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19 Dec 2002 : Column 956W—continued

Local Sport

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to make sport a statutory duty for local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [87649]

Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.

I have no such plans. Local authorities are key providers of sport and recreation and play a central role in the delivery of sport in and for the community. It is through the continuous assessment and improvement of local services through processes such as the comprehensive performance assessment and statutory duties such as Best Value that we can safeguard and bring the highest standards to non-statutory services such as sport and recreation. The Local Government Act 2000 also gives authorities new powers to promote or improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of their area, including the provision of sport and recreational opportunities.

Overcrowded Housing

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions since 1985 he has (a) received a report from a local housing authority and (b) directed a local housing authority to prepare and submit a report on the extent of overcrowding in their district, under section 334 of the Housing Act 1985; and what action was taken in each instance. [88262]

19 Dec 2002 : Column 957W

Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As far as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware, the powers in section 334 of the Housing Act 1985 have not been used by local authorities or the Deputy Prime Minister in recent years.

Planning Applications

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 December 2002, Official Report, column 688W, on planning applications, what will happen to the planning applications not dealt with within 16 weeks from close of inquiry to decision. [86963]

Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister always aims to issue a decision as soon as possible. However, the target recognises that, due to the complex nature of some cases or the impact of unforeseen circumstances, a proportion of them will not be dealt with within the 16 week period following the close of the inquiry.

Right to Buy Scheme

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appeals against the valuation of a property being sold under the right to buy scheme were submitted in London in each year since 1992, broken down by local authority. [87989]

Mr. McNulty: The following table, compiled by the Valuation Office Agency, which carries out all determinations of appeals under the statutory Right to Buy scheme in England and Wales, shows determinations made in each London borough between 1 January 1992 and 30 November 2002.

Right to Buy cases in London boroughs-Between 1 January 1992 and 30 November 2002

Local authority/case type	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
Barking and Dagenham
LA	56	33	22	15	31	9
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	56	33	22	15	31	9
Barnet
LA	32	20	12	9	7	6
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	32	20	12	9	7	6
Bexley
LA	18	15	11	4	13	10
RSL	2	3	2	1	0	0
Total	20	18	13	5	13	10
Brent
LA	52	37	21	16	27	33
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	52	37	21	16	27	33
Bromley
LA	24	6	4	4	1	0
RSL	0	1	0	0	0	0
Total	24	7	4	4	1	0
Camden
LA	318	168	84	65	69	124
RSL	0	0	0	10	0
Total	318	168	84	66	69	124
City of London
LA	5	7	7	10	4	2
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	5	7	7	10	4	2
Croydon
LA	12	13	6	3	4	7
RSL	3	0	0	0	0	0
Total	15	13	6	3	4	7
Ealing
LA	96	46	22	17	25	8
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	3
Total	96	46	22	17	25	11
Enfield
LA	31	19	26	9	15	8
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	31	19	26	9	15	8
Greenwich
LA	178	194	111	133	118	112
RSL	3	3	8	0	0	0
Total	181	197	119	133	118	112
Hackney
LA	110	63	35	31	39	55
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	110	63	35	31	39	55
Hammersmith and Fulham
LA	55	30	7	17	25	34
RSL	0	0	0	1	0	0
Total	55	30	7	18	25	34
Haringey
LA	45	26	15	15	19	31
RSL	0	2	0	0	0	0
Total	45	28	15	15	19	31
Harrow
LA	11	7	3	1	1	2
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	11	7	3	1	1	2
Havering
LA	31	27	12	11	10	4
RSL	1	0	0	0	0	0
Total	32	27	12	11	10	4
Hillingdon
LA	55	26	8	5	7	19
RSL	0	0	1	0	0	0
Total	55	26	9	5	7	19
Hounslow
LA	40	15	10	11	10	8
RSL	2	1	0	0	0	2
Total	42	16	10	11	10	10
Islington
LA	307	181	101	65	48	82
RSL	1	0	0	1	1	0
Total	308	181	101	66	49	82
Kensington and Chelsea
LA	32	26	15	18	12	17
RSL	5	0	1	3	0	0
Total	37	26	16	21	12	17
Kingston Upon Thames
LA	15	4	3	1	1	3
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	15	4	3	1	1	3
Lambeth
LA	170	69	42	52	46	143
RSL	1	2	0	0	0	0
Total	171	71	42	52	46	143
Lewisham
LA	63	60	26	30	21	39
RSL	0	7	4	0	0	0
Total	63	67	30	30	21	39
Merton
LA	1	2	0	3	9	8
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	1	2	0	3	9	8
Newham
LA	38	37	21	22	22	30
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	38	37	21	22	22	30
Redbridge
LA	6	10	5	8	8	10
RSL	5	0	0	0	0	0
Total	11	10	5	8	8	10
Richmond upon Thames
LA	8	12	8	9	4	7
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	8	12	8	9	4	7
Southwark
LA	93	91	45	29	37	43
RSL	0	0	0	0	1	0
Total	93	91	45	29	38	43
Sutton
LA	13	11	10	5	10	3
RSL	0	5	1	0	0	0
Total	13	16	11	5	10	3
Tower Hamlets
LA	61	50	16	11	21	38
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	61	50	16	11	21	38
Waltham Forest
LA	33	11	14	14	7	14
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	33	11	14	14	7	15
Wandsworth
LA	29	18	28	29	18	29
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	29	18	28	29	18	29
Westminster
LA	35	7	6	20	17	14
RSL	1	0	0	0	0	0
Total	36	7	6	20	17	14
Grant total
LA	2,073	1,341	756	692	706	952
RSL	24	24	17	7	2	6
Total	2,097	1,365	773	699	708	958

19 Dec 2002 : Column 959W

Local authority/case type	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	Total
Barking and Dagenham
LA	12	35	20	22	5	260
RSL	0	1	0	0	0	1
Total	12	36	20	22	5	261
Barnet
LA	5	16	31	62	12	212
RSL	0	0	0	1	0	1
Total	5	16	31	63	12	213
Bexley
LA	4	3	8	6	5	97
RSL	1	6	3	4	1	23
Total	5	9	11	10	6	120
Brent
LA	47	79	45	35	11	403
RSL	0	0	0	0	1	1
Total	47	79	45	35	12	404
Bromley
LA	0	4	5	8	1	57
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	0	4	5	8	1	58
Camden
LA	90	112	171	102	39	1,342
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	91	112	171	102	39	1,343
City of London
LA	0	1	2	0	0	38
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	0	1	2	0	0	38
Croydon
LA	7	9	15	12	4	92
RSL	0	0	0	1	0	4
Total	7	9	15	13	4	96
Ealing
LA	19	35	55	35	7	365
RSL	0	1	0	0	0	4
Total	19	36	55	35	7	369
Enfield
LA	11	23	26	28	7	203
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	11	23	26	28	7	203
Greenwich
LA	81	104	108	103	22	1,264
RSL	0	4	1	3	0	22
Total	81	108	109	106	22	1,286
Hackney
LA	41	101	213	246	74	1,008
RSL	0	4	3	16	6	29
Total	41	105	216	262	80	1,037
Hammersmith and Fulham
LA	60	53	53	62	14	410
RSL	0	3	0	1	1	6
Total	60	56	53	63	15	416
Haringey
LA	26	33	33	49	22	314
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	2
Total	26	33	33	49	22	316
Harrow
LA	7	5	3	6	2	48
RSL	0	0	1	1	0	25
Total	7	5	4	7	2	50
Havering
LA	4	9	11	25	5	149
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	4	9	11	25	5	150
Hillingdon
LA	12	15	22	20	3	192
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	12	15	22	20	3	193
Hounslow
LA	9	21	10	50	15	199
RSL	0	0	2	0	0	7
Total	9	21	12	50	15	206
Islington
LA	127	186	124	121	33	1,375
RSL	2	0	2	6	4	17
Total	129	186	126	127	37	1,392
Kensington and Chelsea
LA	36	54	56	55	10	331
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	9
Total	36	54	56	55	10	340
Kingston Upon Thames
LA	6	4	5	6	3	51
RSL	0	1	0	0	0	1
Total	6	5	5	6	3	52
Lambeth
LA	152	296	196	225	44	1,435
RSL	0	6	10	24	2	45
Total	152	302	206	249	46	1,480
Lewisham
LA	60	74	109	159	47	688
RSL	0	0	1	0	0	12
Total	60	74	110	159	47	700
Merton
LA	11	10	21	14	3	82
RSL	0	1	0	0	0	1
Total	11	11	21	14	3	83
Newham
LA	35	33	50	50	13	351
RSL	1	0	0	0	0	1
Total	36	33	50	50	13	352
Redbridge
LA	15	18	20	18	6	124
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	5
Total	15	18	20	18	6	129
Richmond upon Thames
LA	18	46	27	13	4	156
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	18	46	27	13	4	156
Southwark
LA	76	100	104	162	21	801
RSL	0	0	2	2	0	5
Total	76	100	106	164	21	806
Sutton
LA	2	6	23	19	7	109
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	6
Total	2	6	23	19	7	115
Tower Hamlets
LA	40	51	114	136	36	574
RSL	0	8	14	19	3	44
Total	40	59	128	155	39	618
Waltham Forest
LA	15	43	44	46	10	251
RSL	1	0	1	1	2	6
Total	16	43	45	47	12	257
Wandsworth
LA	36	45	45	49	4	330
RSL	0	0	1	0	0	1
Total	36	45	46	49	4	331
Westminster
LA	29	63	36	37	6	270
RSL	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total	29	63	36	37	6	271
Grant total
LA	1,093	1,687	1,805	1,981	495	13,581
RSL	5	35	41	79	20	260
Total	1,098	1,722	1,846	2,060	515	13,841

Note:

Appeals determined for local authority tenants are shown as 'LA'. Those for tenants of registered social landlords (for example, housing associations) exercising the preserved Right to Buy are shown as 'RSL'.

19 Dec 2002 : Column 961W

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