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11 Mar 2003 : Column 218W—continued
Criminal Damages
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases during the last five years a criminal has succeeded in obtaining damages in court against his victim. [101830]
Yvette Cooper: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost to the Department.
Lay Magistrates
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor will announce the national strategy for the recruitment of lay magistrates. [100464]
Yvette Cooper: My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has recently approved the final draft of the National Strategy for the Recruitment of Lay Magistrates and hopes to announce its launch as soon as the financial provisions are in place, which is expected to be next month (April 2003).
The key aims of the strategy are to recruit and retain magistrates from a diverse spectrum of the population, to raise the profile of the magistracy and dispel misconceptions about its make up and entry requirements.
Libra System
Mr. Drew: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress is being made with the installation of the Libra system; and what recent discussions he has had with Fujitsu. [101167]
Yvette Cooper: The Libra infrastructure and office automation has now been delivered to over 90 per cent. of magistrates courts staff. Development of the Libra national case-management software application is under way. Deployment of the application is expected to begin in 2004 and will be completed in 2005.
A revised contract with Fujitsu Services was signed on 23 July 2002. Under this contract Fujitsu Services will provide the infrastructure and office automation
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services to MCCs until 31 March 2007. Discussions on a supplier/client basis take place continually within the contract.
Mental Capacity Bill
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she intends to produce a draft Mental Capacity Bill; and if she will make a statement. [101893]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I am pleased to say that we have already begun preparing a draft Mental Incapacity Bill for publication when all the necessary work is complete. This will be based upon our Policy Statement 'Making Decisions'. I regard this as an extremely positive and important step forward in the area of mental incapacity.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Dreamland Scenic Railway
Mr. Gale: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if his Department regards the Dreamland scenic railway, Margate, as a fixed object for the purposes of listed building content. [102429]
Mr. McNulty: It is for the local planning authority in the first instance to determine whether works require listed building consent in any particular case. Any definitive interpretation of the statutes would be for the Courts.
Building Development (Flood Risk)
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it a requirement that when local authorities draw up section 106 agreements with developers (a) consideration is given to any increased flooding risks caused by the developments and (b) developers should be obliged to meet the financial burdens caused by this flooding risk. [101341]
Mr. McNulty: Planning policy guidance note (PPG) 25 "Development and flood risk" already advises that Section 106 agreements, entered into before permission is granted, may be an appropriate means of ensuring that the provision and future maintenance of any necessary flood defence or flood alleviation works required because of a development are fully funded by the developer as part of the development. It also advises that similar arrangements may be needed in respect of the maintenance and renewal of culverts or of sustainable drainage systems.
The primary responsibility for dealing with flooding issues lies with the landowner under common law. In particular, individual property owners are responsible
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for managing the drainage of their land to prevent nuisance to neighbouring property. Where a person's actions, such as acts of development of land, cause flooding that would not have occurred otherwise then that person may be liable in negligence for damages caused. However, proving the causal link may not be straightforward and that is a matter for the courts to determine. It is, therefore, very much in the interests of developers to ensure that the sites they build on are not vulnerable to flooding and do not add to flood risk at other properties.
Electoral Register
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the final day is for additions to the electoral register with respect to the 1 May 2003 election. [102316]
Mr. Leslie: The final day for electors to apply to be added to the electoral register for the local council elections on 1 May 2003 election is 11 March 2003, except in a small number of cases where electoral pilot schemes, including alterations to the final registration date, are proposed. Arrangements in these cases are being published locally.
Green Belt (Kent)
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to maintain greenbelt land in Kent Thames-side. [101955]
Mr. McNulty: "Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future" indicates that the Government's target is to maintain or increase the current area of land designated as Green Belt in local plans in each region. It also states the Government's intention to use Green Belt and other countryside protection tools to maintain the openness of the countryside around areas of growth, such as in the Thames Gateway.
Homelessness
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of homeless people without regular shelter for each night; and how many there were in each of the last five years for each London borough; and if he will make a statement. [100269]
Mrs. Roche: Specific information on the number of homeless people without regular shelter is not held centrally. However, in terms of people sleeping rough, as of June 2002, local authority statistics show that nationally, around 596 people are sleeping rough on any one night. This represents a reduction of 68 per cent. since 1998 when it was estimated that in England, 1,850 people were sleeping rough on any one night.
The table sets out data on rough sleeping for all London boroughs over the last five years.
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This data is taken from returns of the Housing Investment Programme (HIP) that are submitted annually in June by all local authorities. The figures represent the results of street counts or where counts have not taken place an estimation of the extent of the rough sleeping problem has been recorded.
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The following table represents the number of households accommodated under the homelessness legislation in temporary accommodation, including homeless at home, in London over the last five years at the end of September each year.
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| 2001 | 2002 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA code | LA name | Total | Of which: Homeless at home | Total | Of which: Homeless at home | ||
| Z5060 | Barking and Dagenham | 398 | 1 | 667 | 0 | ||
| N5090 | Barnet | n/r | n/r | 2,502 | 392 | ||
| D5120 | Bexley | 234 | 55 | 246 | 38 | ||
| T5150 | Brent | 3,719 | 153 | 3,647 | 137 | ||
| G5180 | Bromley | 626 | 258 | 742 | 295 | ||
| X5210 | Camden | 1,945 | 214 | 2,140 | 250 | ||
| K5030 | City of London | 45 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| L5240 | Croydon | 2,967 | 0 | 3,259 | 0 | ||
| A5270 | Baling | 2,275 | 353 | 2,216 | 327 | ||
| Q5300 | Enfield | 2,323 | 0 | 2,593 | 0 | ||
| E5330 | Greenwich | 807 | 531 | 1,070 | 723 | ||
| U5360 | Hackney | 1,895 | 142 | 2,321 | 160 | ||
| H5390 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 1,454 | 132 | 1,756 | 144 | ||
| Y5420 | Haringey | 4,587 | 751 | n/r | n/r | ||
| M5450 | Harrow | 1,638 | 77 | 1,647 | 45 | ||
| B5480 | Havering | n/r | N/r | 290 | 0 | ||
| R5510 | Hillingdon | 1,942 | 125 | 2,091 | 165 | ||
| F5540 | Hounslow | 1,124 | 305 | 1,351 | 299 | ||
| V5570 | Islington | 1,516 | 0 | 1,301 | 0 | ||
| K5600 | Kensington and Chelsea | 1,120 | 0 | 971 | 2 | ||
| Z5630 | Kingston upon Thames | 646 | 20 | 732 | 15 | ||
| N5660 | Lambeth | 1,834 | 358 | 2,303 | 417 | ||
| C5690 | Lewisham | 1,334 | 355 | 1,814 | 625 | ||
| T5720 | Merton | 188 | 4 | 174 | 5 | ||
| G5750 | Newham | 3,714 | 560 | 4,449 | 991 | ||
| W5780 | Redbridge | 1,376 | 0 | 1,510 | 0 | ||
| L5810 | Richmond upon Thames | n/r | N/r | 526 | 25 | ||
| A5840 | Southwark | 907 | 212 | 1,261 | 492 | ||
| P5870 | Sutton | 519 | 94 | 527 | 99 | ||
| E5900 | Tower Hamlets | 1,866 | 32 | 2,366 | 14 | ||
| U5930 | Waltham Forest | 759 | 126 | 1,044 | 100 | ||
| H5960 | Wandsworth | 1,043 | 0 | 1,355 | 35 | ||
| X5990 | Westminster | 2,720 | 325 | 3,042 | 388 | ||
n/r—Refers to P1E data not received from local authority
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the extra support recently given to homeless families. [101668]
Mrs. Roche: The March 2002 report, "More than a roof", set out the Government's approach to tackling and preventing homelessness. Specific measures included investment of £125 million in 2002–03 to support local authorities and the voluntary sector to support new approaches to preventing homelessness. Further support of £70 million is available in 2003–04. These resources will help to support the Government's commitment that by March 2004 no homeless family with children will have to live in bed and breakfast accommodation, except in an emergency, but for no longer than six weeks.
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- the Homelessness Act 2002, which requires local authorities to undertake a review and put a strategy in place by July 2003 to ensure that support and accommodation is available within their districts for homeless people, and those at risk of homelessness;
- we are investing £6 million in 2002–03 and £11 million in 2003–04 on a special initiative to make 500 homes available for homeless families with children living in Bed & Breakfast (B&B) hotels in London;
- new advice to housing authorities on arrangements to ensure that all babies and children placed in temporary accommodation receive their health and developmental tests;
- proposals to consult on legislation and statutory guidance to prohibit the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families with children, to raise standards in all forms of temporary accommodation, ensure that homeless households in temporary accommodation have access to health, education and social services;
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- making up to £8.9 capital investment available from the Homelessness Directorate to help domestic violence survivors at risk of homelessness. Capital investment will normally be supported by the relevant local authority's Supporting People and Homelessness Strategies. This is backed up by a £2 million initiative in partnership with Comic Relief to help families in danger at home and at risk of homelessness because of violent partners.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homeless families were placed in bed and breakfast accommodation in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 to date. [101669]
Mrs. Roche: Information collected relates to homeless households in temporary accommodation, including bed and breakfast, at the end of each quarter.
| 31 March | 30 June | 30 September | 31 December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10,830 | 11,340 | 12,290 | 12,110 |
| 2002 | 11,800 | 12,420 | 13,300 | 1 — |
Note:
1 Not yet available
Since March 2002 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has additionally collected information on families with children. It is estimated that at the end of each quarter of 2002 some 6,700 households in Bed & Breakfast were families with children and/or expectant mothers.
Results for the fourth quarter 2002 will be published on the 13 March 2003.
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