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World Cup
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many football supporters resident in the West Midlands have been banned from travelling to the FIFA World cup. [59269]
Mr. Denham: Fifty-five of the 1,031 individuals currently subject to banning orders preventing travel to the 2002 World cup finals are resident in the West Midlands Police Authority area.
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David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representatives of UK law enforcement agencies will be present in Japan and South Korea during the FIFA World cup. [59270]
Mr. Denham: The number of English police officers deployed in Japan and South Korea for the World cup finals cannot be revealed for operational reasons.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been refused permission to leave the United Kingdom to attend the World cup football matches in view of their possible involvement with violence. [60705]
Mr. Denham: 1,032 people have been prevented from travelling to the World cup in accordance with the conditions of their football orders.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Council House Transfer
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many council tenants voted (a) for and (b) against their home to be transferred from council ownership in the current year. [61153]
Mr. McNulty: There are 29 local authorities on the 2001–02 housing stock transfer programme. A total of 227,228 votes have been cast in tenants' ballots, with 132,567 voting for and 94,661 voting against transfer. 24 authorities hope to transfer as part of the 2002–03 programme. There has been one tenants' ballot so far, in which 3,038 tenants voted, with 1,721 voting for and 1,317 voting against transfer.
Homelessness
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on eradicating bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people; if this will exclude the use of hotel accommodation; and when full implementation will be achieved. [61093]
Mr. McNulty: In March this year the then Secretary of State announced a £35 million programme to ensure that by March 2004 no homeless family with children is in a bed and breakfast hotel for more than six weeks. High using local authorities have submitted action plans showing how they will reduce numbers and length of stay for homeless families with children, including the applications resources to support them. These are currently under consideration and it is expected that announcements will be made shortly.
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will give special financial assistance to Castle Point borough council to meet its statutory responsibility for statutory homelessness in the borough; and if he will make a statement. [61095]
Mr. McNulty: In responding to the March 2002 report "More than a roof", the Government announced that they would allocate £125 million in 2002–03 to tackle homelessness. The Government have already provided local authorities with an additional £8 million per annum in Revenue Support Grant to help them meet their new statutory obligations under the Homelessness Act 2002.
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All housing authorities will also receive a share of an additional £10 million in 2002–03 to enable them to deliver our proposed Order to extend the priority need groups under part VII of the Housing Act 1996.
On 14 March 2002, authorities were invited to submit proposals to the new Homelessness Directorate in my Department for funding for local homelessness strategies. These are being considered at the moment.
E-commerce
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress the Government have made towards meeting the objective that the UK be the best environment in the world for e-commerce by 2002. [55872]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
In December 2001 the e-Minister and e-envoy published the second Annual UK Online report detailing progress made towards meeting this objective. This report is available on the office of the e-envoy's website—http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk.
Park Homes
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what provisions regarding Park Homes he plans to include in a housing Bill; and if he will make a statement. [61511]
Mr. McNulty: We are currently considering the options for changes to the law that would implement the undertakings given by the Government in their response to the Park Homes working party report.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he is making in implementing recommendations of the Park Homes working party which do not require legislation; and if he will make a statement. [61510]
Mr. McNulty: The Government have, in the last two years, issued good practice guidance to local authorities on harassment and illegal eviction, and site licensing. Research is planned to review the model standards on which site licences are based, and consultation on this is likely.
We are closely consulting with bodies representing home owners and park owners on such matters as amending the industry's voluntary written statement to clarify and improve the terms of agreements between home owners and park owners.
A study of the economics of park homes, recommended by the Park Homes working party, is in its final stages and is likely to be published in late summer.
Permitted Development Rights
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what plans he has to change the regime of permitted development rights in so far as they affect the activities of the Land Access and Recreation Forum; and if he will make a statement; [61509]
- (2) what plans he has to change the planning regime for game and clay pigeon shoots; and if he will make a statement. [61507]
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Mr. McNulty: The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) published research on 12 September 2001 on the impact of provisions relating to the temporary use of land, including land used for motorsports and game and clay pigeon shooting. It addressed matters such as impact on local amenity and the environment, for example in terms of litter, noise and relationships with other land uses in the area.
On 24 January 2002 DTLR issued a consultation paper on possible options for change to the current temporary use provisions. The paper put forward six options for change as well as inviting proposals for alternative options. The closing date for responses was 24 April 2002. Responses are currently being analysed. The views of all those who responded will be considered before any decisions are made on the future of the temporary use provisions.
Travellers
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures his Department is taking to tackle the problem of illegal encampments by travellers; and if he will make a statement. [61918]
Mr. McNulty: The ODPM is working closely with other Government agencies to develop policies and initiatives towards the management of unauthorised encampments by travellers.
New guidance, issued jointly with the Home Office, on Managing Unauthorised Camping is due to be published later this year.
Councillors' Interests
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice he gives to local authorities on public access to the register of interests of councillors. [61625]
Mr. Raynsford: The statute requires that copies of the register of members interests be kept available at an office of the authority for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable hours, and that the authority must publicise the address at which the register is kept and inform the Standards Board for England that such copies are available. Informal advice on conduct issues, including on where additional copies of the register may be kept by parish councils, is given in the new ethical framework bulletins, which until April were published by the Department and are now the responsibility of the Standards Board.
Millennium Dome
Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the potential return to the Exchequer from the dome disposal agreement. [61996]
Mr. McNulty: As indicated when the deal agreed between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Ltd. and Anshutz Entertainment Group was announced on 29 May, the expected value of the deal to English Partnerships is up to £550 million cash, over the whole period of the deal up to 2025, or around £240 million net present value, assuming the full scheme is developed.
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Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if the Millennium Commission funded pier adjoining the dome site is included in the disposal agreement. [61997]
Fire Service (Traffic Accidents)
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of fire service call-outs were to deal with road traffic incidents in each of the last five years. [61852]
Mr. Raynsford: The following table shows road traffic accidents as a percentage of all incidents attended by fire brigades. Figures relate to England and Wales.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 3 |
| 1997 | 3 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000(35) | 4 |
(35) Provisional
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