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3 Mar 2003 : Column 862W—continued
Homelessness
Mr. Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the correlation between the indicators of deprivation used by his Department to distribute local authority finance and actual levels of homelessness in each authority. [99733]
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Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and local authority groups considered a range of indicators to reflect the costs of providing services to homeless people during the recent review of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services block formula. These costs vary significantly around the country and it is clear that they are related to the balance between demand and the supply of available housing in each area. However no workable formula to measure this balance or otherwise model homelessness expenditure was found. The EPCS formula has also to take account of a substantial number of other important services.
The new EPCS formula contains deprivation indicators that reflect the additional costs of provision across the full range of EPCS services.
Housing
Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many properties have been compulsorily purchased by (a) housing action trusts, (b) English Partnerships, (c) regional development agencies and (d) the Housing Corporation in each year since 1999. [99401]
Mr. McNulty: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Housing Affordability
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish (a) the house price and (b) income data underlying the south east: Housing Affordability 2001 map in his document "Sustainable Communities in the South East"; if he will provide a breakdown of income data for each district or unitary authority; and what the ratio of lower quartile house prices to lower quartile income is in each local authority area in the South East. [99309]
Mr. McNulty: Tabled below are the lower quartile house prices for local authorities in the South East, the regional lower quartile earnings and the equivalent house price to earningsratios that were used to produce the South East; Housing Affordability 2001 map in the recent document entitled "Sustainable Communities in the south east" 1 .
(54) House price data: Land Registry
(55) Earnings data: Office for National Statistics: New Earnings Survey, 2001 (based on adults working full-time)
Whilst the above data was used as a basis for the published map, more recent information on estimated earnings by local authority is now available and may be published in the near future.
However, in the context of measuring affordability of housing in each local authority no decision has yet been made on the most appropriate combination of house price and income indicators. For instance, it may be decided to continue using regional incomes rather than local authority incomes.
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Islington
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action is being taken by his Department to ensure improvements in the performance of the London borough of Islington. [100518]
Mr. Raynsford: A process of support and assistance is now in place to aid recovery in Islington council. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has appointed a lead official, who is working closely with the council's
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elected members and officers to establish what needs to be done to bring about rapid improvement in Islington. The official will help Islington council, other Government Departments and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to work together in a co-ordinated and supportive manner to address Islington's key priorities and deliver the quality of services the people of Islington rightly deserve.
Local Government
Mr. Maude: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many different plans concerning local authority functions each tier of local government has been required to submit to central Government in each year since 1997. [98407]
Mr. Raynsford: The number of plans required to be submitted in each year to central Government is in the following table. These figures include plans which are required from partnerships which include local authorities as well as those plans that are required from only particular authorities. The table reflects the best available information.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently announced a significant reduction in the number of plans that will be required from all authorities. The very best authorities will have only to prepare two plans, neither of which will be submitted to Government.
| Tier | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Unitary | District | County |
| 1997–98 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | 11 | 3 | 10 |
| 1999–2000 | 18 | 3 | 17 |
| 2000–01 | 22 | 5 | 21 |
| 2001–02 | 31 | 9 | 28 |
| 2002–03 | 33 | 7 | 31 |
| 2003–04(56) | 22 | 5 | 20 |
(56) Estimate
Pathfinder Report
Mr. Michael Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to publish in full the Fire Cover Task Group's Pathfinder report. [100119]
Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, Lynne Jones on 7 January 2003, Official Report, column 115W.
Recycled Capital Grant
Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to require the Housing Corporation to promote greater transparency about the amount and uses of recycled capital grant. [99175]
Mr. McNulty: Registered social landlords (RSLs) are required, by the Housing Corporation, to present accumulated recycled capital grant in their annual accounts. RSLs are expected to consult with the local authorities from whose area grant has been recycled about the use of the recycled capital grant fund (RCGF).
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Information on the permitted uses of RCGF is available on the Housing Corporation's website (www.housingcorp.gov.uk). In brief, RSLs may use RCGF for projects that would qualify for new social housing grant. These projects are subject to the same grant rates, cost limits and rents as new grant projects.
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