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Area-based Initiatives

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list area-based initiatives operating in (a) the West Midlands and (b) the south-east region, giving the (c) annual budget and (d) regional budget for each in each year since 2000. [106880]

Mrs. Roche: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Matthew Green) on 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 320W.

9 Apr 2003 : Column 254W

Conferences

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what conferences his Department has (a) sponsored and (b) been represented at since May 2002; and what was the cost of each sponsored conference since May 2002. [91621]

Mr. Leslie: The main conference sponsored by the Office was the November 2002 Urban Summit conference at a cost of £300,000. The Summit contributed to Government's thinking on the future urban agenda, including the Sustainable Communities Plan.

Other significant conferences that the Office has contributed to include:

	£
UNECE 9th Conference on Urban and Regional research	90,000
Six national E-local Government regional conferences	30,000
Major Infrastructures Conference	26,000
The Strategic Partnering Taskforce Conference	22,000
NHS Confederation "Connecting 2002" Annual Conference	20,000
New Economics Foundation Inner Cities 100 Forum	20,000

The Office has given support to a further 14 conferences, costing a total of £67,050.

Information on conferences at which the Office has been represented is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimates he has made of the cost of council tax collection and enforcement in each local authority in Suffolk. [108018]

Mr. Leslie: Local authorities in Suffolk reported council tax collection costs in 2002–03 as tabled as follows:

	£000(1)
Babergh	470
Forest Heath	494
Ipswich	1,173
Mid Suffolk	274
St. Edmundsbury	738
Suffolk Coastal	774
Waveney	469

⁽¹⁾Budgeted figures

Source:

2002–03 Budget Estimate Returns

Homebuy Scheme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the budget is for the Homebuy scheme for (a) the current financial year and (b) 2003–04; and what his forecast is for spend as a percentage of budget by 31 March. [92785]

Mr. McNulty: The Housing Corporation expects to spend 100 per cent. of the £42.1 million budget for the Homebuy scheme in the current financial year (2002–03). The amount of funding for the scheme for 2003–04 has not yet been determined.

9 Apr 2003 : Column 255W

Homeless People (Buckingham)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homeless people there were in the Buckingham constituency on 31 March 2002. [107777]

Mrs. Roche: Aylesbury Vale District Council reported that there were 137 homeless households resident in all forms of temporary accommodation under statutory homelessness provisions on 31 March 2002. This information relates to households in the local authority area. Aylesbury Vale DC contains the entire Parliamentary constituency of Buckingham, and part of Aylesbury.

Note:

Includes households accommodated pending completion of enquiries by the local authority.

Source:

ODPM P1(E) housing returns (quarterly).

Local Authority Employees

Mr. Hague: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish a model code of conduct for employees of local authorities under section 82 of Part III of the Local Government Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [107840]

Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to issue a draft code for consultation later in the year.

Local Authority Funding

Mr. John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received about the Local Authorities (Alteration of Requisite Calculations) (England) Regulations. [107783]

Mr. Leslie: No representations were received about the draft Local Authorities (Alteration of Requisite Calculations) (England) Regulations 2003, nor have any representations about those regulations been received since these regulations (S.I. 2003/195) were made.

Local Elections

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the time scale by which newly elected parish and town councillors must meet the requirements of the new Code of Practice [108116]

Mr. Leslie: Newly elected parish and town councillors are required to make a declaration of acceptance of office, which includes an undertaking to observe the code of conduct. The code requires that within 28 days of election or appointment to office, a member must register his financial and other interests.

Neighbourhood Warden Schemes

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the pilot programme of neighbourhood wardens schemes across England and Wales. [107096]

Mrs. Roche: The evaluation of Neighbourhood Wardens is ongoing and the final report is expected in the Summer. Evaluation of the Street Warden programme is in its early stages and interim reports are not yet available. A copy of the 'Neighbourhood Wardens

9 Apr 2003 : Column 256W

Scheme Evaluation Case Studies—Preliminary Report' and the 'Implications Paper' has been placed in the in the Library of the House.

New Housing

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on balancing urban infill against new settlements. [107150]

Mr. McNulty: "Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future" underlines the Government's determination to tackle housing shortages in a way that ensures communities are sustainable. Planning Policy Guidance note 3, 'Housing', sets out the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy that local planning authorities should consider redevelopment of previously developed land for housing before greenfield sites, and states that urban extensions are likely to be more sustainable than new settlements.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his target for new social housing in urban areas. [107151]

Mr. McNulty: The Government have not set a target for new social housing in urban areas.

Rateable Values (Appeals)

Mr. Robathan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the maximum time allotment for the appeals process under the rateable values system is. [107041]

Mr. Leslie: Rating appeals are dealt with in accordance with programmes drawn up by the valuation officers, and the valuation tribunals which will hear the appeals. There is no statutory time limit within which an appeal must be heard, but the programme will indicate the timetable for dealing with a particular appeal. Where an appeal is successful, interest is paid on the refund.

TRANSPORT

A59

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide funding for an improvement to the junction of the A59 at the Clitheroe and Sabden junction. [107954]

Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency will shortly take forward an improvement of this junction including a prohibition of right-turns and some changes of signing and lining. Lancashire county council are due to take control of this section of road this year and it will be for them to decide whether future improvements are necessary.

Air Travel Health Unit

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the (a) roles, (b) function and (c) staffing of the air travel health unit in his Department; and what the annual budget of the unit will be. [108009]

9 Apr 2003 : Column 257W

Mr. Jamieson: The Aviation Health Unit, announced on 6 March, will become a centre of expertise and the primary source of advice to the Department for Transport and the Department for Health on health issues affecting air passengers and crew.

Based at the offices of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at Gatwick, it will offer advice to air passengers and crew; handle public enquiries; investigate potential new aviation health concerns; provide technical input into international organisations; and identify the need for, and manage, future research.

The Head of the Unit will decide on staffing requirements. Funding of up to £200,000 a year will be provided by the Department for Transport until the CAA is given statutory duties for aviation health, allowing it to fund the unit's work out of charges imposed on the aviation industry.

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