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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Housing

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the availability of public sector owned land suitable for redevelopment for affordable housing (a) in London and (b) in England. [118959]

Keith Hill: English Partnerships have been given a new strategic role on surplus public sector land. As part of that new role, they are in the process of developing a register of surplus public sector land within government. Once the register is completed it should provide a comprehensive picture of surplus government owned land across England.

In London specifically, English Partnerships have been working with various agencies, including the Greater London Authority, to identify land within London suitable for affordable housing.

Burslem Townscape Heritage Scheme

Ms Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to the EC decision in respect of a derogation

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under state aid rules of the English Heritage regeneration scheme, if he will make a statement in respect of the Burslem Townscape Heritage Scheme; and when he expects to clear the decision on the (a) Historic Environment Regeneration (NN985/2002), dated 14 May 2003; and (b) National Heritage Memorial Fund, dated 28 May 2003. [118763]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware of the importance of the Burslem Townscape Heritage Scheme to the regeneration of Stoke. Officials from the Government Office for the West Midlands have been in regular contact with Stoke city council with regard to this scheme. As my hon. Friend notes, the Commission has now approved the provision of additional heritage-related costs under the National Heritage Memorial Fund Scheme and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Historic Environment Regeneration Scheme. A decision is expected shortly on the English Heritage, Historic Buildings, Monuments, Parks and Gardens Scheme.

Officials will be happy to meet with those involved in the Burslem Townscape Heritage Scheme to discuss taking forward the project.

Colchester Garrison

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will discuss with the Ministry of Defence the disposal of empty Service family houses at Colchester Garrison; and if he will make arrangements for them to be transferred to a registered social housing landlord. [119770]

Keith Hill: Colchester borough council and Colne Housing Society have been working with the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) and Annington Homes for the past four or five and three bed) were leased for three years from the DHE for use as temporary accommodation for homeless families up until October 2001. At the end of the lease, the properties were modernised and sold on the open market. In September 2002 Colne Housing Society entered into a three year lease with Annington Homes, leasing 48 empty three-bedroom homes for use as temporary accommodation for homeless families. This was made possible by the provision of Local Authority Social Housing Grant of £225,000 and a risk-sharing agreement with Colne Housing Society.

Annington has confirmed that at the end of the three-year lease, it will demolish the 48 houses and redevelop the site with higher density housing.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not feel that it is necessary to get involved in this process. A discussion between the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not required in this case.

Environmental Impact Assessment Directive

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Government's (a) plans and (b) timetable are for implementing the EU Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. [118815]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has overall responsibility for implementing this Directive (2001/42/EC "on the assessment of the effects

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on the environment of certain plans and programmes") in the UK. It must be transposed into national law by 21 July 2004, and Regulations are being prepared to achieve this. Work is also in hand to develop capacity in the organisations that will have responsibilities for the Directive, including local authorities, regional planning bodies and Government agencies. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has carried out a public consultation exercise on draft guidance for planning authorities on how to meet the Directive's requirements, and the finished guidance will be published later this year.

Fire Service

Mr. Willis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to trial integrated risk management plans before they are introduced throughout England; and in which fire authorities the trials will take place. [119679]

Mr. Raynsford: There are no plans to trial integrated risk management plans. Any proposed changes must be evidence based, properly evaluated and subject to consultation.

Housing

Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what aid and assistance is available for the (a) sale and (b) development of brownfield sites for domestic housing. [116297]

Keith Hill: National planning policies encourage the reuse of suitable brownfield sites. Through Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (PPG3), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has introduced new measures, including an urban brownfield first policy, to meet the country's housing needs in the most sustainable way. Planning policies for land recycling are backed by a package of fiscal measures worth £1 billion over five years designed to bring empty property back into use and encourage the recycling of land.

In addition we have made English Partnerships our expert advisor on brownfield land and charged them with considering where and when public sector intervention could be required to bring brownfield sites back into sustainable use. This work will form part of a National Brownfield Strategy which English Partnerships are preparing. Regional Development Agencies are also taking an active role in developing brownfield sites and will be producing Brownfield Land Action Plans in co-operation with other local agencies.

Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will commission research into the impact of overcrowding on the health of those families living in one or more bedrooms below the bedroom standard. [118651]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been carrying through a research programme to establish the evidence base of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which will replace the housing fitness standard as the basis for intervention by local authorities to tackle unsatisfactory housing conditions. Data from various sources has been

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collected to provide the evidence to enable housing hazards, including overcrowding, to be assessed and ranked by seriousness. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is satisfied that the research we have already commissioned will provide a sound basis on which to base policy decisions.

Planning

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the compatibility of PPG6 with the conclusions of the 1998 McKinsey report "Driving Productivity and Growth in the UK Economy" relating to the impact on UK productivity of planning considerations. [119303]

Keith Hill: The 1998 McKinsey report was not commissioned by the Government. It assessed the productivity of six sectors of the United Kingdom economy in comparison with the United States and France, one of which was food retailing. For food retailing it showed that the United Kingdom lagged behind the other two countries, but that the primary difference was on labour productivity. The United Kingdom food retail sector scored very highly on productivity in its use of land and capital, and, overall, United Kingdom major food retailers were judged to

"set the global standard".

Land-use planning and other regulations were considered to account for only a small part of the difference in productivity. Nevertheless, the report suggested that planning policy made it difficult for food retailers to develop large-format stores, which might enable them to better compete and displace less productive retailers. They acknowledged, however, that this took no account of differences between countries or of other public policy objectives.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will issue revised planning policy guidance for town centres and retail developments. [119304]

Keith Hill: The draft new PPS6 on town centres will be published for consultation later this summer.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of PPG6 on employment levels. [119305]

Keith Hill: No such assessment has been undertaken, as it is not possible to isolate the effects of PPG6 on employment.

What is clear, however, is that retail employment remains a significant and successful contributor to the economy. Employment in the retail industry grew by 340,000 between 1996 and 2002.

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Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what research his Department has undertaken with the Treasury to assess the impact of planning guidelines on (a) UK productivity, (b) employment and (c) the UK economy; [119306]

(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of planning regulations on UK productivity. [119439]

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the Government's memorandum to the Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee on Planning, Competitiveness and Productivity. This summarises the research evidence available from my Department's research programme over the last 10 years. The Select Committee also commissioned their own review of the available evidence.

No research has been undertaken jointly with the Treasury which looks at these specific issues.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department has taken on productivity issues related to planning guidelines, in response to the conclusions of the 1998 McKinsey Global Institute study of UK productivity. [119307]

Keith Hill: The McKinsey study of UK productivity compared productivity in the UK, France and United States for six sectors. In two, food retailing and hotels, they commented on regulation issues including planning, building and fire regulations.

The issues related to planning accounted for a very small proportion of the differences in productivity between UK food retailers. Nevertheless, the report suggested that a more relaxed planning regime would assist the development of larger stores. This suggestion was made without regard to national differences of geography, culture or public policy aims.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has considered the report, and taken its views into account, in developing planning policy.

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