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16 Dec 2002 : Column 629W—continued
Inspectors
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what standards of competence he sets for (a) building regulations inspectors and (b) National House-Building Council inspectors. [86907]
Mr. Leslie: It is for each local authority with building control responsibilities to decide on the qualifications and experience of officers employed by them on building control duties.
The National House-Building Council is an independent, non-profit distributing company. Inspectors employed by the NHBC carry out inspections in connection with their Buildmark new home warranty scheme. It is for the NHBC to decide whom to employ for purposes connected with that non-statutory scheme.
NHBC inspectors also carry out inspections for building control purposes in cases where NHBC's subsidiary, NHBC Building Control Services Ltd, is acting as an approved inspector. Under Part II of the Building Act 1984, a person carrying out regulated building work may engage an approved inspector as an alternative to applying to the local authority building control department.
Approved inspectors are subject to periodic re-approval by the Construction Industry Council, which is the body designated by the Secretary of State for the purpose of approving inspectors under Part II of the Building Act. The CIC have drawn up criteria for assessing the qualifications and experience of companies and individuals applying or re-applying for the status of approved inspector.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet a delegation comprising of hon. Members from Dorset and representatives of the county and district councils to discuss the local authority funding settlement for the county. [87557]
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Mr. Raynsford: I would be happy to consider meeting such a delegation, if a representative of the authorities concerned were to write to me setting out the points they wish to raise.
Rough Sleepers
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people he estimates are sleeping rough. [87422]
Mrs. Roche: As of June 2002, local authority statistics show that around 600 people are sleeping rough on any one night. This represents a reduction of around two-thirds since 1998 when it was estimated that nearly 2,000 people were sleeping rough on any one night.
Sangatte
Mr. Portillo: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether persons from Sangatte admitted to the UK under special arrangements will be eligible for local authority housing at the end of their period in hotels financed by central Government. [87510]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
Those persons admitted from Sangatte to the United Kingdom under special arrangements are being brought here, not as asylum seekers, but on work visas to contribute and pay taxes. Once they arrive they are being given accommodation while we start the process of training and job matching. We are confident that they will be able to move on to alternative accommodation within three months. In the event of an individual being unable to find their own accommodation they would be eligible to apply for assistance from a local housing authority, but we expect numbers to be small and any burden to be spread across different local authorities.
Sellers' Packs
Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to publish the two further consultation papers on the seller's pack. [87596]
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Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to publish early next year consultation papers on the detailed contents of the seller's pack and the application of seller's packs in areas of lowest property values and demand.
Tax Credits
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in the Local Government Finance Report (England) 2003–04 (1) what figure was used for the number of children of claimants of (a) working families tax credit and (b) disabled person's tax credit, used in the calculation of (i) additional needs for primary pupils and (ii) additional needs for secondary pupils, for each local authority; [87018]
- (2) how many pupils (a) of primary school age have a mother tongue that is not English and (b) of secondary school age are in low achieving ethnic groups in each local authority; [87016]
(3) what figures were used in the calculation of (a) district, (b) environmental protection and (c) cultural services deprivation top-up for each non-metropolitan district council in non-metropolitan areas; [87020]
(4) what was the average number of dependent children of claimants receiving income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance used in the calculation of (a) additional needs for primary pupils and (b) additional needs for secondary pupils, for each local authority; [87017]
(5) what figure was used in the calculation of net in-commuters and day visitors of each non-metropolitan district council in non-metropolitan areas. [87021]
Mr. Leslie: The figures for the number of children of recipients of working families tax credit and disabled person's tax credit used in the additional education needs for both primary and secondary pupils are from the August 2001, November 2001, February 2002 and May 2002 releases, as published by the Inland Revenue.
For reasons of confidentiality, data on children of working families tax credit recipients are combined with children of disabled person's tax credit recipients by the Inland Revenue, and are therefore not available separately. The combined figures are used within the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.
The same data are used for both (i) additional needs for primary pupils and (ii) additional needs for secondary pupils.
The total number of working families and disabled person's tax credit recipients, in each authority, together with the other information requested (and all the data used in calculating the provisional Local Government
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Finance Settlement) are on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website within XTable 1" of the data section. http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/0304/tabs034.htm
HOME DEPARTMENT
Aerosol Spray Paint
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he intends to take to ban sales of aerosol spray paint to children across the UK. [86424]
Mr. Denham: The Government take the problem of graffiti very seriously and are examining ways in which it they can reduce the problem. The London Local Authorities Bill, which is currently before Parliament, would clamp down on the sale of spray paints to under 18 year olds within the London area. We are looking carefully at whether we should adopt this approach nationally as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill.
Anti-social Behaviour Orders
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been in force in each month since their introduction. [86182]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 9 December 2002]: An anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) is a civil order that has been available to the police and local authorities since April 1999. ASBOs are granted for a minimum period of two years.
From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000, data on the number of ASBOs issued was collected by police force area. From 1 June 2000, official statistics on the number of ASBOs issued are based on quarterly returns from Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs).
Available information in the table shows the number of notifications received by the Home Office of ASBOs issued from 1 April 1999 up to 30 June 2002 (latest available) and by duration of order given since June 2000. We do not collect information on the number of ASBOs in force at any given period, and cannot estimate it reliably from the data in the table.
We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made locally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates' courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made locally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates' courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
(18) Total figures only available from police force areas for period 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000.
(19) As from 1 June 2000, data collected centrally by Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) area by quarter.
(20) Not available.
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Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it takes to introduce an anti-social behaviour order. [86427]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 9 December 2002]: A survey of anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) monitoring forms indicated that the court process was taking on average 13 weeks. To improve the effectiveness of ASBOs and reduce delays, legislative changes have been made under the Police Reform Act 2002 and new guidance published. Courts may now make an interim order to protect the community from the start of the court process, and criminal courts may make orders on conviction, thereby avoiding the need for a separate court process and making better use of court time. In addition, orders may now also cover a wider area, and from 1 April 2003, county courts will be able to make orders when dealing with other civil action.
We will continue to review implementation of these orders with a view to considering whether they can be further streamlined.
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