schools by category are located (a) within five, (b) five to 10, (c) 10 to 15 and (d) more than 15 kilometres from settlements with under 3,000 people. [46508]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

School Spending

Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what expenditure in real terms per pupil was in (a) maintained secondary schools and (b) primary schools in each local education authority each year between 1979 and 1989. [47044]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is not held in this form by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Some information is provided in the CIPFA 'Handbook of Education unit costs' for the years from 1984–85.

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average spend per pupil has been in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 1995 in (i) England, (ii) York, (iii) the highest spending local education authority and (iv) the lowest spending local education authority in England. [46767]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is contained in the following tables:

£

	England		York
	Pre primary/ primary	Secondary	Pre primary/ primary	Secondary
1995–96	1,920	2,610	—	—
1996–97	1,910	2,590	1,710	2,450
1997–98	1,860	2,530	1,730	2,520
1998–99	1,960	2,550	1,840	2,570
1999–2000	2,070	2,640	1,840	2,480

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Highest spending authority

	Authority	£
Pre primary/primary
1995–96	Lambeth	3,000
1996–97	Westminster	2,980
1997–98	Lambeth	3,040
1998–99	Lambeth	3,040
1999–2000	Lambeth	3,110
Secondary
1995–96	Lambeth	4,400
1996–97	Kensington and Chelsea	3,780
1997–98	Brent	4,070
1998–99	Brent	4,210
1999–2000	Tower Hamlets	3,830

Lowest spending authority

	Authority	£
Pre primary/primary
1995–96	St. Helens	1,620
1996–97	Hartlepool	1,570
1997–98	Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees	1,540
1998–99	Darlington, Cambridgeshire	1,660
1999–2000	Peterborough	1,620
Secondary
1995–96	Bromley	2,110
1996–97	Bromley	1,700
1997–98	Bradford	1,720
1998–99	Bradford	1,760
1999–2000	Barnsley	2,270

Notes:

1. The tables exclude City of London, Isles of Scilly, and Rutland.

2. York was formed as part of LEA reorganisation in 1996–97, previously it was part of North Yorkshire.

3. NIE per pupil in real terms (2000–01 prices using GDP deflators published by Treasury 20 December 2001).

4. All figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

Adult Education

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been made available to education authorities in inner London boroughs to promote services for adult education in the last three years. [48681]

Mr. Timms: 2001–02 is the latest year for which specific funding figures on adult education are available: the LSC made available £17.8 million in grant to inner London education authorities in that year. Prior to this, it was for each authority to decide how much of its education SSA it wished to spend to promote services for adult education: total education SSA for the inner London authorities was £1,187 million for 1999–2000 and £1,248 million for 2000–01. 'Adult Education' is interpreted as the local education authority secured adult education sector.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

THE REGIONS

Starter Homes Initiative

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2022, Official Report, column 979W,

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if he will publish a list of the organisations and local authorities which have or are due to receive funding under the Starter Homes Initiative. [49888]

Mr. Byers: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Sally Keeble) to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 29 October 2001, Official Report, columns 484W-88W.

Rough Sleeping

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to reduce the incidence of rough sleeping in rural settlements with populations under 3,000; and if he will make a statement. [46454]

Ms Keeble: Recorded levels of rough sleeping in small rural settlements are not high. On 3 December 2001 the Prime Minister announced that the Rough Sleepers Unit had achieved its target of reducing rough sleeping by at least two-thirds by 2002.

The latest published rough sleeping figures for England show that all local authority areas containing rural settlements with populations under 3,000 returned either a count of less than 10 rough sleepers or an estimate of 0–10.

On 13 March the DTLR launched "More than a roof", the Government's new approach to tackling homelessness, which has sustaining the two-thirds reduction in rough sleeping as one of its key objectives.

Many former rough sleepers have now moved into shelters, hostels and their own homes as part of their move to an independent lifestyle, but many still need help to rebuild their lives away from the streets. It is also vital that we continue to prevent those vulnerable to rough sleeping from hitting the streets in the first place and that those still on the streets receive the help they need to come inside.

The DTLR will invest over £30 million during 2002–03 to support local strategies around the country to ensure the two thirds reduction is sustained—the same level of revenue funding that led to the Rough Sleepers Unit meeting its target.

The new Homelessness Act will also bring about radical change in the way that central and local government, and all other partners, work together to tackle homelessness in all parts of the country including rural areas. For the first time ever, local authorities will be required to carry out a review and develop a strategy for their area that prevents homelessness and provides solutions for people who are, or who may become, homeless.

Planning

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in the last three years, how many developments have been referred for his determination, pursuant to the arrangements set out in Part IV of the memorandum attached to DOE circular 18/84; and in respect of these referrals, how many he has decided (a), pursuant to written representations and (b) following a non-statutory public inquiry. [48938]

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Ms Keeble: The Department does not maintain a central record of these cases and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how often in the last three years, and for what purpose, his Department has applied the special urgency provisions in paragraph 22 of Circular 18/84 (Development by Government Departments). [48947]

Ms Keeble: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff) on Friday 1 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1590–591W.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what matters he takes into consideration when deciding whether to rely on written representations or to institute a non-statutory public inquiry when determining a referral to his Department, pursuant to the arrangements set out in Part IV of the memorandum attached to DOE circular 18/84; [48937]

(2) when instituting a non-statutory public inquiry, pursuant to the arrangements set out in Part IV of the memorandum attached to DOE circular 18/84, what format he would expect such an inquiry to take; and if he would expect providers of local services and members of the local community to be able to give evidence. [48936]

Ms Keeble: DOE circular 18/84 makes it clear that the method of written representations will be suitable for most cases. But where there is evidence of interest by other parties the dispute may be resolved by either a meeting of the representatives of the local planning authority and the developing Department or through a non-statutory public local inquiry. Planning inquiries for cases decided by the Secretary of State follow the Town and Country Planning (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2000. But an inquiry held under the arrangements set out in DOE circular 18/84 is non-statutory and so it is not bound by these rules. However, it is expected that any such inquiry would follow the spirit of these rules so far as practicable and that interested parties would be given an opportunity to express their views.

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what rules govern meetings between Ministers and hon. Members on planning issues awaiting decision. [48784]

Ms Keeble: Such meetings are covered by Guidance On Propriety Issues In The Handling Of Planning Casework In DTLR . A copy of the guidance is available on the Department's website [www.planning.dtlr.gov.uk/gpihpc].

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the reasons underlying proposals to reform the planning system. [49489]

Ms Keeble: The reasons underlying the proposals for reform of the planning system are set out in chapter two of the Planning Green Paper: 'Planning: Delivering a fundamental change'. A separate consultation document concerning the planning system in Wales has been issued by the National Assembly.

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