House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 16 Dec 2002 (pt 32)

16 Dec 2002 : Column 624W—continued

Panel for Regulatory Accountability

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many times the Panel for Regulatory

16 Dec 2002 : Column 625W

Accountability has met in the last year; what allowances from public funds are made available to members of the Panel for Regulatory Accountability; and what the cost was in each year since 1997. [87609]

Mr. Alexander: The panel has been a Cabinet Committee since July 2001. It is established practice under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committee business is not disclosed.

Prior to this, no allowances from public funds were made available to members of the panel in relation to their membership.

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many regulatory reform orders have been made since the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 came into force; how many regulatory reform orders are before Parliament; and how many proposed regulatory reform orders were out to public consultation on 1 December. [87604]

Mr. Alexander: Since the Regulatory Reform Act came into force in April 2001 we have made six regulatory reform orders (RROs) . There are a further seven RROs undergoing parliamentary scrutiny. On 1 December there were no proposed RROs out for consultation, but consultation had just ended on four RROs.

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the total savings to business as a result of regulatory reform orders made to date; and what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to business of (a) regulatory reform orders before Parliament and (b) proposed regulatory reform orders out to public consultation on 1 December. [87605]

Mr. Alexander: The Regulatory Reform Action Plan, which was published in February 2002, listed 268 items, of which 63 were potential Regulatory Reform Orders (RROs), 160 related to business. No total estimate of savings has been made. All Regulatory Reform Orders have to be accompanied by a full Regulatory Impact Assessment, setting out the costs and benefits. Departments have been asked to make these available to the House of Commons Library and on departmental websites.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Air Quality

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of air quality standards in market towns. [86900]

Alun Michael: I have been asked to reply.

Air quality in the UK is monitored through the national air quality monitoring networks, which comprise over 1,500 automatic and non-automatic monitoring sites. Many of these monitoring sites are situated in small towns. Historic and current levels of air pollution at all of these sites can be checked via the National Air Quality Information Archive at

16 Dec 2002 : Column 626W

www.airquality.co.uk For some sites, this information is updated on an hourly basis. For others, the information is updated on a monthly or quarterly basis, depending on the type of site.

In addition to this, local authorities carry out their own reviews and assessments of air quality in their areas, in order to identify any pollution hotspots. Several authorities have identified potentially elevated levels of air pollution in small towns, particularly alongside congested streets. In these cases, authorities are required to designate air quality management areas and to draw up action plans setting out what they intend to do to remedy the situation. Details of all the air quality management areas designated by local authorities to date, together with information on their action plans where available, can be found via the local air quality management section of the National Air Quality Information Archive (www.airquality.co.uk).

Council Tax

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the cumulative percentage increase in the council tax for a Band D property in each billing local authority in England since 1996. [85494]

Mr. Leslie: A table setting out the cumulative percentage increase in real terms in area council tax for a Band D properly in each billing local authority in England since 1996 has been placed in the Library.

East Lancashire

Mr. Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times he has visited East Lancashire in his official capacity; and what the purpose was of each visit. [82406]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I have visited East Lancashire twice since June 2001. Both visits were related to community cohesion, housing and neighbourhood renewal following the disturbances in June 2001. I plan to return following an invitation from my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike).

Fire Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to publish a fire cover review. [87801]

Mr. Raynsford: The fire cover review task group agreed the text of its final report at the end of September 2002. The central fire brigades advisory council will consider the report at a future meeting. If the council endorses the report, it will be published.

Firefighters

Mr. James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, (1) pursuant to his answer of 9 December 2002, Official Report, column 130W, if the proposals for retained firefighters' pay as described in the Fire Employers statement of 13 November would enable individual retained firefighters to assess the impact of their proposals on their own annual income; [87237]

16 Dec 2002 : Column 627W

Official Report,

(3) how many hours per annum he estimates (a) a Leading Retained Firefighter and (b) a Retained Firefighter of two years' service would need to work at the hourly rates detailed in the Fire Employers' Statement of 13 November in order to compensate for the combined effects of the alterations to the Annual Retaining Fee, the Turn-out fee and the Attendance fee detailed in the same statement. [87096]

Mr. Raynsford: The local government employers have informed the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials that they calculated this figure on the basis that, under the deal outlined in the Fire Brigades Employers Circular of 12 November:

The Retained hourly rate would have been equal to the wholetime hourly rate

The Retaining Fee would have been 10 per cent. of the wholetime annual rate

The Turn-out fee would have been 1.25 per cent. of the wholetime hourly rate

The Attendance fee would have been 0.75 per cent. of the wholetime hourly rate

But under the deal the current Turn-out fee of #13.93 would have been frozen, until the Turn-out fee calculated on the new basis reached this level.

The local government employers have informed the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials that under this deal the pay of wholetime firefighters would have risen; and any increases in wholetime rates would have raised retained rates, because they would have been linked.

The local government employers have also informed Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials that this would have led to the typical increase for retained firefighters being 6.4 per cent. more than that for wholetime firefighters. The Fire Brigades Union rejected this deal.

The information which the local government employers have supplied to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials, as described, should allow individual retained firefighters to assess the impact of the proposals on their own annual income. Ultimately, however, it is dependent on the individual retained firefighter's workload.

16 Dec 2002 : Column 628W

Homeless People

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of homeless people have suffered from (a) physical assault and (b) mental abuse whilst living on the streets since 1997. [87192]

Mrs. Roche: The information requested is not collected centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will commission research into the causes, extent and possible solutions to household overcrowding in the United Kingdom; [86819]

Mr. McNulty: Information on the extent of overcrowding in England is available from the Survey of English Housing. As mentioned in the reply given to my hon. Friend on 7 November 2002, Official Report, column 621W, we are considering whether overcrowding is best tackled through a modern set of standards—updating the present legislative framework or through the new Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which we hope to introduce as a replacement for the housing fitness standard when parliamentary time allows. Our consideration of options will take account of our understanding of the underlying causes of household overcrowding.

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many households in each Government Office region have been shown by the Survey of English Housing 2001–02 to be two or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard (a) in total and (b) in the private rented sector; [86821]

Mr. McNulty: The number of households three or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard is extremely small which means that any estimate from a sample survey will be subject to a very wide margin of error. The best estimate from Survey of English Housing data, averaged over the last three years (1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02) is 4,000 households out of more than 20 million households.

The number of households in each Government Office region two or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard, estimated from Survey of English Housing data and averaged over the last three years, is shown in the table.

Households in England: difference from bedroom standard⁽¹⁷⁾ by tenure (average 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02)thousands

Owner occupied Social rented Privately rented All tenures

1 below Equal or below Total 2 or more below 1 below Equal or above Total 2 or more below 1 below Equal or above Total 2 or more below 1 below Equal or above Total

Government Office region

North East 8 673 681 1 7 332 340 0 2 73 75 1 17 1,078 1,096

North West 29 1,953 1,985 2 22 577 601 1 5 234 239 6 56 2,763 2,825

Yorks and Humber 15 1,393 1,411 1 14 471 486 1 8 196 205 4 37 2,060 2,102

East Midlands 14 1,279 1,295 1 10 304 314 0 3 143 146 2 28 1,726 1,756

West Midlands 23 1,501 1,527 1 18 458 477 0 5 148 153 4 47 2,107 2,157

Eastern 14 1,625 1,641 1 15 368 385 1 5 202 208 3 35 2,196 2,234

London 41 1,693 1,739 10 86 702 797 4 25 406 435 19 152 2,801 2,971

South East 21 2,480 2,503 2 24 430 456 0 9 328 338 4 55 3,238 3,298

South West 16 1,517 1,533 1 11 298 310 0 6 219 225 2 32 2,034 2,067

England 182 14,114 14,315 19 208 3,940 4,167 7 69 1,948 2,023 45 458 20,002 20,506

percentages

North East 1.2 98.8 100.0 0.2 2.1 977 100.0 0.0 2.7 97.3 100.0 0.1 1.6 98.3 100.0

North West 1.5 98.4 100.0 0.3 3.7 96.1 100.0 0.2 2.1 97.6 100.0 0.2 2.0 97.8 100.0

Yorks and Humber 1.1 98.7 100.0 0.2 2.8 96.9 100.0 0.4 3.8 95.8 100.0 0.2 1.8 98.0 100.0

East Midlands 1.1 98.8 100.0 0.3 3.2 96.5 100.0 0.0 2.3 97.7 100.0 0.1 1.6 98.3 100.0

West Midlands 1.5 98.3 100.0 0.3 3.8 95.9 100.0 0.3 3.1 96.6 100.0 0.2 2.2 97.6 100.0

Eastern 0.8 99.1 100.0 0.3 4.0 95.7 100.0 0.3 2.6 97.1 100.0 0.1 1.6 98.3 100.0

London 2.3 97.3 100.0 1.2 10.8 88.0 100.0 0.9 5.8 93.3 100.0 0.6 5.1 94.3 100.0

South East 0.9 99.1 100.0 0.4 5.3 94.3 100.0 0.1 2.8 97.1 100.0 0.1 1.7 98.2 100.0

South West 1.0 99.0 100.0 0.3 3.4 96.3 100.0 0.2 2.5 97.3 100.0 0.1 1.5 98.4 100.0

England 1.3 98.6 100.0 0.5 5.0 94.6 100.0 0.3 3.4 96.3 100.0 0.2 2.2 97.5 100.0

	Owner occupied	Social rented	Privately rented	All tenures
	1 below	Equal or below	Total	2 or more below	1 below	Equal or above	Total	2 or more below	1 below	Equal or above	Total	2 or more below	1 below	Equal or above	Total
	Government Office region
North East	8	673	681	1	7	332	340	0	2	73	75	1	17	1,078	1,096
North West	29	1,953	1,985	2	22	577	601	1	5	234	239	6	56	2,763	2,825
Yorks and Humber	15	1,393	1,411	1	14	471	486	1	8	196	205	4	37	2,060	2,102
East Midlands	14	1,279	1,295	1	10	304	314	0	3	143	146	2	28	1,726	1,756
West Midlands	23	1,501	1,527	1	18	458	477	0	5	148	153	4	47	2,107	2,157
Eastern	14	1,625	1,641	1	15	368	385	1	5	202	208	3	35	2,196	2,234
London	41	1,693	1,739	10	86	702	797	4	25	406	435	19	152	2,801	2,971
South East	21	2,480	2,503	2	24	430	456	0	9	328	338	4	55	3,238	3,298
South West	16	1,517	1,533	1	11	298	310	0	6	219	225	2	32	2,034	2,067
England	182	14,114	14,315	19	208	3,940	4,167	7	69	1,948	2,023	45	458	20,002	20,506
percentages
North East	1.2	98.8	100.0	0.2	2.1	977	100.0	0.0	2.7	97.3	100.0	0.1	1.6	98.3	100.0
North West	1.5	98.4	100.0	0.3	3.7	96.1	100.0	0.2	2.1	97.6	100.0	0.2	2.0	97.8	100.0
Yorks and Humber	1.1	98.7	100.0	0.2	2.8	96.9	100.0	0.4	3.8	95.8	100.0	0.2	1.8	98.0	100.0
East Midlands	1.1	98.8	100.0	0.3	3.2	96.5	100.0	0.0	2.3	97.7	100.0	0.1	1.6	98.3	100.0
West Midlands	1.5	98.3	100.0	0.3	3.8	95.9	100.0	0.3	3.1	96.6	100.0	0.2	2.2	97.6	100.0
Eastern	0.8	99.1	100.0	0.3	4.0	95.7	100.0	0.3	2.6	97.1	100.0	0.1	1.6	98.3	100.0
London	2.3	97.3	100.0	1.2	10.8	88.0	100.0	0.9	5.8	93.3	100.0	0.6	5.1	94.3	100.0
South East	0.9	99.1	100.0	0.4	5.3	94.3	100.0	0.1	2.8	97.1	100.0	0.1	1.7	98.2	100.0
South West	1.0	99.0	100.0	0.3	3.4	96.3	100.0	0.2	2.5	97.3	100.0	0.1	1.5	98.4	100.0
England	1.3	98.6	100.0	0.5	5.0	94.6	100.0	0.3	3.4	96.3	100.0	0.2	2.2	97.5	100.0

⁽¹⁷⁾ Bedroom standard is an indicator of occupation density. A notional number of bedrooms are allocated to each household in accordance with its age/sex/marital status composition and the relationship of the members to each other. This is then compared with the actual number of bedrooms (including bedsitters) available for the sole use of the household.

Source:

Survey of England Housing, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

16 Dec 2002 : Column 629W

Next Section

Index

Home Page