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27 Feb 2003 : Column 717W—continued
Housing Provision
Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what account he took of the High Court decisions in the cases of R v Islington LBC ex parte Reilly and Maunix (1998) and R v Westminster CC ex parte Al-Khorshan (1999) in drawing up his code of guidance on allocation of accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the balance between his encouragement of choice-based lettings and the legal requirement to give preference to those identified as having urgent housing needs. [98382]
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Mr. McNulty: A new Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation, revised to take account of the changes to Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996 contained in the Homelessness Act 2002, was issued in November 2002.
The new Code takes account of the Court of Appeal judgment in the conjoined cases of R (on the application of A) v Lambeth London Borough Council and R (on the application of Lindsay) v Lambeth London Borough Council on 23 July 2002 which upheld the High Court decisions in R v Islington LBC, ex parte Reilly and Mannix (1998) and R v Westminster, ex parte Al-Khorsan (1999). The covering letter which was sent with the Code to all housing authorities and other interested parties specifically mentioned the Court of Appeal judgment. It is for housing authorities to take account of the implications of the judgment for their allocation schemes, and to take account of the Secretary of State's guidance in the Code.
The revised Code provides (at paragraph 5.9) that, in framing their allocation scheme so as to secure that reasonable preference is given to certain categories of persons, housing authorities must have regard to the fact that the reasonable preference categories should not be treated in isolation from one another; and must provide a mechanism for identifying applicants who qualify under more than one category and for taking this into account in assessing their housing need.
The Government believe that all housing authorities should adopt more choice-based, customer-focussed, lettings policies, while continuing to meet housing need. This is the best way to ensure sustainable tenancies and to build settled and stable communities. We believe that there is sufficient flexibility within the existing statutory framework to enable housing authorities to offer applicants a choice of accommodation and to ensure that reasonable preference is given to those with the most urgent housing need.
The Code advises (at paragraph 5.11) that, when considering how to reconcile choice and housing need, housing authorities should consider adopting a simplified system of applicant prioritisation in place of a complex points-based approach. An appropriate approach might include systems that:
- (a) "band" applicants into a number of groups reflecting different levels of housing need, with prioritisation of applicants within these groups being determined by waiting time, and/or
(b) give people in the most urgent housing need priority over other applicants (often by using a time-limited "priority card").
Industrial Action/Illness
Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many working days have been lost in his Department and
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its predecessors owing to (a) industrial action and (b) illness in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01, (v) 2001–02 and (vi) 2002–03 to date. [93573]
Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established following machinery of Government changes in May 2002.
In the case of working days lost due to industrial action no days have been lost during the requested periods.
In respect of sickness absence, the most recent "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" was published by the Cabinet Office and announced by Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2002. This covered the calendar year 2001 for the predecessor Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and its executive agencies. Previous reports go back to 1996. Figures for 2002 will be announced in due course.
The Office is committed to managing sickness absence effectively and to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) target reductions in sick absence by the end of 2003.
Land Reform
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for land ownership reform in England and Wales; and what discussions he has had with local government and its representative organisations on the subject of land reform. [98602]
Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no general plans for land ownership reform and have held no such discussions, although the Lord Chancellor's Department is currently considering recommendations by the Law Commission for the abolition of remnants of the feudal system in land law.
Government policy is mainly directed towards making the property markets work better through our proposals for a seller's pack for residential transactions; residential leasehold reform; the introduction of commonhold; the promotion of greater choice and flexibility in commercial leasing as well as reform of the law on renewal of business tenancies; and work HM
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Land Registry is undertaking to improve market information available to buyers and sellers of land and to develop electronic conveyancing. Major reforms to the law of land registration and the law of adverse possession will come into force on 13 October 2003 at the commencement of the Land Registration Act 2002. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also provided greater rights of public access to rural areas.
The Law Commission is working in accordance with its published programme to make land law fairer and more modern. Current projects include major reviews of housing law and compulsory purchase law as well as work on forfeiture of leases. A project on the law of easements and analogous rights such as restrictive covenants is planned in the near future.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what calculation he has made of the likely impact on land prices in England and Wales of land ownership reform in Scotland. [98610]
Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not undertaken a detailed analysis, but given the changes in Scotland there is unlikely to be any impact in England and Wales.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the subject of land ownership reform. [98611]
Mr. McNulty: None, but officials of the Scottish Executive have provided my officials with briefings on the Scottish land ownership reform programme at their regular contact meetings.
Legislation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many bills his Department and its predecessors have sponsored in each of the past five years; and how many have received Royal Assent. [91628]
Mr. Leslie: Bills sponsored in the last five years by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and previously by both the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) are listed in the following table.
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ODPM Bills currently in committee stages
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
Market Renewal Pathfinders
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria will be used to allocate the £500 million earmarked for the nine housing market renewal pathfinder areas in England. [98844]
Mr. McNulty: Market renewal pathfinders are developing schemes to recreate sustainable communities in their areas, requiring long-term commitment from them and Government. Recognising that the problems differ in each area and that the solutions must also, it is intended that funding for the low demand pathfinder projects will be determined by negotiation with each project. Funding will be subject to the quality of plans and to subsequent performance. Independent Scrutiny by the Audit Commission will act as a check on value for money.
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