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10 Feb 2004 : Column 1354W—continued
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Brownfield Land
Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which brownfield sites in Northumberland are on English Partnerships' Register. [153812]
Keith Hill: The English Partnerships Register is based on the National Land Use Database (NLUD) of Previously Developed Land, which shows an estimated total of 600 hectares of brownfield land in Northumberland. Of the total, 350 hectares are vacant or derelict and 250 hectares are currently in use but are known to have potential for redevelopment. Information on individual sites is owned by the local authorities which
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supplied it and is available to public sector bodies through the NLUD website on signature of a licence. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working with English Partnerships, the Information and Development Agency (IDeA) and Ordnance Survey on a system of licensing which will make the information generally available on similar terms.
Care Homes (Sprinklers)
Ross Cranston: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to take steps to make it compulsory for care homes for the elderly to be installed with sprinklers; and if he will make a statement. [153595]
Mr. Raynsford: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement given by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Mr. Hope), on 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 41WS.
Community Projects
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work of the Active Community Unit; and what its budget is for each financial year from 2001–02 to 2005–06. [152915]
Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
The Government's commitment to engaging with communities to strengthen civil society and build civil renewal has been reflected in the work of what is now the Active Communities Directorate in the Home Office. Last year, the work of the Active Community Unit was expanded to incorporate a Charities Unit and a Civil Renewal Unit. Through the new Active Communities Directorate, the Home Office aims to build strong, thriving communities where everyone, regardless of age, race or social background has a stake in society.
A vibrant voluntary and community sector is central to delivering this vision. The Government's commitment to work with the sector is set out in the Compact and has been underpinned through recent spending reviews. From 2001 to 2006, an extra £155 million is being invested in supporting volunteering. From 2003 to 2006, an extra £218 million is being invested in strengthening the sector's ability to deliver high quality and effective services. This includes the £125 million futurebuilders programme, which is being distributed by an independent provider under contract to the Home Office. These additional investments are mainly programme spending received by the voluntary and community sector and volunteering initiatives.
The overall budget for the work on Active Communities for each financial year from 2001–02 to 2005–06, rounded to the nearest million pounds, is as follows:
| Core funds | Spending review commitments | Futurebuilders fund | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 21 | 25 | — |
| 2002–03 | 22 | 35 | — |
| 2003–04 | 21 | 60 | 10 |
| 2004–05 | 21 | 63 | 57 |
| 2005–06 | 21 | 65 | 58 |
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Fire Service
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made in the procurement of a replacement radio system for the fire service; when he expects that the contract will be awarded; and when he expects the new system to be operational. [154347]
Mr. Raynsford: Following evaluation of the responses received to the Invitation to Submit Proposals for a radio system for the Fire and Rescue Services, negotiation has begun with those suppliers who were short listed. It is planned to award the Firelink contract in July 2004 with roll-out due to be completed by the end of December 2007.
Housing Development Strategy (Islington)
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the London borough of Islington on a housing development strategy that would ensure an increase in the number of properties for rent by the council and housing associations; and if he will make a statement. [153942]
Keith Hill: I have had no specific discussions with Islington on this issue. Officials at the Government Office for London have recently agreed as fit for purpose Islington's 2004–07 Housing Strategy. This sets out their need for affordable, including social, housing and the steps they are taking to meet the demand.
Islington Council
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of objections to the methods of consultation used by Islington council on an arm's length management organisation; and if he will make a statement. [153945]
Keith Hill: The London borough of Islington applied to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister in January for approval under section 27 of the Housing Act 1985 to delegate its housing management functions to its Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO). The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the consultation undertaken by the borough and all the representations received as part of the assessment of this application.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will rank each county council and unitary authority according to the per capita level per authority, listing the grant amount in each case. [154377]
Mr. Raynsford: Two tables have been made available in the Library of the House. The first table shows the per capita 2004–05 formula grant for shire counties, ranked in order. The second table shows the per capita 2004–05 formula grant for unitary authorities (i.e. London boroughs (including the City of London), metropolitan districts, and shire unitary authorities).
Two tables have been provided since shire counties do not provide the same services as unitary authorities. Unitary authorities provide a broadly equivalent service to both shire counties and shire districts in two-tier shire areas.
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However care should be taken even when comparing only shire counties or only unitary authorities.
Shire counties that are in areas where Local Government Re-organisation has occurred do not have responsibility for fire services, whereas the other shire counties do.
The City of London has additional responsibility for police services within its area and the Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly have responsibility for fire services within their areas. Within the London area, responsibility for public transport lies with Transport for London.
Social Housing
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action his Department has taken to ensure that all social sector homes have (a) adequate loft and cavity wall insulation, (b) an efficient heating system and (c) a minimum energy efficiency rating.[153278].
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a Public Service Agreement to provide that all social sector tenants have the opportunity of a decent home by 2010. The decent homes standard has four criteria, one of which relates to thermal comfort and requires the home to have efficient heating as well as effective insulation.
Delivery of the decent homes target will involve carrying out improvement works to the thermal comfort of 1.26 million dwellings and will ensure that all social sector homes have effective insulation and efficient heating. Of these 77 per cent. fail on insulation, 17 per cent. fail on heating and 6 per cent. fail on both.
In addition, all new social sector homes grant-funded by the Housing Corporation are required to achieve an EcoHomes 'Pass' rating, which goes beyond the minimum standards for energy efficiency of all new developments that are set out in part L of the Building Regulations. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to further amendments to Part L which will increase the energy efficiency of new dwellings and which should be in place by 2005.
There is no requirement that social homes meet a minimum energy efficiency rating.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what studies his Department has commissioned into the standards of (a) insulation and (b) heating systems in social sector housing. [153279]
Keith Hill: The English House Condition Survey provides a comprehensive range of data on insulation and heating standards in the social sector stock. The latest data are from the 2001 survey. Information from the 2002–03 combined survey will be available in November 2004.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the adequacy of the decent homes standard set for social housing. [153280]
Keith Hill: When the decent homes target was first set, a definition was established so that those responsible for delivery were working to a common outcome, resources
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required for delivery could be established and progress tracked. A decent home is one which:
- meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing (fitness standard)
- is in a reasonable state of repair
- has reasonably modern facilities and services
- provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort
The standard is a minimum standard. It is the standard that triggers action and is not the standard that we expect work to be done to. The guidance on implementation of the standard encourages landlords, in partnership with their tenants, to go beyond the basic requirements of the decent homes standard where possible.
Resources available to tackle poor condition housing are limited and therefore we focussed the definition on the essentials to provide a warm, wind and weather tight home.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) council houses and flats and (b) social housing units were built in each of the last 25 years. [153596]
Keith Hill: National numbers, based on reports from local authorities and National House-Building Council, are published in Housing Statistics 2003 (Tables 2.5a-2.5f), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning the proportion of social housing to be included in new developments in Greater London; and if he will make a statement. [153947]
Keith Hill: The issue is frequently raised in the context of individual planning cases and sometimes in relation to borough unitary development plans and associated supplementary planning guidance. The issue was discussed at the examination in public of the draft London Plan in April 2003. Since then, the House Builders' Federation have raised the issue in discussions with officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
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