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30 Jun 2003 : Column 108W—continued

Housing

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of people living in multi-storey blocks of flats in England. [121819]

Keith Hill: Defining multi-storey blocks of flats as purpose built blocks of flats with at least three floors, the estimates tabled have been derived from the 2002–03 Survey of English Housing.

Thousands

Number of floors in block of flats	Number of persons
Three or four	1,781
Five to nine	352
Ten or more	274
Total	2,407

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will encourage housing associations operating in the same district to merge for reasons of management control; and if he will make a statement. [121882]

Keith Hill: Housing associations are independent organisations whose boards are responsible for ensuring that their organisations are financially strong and flexible enough to operate in different markets and meet the needs of tenants.

30 Jun 2003 : Column 109W

Housing associations may themselves come to the conclusion that merger or rationalisation of their operations is in their organisation's and their tenants' interests. A number of them have already done this or are doing so, particularly where the effectiveness of neighbourhood management is inhibited by the presence of a large number of social landlords. The Housing Corporation, as regulator of housing associations, encourages and enables those who wish to pursue this route to do so.

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what powers he has to investigate the management by a housing association of its properties; and what the procedures are for initiating such an investigation. [121883]

Keith Hill: The regulation of housing associations is the responsibility of the Housing Corporation, an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Housing Corporation's regulatory code sets out minimum requirements for housing associations across a range of functions, including the management of properties. The Housing Corporation's regulation teams are responsible for ensuring these requirements are met and, where possible, exceeded.

The Housing Corporation introduced inspection as an important part of its range of regulatory activities in 2002. In April 2003, inspection of housing associations was transferred to a single social housing inspectorate at the Audit Commission, which was already responsible for the inspection of local authority housing services. The Housing Inspectorate is working with the Housing Corporation to drive up standards of service to tenants of housing associations.

There is a annual programme of inspections which is published by the Audit Commission.

Where the Audit Commission finds that standards of service to housing association tenants do not meet those set out in the Housing Corporation's Regulatory Code, the Corporation ensures that associations take action to bring about improvements, including using its statutory powers if necessary.

Local Authority Construction Contracts

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has issued on steps to be taken by local authorities that have removed retentions to ensure that their first line contractors do not demand retentions from their supply chain. [122145]

Mr. Raynsford: None. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister works closely with the Local Government Task Force, which was established to encourage and assist local authorities to adopt the principles of "Rethinking Construction". While we are not aware of any retention issues applying specifically to local government contracts, the Taskforce will continue to support local government in applying integrated procurement and promoting longer-term supplier relationships as part of the wider "Rethinking Construction" agenda.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities (a) have removed retentions from their construction contracts and (b) intend to remove retentions from such contracts

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within the next 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total value of work procured by these local authorities in the last 12 months. [122207]

Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Authority Employees

Phil Sawford: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with local authority employees regarding their proposals to change the terms and conditions of local authority employer which would (a) abolish Part 3 of the National Single Status agreement and (b) stop unsocial hours payments. [121052]

Phil Hope: The National Single Status agreement was negotiated between local authority representatives and the unions. The Government had no input to these negotiations. They have not sought to influence the development of local authorities' policies in this area since the detailed terms and conditions of local government employment are a matter for councils to determine.

Mobile Phone Masts

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on plans his Department have to tighten planning controls on mobile phone masts in built-up areas. [121341]

Keith Hill: Current planning guidance on telecommunications is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 (revised) (PPG8). The planning arrangements for telecommunications developments were significantly strengthened in August 2001, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to amend further these planning arrangements at the present time.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister from which local authorities he has received representations on mobile phone masts since May 2002; and if he will make a statement. [121811]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister receives many representations on matters relating to the telecommunications industry. Since May 2002 the following 24 local authorities have made representations about telecommunications:

Bournemouth Borough Council


Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council


Chester le Street District Council


Copeland Borough Council


Crediton Town Council


Derby City Council


Great Ness and Little Ness Parish Council


Harrogate Borough Council


Hartley Parish Council


Kent County Council


London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

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Luton Borough Council


Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council


Sevenoaks District Council


Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council


South Hams District Council


Southend on Sea Borough Council


Sprotborough and Cusworth Parish Council


St Albans District Council


Thanet District Council


Warwick District Council


Winchester City Council


Wrexham County Borough Council


York City Council

30 Jun 2003 : Column 112W

NDPBs

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people sit on the boards of his Department's non-departmental public bodies in England; who is on more than one non-departmental public body, who they are and which organisations they serve in. [121786]

Yvette Cooper: 528 people sit on the boards of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's non-departmental public bodies in England. Of these, 37 are on more than one non-departmental public body and are listed in the table along with the organisations concerned.

First name	Surname	Public bodies
Owusu	Abebrese	Rent Assessment Panel Eastern Rent Assessment Panel London
Richard	Arthur	Audit Commission Housing Corporation
Mary	Auld	Rent Assessment Panel EasternRent Assessment Panel London
John	Bowen	Audit Commission Employment Tribunal (DTI)
John	Bridge	English Partnerships One NorthEast (DTI)
David	Brown	Rent Assessment Panel EasternRent Assessment Panel Southern
Frances	Burton	Rent Assessment Panel LondonTraffic Area Western (DfT)Traffic Area South Eastern and Metropolitan (DfT)
Pip	David	Advisory Panel on Standards in the Planning Inspectorate Employment Tribunals (DTI)
Jennifer	Davies	Rent Assessment Panel LondonRent Assessment Panel Southern
Brenda	Dean	Housing CorporationArmed Forces Pay Review Body (MOD)
Derek	Douglas	Housing Action Trust Castle ValeRent Assessment Panel Midland
Sheila	Drew Smith	Housing Action Trust Tower HamletHousing Corporation
Andrew	Dutton	Rent Assessment Panel EasternRent Assessment Panel London
Anthony	Engel	Rent Assessment Panel MidlandRent Assessment Panel London
Julian	Farrand	Rent Assessment Panel LondonPensions Compensation Board (DWP)Pensions Ombudsman (DWP)
Kay	Firth-Butterfield	Rent Assessment Panel LondonRent Assessment Panel Southern
Tessa	Gordon	Rent Assessment Panel EasternRent Assessment Panel London
David	Higgins	English Partnership(25)Housing Corporation(25)
Brenda	Hindley	Rent Assessment Panel LondonRent Assessment Panel Southern
Geraldine	Huka	Housing CorporationNHS Trust (DH)
Marina	Krisko	Rent Assessment Panel EasternRent Assessment Panel London
Pauleen	Lane	Audit CommissionEnglish Partnerships
Michael	Lewer	Boundary Commission for EnglandCriminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel (HO)
Derek	Mapp	English PartnershipsEast Midlands Development Agency (DTI)
Michael	Martin	Boundary Commission for England(26)Boundary Commission for Wales(26)Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland (NIO)(26)
Shaukat	Moledina	Housing CorporationNational Care Standards Commission (DH)
Ivan	Monckton	Housing CorporationAgricultural Wages Board for England and Wales (DEFRA)
Patrick	Mulvenna	Rent Assessment Panel Northern Traffic Area North Western (DfT)
Sandi	O'Neill	Housing CorporationFinancial Services and Markets Tribunal (DCA)
Norman	Perry	English Partnerships(27)Housing Corporation(27)
Sarah	Redmond	Rent Assessment Panel EasternRent Assessment Panel London
Paula	Ridley	Housing Action Trust LiverpoolVictoria and Albert Museum (DCMS)
Trevor	Sennett	Rent Assessment Panel LondonRent Assessment Panel Southern
Peter	Soulsby	Advisory Panel on Beacon CouncilsBritish Waterways Board (DEFRA)
Peter	Stowers	Rent Assessment Panel LondonRent Assessment Panel Southern
Corinne	Swain	Advisory Panel on Standards in the Planning InspectorateProperty Advisory Group
David	Wills	Rent Assessment Panel LondonRent Assessment Panel Southern

Note:

All bodies sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister except where stated

⁽²⁵⁾ Ex officio appointments held while Chief Executive of English Partnerships

⁽²⁶⁾ Ex officio appointments held while Speaker of the House of Commons

⁽²⁷⁾ Ex officio appointments held while Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation

30 Jun 2003 : Column 113W

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints concerning his Department's (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies have been received by the Parliamentary Ombudsman each year since 1997; and how many complaints were upheld. [121787]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and to seek it from non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies would be to do so at disproportionate costs. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration's annual report includes information on the number of complaints they receive each year. Copies of the annual report are available in the Library of theHouse.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money his Department's non-departmental public bodies distributed (a) in the last financial year, (b) five years ago and (c) 10 years ago. [121789]

Yvette Cooper: Details of expenditure by each of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are shown in their annual reports and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies the Government is required (a) to consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) to publish the response to advice supplied by them. [121792]

Yvette Cooper: The Government consults with relevant advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) prior to legislative proposals and publishes their response to any advice given by NDPBs as appropriate.

The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) Terms of Reference state that the Deputy Prime Minister shall consult them before making any building regulations containing substantive requirements.

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