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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 8 June 2004
PRIME MINISTER
Iraq
Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what papers he has submitted to date to Lord Butler's inquiry into intelligence on Iraq; and whether officials from his office have given oral evidence to the inquiry. [177071]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) gave to him on 8 June 2004, Official Report, column 303W.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Aston Down Airfield
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria are used in the planning system to decide when an environmental impact assessment is considered necessary; and what assessment he has made of whether such an assessment is required in respect of the proposed development at Aston Down Airfield, near Stroud in Gloucestershire. [177598]
Keith Hill: In response to the first part of this question, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 885W. On 24 March 2003, a screening direction under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No. 293) was issued to the effect that, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, the proposed development at Aston Down Airfield, near Stroud, would not be likely to have a significant effect on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size or location.
Ellipse Project
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many letters he has received about the decision made by Westminster council to approve The Ellipse project for the Royal College of Art; how many requests he has received to meet those opposed to the decision of the council's planning committee; what plans he has to call in the council's planning decision; and if he will make a statement. [176698]
Keith Hill:
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has received over 10,000 representations, the majority of which objected to the proposal by the Royal College of Art for an extension building, known as the "Ellipse". A number of requests were also received to meet those opposed to the proposal but it is not standard practice to do so when a planning application is formally before my right hon. Friend the Deputy
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Prime Minister for consideration on whether it should be called in. The hon. Member will be interested to know that my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister called in these proposals on 19 May 2004. A copy of the decision will be made available in the Library of the House.
Firefighters' Dispute
Mr. Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what action he has taken to bring the sides together to discuss the difficulties encountered with the agreement to end the firefighters' dispute; [177029]
(2) what discussions he has had with the employers' organisations regarding fulfilling the obligations undertaken to end the firefighters' dispute. [177030]
Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has had no such discussions and taken no such action. The June 2003 agreement, which ended the firefighters' dispute, set out a clear path for pay improvement linked to modernisation of the Fire and Rescue Service subject to some further negotiations. I understand that discussions between the employee representatives and their employers are continuing. Negotiation is clearly the way forward.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received regarding difficulties with the agreement which ended the firefighters' dispute. [177031]
Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received a handful of representations on these issues both directly and through ministerial colleagues and constituency MPs. Letters originated from members of the public, serving members of the Fire and Rescue Service and the Fire Brigades Union. In addition, Andy Gilchrist, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union wrote to all Members of Parliament on 17 May 2004 setting out the Union's views on the detailed negotiations with employers following the June 2003 pay and conditions agreement.
High Hedges
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to inform members of the public about how they can participate in the consultation on high hedges. [176912]
Yvette Cooper:
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued a press release launching the public consultation on the high hedges legislation on 29 March. The announcement was covered in three national and a number of local newspapers, by national radio stations and some regional TV. The consultation package has been sent to a number of organisations with a special interest, for example, Hedgeline, the Consumer's Association, the National Consumer Council, the National Federation of Consumer Groups, the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux. It is also available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website and on UK Online.
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Homelessness
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation was in each year since 1997, broken down by accommodation type. [173736]
Yvette Cooper:
The most recent quarterly Statistical
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Release on homelessness was published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 15 March, which contains information up to and including the fourth quarter of 2003. Table 7 (as follows) presents estimates of the number of homeless households in England in various types of temporary accommodation as at the end of each quarter since 1997.
| Bed and breakfast hotels | Hostels/women's refuges | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts | Total number of households accommodated at end of quarter | Number | Percentage of totalchange on previous quarter | Number | Percentage of totalchange on previous quarter | ||
| 1997 | |||||||
| quarter 1 | 41,250 | 4,100 | 9.9 | -1.4 | 9,680 | 23.5 | 0.4 |
| quarter 2 | 43,720 | 4,500 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 9,430 | 21.6 | -2.6 |
| quarter 3 | 45,290 | 4,630 | 10.2 | 2.9 | 9,450 | 20.9 | 0.2 |
| quarter 4 | 44,870 | 4,520 | 10.1 | -2.4 | 8,730 | 19.5 | -7.6 |
| 1998 | |||||||
| quarter 1 | 47,520 | 4,820 | 10.1 | 6.6 | 9,730 | 20.5 | 11.5 |
| quarter 2 | 49,390 | 5,380 | 10.9 | 11.6 | 9,490 | 19.2 | -2.5 |
| quarter 3 | 52,510 | 5,890 | 11.2 | 9.5 | 9,820 | 18.7 | 3.5 |
| quarter 4 | 53,790 | 7,240 | 13.5 | 22.9 | 9,760 | 18.1 | -0.6 |
| 1999 | |||||||
| quarter 1 | 56,580 | 6,570 | 11.6 | -9.3 | 9,840 | 17.4 | 0.8 |
| quarter 2 | 58,430 | 7,700 | 13.2 | 17.2 | 10,210 | 17.5 | 3.8 |
| quarter 3 | 61,450 | 8,240 | 13.4 | 7.0 | 9,960 | 16.2 | -2.4 |
| quarter 4 | 62,180 | 8,000 | 12.9 | -2.9 | 9,660 | 15.5 | -3.0 |
| 2000 | |||||||
| quarter 1 | 65,170 | 8,680 | 13.3 | 8.5 | 10,300 | 15.8 | 6.6 |
| quarter 2 | 67,520 | 8,910 | 13.2 | 2.6 | 10,320 | 15.3 | 0.2 |
| quarter 3 | 71,860 | 9,420 | 13.1 | 5.7 | 10,460 | 14.6 | 1.4 |
| quarter 4 | 73,080 | 9,870 | 13.5 | 4.8 | 10,790 | 14.8 | 3.2 |
| 2001 | |||||||
| quarter 1 | 75,200 | 10,860 | 14.4 | 10.0 | 10,610 | 14.1 | -1.7 |
| quarter 2(2) | 75,920 | 11,390 | 15.0 | 4.9 | 10,320 | 13.6 | -2.7 |
| quarter 3(2) | 78,370 | 12,240 | 15.6 | 7.5 | 10,400 | 13.3 | 0.8 |
| quarter 4(2) | 78,030 | 1 1 ,890 | 15.2 | -2.9 | 9,850 | 12.6 | -5.3 |
| 2002 | |||||||
| quarter 12,3 | 80,440 | 1 1 ,840 | 14.7 | -0.4 | 9,610 | 11.9 | -2.4 |
| quarter 22,3 | 82,110 | 12,380 | 15.1 | 4.6 | 9,760 | 11.9 | 1.6 |
| quarter 32,3 | 85,260 | 13,250 | 15.5 | 7.0 | 9,740 | 11.4 | -0.2 |
| quarter 42,3 | 83,860 | 12,540 | 15.0 | -5.4 | 9,640 | 11.5 | -1.0 |
| 2003 | |||||||
| quarter 12,3 | 89,260 | 12,100 | 13.6 | -3.5 | 10,070 | 11.3 | 4.5 |
| quarter 22,3 | 91,330 | 1 1 ,340 | 12.4 | -6.3 | 10,420 | 11.4 | 3.5 |
| quarter 32,3 | 93,930 | 10,310 | 11.0 | -9.1 | 10,770 | 11.5 | 3.4 |
| quarter 42,3 | 95,060 | 8,360 | 8.8 | -18.9 | 10,230 | 10.8 | -5.0 |
(1) Households in accommodation arranged by local authorities pending inquiries or after being accepted as homeless under the 1996 Act (includes residual cases awaiting re-housing under the 1985 Act).
(2) Provisional
(3) Some self-contained accommodation in Annex-style units previously recorded under B&B now more appropriately attributed to private sector accommodation.
Note:
The totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding
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