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2 Mar 2004 : Column 839W—continued

Surveillance

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been made to the US authorities to undertake (a) interception of communications and (b) surveillance of (i) hon. Members and (ii) other UK citizens where such activity would require express authorisation from a senior Minister in the UK were it to be carried out by UK authorities. [157864]

Mr. Straw: It is the well established and long standing practice of successive Governments not to comment on operations of the Intelligence Services.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Tax

Mr. Truswell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list by type of authority (a) the Band D council tax level set by each local authority for 2004–05, excluding precepts, (b) the percentage change of (a) from 2003–04, (c) the precept set by the authority's relevant Fire and Civil Defence Authority for 2004–05, (d) the percentage annual change represented by (c), (e) the precept set by the relevant police authority for 2004–05, (f) the percentage annual change represented by (e), (g) the sum total of (a), (c) and (e) and (h) the percentage change of (g) compared to 2003–04. [156991]

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Mr. Raynsford: Precepting authorities have until 1 March to set their council taxes for 2004–05, and billing authorities have until 11 March. The requested information will be published after all local authorities have set their council taxes and notified their figures to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total grant received from his Department is in Durham to compensate for loss in revenue from council tax consequent on student exemption from council tax. [156779]

Mr. Raynsford: There is no separate grant in respect of council tax revenue foregone through student exemptions.

The main central Government support for spending by the City of Durham is through redistributed business rates and Revenue Support Grant, together known as Formula Grant. The amount of Formula Grant for Durham City depends on Durham's Formula Spending Share, Durham's share of the assumed national council tax, Durham's council tax base, and the operation of the floor and ceiling damping mechanism. Where there are student exemptions this will reduce the council tax base and so result in additional Revenue Support Grant.

Departmental Advertising

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) advertising and (ii) information campaigns in each year since 2001–02. [149916]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002.

In the financial year 2002–03 the office spent £3,346,943 on advertising and £3,718,767 on information campaigns.

In the financial year 2003–04 the Office spent £3,411,000 on advertising and £6,882,000 on information campaigns.

In both years the majority of the spend was on Fire Safety campaign (93 per cent.).

Figures for each agency and non-departmental bodies are not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportional cost.

Fire Sprinklers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. [157368]

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned, in April 2001, an extensive research project with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to consider fully the effectiveness of residential sprinklers. BRE published their research last month and a summary document of the work can be found on the Building Regulations section of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website—www.odpm.gov.uk

The findings of the research indicate that residential sprinklers would appear to be generally effective in controlling fires. However, the work did show that in the case of some slow burning and shielded fires people

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could still eventually be overcome by smoke inhalation. The research also found that it would not be cost effective to require the universal installation of sprinklers in all residential premises. However, the research concluded that in some types of premises, typically those where the occupants are considered to be the most vulnerable to fire, further consideration is warranted. These premises include residential care homes, high-rise houses and flats and higher risk houses in multiple occupation.

As part of our current review of the fire safety aspects of the building regulations we will be considering the findings of the BRE research to see if there is a case for introducing amendments that enable us to target the provision of sprinklers in those new and altered premises where the people are considered to be most vulnerable.

Green Belt

Mr. Brady: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) area in hectares and (b) percentage of green belt land within Metropolitan authorities has been removed from green belt designation since 1997. [157920]

Yvette Cooper: Statistics on the extent of green belt in England were last published in 2000, based on area of green belt contained in local development plan maps existing in 1997. Officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are currently investigating the extent of designated green belt changes for authorities that have adopted new development plans since 1997. These updated statistics on green belt will be published shortly. I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.

Regional Planning Guidance

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the new Regional Planning Guidance for East of England (RPG14). [157170]

Keith Hill: The East of England Regional Assembly plan to submit Draft RPG 14 in Autumn 2004; this will be followed by a period of consultation and a formal Examination in Public. The Government expects to publish the final version as a Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England (RSS14) in summer 2006. Regional Planning Guidance documents will become Regional Spatial Strategies on commencement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act currently before Parliament.

Thames Gateway

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 2 February 2004, Official Report, column 744W, on the Thames Gateway, by when the Gateway delivery office will be operational. [157269]

Keith Hill: A new Thames Gateway directorate has been established in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for securing delivery of the Government's agenda for the Gateway. The Thames Gateway Delivery Unit will be established as part of the new directorate with premises in the Thames Gateway in April 2004.

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ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Voter Registration

Mark Tami: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to increase levels of voter registration. [156539]

Mr. Viggers: The Commission undertakes national public awareness campaigns, including campaigns targeted at specific groups such as students and home-movers. It also provides support to local authority elections staff in the form of advice and best practice guidance on both the local promotion of electoral registration and the application of new legislation in this area.

The Commission is also undertaking research that will provide a better understanding of the extent and nature of under-registration, together with an assessment of the operation and impact of 'rolling registration' on levels of registration.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcohol Licences

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what plans she has to tackle anti-social behaviour near premises with licences to sell alcohol; [157760]

(2) what discussions she has had with local councils on increasing the responsibility of landlords with alcohol licences for excessive consumption of alcohol and associated public disorder problems; [157761]

(3) what plans she has to attach conditions to licences for (a) public houses and (b) other drinking establishments. [157762]

Mr. Caborn: The responsibility for attaching conditions to liquor licences under current law rests with the licensing justices.Under the Licensing Act 2003, which received Royal Assent on 10 July 2003, this responsibility will be transferred to licensing authorities which, in the main, are local authorities. There are two mandatory conditions in the 2003 Act, which will be attached in all cases where a premises licence authorises the supply of alcohol. The first is that no supply of alcohol may be made at a time when there is no designated premises supervisor in respect of the premises or at a time when the premises supervisor does not hold a personal licence or it is suspended. The second is that every supply of alcohol under the premises licence must be made or authorised by a person who holds a personal licence.

The 2003 Act provides further mechanisms to promote the prevention of nuisance and crime and disorder. The Act introduces the review of licences. Interested parties and responsible authorities will be able to request that a review of a premises licence occurs on a ground which is relevant to one or more of the licensing objectives (the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, the protection of children from harm and public safety). The review may lead to modifications of the conditions

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on the licence, the exclusion of certain licensable activities from the licence, the removal of the premises supervisor, or the suspension or revocation of the licence.

In addition, the 2003 Act provides powers for a magistrates court in a particular area to make an order requiring premises at or near a place of disorder, or expected disorder, to be closed for a period not exceeding 24 hours.

In addition a particular premises may be closed if a senior police officer reasonably believes there is, or is likely imminently to be, disorder on, or in the vicinity, of the premises and the closure is necessary for public safety, or alternatively if a public nuisance is being caused by noise coming from the premises and closure is necessary to prevent the nuisance. These closure orders can be for up to 24 hours and may be extended in certain situations. These powers will also be applicable to temporary events held under temporary event notices.

In addition to these provisions, the 2003 Act contains offences such as the sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk or obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk. Before the licensing Bill was introduced, during its passage through Parliament and since Royal Assent, we have engaged in extensive and detailed consultation with the Local Government Association, the Association of London Government and the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services about the provisions of the new legislation and its implementation.

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