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12 May 2003 : Column 115W—continued

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list, broken down by Act, the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessors since 1997. [111790]

Mr. Leslie: The following information covers Acts of Parliament for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has current responsibility.

The Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 created two new offences in relation to rights of entry.

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The Local Government Act 1999 created one new offence. This Act also gives my right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister a power to make regulations, breach of which may also constitute an offence. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 created 17 offences and confers bylaw making powers, breach of which may also constitute an offence.

The Local Government Act 2000 created 4 offences.

The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2000 created 2 offences.

Document Classification

Harry Cohen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many documents are held by his Office that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification. [107355]

Mr. Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley, South (Mr. Alexander) on 7 May 2003, Official Report, column. 696w.

Empty Properties

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was to his Department and his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies of their empty and under-utilised properties in each year since 1997. [104174]

Mr. Leslie: Since the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was set up on 29 May 2002 the cost of its vacant accommodation on its central estate is estimated to have been £153,370 in lost rental. The cost to its Agencies in lost rental since 1 April 2002 is estimated to have been £267,590. The information for Non Departmental Public Bodies is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. All are vacant and on the market.

Footpaths

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Ordnance Survey about the recording of footpaths which are not designated as (a) public rights of way on the Carneddu and (b) footpaths and bridleways on the Glyders in Snowdonia, until such time as they are registered as public rights of way under the historic paths requirement of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [112800]

Mr. McNulty: I have not had discussions with Ordnance Survey on this specific issue, however it is Ordnance Survey policy to depict all designated rights of way on the OS Explorer and OS Landranger Series when supported by confirming information from the footpath authorities. Many undesignated footpaths are also depicted on these map series where there is clear evidence for their existence on the ground.

Footpaths and bridleways to be registered as rights of way under the historic paths requirement of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 will be added to OS Explorer and OS Landranger maps following the receipt of confirming details from the footpath authorities.

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Homelessness (Redbridge)

Linda Perham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to relieve homelessness in the London Borough of Redbridge. [111746]

Mrs. Roche: The Homelessness Directorate's report "More than a roof" sets out specific measures to tackle homelessness backed up by a £125 million investment in 2002–03 and £260 million over the following three years.

The Homelessness Directorate has allocated funding to the London Borough of Redbridge which consists of:

(a) £426,245 in 2002–03 and a further £260,000 for 2003–04 to help them reduce the number of homeless families with children in bed and breakfast hotels (B&B) and meet the national commitment of ensuring that by March 2004, no homeless family with children is placed in B&B other than in an emergency and even then for no more than six weeks.

(b) £32,000 in 2002–03 to develop homeless services and £32,000 in 2003–04 to help them support a voluntary sector provider to carry out a mediation and reconciliation service to prevent homelessness amongst young people, and to provide a floating support and tenancy sustainment service for those to whom a homelessness duty is accepted where prevention is not possible. This aims to prevent a re-occurrence of homelessness and rough sleeping.

In relation to the number of people sleeping rough, figures show that over the past few years Redbridge has maintained a very low number of no more than five people sleeping rough on any one night.

Housing

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the Merseyside Housing Renewal Group are paying in fees to Grimley in the first year of operation; and whether other professional fees are being paid during this start-up period. [110681]

Mr. McNulty: The Merseyside Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder has been awarded £2.66 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund. This funding will cover the costs to develop a strategic scheme for the Merseyside sub-region and to undertake some early action. Eligible costs include professional fees. The use of the funding is a matter for the Pathfinder Board, subject to the terms of the funding agreement issued by Government.

Local Elections

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will move polling day for future local elections to a Sunday. [112384]

Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to move polling day for future local elections to a Sunday. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) said in a written statement to the House on 6 May 2003, Official Report, column 29WS, the Government intends to take forward further pilots of weekend voting in view of potential benefits to electors, and taking into account the costs involved.

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Local Government Ombudsman

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister by what means the Local Government Ombudsman is accountable to the public; and how his work is monitored. [111193]

Mr. Leslie: The Commission for Local Administration in England (Local Government Ombudsman) was established by the Local Government Act 1974. It is treated as a specified body for the purposes of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and receives funding as a deduction ('top slice') from Revenue Support Grant. The Commission is required under the Local Government Act 1974 to publish an annual report and submit the report to such persons as appear to the Commission to represent local authorities. The Commission makes this report publicly available, including via the Ombudsman's website. The report is available in the Library of the House.

The Ombudsman's investigations are wholly independent of the Government, and as regards matters of legality may be subject to judicial review.

Newspaper Advertising

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the expenditure of his (a) Department and its predecessors, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies was on newspaper advertising, by title, in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made for 2003–04. [106856]

Mr. Leslie: Information on newspaper advertising expenditure for each year since 1997 by agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Overhanging Debt

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total value was of payments made to pay off overhanging debt in the financial years (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03. [108624]

Mr. Raynsford: The payments made in respect of overhanging debt in each financial year since arrangements were introduced are set out in the table.

Year	£ million
1999–2000	21.0
2000–01	255.2
2001–02	None
2002–03	584.3

Postal Voting

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the change in turnout in elections in each local council area in England which held all-postal vote elections on 1 May was when compared with turnout in the previous local council election; and if he will make a statement. [112371]

Mr. Leslie: Turnout at each of the all-postal pilot elections in May 2003 is shown in the table.

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Name of authority	Year of comparable election	Percentage of turnout at last comparable election	Type of election this time (full/third)	Percentage turnout 2003	Change in percentage since last comparable election
Blackpool BC	2000	29	Whole	50.43	21
Blyth Valley BC	1999	27	Whole	52.00	25
Bolton MBC	2002	32	Thirds	42.00	10
Brighton and Hove City C	1999	38	Whole	45.96	8
Chesterfield BC	1999	35	Whole	51.69	17
Copeland BC	1999	39	Whole	55.70	17
Corby BC	1999	31	Whole	43.00	12
Darlington BC	1999	34	Whole	51.54	17
Derwentside, Chester-le- Street and Wear Valley (Joint Pilot)	1999	31	Whole	52.40	21
Doncaster C	2002	29	Thirds	47.00	18
East Staffordshire BC	1999	34	Whole	44.97	11
Gateshead MBC(18)	2002	57	Thirds	54.65	-2
Guildford BC	1999	37	Whole	54.00	17
Herefordshire CC	1999	38	Whole	61.00	23
Hyndburn BC	2002	36	Thirds	51.47	15
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk	1999	36	Whole	47.66	12
Lincoln City C	2002	26	Thirds	47.33	21
Newcastle City C	2002	32	Thirds	49.83	18
North Lincolnshire	1999	33	Whole	51.28	18
North Shropshire DC	1999	33	Whole	47.00	14
Redcar and Cleveland BC	1999	37	Whole	51.50	14.50
Rotherham MBC	2002	27	Thirds	51.30	24
Rushcliffe BC	1999	40	Whole	54.00	14
Salford City C	2002	25	Thirds	41.00	16
Sedgefield BC	1999	30	Whole	44.15	14
St. Edmundsbury BC	1999	38	Whole	38.50	0
St. Helens MBC	2002	26	Thirds	48.00	22
Stevenage BC(18)	2002	53	Thirds	52.20	-1
Stockton-on-Tees BC	1999	31	Whole	52.00	21
Sunderland City C	2002	22	Thirds	46.46	24
Trafford MBC(18)	2002	53	Thirds	52.39	-1
Telford and Wrekin	1999	28	Whole	48.65	19
Wansbeck DC	1999	32	Whole	50.20	18

⁽¹⁸⁾ Comparisons for Gateshead, Stevenage and Trafford are with previous all-postal elections

It is clear that all-postal voting has produced a significant increase in turnout, with an average across all 33 pilots of just under 50 per cent. The Electoral Commission, as required by statute, are evaluating each pilot scheme.

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received about abuses in the postal vote system in the May local government elections in England; what steps he is taking to investigate alleged abuses; and if he will make a statement. [112493]

Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister receives occasional correspondence about concerns with postal voting. Investigation of alleged abuses in the voting system is a matter for the returning officer concerned, the police, and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Electoral Commission is carrying out a full evaluation of all electoral pilots held at the May 2003 local elections, including those involving all-postal voting. They have also completed a review of absent voting. The Government will be considering their recommendations very carefully.

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