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10 May 2004 : Column 101W—continued
Emergency Vehicles (Speed Cameras)
Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list (a) the official meetings he has had with the Mayor of London since July 2000 and (b) the dates and subject of each meeting. [170567]
Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has had no official meeting with the Mayor of London since July 2000.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the cost to fire and rescue authorities of dealing with the paperwork resulting from fire engines on emergency calls captured on speed cameras contravening speed limits. [170734]
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) on how many occasions in each of the last 12 months fire authority vehicles on emergency calls have been captured on speed cameras contravening speed limits in each fire and rescue authority; [170735]
(2) how many administrators were involved, and at what annual cost, in each fire and rescue authority to deal with paperwork resulting from emergency vehicles captured on speed cameras contravening speed limits. [170732]
Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fire Authority Precepts
Mr. Michael Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many complaints he received about the precepts of combined fire authorities for 2004–05 between 10 February and 28 April; [171404]
(2) how many complaints he received about the Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire Authority's precept for 2004–05 between 10 February and 28 April. [171405]
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Mr. Raynsford: Over the last three months the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received a large volume of correspondence about council tax, some covering specific local authorities and others about the council tax system in general. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Football Stadium, Falmer
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 348W, on the football stadium, Falmer, if he will define the nature of representations received following the closure of the inquiry into the proposal for a football stadium at Falmer, East Sussex, which he deems to be relevant in his consideration of the report from his planning inspector. [171513]
Keith Hill: The Inspector's report into the applications made by Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club Ltd. for a new stadium at Falmer is currently before the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister for decision, which will be made on the basis of all the available evidence. Representations received after the close of the public inquiry will be taken into account, so far as they are relevant, in making that decision. For reasons of procedural propriety, it is not possible to discuss the nature of the post-inquiry representations received. However, it will be clear from the decision letter what matters have been taken into account and the weight that has been accorded to any particular matter.
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is currently engaged in a reference back exercise where he is inviting comments from the relevant parties about issues arising since the close of inquiry. Representations made in relation to this exercise will be copied to those parties. Given the hon. Member's interest in the case, copies of the reference back correspondence will be sent to the hon. Member.
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will take into account all comments received in making his decision.
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date he received the report from his planning inspector into the proposal for a football stadium at Falmer, East Sussex; and for what reasons he has not yet announced his decision. [171540]
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Keith Hill: The Inspector's report into the applications by Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club Ltd. was received by the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 11 December 2003.
A decision has yet to be made because my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is currently engaged in a reference back exercise in relation to this case, which was initiated on 19 March 2004. Comments from the relevant parties about issues arising since the close of inquiry have been invited, specifically representations received about the draft Brighton and Hove Local Plan. It is my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's view that this exercise will enable him to take a more fully informed decision. It should not be read as an indication of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's attitude to the proposals generally one way or the other.
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will take into account all comments received in making a decision on the application. Given the hon. Member's interest in the case, copies of the reference back correspondence will be sent to the hon. Member.
Green Belt
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what acreage of land identified as green belt in 1997 has been subsequently declassified, broken down by county; and what acreage classified as non-green belt in 1997 has since been classified as green belt, broken down by county. [171539]
Keith Hill: The hectares of land classified as non-Green Belt in 1997 but classified as Green Belt in 2003 and land declassified as Green Belt between 1997 and 2003 are tabled as followed.
| New classified Green Beltland | Declassified Green Beltland | |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire | 10 | 0 |
| Cheshire | 1,080 | 0 |
| Derbyshire | 0 | 60 |
| Dorset | 160 | 0 |
| Durham | 280 | 0 |
| Essex | 160 | 0 |
| Hertfordshire | 20 | 30 |
| Kent | 0 | 20 |
| Lancashire | 3,850 | 270 |
| London | 0 | 20 |
| Merseyside | 0 | 160 |
| North Yorkshire | 760 | 60 |
| Northumberland | 12,810 | 0 |
| Nottinghamshire | 0 | 190 |
| Somerset | 120 | 0 |
| South Yorkshire | 670 | 0 |
| Staffordshire | 130 | 0 |
| Surrey | 110 | 50 |
| Tyne and Wear | 0 | 110 |
| West Midlands | 200 | 0 |
| West Yorkshire | 0 | 340 |
| Total | 20,360 | 1,310 |
10 May 2004 : Column 104W
Housing
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of the Starter Homes Initiative on the residents of Oldham, West and Royton. [170878]
Keith Hill: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given on 29 April 2004, Official Report, column 1228W.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his assessment of how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of West Lancashire since 1997. [171546]
Keith Hill: Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by about 15 per cent. per annum on average. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority stock alongside the Decent Homes standard which sets out minimum standards to be met by 2010. West Lancashire's allocations in the period 1997 to 2003–04 have risen by over 300 per cent. In addition to this welcome increase there has been support through the Community Housing Task Force and Government Office for the North West that has helped the local authority and its tenants to choose the best strategy for long term improvement.
16 local authorities in the North West have transferred all their stock, and five local authorities have transferred part of their stock. This has unlocked £1,739 million in private finance, of which £553 million has gone to local authorities in capital receipts, with the remaining £1,186 million going directly into renovating and maintaining the transferred properties. Four local authorities have schemes on the programme that have not yet transferred, three of which have had positive ballot results. Ellesmere Port and Neston, Halton, Hyndburn, Macclesfield and West Lancashire have been granted places on the 2004 programme.
Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to announce the decision on the 2004 housing stock transfer programme. [171266]
Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 80WS.
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