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12 Feb 2003 : Column 829W—continued

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Adult Day Centres

David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the charging arrangements are for handicapped persons attending adult day centres in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) England. [96705]

Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council charges a flat rate of £2 per day for persons attending adult day centres. I understand that this will cease from April 2003. Thereafter, charges will reflect each individual's ability to pay.

The Department issued statutory guidance, Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care and other non-residential Social Services, in November 2001, which councils in England are obliged to implement.

A copy of the guidance is available at www. doh.qov.uk/scg/homecarecharqes.

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Affordable Accommodation

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many units of affordable accommodation were secured via the planning process; and what proportion of all housing permissions this represented in each of the last five years in each local authority in London. [96898]

Mr. McNulty: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of affordable dwellings secured through the planning system for each London borough is shown in the following table:

Local authority	2000–01	2001–02
Barking and Dagenham	106	56
Barnet	210	228
Bexley	0	4
Brent	330	290
Bromley	0	8
Camden	37	118
City of London	0	0
Croydon	169	127
Ealing	11	324
Enfield	327	25
Greenwich	299	260
Hackney	284	(40)—
Hammersmith and Fulham	0	500
Haringey	91	85
Harrow	158	184
Havering	114	16
Hillingdon	22	101
Hounslow	100	75
Islington	0	75
Kensington and Chelsea	180	304
Kingston upon Thames	64	163
Lambeth	696	167
Lewisham	47	193
Merton	21	8
Newham	14	88
Redbridge	49	373
Richmond upon Thames	67	191
Southwark	53	133
Sutton	0	140
Tower Hamlets	0	1167
Waltham Forest	8	8
Wandsworth	65	516
Westminster	126	56

⁽⁴⁰⁾ figure not provided by local authority

Source:

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's annual Housing Statistical Appendices

completed by local authorities.

Information about the number of dwellings which all extant housing planning permissions could yield is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Prior to 2000–01 information about dwellings secured through planning policy was also not collected centrally.

Council Tax

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he gives to local authorities to reclaim council tax through (a) an attachment to earnings for those people who refuse to pay their council tax and (b) an attachment to pensions for those pensioners who refuse to pay their council tax; and what discussions he has had with the Department of Work and Pensions regarding the attachment to pensions for those pensioners who refuse to pay council tax. [97415]

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Mr. McNulty: Since its establishment on 29 May 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has issued no guidance on these matters. Previously the former Department of the Environment published in September 1993 "Council Tax Practice Note No 9—Recovery and Enforcement" which includes guidance on attachment of earnings for council tax debt. Since then the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's predecessors have issued three circular information letters in 1998, 1999 and 2000 to local authorities containing further advice on attachment of earnings.

The Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation publication "Council Tax Law and Practices" also contains advice on attachment of earnings for council tax debt. This is based on the Council Tax Practice note.

Pensions are not attachable for council tax debt. No discussions with the Department of Work and Pensions about this matter have been undertaken.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Diana Organ: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to raise the £25,000 ceiling on disabled facilities grants; and if he will make a statement. [97246]

Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to raise the limit for mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant which was last raised from £20,000 to £25,000 in January 2002. The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance)(England and Wales) Order 2002 gives local authorities a new wide ranging discretionary power which allows them to provide additional financial assistance for housing adaptations. This includes the ability to help with the purchase of a new property for the disabled person if this is a more cost-effective option than the adaptation of the existing property.

Fire Dispute

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he last met the Secretary of State for Scotland to discuss the progress of the fire dispute in Scotland. [95975]

Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister meets with the Secretary of State for Scotland on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues, including the fire dispute.

The Fire Service is a devolved matter in Scotland. My colleagues and I have been in frequent contact with colleagues in the Scottish Executive Justice Department. I last spoke to the Deputy Minister for Justice, Scottish Executive on Tuesday 4 February.

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will not amend the Scotland Act 1998 as part of his proposed legislation on fire service pay and conditions. [95976]

Mr. Raynsford: The UK Government have no such plans. The Fire Service is a devolved matter in Scotland. The UK Government are committed, under the Sewel Convention, to legislate on devolved matters at Westminster only with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament. Scottish Ministers share the UK Government's view that this dispute can and should be resolved through UK-wide negotiations.

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David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what income has been received by the Department from firefighter employers as a result of the recent fire strikes; [96716]

(2) how much money has been transferred between the Department and the Ministry of Defence as a result of the fire strikes, broken down by category; [96724]

(3) what the budget shortfall incurred by the Department is to date as a result of the fire strikes; and what budget cuts will be made to compensate for this shortfall; [96715]

(4) what the total cost incurred by the Government as a result of the fire strikes has been. [96723]

Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will pay money to the Ministry of Defence and receive income from firefighter employers on the basis of invoices for services provided and pay deducted as a result of the fire dispute. No money has been paid or received as yet.

It is estimated that the cost to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the end of January of providing emergency cover for the fire dispute will be about £70 million. Each extra day the military remains ready to provide cover costs up to about £1 million. The figures are necessarily approximate estimates and will remain so until invoices are received and audited. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a three year spending programme and will be aiming to balance its spending commitments within resources available in the light of events.

Fire Service

Mr. Watts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Bain report took into account past efficiency and modernisation measures that have been introduced by some fire authorities. [93421]

Mr. Raynsford: The Independent Review of the Fire Service described examples of modernisation already in place in some fire brigades, but stated that implementation was patchy. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister wants to see effective modernisation implemented across the whole fire service.

Mr. Watts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how he estimates the recommendations of the Bain report will change the quality of the fire service to the community. [93423]

Mr. Raynsford: The Independent Review of the Fire Service, led by Sir George Bain, set out proposals for the reform of the Fire Service. The Government believe that reform will create a Fire Service that is better, safer and will save more lives. The Government will respond in detail to the recommendations in the Independent Review in a Fire White Paper later this year.

Mr Watts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, (1) whether he estimates that all fire authorities will have the same opportunity to introduce modernisation procedures; [93424]

(2) how local fire authorities will be able to increase pay of firefighters in cases where they have already introduced many of the changes recommended in the Bain report. [93422]

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Mr. Raynsford: The Independent Review of the Fire Service described examples of modernisation already in place in some Fire Brigades, but stated that implementation was patchy. Opportunities to introduce modernisation procedures will, therefore, vary.

The Government will respond in detail to the recommendations in the Independent Review in a Fire White Paper later this year.

As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister informed the House on 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 729, brigades should not be disadvantaged in any settlement if they have already implemented recognised modernisation procedures.

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