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30 Jun 2003 : Column 105W—continued
Care Beds
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what financial support is available from his Department to assist local authorities to provide additional nursing and residential care beds for the elderly. [122105]
Mr. Raynsford: Most of the financial resources available to local government are unhypothecated and each council must decide, in the light of its priorities and service needs, how much to spend on additional nursing and residential home beds for elderly people.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with Hampshire county council about the availability of Government funding for the provision of additional nursing and residential home beds for the elderly. [122106]
Care Home Developments
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations his Department has had with the Department of Health concerning the adequacy of existing planning guidance in respect of new care home developments. [121489]
Keith Hill: There have been no recent consultations with the Department of Health about the adequacy of planning guidance in respect of new care home developments. Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, "Housing" (PPG3), which sets out the Government's policies on planning for housing, was updated in 2000 and its implementation is kept under review. PPG3 expects local planning authorities to work jointly with housing departments to assess the range of needs for different types and sizes of housing in their area, including housing to help meet the needs of specific groups in the community.
Command Paper 5778
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2003, Official Report, column 351W, on Command Paper 5778, which parts of the Children Act 1989 are failing to be implemented effectively in his Department as set out in paragraph 2.22 of Command Paper 5778. [112182]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Hilary Benn) on 29 April 2003, Official Report, column 351W. The Children Act is a shared responsibility across Government, and our aim, as set out in the Command Paper, is to increase the range of family support provisions that can be made available through the Children Act, as part of our response to promote thriving sustainable communities.
Council Tax
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average council tax was in (a) London, (b) the south-east, (c) the south-west and (d) the south of England in each financial year since 1995–96. [121210]
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Mr. Raynsford: Tabled are the figures for average council tax per dwelling for London, the south-east, the south-west and the south of England for each financial year since 1995–96. The south of England area has been taken to comprise the regions of London, the south-east and the south-west.
| London | South-east | South-west | South of England | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 524 | 526 | 500 | 519 |
| 1996–97 | 561 | 561 | 524 | 552 |
| 1997–98 | 593 | 597 | 559 | 586 |
| 1998–99 | 628 | 663 | 613 | 638 |
| 1999–2000 | 669 | 714 | 658 | 684 |
| 2000–01 | 713 | 760 | 704 | 729 |
| 2001–02 | 764 | 809 | 745 | 777 |
| 2002–03 | 819 | 887 | 823 | 847 |
| 2003–04 | 969 | 1,026 | 938 | 983 |
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much council tax was uncollected for the London boroughs at the latest date for which figures are available on (a) a cash basis and (b) a percentage basis. [121778]
Mr. Raynsford: Reliable figures for uncollected council taxes are not currently available for London boroughs. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that council tax arrears for England as a whole totalled £1.5 billion at 31 March this year. This represents about 1.4 per cent. of the sum of the amounts due for each financial year since the tax was introduced in 1993.
Figures for 2002–03 council taxes that had not been collected by 31 March 2003 are, however, available at an individual local authority level. Amounts uncollected by London boroughs by 31 March 2003 totalled £127 million, or 6.0 per cent. of the amounts due.
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to allow local councils to give council tax single person reduction to couples where one of the pair is no longer able to live in the home due to (a) long term illness and (b) other reasons. [122723]
Mr. Raynsford: There is already a discount disregard for a person who goes into a care home or hospital and is not expected to return to the home which was their sole or main residence. In addition Clause 77 of the Local Government Bill will provide a new discretionary power for billing authorities to reduce the amount of council tax payable in particular cases or for a class of case. This could include offering the current 25 per cent. single person discount to couples where one of them was unable to live in the home due to illness or other reasons.
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government has to increase councils' flexibility in granting single person discount for council tax. [122724]
Mr. Raynsford: Clause 77 of the Local Government Bill will provide a new discretionary power for billing authorities to reduce the amount of council tax payable
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in particular cases or for a class of case. This could include increasing the current 25 per cent. single person discount.
Council Tax Arrears
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many committal orders for council tax arrears have been obtained by local authorities in each financial year since 1989–90. [122025]
Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not keep statistics on committal orders. However figures are published in The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Revenue Collection Statistics.
For the years since the introduction of the council tax on 1 April 1993, CIPFA estimate the number of committal orders obtained by English local authorities for council tax arrears were:
| Number of committal orders obtained | |
|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 444 |
| 1994–95 | 4,435 |
| 1995–96 | 3,771 |
| 1996–97 | 14,246 |
| 1997–98 | 26,077 |
| 1998–99 | 13,434 |
| 1999–2000 | 21,019 |
| 2000–01 | 17,592 |
| 2001–02 | 22,350 |
These figures are based on grossed up actual figures provided by those local authorities that have submitted statistical returns to CIPFA. From 1996–1997, figures include postponed orders.
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from (a) local authorities, (b) members of the public and (c) other bodies on the number of people refusing to pay part or all of this year's council tax; and if he will make a statement. [122026]
Mr. Raynsford: Withholding of all or part of the council tax due is unlawful and could affect authorities' revenue flows which could in due course lead to higher council tax bills, a reduction in services or both. The Office of the Deputy of Prime Minister has received a few letters from members of the public indicating that they are refusing to pay all or part of this year's council tax. Records of correspondence received do not differentiate such cases from other correspondence on council tax. A precise figure could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Underspending
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to reduce his Department's underspend in 2003–04 from that of 2002–03. [112777]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a Budget Management team working to improve the budgeting, monitoring and forecasting of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's expenditure. The team includes experts on budgeting and forecasting who are available to assist the major budget holders in
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the Office. A financial training guide has been made available to all staff. This enables staff and their managers to identify the financial skills necessary to carry out their tasks and the training and development available to teach those skills. These measures should lead to a significant improvement in financial performance for 2003–04.
Hotel Accommodation
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the amount spent by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on hotel accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) others, and if he will list the average cost per hotel room, in each year since 1997. [117568]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, we can advise that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Headquarters spent £3.5 million on travel and subsistence for Civil Servants from 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003. All travel by staff is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code.
The Government publish an annual report of ministerial travel overseas. The total cost of ministerial travel provided in the annual report includes the costs of accommodation. The information sought in respect of accommodation within the United Kingdom is not held centrally. All travel is conducted in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.
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