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11 Apr 2003 : Column 426W—continued
Departmental Website
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost of his Department's website was in the last 12 months; and how many hits it received in the same period. [104197]
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Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. The estimated total cost of the office website (www.odpm.gov.uk) from 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003 is £752,000. This includes staff costs, development and HTML conversion costs. It also includes the capital costs of developing a new website, which aims to provide the Office with an improved website in terms of design, navigation and information retrieval. The new website, which is under development, accounts for 70 per cent. of total costs.
During the period 1 July (when statistics were first available for the ODPM website) to 19 March 2003 the total number of page impressions (used as a measure of 'hits') was 15,547,195.
Derelict Property
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what powers are available to (a) local authorities and (b) the police to require landlords to improve derelict (i) commercial and (ii) other property. [108026]
Mr. McNulty: Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 provides local planning authorities with a discretionary power to serve a notice requiring landowners and occupiers of the land to remedy the condition of land adversely affecting the amenity of the neighbourhood. It is for the local planning authority to decide whether the amenity of their area is being adversely affected by the condition of the land. Local authorities also have powers to undertake clean up works themselves under section 215 and to recover costs from the landowner. The power is enforceable through the magistrates courts.
Local authorities have powers under the Housing Act 1985 to require improvement of dwellings that are unfit for human habitation. They may serve a notice requiring repairs to be carried out within a specified period or may carry out repairs to the property and, if necessary, recover the costs from the owner.
Police powers are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett).
Enforcement and Inspection Powers
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will introduce legislation to reduce fragmentation of enforcement and inspection powers relating to residential properties, offices, commercial premises and transport locations. [99988]
Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no current plans to introduce such legislation.
The Local Services Inspectorate Forum has already secured a significant increase in co-ordinated activity within local government. Three-year inspection programmes for councils subject to a Comprehensive Performance Assessment will deliver risk-based inspection. This approach allows inspections to be shaped around need.
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Entertainment Costs
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost has been to his Department in (a) each of the last five financial years and (b) this year to date of the entertainment of foreign dignitaries and delegations. [104181]
Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 March 2003, Official Report, column 84W.
The information given includes the cost of the entertainment of foreign dignitaries and delegations incurred by Ministers and the Permanent Secretary and their Private Offices.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on hospitality and entertainment by (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, in each year since 1997. [104218]
Mr. Leslie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 March 2003, Official Report, column 84W.
Additional information for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, including its agencies, and its non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fire Service College
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions the hon. Member for Shipley had when he visited the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh on 7 April 2003; what the implications were of these discussions for the future of the college; and what the timescale is for the private management contract. [109143]
Mr. Leslie: I did not visit the Fire Service College on 7 April 2003. The Task Group established to consider the future of the College had its final meeting on that date in London. I expect to receive the Task Group's report shortly.
Groundwork
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of the funding given to Groundwork to work with local authorities and communities to deliver environmental regeneration has been allocated; and if he will make a statement. [107990]
Mr. McNulty: "Sustainable communities: building for the future" announced £40 million of funding to support the work of Groundwork over the next three years. This funding has been allocated to each year as follows: £13 million in 2003–04, £13 million in 2004–05; and £14 million in 2005–06.
Housing
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the level of housing need in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK. [107540]
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Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 7 January 2003, Official Report, column 115W. No further information has yet been collected.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to publish the results of the consultation on housing capital. [107810]
Mr. McNulty: In August 2002 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued the consultation document 'The Way Forward for Housing Capital Finance', consulting on a range of issues concerning the future of housing capital finance. Almost 300 responses were received. The decisions reached on the issues consulted on are reflected in "Sustainable Communities: building for the future" and the Local Government Bill currently before Parliament. A letter went to all Chief Finance Officers in local housing authorities in England on 1 April setting out in detail the proposed arrangements for the proposals consulted on. This letter is available at www.odpm.gov.uk, and in the Library of the House.
Liveability
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) guidance, (b) memoranda, (c) reports and (d) consultations his Department has (i) published and (ii) prepared on liveability. [107987]
Mr. McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published the following reports:
- "Living Places—Cleaner, Safer, Greener", which sets out the conclusions of the Cross-Cutting Review on Improving Public Space and the Government's response to the recommendations of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce (October 2002). The "Literature Review of Public Space and Local Environments for the Cross Cutting Review Final Report" is also available from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at www.odpm.gov.uk.
"Sustainable Communities—Building for the Future", which announced £201 million over the next three years to help deliver on liveability and local environment issues (February 2003).
"Planning Policy Guidance Note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport" and Recreation (July 2002) and "Assessing Needs and Opportunities: A Companion Guide to PPG17" (September 2002).
Mr. McNulty: Representatives from the voluntary sector were involved in developing the liveability agenda through their membership of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce and through their involvement in the Cross-Cutting Review on Improving Public Space.
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to involve local Agenda 21 groups with liveability policies. [107991]
Mr. McNulty: In taking forward the liveability agenda the Government's aim is to engage with all local groups with an interest in improving the quality of their local environment.
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what definition of the term liveability his Department uses. [107992]
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Mr. McNulty: Liveability is about building stronger local communities and enhancing quality of life through action to improve the quality of local environments and the places where people live.
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made by the Community Enablers Scheme for direct community action to improve local liveability. [107993]
Mr. McNulty: "Sustainable communities: building for the future" announced £30 million for the Community Enablers' Scheme over three years. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently finalising the business plan for delivering the scheme with Groundwork, who will be responsible for its management. The Scheme will be open for applications from community groups in May this year.
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