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18 Dec 2002 : Column 862W—continued

Council Housing

21. Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans to increase the provision of council housing. [86339]

Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to increase the provision of council housing.

Increases in the supply of affordable housing are now delivered through Registered Social Landlords.

Housing

22. Margaret Moran: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to further encourage development of housing on brown-field sites and through refurbishment. [86340]

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Mr. McNulty: Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, 'Housing' gives priority to re-using previously-developed land within urban areas, bringing empty homes back into use and converting existing buildings in preference to the development of green-field sites. Planning policies are backed by a package of fiscal measures, including a 150 per cent. tax credit for cleaning up contaminated land, reductions in VAT to encourage conversions of existing property into dwellings and the re-use of long-term empty homes, and a tax allowance for flats over shops to encourage use of redundant space.

British Standards (Compliance Costs)

23. Mr. Randall: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has had regarding compliance costs relating to British Standard EN 54.4 and EN 54.2. [86341]

Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not received any recent representations about compliance costs relating to British Standard EN 54.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

24. Mr. Reed: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will introduce legislation to license landlords of houses in multiple occupation. [86342]

Mr. McNulty: As announced in the Queen's Speech, the Government intend to publish a draft Housing Bill this session. The Bill will, among other measures, include provisions to introduce a mandatory licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Following consultation and scrutiny of the draft Bill, it is the Government's intention that it be introduced to Parliament at the earliest possible opportunity.

Firefighters' Dispute

25. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made towards resolving the firefighters' dispute. [86343]

Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member for Vale of York to the answer given by my right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 18 December 2002, Official Report.

Council Tax Banding

26. Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to review the council tax banding system. [86344]

Mr. Leslie: The Local Government Bill currently before this House clarifies the power to vary the number of council tax bands. Ahead of the next English council tax revaluation in 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will listen to the views of local government and taxpayers about council tax bands.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to change the housing bands for council tax; how he estimates they will benefit poorer people; and if he will make a statement. [87372]

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Mr. Leslie: The Local Government Bill currently before Parliament clarifies the power to vary the number of council tax bands. Work on an English council tax revaluation will begin in 2005, with council tax bills based on updated property values issuing in 2007. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware of the concerns of people who live in low value houses about the current width of band A. Ahead of revaluation the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will listen to the views of local government and taxpayers about council tax bands. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will decide on any changes to the banding structure nearer to the time of the revaluation.

Local Authority Performance Measures

27. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will review the measures he uses to assess the performance of local authorities with reference to the initial experience of such measures. [86345]

Mr. Raynsford: The Local Government White Paper, XStrong Local Leadership-Quality Public Services", charged the Audit Commission with developing and implementing the methodology for Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) of local authorities in England. The Commission reported the CPA outcomes for county and unitary authorities last week. An assessment framework for district councils is currently being developed and trialed.

Both the Audit Commission and the Government will wish to reflect on what has been learnt from CPA this year.

High Performing Councils

28. Valerie Davey : To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what additional freedoms and flexibilities he expects to be able to give to high performing councils. [86346]

Mr. Raynsford: For the very best authorities there will be no ring-fencing of funding (other than grants passed to schools); a three year 'inspection holiday'; removal of almost all requirements to produce plans and an opportunity to discuss with Government further freedoms through an Innovations Forum.

South-east Regional Assembly

29. Mr. Cameron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received about the establishment of a regional assembly in the South East in the last 12 months. [86347]

Mr. Raynsford: Between 9 May 2002, when the White Paper XYour Region, Your Choice" was published, and 6 December 2002, we received 215 written or e-mailed responses to the White Paper which can be identified as having come from the South East. In addition we have received 2,333 cut-out coupons, in response to a campaign organised by Conservative MEPs in the South East, which express opposition to an elected assembly in the region.

Electoral Pilot

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have applied to participate in the May 2003 electoral pilot programme; and which type of programme they have applied for, in each case. [87464]

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Mr. Leslie: Sixty three applications to hold an electoral pilot scheme at the May 2003 local elections have been received. My right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich issued on 17 December 2002 a written statement which lists the 41 applications which have been accepted, relating to non e-voting pilot schemes.

A further 20 applications were submitted by councils wishing to run e-voting pilots. As set out in the prospectus that we published in September, the successful applicants for e-voting pilots will be announced in January. The 20 applicants for e-voting pilots schemes is tabled as follows:

E-Voting—Total: 20





















The applications submitted by Nottingham City Council (dual early-postal and traditional voting pilot) and by Mid-Suffolk District Council (all-postal pilot in three wards only) have not been accepted at this stage. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials will be in discussion with those authorities to consider whether revised applications can be put forward.

Environmental Impact Assessments

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 12 December ref. 86872, on environmental impact assessments, for what types of project an environmental impact assessment is mandatory. [87906]

Mr. Leslie: Projects for which Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999. Schedule 1 to the Regulations lists projects for which EIA is always required. Schedule 2 lists those that the planning authority must screen to establish whether they are likely to have significant effects on the environment, in which case EIA will be required. There is nothing to prevent a developer voluntarily undertaking an assessment for a project for which there is no statutory requirement for EIA.

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Fire Safety Bill

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to publish a fire safety bill. [87800]

Mr. Raynsford: The Government will publish a White Paper on the Fire Service in the spring. This will set out in detail the legislative and other changes required to take forward the modernisation programmes set out in the final report of the Independent Review of the Fire Service.

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