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12 May 2004 : Column 329W—continued

Suez Medal

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it has taken, on average, to process each application for the General Service Medal, Suez Canal Zone, 1951–54. [172367]

Mr. Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 April 2004, Official Report, column 663W, to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Peter Bradley).

The updated situation since then is:

Service Medal Office	Applications received
Royal Navy	5 November 2003
Royal Marines	As they arrive
Army	5 September 2003
RAF	11 November 2003

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many outstanding claims there are for the General Service Medal for serving in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954. [172368]

Mr. Caplin: As at 7 May there were 29,153 applications requiring assessment. It is not possible to estimate the total number of claim applications that will be received.

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many General Service Medals have been issued for service in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954. [172369]

Mr. Caplin: As at 7 May 7,696 medals and/or clasps had been dispatched to veterans or their families.

Support Vehicle Contract

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with Leyland Trucks on the contract for the supply of the Support Vehicle. [172073]

Mr. Ingram: Leyland Trucks withdrew from the competition for the supply of the Support Vehicle in June 2002. This competition is now at an advanced stage and it would be inappropriate to invite their further
 
12 May 2004 : Column 330W
 
interest. We are confident that the existing competition, involving four bidders, will deliver an operationally effective, value for money solution.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Housing (Stockton, South)

Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of how the change in the level of council funding for housing has affected the residents of Stockton South since 1997. [171469]

Keith Hill: Since 1997 allocations of capital funding to local authorities for housing purposes have risen consistently by an average of 15 per cent. per annum. This includes the Major Repairs Allowance we introduced in 2001–02 specifically for the improvement of local authority housing stock alongside the Decent Homes Standard that set minimum standards to be met by 2010. Stockton's allocations in the period 1997 to 2003–04 have risen by some 320 per cent. In addition, Arms Length Management Organisation initial resources of £44.5 million are available with a further £8 million to follow to facilitate Decent Homes improvements over the whole of the Stockton borough.

Increased resources have also been generated through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Single Housing Investment Partnerships (SHIP) to target non-decent and non-sustainable housing stock. In the last three years alone £12.7 million has been invested in the local authority housing stock with future investment up to 2010 expected to be £11.45 million.

In the private sector and as a result of successful SHIP/English Partnerships bids £6.9 million has been secured in addition to £532,000 for renovation grants, home repair assistance, empty homes and damp proofing.

Coverage Care

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2004, Official Report, column 1227W, on Coverage Care, when he expects the matter to be resolved. [172095]

Yvette Cooper: I understand that on 28 April 2004 all parties to Gloucestershire county council met in private session to discuss options for the long term continuation of care provision to the county. The council hope that this matter can be resolved by the end of the year.

Departmental Budget

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much he expects to spend in this financial year; how much was spent last year; how much is budgeted next year for writing off outstanding debt of local authorities that transfer housing stock; and from which budget this sum is allocated. [172276]

Keith Hill: Payments to meet local authorities' overhanging debt are made where the value of the housing stock transferring is less than a local authority's associated housing debt. £90.9 million was paid in 2003–04. The budget is £616 million for both 2004–05 and 2005–06. The payment reflects the liability the
 
12 May 2004 : Column 331W
 
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would otherwise have to pay continuing subsidy on a local authority's housing attributable debt. It is not possible to use this resource for capital purposes.

Housing (Chorley)

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on the percentage of housing land to be made available for (a) low cost housing and (b) part-rent-part-buy schemes in the Chorley constituency; and what advice he gives to local authorities on the matter. [172334]

Keith Hill: This is a matter for local assessment. National planning advice in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 "Housing" (PPG3) and Circular 6/98, 'Planning for Affordable Housing' makes it clear that each local authority should assess the local need for affordable housing within its area. Policy UR9 of Regional Planning Guidance for the North West gives further advice on the need for affordable housing.

PPG3 advises that where there is a demonstrable lack of such housing, local planning authorities should include a policy in their development plan seeking affordable housing in suitable housing developments. It advises them to identify sites on which affordable housing will be expected and to indicate the amount of such housing to be sought as a proportion of the overall dwelling provision on a site. Decisions about the amount and types of affordable housing to be provided in individual proposals should reflect local housing need and be a matter for agreement between the local authority and the developer.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published for consultation proposed changes to the current policies for affordable housing set out in PPG3 and Circular 6/98. The proposed changes re-emphasise the above policy, but also include allowing local authorities to seek affordable housing on smaller sites where this is justified. The changes are designed to help deliver more affordable housing where it is needed, and deliver a better match between a community's housing needs and supply.

Housing Stock Transfer

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the research evidence showing how housing stock transfer better meets the interests of tenants. [172274]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's housing research report entitled Views on the Large Scale Voluntary Transfer Process—May 2000, examines the degree to which tenants who have transferred from a local authority to a new landlord under a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer scheme are satisfied with their new landlord.

A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.

Parliamentary Questions

John Thurso: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day
 
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Questions his Department received in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) this parliamentary session, broken down by month; [171187]

(2) what proportion of Ordinary Written Questions to his Department were answered within five sitting days of tabling, and what proportion of Questions for a Written Answer on a named day received a substantive answer on that day, in (a) the 2002–03 parliamentary session and (b) this parliamentary session, broken down by month. [171188]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on 3 March 2004, Official Report, column 907W. The effective handling of parliamentary questions is an issue to which my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and ministerial colleagues attach great importance, endeavouring to reply to all Parliamentary Questions within Parliamentary deadlines wherever possible.

The information requested is tabled as follows:

	Number of named day PQs tabled to ODPM	Number of named day PQs answered on time (percentage)	Number of ordinary written PQs tabled to ODPM	Number of ordinary written PQs answered within five working days (percentage)
Parliamentary Session 2002–03
November    2002(1)	85	84.7	245	88.2
December    2002	60	91.7	155	87.1
January 2003	71	90.1	237	65
February    2003	27	85.2	253	63.2
March 2003	53	84.9	258	63.2
April 2003	21	95.2	176	61.4
May 2003	34	88.2	234	56.4
June 2003	27	74.1	253	73.1
July 2003	32	84.4	201	82.6
September 2003	16	31.3	115	58.3
October    2003	34	88.2	170	88.2
November    2003(2)	25	96	135	68.9
Parliamentary Session 2003–04
November    2003(3)	11	100	38	86.8
December    2003	32	90.6	232	72.4
January 2004	105	73.3	393	85.5
February    2004	51	96.1	267	67
March 2004	75	90.7	320	72.5
April 2004	28	92.9	178	86.5

⁽¹⁾ 13 November to 30 November 2002.
⁽²⁾ 1 November to 12 November 2003.
⁽³⁾ 26 November to 30 November 2003.

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