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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 22 October 2003

PRIME MINISTER

Dr. David Kelly

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what disciplinary action he has taken against his official spokesman, Mr. Tom Kelly, in respect of his spokeman's remarks to journalists about the late Dr. David Kelly. [133459]

The Prime Minister: My official spokesman unreservedly apologised to Dr. Kelly's widow and her family. Lord Hutton is conducting an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr. David Kelly and the Government are awaiting his report.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Local Government

9. Helen Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future financing of local government administration. [133441]

Phil Hope: In April this year, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister launched a review into the current balance of funding for local government. The review has recently completed a period of extensive consultation, and we are now considering a range of options.

Local government has received a record 25 per cent. increase in Government grant in real terms since we took office in 1997—compared with a real terms cut of 7 per cent. under the last four years of the party opposite's time in office.

Leisure Facilities

10. Mr. Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he gives to local authorities on the obligations of housing developers to provide sports and leisure facilities. [133442]

Yvette Cooper: Planning Policy Guidance note 17 on Open Space, Sport and Recreation (2002) states that local authorities should ensure provision is made for local sports and recreational facilities where planning permission is granted for new developments, especially for housing.

These facilities can be secured through planning obligations, also known as Section 106 agreements, which are agreed between developers and local planning authorities.

Council Housing

11. Mr. Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will fund council housing departments on the same basis as arm's length management organisations; and if he will make a statement. [133443]

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Keith Hill: My hon. Friend asks if the Government will fund council housing departments on the same basis as Arms Length Management Organisations, and the answer to that is no.

As my hon. Friend is aware, the funding available for social housing, although greatly increased under this Government, is inevitably limited; and we wish to use it in ways that will most improve the lives of tenants.

The evidence is that Arms Length Management Organisations enhance the quality of service to tenants. It provides the extra funding needed to improve their homes and the local environment; and it enables the local authority to focus on its strategic housing role.

Mr. Skinner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average council rent is for those (a) local housing authorities with non-transferred housing stock and (b) local council areas where housing stock has been transferred to housing associations and other bodies. [133766]

Keith Hill: A table showing the rent comparison by local authority area and English region is available in the Libraries of the House.

East Midlands Councils

12. David Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received about the impact on councils in the East Midlands of the new formula funding arrangements. [133444]

Mr. Raynsford: The East Midlands received £220 million more this year than last, an increase of 7 per cent. in general grant and, along with the West Midlands, the largest increase of any region in England. We have not subsequently received many representations from the Midlands. During the earlier consultation on changes to the local government finance system, 20 representations from local authorities and Members of this House were received which related to the East Midlands.

Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act

13. Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the impact of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. [133446]

Keith Hill: The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 provides a fairer balance between the rights of landlords and leaseholders. Key provisions of the Act, applying to England, were introduced on 30 September 2002. These included a new Right to Manage, improved rights for leaseholders to challenge unreasonable charges and improved tribunal dispute resolution procedures.

For details of commencement dates in Wales, which I understand are after those of England, I would advise my hon. Friend to speak to the Welsh Assembly.

Council Tax

14. Tom Brake: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has conducted of the impact of council tax on pensioners. [133447]

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Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not conducted such an assessment. However, council tax benefit, administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, is available to help low income pensioners pay their council tax. Council tax benefit is paid to around 3.9 million households in England, of which around two million are pensioners. With the recent introduction of pension credit, some 1.6 million pensioners will gain benefit and 310,000 will be entitled to benefit for the first time.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the advice that he has offered to Kent County Council on their desire to fix the level of council tax increases for pensioners at the rate of inflation. [133638]

Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister arranged for a copy of my letter of 6 October 2003 to Kent County Council to be available in the Library of the House.

Behavioural Neurosciences Centre (Cambridge)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he (a) received and (b) expects to publish the Inspector's report into the planning appeal against South Cambridgeshire District Council's refusal of planning permission for a Behavioural Neurosciences Centre at Huntingdon Road, Cambridge. [133445]

Keith Hill: This report was received in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 17 March 2003. It is under active consideration and my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will issue a decision as soon as possible.

Flooding

David Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what powers parish councils have to pay for flood prevention schemes. [132480]

Mr. Raynsford: Section 137 of the 1972 Act permits parish councils to spend up to a given amount in a financial year on items that are 'of direct benefit to their area' in relation to which no other powers of expenditure exist. Flood prevention schemes might be regarded as such an item.

Primary responsibility for flood prevention measures is borne by other public bodies, however, with responsibility for ordinary watercourses generally falling to district and unitary councils.

Housing Developments

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to ensure that major new housing development is adequately served by public transport. [133418]

Keith Hill: All major housing development is assessed against PPG13 as part of the planning system, which requires full account to be taken of the provision of, and effects on, public transport.

In addition, in the four growth areas identified in "Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future", proposals for growth are set out in proposed changes to Regional Planning Guidance, which is subject to consultation and examination in public. As part of this

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process we are working very closely with the Department for Transport to assess the transport implications and needs of future housing provision. One of the purposes of the RPG process is to test sustainability of proposals for new housing in the Growth Areas, including access to good public transport for new developments.

Housing Stock Transfers

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the role that the Audit Commission plays in advising local authorities who are undertaking large scale voluntary transfer of their housing stock. [133636]

Keith Hill: Where the Audit Commission, through the district audit service, is an authority's external auditor, it is a resource that is available to an authority. Therefore, it could advise on the implications of, and risks that, an authority faces in implementing any of the options for delivery of the decent home target for social housing, one of which is to undertake a large scale voluntary transfer.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the advice given to local authorities on communications strategies for those authorities which are undertaking large scale voluntary transfer of their housing stock. [133637]

Keith Hill: Advice to local authorities on drawing up their communication strategies for Large Scale Voluntary Transfers is contained in section 4 of the Housing Transfer Manual 2003, published in March 2003.

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