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War Pensions Claims
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average time taken was to review applications for (a) war disability pension and (b) war widows pension in the last year for which figures are available. [112555]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 13 May 2003]: Over the year up until April 2003 the average time taken for an appeal to be processed from the initial request for appeal until implementing payment of the award or pension was 283 days. This is within the target figure which has been set at 290 days. Statistics are compiled for all appeal cases and are not split between war disability pensions and war widow(er)s pensions. Separate figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Local Authority Finance
9. David Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for further changes to the formula used to distribute Government grant to English local authorities. [112949]
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Mr. Raynsford: Following the review of the grant distribution formula which took effect this year, we have no plans to change any of the Formula Spending Share formulae until at least 2006–07, other than to reflect changes of function or financing.
This will give local authorities greater certainty about future funding.
13. Tom Brake: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on budget allocations to local authorities. [112953]
Mr. Raynsford: In terms of formula grant, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was able to allocate an extra £2.4 billion or 5.9 per cent. to authorities for 2003–04, with each authority receiving more than inflation for the first time ever.
Including special grants, total funding to all English authorities increased by some £3.8 billion, or 8.0 per cent.
Regional Government
10. Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the funding of the North West Regional Assembly. [112950]
Mr. Raynsford: The North West Regional Assembly is a voluntary body. The bulk of its funding comes from local authority subscriptions and other sources.
In 2003–04, the Assembly will receive up to £1,837,000 from central Government to support its work scrutinising the plans and activities of the Regional Development Agency, and advising the Government as the Regional Planning Body.
Joyce Quin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for encouraging public debate on his proposals regarding elected regional Government in England. [112948]
Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received over 6,000 responses to the soundings exercise on whether to hold referendums to create Elected Regional Assemblies in the English regions.
As we near decisions on which regions will have referendums, we will continue to raise public awareness and encourage debate.
Right to Buy
11. Claire Ward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent response he has received from local councils on the restriction of the right to buy discount. [112951]
Mr. McNulty: Councils in six of the 42 areas identified as subject to the greatest housing market pressures asked to be excluded from the discount and 12 councils asked to be added to the list. The majority of local authorities recognised the change was needed to address the scheme's impact on affordable housing and profiteering.
Civil Defence (London)
12. Angela Watkinson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding arrangements are in place to enable the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority to prepare for terrorist attacks in London. [112952]
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Mr. Raynsford: The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is one of the functional bodies of the Greater London Authority and its annual budget is part of that set by the Mayor for the GLA.
Central Government funding for the LFEPA is generally provided through the Local Government Finance Settlement for the GLA. The 2003–04 Settlement gives the GLA just over £2 billion, an increase of £95 million or 4.9 per cent. on 2002–03 on a like for like basis.
The LFEPA also benefits from the New Dimension programme to enhance the national mass decontamination capability. This will bring an extra 400 gas-tight suits for fire-fighters, 10 new purpose built vehicles and 20 mass decontamination units available to meet London's needs.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is also working closely with London Fire Brigade to improve their current CBRN response capability through the purchase of new personal protective equipment and detection equipment—which Government will fund directly.
Building Regulations
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what assessment he has made of the contribution that building regulations make to the achievement of Government targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; [113183]
- (2) what assessment his Department has made of the scope for amending building regulations to require new buildings to contribute towards the energy used within them; [113185]
(3) what changes he plans to enhance the contribution that building regulations make to the energy efficiency of new buildings. [113184]
Mr. Leslie: The energy performance requirements in Part L of the Building Regulations have been reviewed twice in the last decade to see what contribution they can make towards achieving the Government's energy performance and carbon dioxide emissions targets, while remaining proportionate, cost-effective and practical. Other greenhouse gases are controlled in different ways. In the Regulatory Impact Assessment published in October 2001 to accompany the latest amendment to Part L of the Building Regulations, which came into effect in April 2002, it was estimated that the changes would lead to a reduction in carbon emissions of 1.4 million tonnes of carbon (equivalent to about 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide) per year in 2010.
The consultation document published in June 2000 that proposed this amendment included an assessment of the scope for improving performance standards over the period to 2008. Both these documents can be inspected on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website at http://www.safety.odpm.gov.uk/bregs/brnews.htm.
As to plans for future enhancements, it was announced that a new review of the Building Regulations would occur in the Energy White Paper with the aims of
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bringing a further major revision into effect in 2005 for new buildings and refurbishment work, and raising standards even more over the next decade.
Council Tax
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was raised in Council Tax in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02 and (c) 2002–03; and how much is expected to be raised in 2003–04. [113078]
Mr. Leslie: Tabled as follows is the most recent figure for gross council tax income in England for each financial year. Gross council tax income includes council tax collectable by local authorities and council tax funded through council tax benefit.
| Year | Gross council tax income(£ billion) |
|---|---|
| 2000–01(14) | 14.5 |
| 2001–02(14) | 15.5 |
| 2002–03(15) | 16.6 |
| 2003–04(15) | 18.9 |
(14) Outturn figures
(15) Budget figures
The figures in the table are the amounts expected to be collected in respect of each financial year. They are not the amounts actually collected within the financial year. Some of the council tax due for a particular year is not collected within that year. This means that the amount actually collected in any particular year is made up of income in respect of that year plus amounts collected from earlier and/or later years.
Devon County Council
Mr. Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of central government funding allocated to Devon County Council has been ring-fenced for environmental policy implementation in each of the last five years. [109645]
Mr. Raynsford: The majority of what local authorities spend on the environment comes in unring-fenced form from general grant. In the last five years Devon received one ring-fenced revenue grant for the environment of £1.159 million for waste in 2002–03. This represented less than 0.5 per cent. of the total revenue grant from central Government in that yearl. The waste fund also provided Devon with £0.375 million of capital funding in 2002–03. In addition Devon County Council was awarded the Supplementary Credit Approvals (SCAs) related to environment to the value set out in the following table.
| Land fill gas/contaminated land | Flood defence | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 734 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 261 | 231 |
| 2001–02 | 1,648 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | 1,764 | 28 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 0 |
(16) The total of general grant and specific and special grants for Devon in that year was £418.909 million. The grant of £1.159 million for waste is attended to cover work by the county council and the districts.
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