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25 May 2004 : Column 1505W—continued

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

CBRN Substances

Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the costs that may arise from carrying out the decontamination procedures set out in the Strategic National Guidance for the decontamination of buildings and infrastructure exposed to chemical, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) substances or material, issued this month. [175374]

Mr. Raynsford: The cost of carrying out the procedures set out in the guidance would depend upon the circumstances of the incident. Factors involved would include the nature and extent of contamination; the characteristics of the building or infrastructure affected and the systems, equipment and other contents; the CBRN material involved; the type of surfaces affected; and the particular objectives of the decontamination plan drawn up for the premises concerned.

In order to provide help and advice to those dealing with decontamination the Government have set up a team to consider the establishment of a national decontamination and recovery service.

Council Tax

Alistair Burt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from (a) clergy and (b) others whose jobs require them to maintain more than one property in relation to (i) exemption from council tax on second homes and (ii) the amelioration of the effects of council tax; and if he will make a statement. [175871]

Mr. Raynsford: The Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/3011), as amended by the Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004 S.I. (2004/926), set out the circumstances in which the 50 per cent. council tax discount on the second home is retained where a person is required to live in job related accommodation. Records of correspondence received by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister do not differentiate between the topics requested and other council tax matters. A precise figure could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Planning

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what valid reason local councils may reject proposals made by Government inspectors under PPG10 for major housing development sites; and if he will make a statement. [175592]

Keith Hill: Regional Planning Guidance for the south west (RPG10) provides a regional spatial strategy within which development plans, including those in
 
25 May 2004 : Column 1506W
 
Gloucestershire, should be prepared; it sets out a broad development strategy for the period up to 2016 and beyond; and provides the spatial framework for other strategies and programmes. RPG10 should be taken into account by local authorities preparing Local Plans.

Following a Local Plan Inquiry the inspector makes his/her recommendations to the Local Planning Authority (LPA). It is for the LPA to consider in the first instance whether to make modifications to the plan based on the inspector's recommendations. The LPA is required to prepare a statement of its decision on each recommendation and to give its full reasons if it does not accept any recommendation made by the inspector. Currently, most local authorities accept the majority of an inspector's recommendations, but they are not obliged to do so.

This statement of reasons and any proposed modifications to the Local Plan are published and objections and representations may be made to the council for a period of six weeks.

There is no criterion against which the reasons for rejecting any recommendation are measured. The Government office for the south west, on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will have the opportunity to consider any modifications to identify whether they are consistent with national and regional policies, and whether there are conflicts which do not appear to be justified by local circumstances.

The general approach of Government is that responsibility for deciding planning matters should be left, as far as possible, to locally accountable planning authorities. This is because local authority councillors are elected to represent the views of local people and, in the main, it is these councillors who are in the best position to make the necessary decisions in respect of their Local Plan.

In the light of this, while powers have been reserved to direct modifications to the plan or to call-in all, or part, of a plan for determination by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, these powers are used sparingly and as a last resort.

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to make developers liable for a greater share of the costs of planning inquiries and tribunals. [175879]

Keith Hill: There are no plans to change the existing longstanding practice where each party is responsible for their own costs at planning inquiries.

Local Government Finance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much (a) in revenue support grant and (b) in specific grants was provided to City of York in each year since 1997–98. [175274]

Mr. Raynsford: Grants provided to City of York in each year since 1997–98 are tabled as follows:
 
25 May 2004 : Column 1507W
 

£ million

	General grants(3)	Specific grants(4)
1997–98	78.0	3.1
1998–99	80.5	4.1
1999–2000	84.5	6.2
2000–01	88.0	11.0
2001–02	90.3	15.0
2002–03	91.1	21.2
2003–04(5)	100.3	16.3
2004–05(5)	102.7	28.2

⁽³⁾ Includes Revenue Support Grant, Redistributed Non-Domestic Rates, SSA Reduction Grant (1997–98 to 2001–02), Central Support Protection Grant (1999–2000 to 2001–02).
⁽⁴⁾ Specific and special grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF).
⁽⁵⁾ Budgeted figures.
Source:
1997–98 to 2002–03 Revenue Summary forms and 2003–04 to 2004–05 Budget Estimate returns

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the value is of each of the specific grants received by City of York in 2004–05. [175275]

Mr. Raynsford: The specific grants ¹ that City of York have budgeted to receive in 2004–05 ² are tabled as follows:

£000
Civil Defence	72
Adoption Support and Special Guardianship	51
Choice Protects	67
Leadership Incentive	364
Safeguarding Children	200
School Standards	2,678
Standards Fund	3,705
Teachers Pay Reform	2,571
Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation	101
Detrunking	355
Rural Bus Subsidy	123
Access and Systems Capacity	1,463
AIDS Support	19
Carers	363
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services	167
Delayed Discharges	297
Human Resources Development Strategy	63
Mental Health	493
National Training Strategy	83
Preserved Rights	2,564
Residential Allowance	1,113
Training Support Programme	159
Council Tax Benefit (CTB) Administration	344
Housing Benefit (HB) Administration	390
Additional HB and CTB administration due to Pension       Credit	36
Additional HB and CTB administration due to Tax Credits	27
Workstep	224
Asylum Seekers	29
Homelessness Strategies	250
Planning Development	143
Supporting People Administration	236
Supporting People Programme—Housing	8,585
Supporting People Programme—Social Services	664
Other Grants inside AEF	233

⁽⁶⁾ Specific and special grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF).
⁽⁷⁾ Budgeted figures.
Source:
2004–05 Budget Estimate RA (SG) form.




 
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TREASURY

Abortion

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many conceptions in women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000; [174877]

(2) what the rate of conceptions in women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years was in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000; [174879]

(3) how many conceptions resulting in abortions in women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000. [174887]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Marion Roe, dated 25 May 2004:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions on conceptions and abortions. (174877, 174879, 174887)

The information you requested on conceptions, and conception rates was given in answer to a recent question from David Amess MP, which appears in the Official Report of Monday 24 May, No. 91, Column 1201W-1208W.

Information on conceptions resulting in abortions was given in answer to another question from David Amess MP, which appears in the same Official Report at Column 1197-1200W.

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