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21 Oct 2002 : Column 60W—continued

Local Government Finance

Mr. Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which elements of the local government funding formula are based on data derived from the Census; and what are, for each of the main local government spending blocks that use such data, (a) the latest sub-population estimate used for South Gloucestershire Unitary Authority in the most recent settlement and (b) the corresponding estimate from the 2001 census. [74850]

Mr. Leslie: The information requested is given in the table below. The most recent settlement, for the year 2002–03, used population estimates as at 30 June 2000. The corresponding figures for 30 June 2001, derived from the 2001 census, are also given.

South GloucestershirePopulation as at 30 JunePopulation group used in 2002–3 formulae for service block
(rounded to the nearest hundred)20012000EducationPSS(5)PoliceFireHighways MaintenanceEPCS(6)
Total resident population246000247900YYYYYY
Resident population aged 0 to 41520015800Y
Resident population aged 0 to 155110051200Y
Resident population aged 0 to 175710056700YY
Resident population aged 5 to 101990020000Y
Resident population aged 11 to 151600015400Y
Resident population aged 16 to 242360023400Y
Resident population aged 18 to 64153400156300Y
Resident population aged 65 to 741990019700Y
Resident population aged 75 to 841180011300Y
Resident population aged 11 and over210900212100Y
Resident population aged 65 and over3550034900Y
Resident population aged 85 and over39004000Y
The population of working age(7)147300150200YYY
Resident males aged 18 to 647660079900YYY
Resident females aged 18 to 597070070300YYY
Resident males aged 014001500YY
Resident males aged 1 to 465006700YY
Resident males aged 5 to 985008500YY
Resident males aged 10 to 1484008000YY
Resident males aged 15 to 1976007000YY
Resident males aged 20 to 2462006600YY
Resident males aged 25 to 2976008700YY
Resident males aged 30 to 34970010900YY
Resident males aged 35 to 391080011300YY
Resident males aged 40 to 4492009200YY
Resident males aged 45 to 4979007900YY
Resident males aged 50 to 5486009000YY
Resident males aged 55 to 5977007400YY
Resident males aged 60 to 6461006200YY
Resident males aged 65 to 6952005200YY
Resident males aged 70 to 7443004300YY
Resident females aged 014001500YY
Resident females aged 1 to 460006200YY
Resident females aged 5 to 980008300YY
Resident females aged 10 to 1479007600YY
Resident females aged 15 to 1967006500YY
Resident females aged 20 to 2462006200YY
Resident females aged 25 to 2979008300YY
Resident females aged 30 to 341020010400YY
Resident females aged 35 to 391080010500YY
Resident females aged 40 to 4489008500YY
Resident females aged 45 to 4981007800YY
Resident females aged 50 to 5486008600YY
Resident females aged 55 to 5977007500YY
Resident females aged 60 to 6461006100YY
Resident females aged 65 to 6956005700YY
Resident females aged 70 to 7447004600YY

(5) Personal Social Services

(6) Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services

(7) Resident population of working age = resident males aged 18 to 64 plus resident females aged 18 to 59


21 Oct 2002 : Column 61W

Poultry Units

Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue planning guidance to local authorities concerning the erection of mobile and static free-range poultry units. [72376]

Mr. McNulty: We have no plans to issue specific planning guidance on this issue. Advice about agriculture-related development, including temporary agricultural structures, is contained in Annex C of Planning Policy Guidance Note 7, The Countryside.

Disability Facilities Grant

Dr. Cable: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the eligibility criteria for disability facilities grant. [73074]

Mr. McNulty: Local housing authorities have a statutory duty under the Housing Grants, Regeneration and Construction Act 1996 to offer mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) to homeowners and tenants in both the private and social rented sectors who require adaptations to help them live independently in their homes. The range of purposes for which the grants are available are set out at section 23(1) of the 1996 Act.

In June the Government issued a consultative document, Housing Renewal Guidance, which contains more detail and guidance on DFG eligibility at annex D. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the library of the House.

Rough Sleepers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many under-16s are living rough in (a) West Sussex and (b) London; and what plans he has to reduce this number. [75559]

Mrs. Roche: As far as we are aware, our information which includes street counts and client lists, suggests that there are no under 16s sleeping rough. Voluntary sector workers are highly skilled and, if they knew of a child under the age of 16 sleeping rough, they would immediately liaise with the local police and local authority social services department.

However, the Government is aware that there are a large number of children who run away each year. The SEU is shortly publishing a report which considers the immediate safety of young runaways and examines the policies and services available to young runaways or those at risk of running.

21 Oct 2002 : Column 62W

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also worked closely with the Connexions Service to produce guidance for homelessness agencies working with vulnerable young people to deliver effective services for 13 to 19 year-olds.

Vacant Council Houses

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many vacant council houses, by local authority area, there are in West Sussex; and what plans he has to work with West Sussex County Council to reduce the vacancy numbers. [75557]

Mr. McNulty: The number of vacant council houses, by local authority area, in West Sussex at 1 April 2001 (latest data available) is shown in the table below.

Local authority vacant dwellings in West Sussex by local authority area at 1 April 2001

Local authorityLA vacant dwellings
Adur9
Arun22
Chichester
Crawley63
Horsham
Mid Sussex
Worthing
Total94

Notes:

Chichester, Horsham, Mid Sussex and Worthing no longer own any dwelling stock, having transferred them through the Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) scheme.

Source:

ODPM's 2001 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendices completed by local authorities.

On 1 April 2001 there were 94 vacant council houses in West Sussex (0.6 per cent. of the stock). A proportion of housing will always be vacant at any given time as a result of the normal process of letting housing, which becomes available to new tenants. We will continue to support authorities in developing effective council housing business plans, which minimise the numbers of vacant dwellings, but have no plans to take any specific action on vacant dwellings with housing authorities in West Sussex (where the proportion of vacant council house dwellings is well below the national average of 2.9 per cent.).


21 Oct 2002 : Column 63W

Solar Energy

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to increase the number of new houses with solar tiles; and if he will make a statement. [74837]

Mr. Wilson: I have been asked to reply.

The DTI has a research and development programme to assess various aspects of PV product development, installation and operation on domestic buildings. In particular, the Domestic PV Systems Field Trial is supporting several projects on clusters of houses. This should result in around 500 PV roofs with a total capacity of around 800 KWp and a budget of over #5 million. This trial will use the design, construction and monitoring of the installation as a learning opportunity for utilities, building developers and other key players in the process of PV installation. Information will be gathered on the buildability, operating performance, reliability and maintainability of building-integrated PV (BIPV) systems, thus paving the way for improvements in know how in the home PV industry.

In addition, the recently introduced First Phase of the Major Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme aims to distribute grants to households and businesses wishing to install PV arrays onto their buildings. The programme seeks to increase public awareness and drive down the market cost of installation by offering 50 per cent. grants on the installation of PV systems. A third of the #20 million budget has been allocated to small PV installation on individual dwellings, which should result in 1500 roof systems being installed. A further third of the budget has been allocated to private and social housing developers, resulting in a further 1500 roof systems. Up to the end of September the programme has had 70 successful small scale applications and has approved 8 larger scale applications.

With regard to building regulations, these were changed on April 2002 to enable the benefits of low carbon and zero carbon technologies, such as PV, to be more readily taken into account and to encourage industry and consumer take-up. The economics of making the installation of PV solar panels a compulsory element of new building regulations are not yet favourable, as the price of PV remains high.


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