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30 Apr 2004 : Column 1325W—continued

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent changes have been made regarding the use of free postage for military personnel serving in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [170106]

Mr. Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 27 February 2004, Official Report, column 70WS, and subsequent answers of 5 March 2004, Official Report, column 1155W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock), and 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1605W, to the hon. Member for Mid Norfolk (Mr. Simpson).

Manning Control

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers subject to manning control in the last
 
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10 years are (a) still serving on an S-type contract and (b) have been discharged, and under what careers regulations; and if he will make a statement. [169171]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 29 April 2004]: The number of soldiers discharged under Queen's Regulations 9.413 'Not required for a full Army career' following manning control review in the last 15 calendar years to 2002 was given in the answer on 27 November 2002, Official Report, columns 332–34W, as updated by the answers given on 16 September 2003, Official Report, columns 705–06W, and 13 March 2004, Official Report, column 386W.

Of these, 319 soldiers are currently serving on an S-Type engagement.
 
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Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers who were subject to manning control and were discharged or signed on to S-type contracts and subsequently discharged since 1994 have been called up for service in UK operational deployment (a) in each of the last eight years and (b) on Operation Telic; and if he will make a statement. [169172]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 29 April 2004]: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Defence Statistics

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the contribution his Department makes to the West Midlands economy. [168466]

Mr. Caplin: Publication of this information in the annual Defence Statistics report was suspended in 2002 because of concerns about its quality. Work is in place to improve the quality of these statistics with a view to their inclusion in the future.

Defence makes an important contribution to the West Midlands economy through the presence of service and civilian personnel in their local communities, and through expenditure with companies based in the West Midlands and payments by the Department to local authorities. The Department's Defence Bills Agency database records that in 2002–03 the Ministry of Defence spent some £300 million of equipment and non-equipment expenditure to firms based in the West Midlands.

The Department also conducts regional impact assessments to inform decisions affecting Defence estate and personnel.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Antisocial Behaviour

Ms Keeble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many evictions by housing authorities for antisocial behaviour took place in (a) the last three months of 2003 and (b) the first three months of 2004. [169807]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not request that local authorities supply information on the number of evictions they have carried out due to the antisocial behaviour of tenants.

Betting Shops

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he gives to local authorities in consideration of an application for planning permission to open a betting shop from someone who has already successfully applied for a licence to run that business. [170138]

Keith Hill: There is no specific guidance on applying for planning permission for a betting shop, although we
 
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published "Planning Permission: A Guide for Business" in 1998 which informs applicants that betting offices are in the A2 (Financial and Professional Services) Use Class as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987. The Use Classes Order makes clear that planning permission is needed to change the use of premises to a betting office. The Order is currently being revised, but the announcement on 27 November 2003 on proposed changes does not include any proposal to change the position of betting offices.

Even if an applicant has a bookmaker's permit to run a betting office in a particular location, he will still require permission to change the use of premises under the Town and Country Planning Act. We have no proposals to issue any guidance.

Planning (Flag Poles)

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what planning restrictions apply to (a) the erection of flag poles and (b) the flying of national flags; and if he will make a statement; [169752]

(2) if he will make it his policy to issue planning guidance to remove the need for planning permission for flag poles up to 18 feet in height in or on domestic properties. [169751]

Keith Hill: Under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 ("the regulations"), prior local planning authority consent is not required, in respect of a site where planning permission has been granted for residential development, so long as the flagstaff is vertical, does not exceed 4.6 metres in height, and is not within a conservation area, area of outstanding natural beauty, National Park, the Broads area or an area of special control under the regulations. The flag advertisement can only be displayed for the period of one year. Otherwise express consent from the local planning authority is required.

National flags are exempt from control under the regulations provided each flag is flown from a single vertical flagstaff and it does not have anything else added to the design of the flag or any advertising material added to the flagstaff. We shall be amending the Regulations to exempt from control national flags however they are flown from a flagstaff.

Land Use Change

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much land changing to residential use was within 1997-designated Green Belt in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [169495]


 
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Keith Hill: The available estimates are from Land Use Change Statistics for 1997, 1998 and 2000, are in the following table. Much of the development was on land
 
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that was already developed and the second part of the table shows the amounts of greenfield land used for residential development.
Land changing to residential use within 1997 designated Green Belt

Region199719982000
Hectares
All on Greenbelt land
North East5100
North West759065
Yorkshire and the Humber605030
East Midlands101020
West Midlands453555
East of England406050
London102025
South East13585145
South West253040
England405395430
On greenfield (not previously developed) Land
North East5100
North West506530
Yorkshire and the Humber403525
East Midlands555
West Midlands302035
East of England152025
London01010
South East9050100
South West202535
England255230265









Mrs Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new dwellings were built within 1997-designated Green Belt in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [169496]

Keith Hill: The available estimates are from Land Use Change Statistics for 1997, 1998 and 2000, in the following table. Many of the dwellings were built on land that was already developed and the second part of the table shows the numbers just on greenfield land.
New dwellings built within 1997 designated Green Belt

Dwellings
Region199719982000
All on Green Belt land
North East5014020
North West930855945
Yorkshire and the Humber630675505
East Midlands225145270
West Midlands660600705
East of England470845625
London180655590
South East855800890
South West155310160
England4,1555,0154,710
On greenfield (not previously developed)Land
North East3513015
NorthWest495410330
Yorkshire and the Humber335360370
East Midlands957535
West Midlands335220335
East of England105135280
London5240205
South East300300220
SouthWest9019570
England1,7901,9851,895









 
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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much land within 1997-designated Green Belt changed to developed use each year since 1997, broken down by region. [169545]


 
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Keith Hill: The available estimates are from Land Use Change Statistics for 1997, 1998 and 2000, tabled as follows:
Land changing to developed use within 1997 designated Green Belt

hectares
Region199719982000
On green field (not previously developed) land
North East1101045
North West335295110
Yorkshire and the Humber29529060
East Midlands607570
West Midlands856575
East of England1558550
London502015
South East270100430
South West5570115
England1,4101,005965

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the locations of each development on (a) Green Belt land and (b) non-Green Belt green field land for which he or his predecessors have given planning permission since 1 May 1997. [169546]

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister or his predecessors have granted planning permission on 162 sites on Green Belt land between 1 May 1997 and 31 March 2004. A table of the locations of these sites has been made available in the Libraries of the House.

Information on non-Green Belt green field land is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


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