House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 21 Oct 2002 (pt 15)

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 Gloucestershire Population as at 30 June Population group used in 2002–3 formulae for service block

(rounded to the nearest hundred) 2001 2000 Education PSS⁽⁵⁾ Police Fire Highways Maintenance EPCS⁽⁶⁾

Total resident population 246000 247900 Y Y Y Y Y Y

Resident population aged 0 to 4 15200 15800 Y

Resident population aged 0 to 15 51100 51200 Y

Resident population aged 0 to 17 57100 56700 Y Y

Resident population aged 5 to 10 19900 20000 Y

Resident population aged 11 to 15 16000 15400 Y

Resident population aged 16 to 24 23600 23400 Y

Resident population aged 18 to 64 153400 156300 Y

Resident population aged 65 to 74 19900 19700 Y

Resident population aged 75 to 84 11800 11300 Y

Resident population aged 11 and over 210900 212100 Y

Resident population aged 65 and over 35500 34900 Y

Resident population aged 85 and over 3900 4000 Y

The population of working age⁽⁷⁾ 147300 150200 Y Y Y

Resident males aged 18 to 64 76600 79900 Y Y Y

Resident females aged 18 to 59 70700 70300 Y Y Y

Resident males aged 0 1400 1500 Y Y

Resident males aged 1 to 4 6500 6700 Y Y

Resident males aged 5 to 9 8500 8500 Y Y

Resident males aged 10 to 14 8400 8000 Y Y

Resident males aged 15 to 19 7600 7000 Y Y

Resident males aged 20 to 24 6200 6600 Y Y

Resident males aged 25 to 29 7600 8700 Y Y

Resident males aged 30 to 34 9700 10900 Y Y

Resident males aged 35 to 39 10800 11300 Y Y

Resident males aged 40 to 44 9200 9200 Y Y

Resident males aged 45 to 49 7900 7900 Y Y

Resident males aged 50 to 54 8600 9000 Y Y

Resident males aged 55 to 59 7700 7400 Y Y

Resident males aged 60 to 64 6100 6200 Y Y

Resident males aged 65 to 69 5200 5200 Y Y

Resident males aged 70 to 74 4300 4300 Y Y

Resident females aged 0 1400 1500 Y Y

Resident females aged 1 to 4 6000 6200 Y Y

Resident females aged 5 to 9 8000 8300 Y Y

Resident females aged 10 to 14 7900 7600 Y Y

Resident females aged 15 to 19 6700 6500 Y Y

Resident females aged 20 to 24 6200 6200 Y Y

Resident females aged 25 to 29 7900 8300 Y Y

Resident females aged 30 to 34 10200 10400 Y Y

Resident females aged 35 to 39 10800 10500 Y Y

Resident females aged 40 to 44 8900 8500 Y Y

Resident females aged 45 to 49 8100 7800 Y Y

Resident females aged 50 to 54 8600 8600 Y Y

Resident females aged 55 to 59 7700 7500 Y Y

Resident females aged 60 to 64 6100 6100 Y Y

Resident females aged 65 to 69 5600 5700 Y Y

Resident females aged 70 to 74 4700 4600 Y Y

South Gloucestershire	Population as at 30 June	Population group used in 2002–3 formulae for service block
(rounded to the nearest hundred)	2001	2000	Education	PSS⁽⁵⁾	Police	Fire	Highways Maintenance	EPCS⁽⁶⁾
Total resident population	246000	247900	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Resident population aged 0 to 4	15200	15800	Y
Resident population aged 0 to 15	51100	51200		Y
Resident population aged 0 to 17	57100	56700	Y	Y
Resident population aged 5 to 10	19900	20000	Y
Resident population aged 11 to 15	16000	15400	Y
Resident population aged 16 to 24	23600	23400	Y
Resident population aged 18 to 64	153400	156300		Y
Resident population aged 65 to 74	19900	19700		Y
Resident population aged 75 to 84	11800	11300		Y
Resident population aged 11 and over	210900	212100	Y
Resident population aged 65 and over	35500	34900		Y
Resident population aged 85 and over	3900	4000		Y
The population of working age⁽⁷⁾	147300	150200		Y	Y			Y
Resident males aged 18 to 64	76600	79900		Y	Y			Y
Resident females aged 18 to 59	70700	70300		Y	Y			Y
Resident males aged 0	1400	1500		Y				Y
Resident males aged 1 to 4	6500	6700		Y				Y
Resident males aged 5 to 9	8500	8500		Y				Y
Resident males aged 10 to 14	8400	8000		Y				Y
Resident males aged 15 to 19	7600	7000		Y				Y
Resident males aged 20 to 24	6200	6600		Y				Y
Resident males aged 25 to 29	7600	8700		Y				Y
Resident males aged 30 to 34	9700	10900		Y				Y
Resident males aged 35 to 39	10800	11300		Y				Y
Resident males aged 40 to 44	9200	9200		Y				Y
Resident males aged 45 to 49	7900	7900		Y				Y
Resident males aged 50 to 54	8600	9000		Y				Y
Resident males aged 55 to 59	7700	7400		Y				Y
Resident males aged 60 to 64	6100	6200		Y				Y
Resident males aged 65 to 69	5200	5200		Y				Y
Resident males aged 70 to 74	4300	4300		Y				Y
Resident females aged 0	1400	1500		Y				Y
Resident females aged 1 to 4	6000	6200		Y				Y
Resident females aged 5 to 9	8000	8300		Y				Y
Resident females aged 10 to 14	7900	7600		Y				Y
Resident females aged 15 to 19	6700	6500		Y				Y
Resident females aged 20 to 24	6200	6200		Y				Y
Resident females aged 25 to 29	7900	8300		Y				Y
Resident females aged 30 to 34	10200	10400		Y				Y
Resident females aged 35 to 39	10800	10500		Y				Y
Resident females aged 40 to 44	8900	8500		Y				Y
Resident females aged 45 to 49	8100	7800		Y				Y
Resident females aged 50 to 54	8600	8600		Y				Y
Resident females aged 55 to 59	7700	7500		Y				Y
Resident females aged 60 to 64	6100	6100		Y				Y
Resident females aged 65 to 69	5600	5700		Y				Y
Resident females aged 70 to 74	4700	4600		Y				Y

⁽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 authority LA vacant dwellings

Adur 9

Arun 22

Chichester –

Crawley 63

Horsham –

Mid Sussex –

Worthing –

Total 94

Local authority	LA vacant dwellings
Adur	9
Arun	22
Chichester	–
Crawley	63
Horsham	–
Mid Sussex	–
Worthing	–

Total	94

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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