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25 Nov 2002 : Column 123W—continued
Rural Deprivation
David Maclean: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of rural deprivation in the local government formula grant review. [83146]
Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Mr. Cawsey) on 4 November 2002, Official Report, column 52W.
Rural Services
David Maclean: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what account he has taken of the extra cost of providing services in rural areas in the local government formula grant review. [83145]
Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Mr. Cawsey) on 4 November 2002, Official report, column 49W.
David Maclean: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research was conducted by his Department into the impact of dispersal and settlement patterns on the cost of providing services in rural areas as part of the local government formula grant review. [83143]
Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole on 4 November 2002, Official Report, column 49–50W.
25 Nov 2002 : Column 124W
Social Exclusion Unit
Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the reports the Social Exclusion Unit is working on and the proposed completion dates in each case. [83271]
Mrs. Roche: The SEU is contributing to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's aim to create thriving, inclusive, sustainable communities, with current projects looking at:
- young runaways;
transport and social exclusion; and
the educational attainment of children in care.
Social Housing
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many (a) local authority properties, (b) registered social landlord properties and (c) residential properties were classified unfit for human habitation in (i) December 2001 and (ii) January 2002; [81705]
- (2) how many (a) local authority properties, (b) registered social landlord properties and (c) residential properties were classified unfit for human habitation in (i) December 2000 and (ii) January 2001; [81943]
(3) how many (a) local authority properties, (b) registered social landlord properties and (c) residential properties were classified unfit for human habitation in (i) December 1999 and (ii) January 2000. [82394]
Mr. McNulty: The precise information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Local authorities in England report a wide range of housing information on their annual Housing Investment Programme returns, including the number of residential properties which the authority considers likely would be Xcertifiable as unfit under the legislation as defined in Part XVIII of the Housing Act 1985 as amended by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989". The latest available data on this basis, for the past three years, is presented in the table.
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings owned by: | |||
| Local Authorities | 173,490 | 160,600 | 151,930 |
| Registered Social Landlords | 11,610 | 14,690 | 21,660 |
| Other private or public | 1,254,320 | 1,253,750 | 1,198,730 |
| All unfit residential properties | 1,439,420 | 1,429,040 | 1,372,320 |
Notes:
(20) Dwellings regarded as failing to meet one or more of the statutory fitness criteria, but not necessarily certified as unfit. All figures as at 1 April.
Source:
ODPM Housing Investment Programme returns (annual)
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many empty (a) local authority properties, (b) registered social landlord properties and (c) residential properties there were in (i) December 2000 and (ii) January 2001; [81940]
25 Nov 2002 : Column 125W
- (2) how many empty (a) local authority properties, (b) registered social landlord properties and (c) residential properties there were in (i) December 2001 and (ii) January 2002; [81707]
(3) how many empty (a) local authority properties, (b) registered social landlord properties and (c) residential properties there were in (i) December 1999 and (ii) January 2000. [82396]
Mr. McNulty: The precise information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Local authorities in England report a wide range of housing information on their annual Housing Investment Programme returns, including the number of residential properties vacant as on 1 April. The latest available data for the past three years is presented in the table:
| Dwellings owned by | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local authorities | 83,900 | 87,200 | 80,300 |
| Registered social landlords | 32,600 | 37,500 | 41,300 |
| Other private or public | 650,500 | 635,800 | 633,500 |
| All vacant residential properties | 767,000 | 760,500 | 755,100 |
Note:
All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
Sources:
Vacant local authority dwellings are taken from ODPM's annual Housing Investment Programme (HIP) returns.
Vacant Registered Social Landlord (RSL) dwellings figures are taken from the Housing Corporation's annual Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) completed by RSLs.
Total vacant residential dwellings figures are calculated summing local authority, XOther public sector" and XOther private sector" data from ODPM's HIP returns, together with RSL vacant dwellings from the Housing Corporation's RSR return.
Supporting People Strategy
Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authorities have not drawn up a shadow Supporting People Strategy. [83272]
25 Nov 2002 : Column 126W
Mr. McNulty: All local authorities have drawn up a Supporting People Strategy.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints his Department has received from (a) local authorities, (b) service providers and (c) service users regarding the implementation of the Supporting People Strategy. [83273]
Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been in constant dialogue with all partners and stakeholders throughout the implementation of the Supporting People Programme through the Supporting People Kweb and the Supporting People helpline.
The helpline takes on average some 100 calls per week and 'complaints' are not registered separately.
Temporary Accommodation
Linda Perham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the quality of temporary accommodation provided by London boroughs; and what action he has taken in the light of these assessments. [80529]
Mrs. Roche: Homelessness legislation requires that all temporary accommodation offered to homeless households must be suitable, taking account of the law on unfitness, overcrowding and multiple occupation houses.
London boroughs also have a duty to ensure that their environmental health officers carry out regular inspections of all bed and breakfast hotels used for statutorily homeless households in their locality. They must abide by the joint London boroughs' code of practice on hotel standards.
We are committed to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families with children except in an emergency, and even then for no more than six weeks, through a number of measures to promote better quality self-contained accommodation and action to prevent homelessness.
25 Nov 2002 : Column 127W
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Ministerial Visits (East Lancashire)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many times the Lord Chancellor has visited East Lancashire in his official capacity; and what the purpose was of each visit. [82367]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor has not visited East Lancashire in the course of his official duties. The following table details the number of official visits to Lancashire undertaken by the Parliamentary Secretaries at the Lord Chancellor's Department since 1997, and the purpose of each visit.
| Date | Place visited | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 23 September 1998 | Burnley | To visit the Magistrates Court |
| 15 September 1999 | Blackburn | Roundtable Meeting for North West Associate Pioneers |
| 15 September 1999 | Rawtenstall | Visit to the Magistrates Court |
| 11 October 1999 | Rawtenstall | Visit to the Magistrates Court |
| 5 October 2000 | Preston | Visit to the Preston Combined Court |
| 5 October 2000 | Blackburn | Visit to Magistrates Court |
| 23 January 2001 | Preston | Community Legal Service Event |
| 5 February 2002 | Preston | Launch of Preston e-mail application unit |
| 19 February | Preston | Visit to the Court of Protection at the Combined Court |
| 7 October 2002 | Blackburn | Domestic Violence Roadshow |
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