17 Jun 2004 : Column 1025W
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 17 June 2004
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Council Housing
Ms Buck:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list (a) the number of council housing stock option appraisals signed off by the Government to date and (b) the number of these which have involved (i) retention of the stock, (ii) transfer of the stock to a registered social landlord, (iii) delegation to an arm's length management organisation and (iv) mixed solutions, (c) the number of local authorities that have submitted an options appraisal which has not yet been signed off and (d) the number of authorities that have not yet submitted an appraisal to be signed off in (A) London and (B) England. [178472]
Keith Hill:
Local authorities were only required to have signed off option appraisals from April 2003. Prior to that date 157 local authorities had already opted for transfer or Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) of which 11 are in London.
The table as follows shows the position regarding the sign-off requirement as of 9 June 2004, as reported by Government Offices for the Regions
| England (including London) | London
|
(a) Total number. of OAs signed off | 27 | 2
|
(b)(i) Number of these that have involved retention | 13 | Nil
|
(b)(ii) Number of these that have involved transfer | 13 | Nil
|
(b)(iii) Number of these that have involved ALMO | 10 | 2
|
(b)(iv) Number of these that have involved mixed solutions | 2 | Nil
|
(c) Number of LAs that have submitted an options appraisal without sign off as of 9 June 04 | 6 | 1
|
(d) Number of LAs that have not yet submitted an options appraisal as of 9 June 2004 | 164 | 19
|
Coverage Care
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answers of 15 March 2004, Official Report, columns 5960W and 29 April 2004, Official Report, column 1227W, on Coverage Care (Gloucestershire Ltd.), what estimate he has made of the maximum contingent liability to be borne by (a) council tax payers in Gloucestershire and (b) the general tax payer; if he will list the information which the county council has resolved should remain confidential; under what circumstances a specific consent would need to be sought by the county council; and what discussions he
17 Jun 2004 : Column 1026W
has held on the county council's invocation of confidentiality provisions in local government legislation in relation to this matter. [173029]
Yvette Cooper:
The bulk of Government support is paid as block grant, so local authorities have considerable freedom to determine their spending priorities and decide how to apportion their revenue budget between services. The provision of local authority services is for individual authorities, bearing in mind their statutory responsibilities. The Government does not have a power to intervene in local authorities' day to day decisions.
It is for local authorities to determine the level of council tax. Local authorities should be consulting their local tax payers on issues about levels of council tax and what the money is spent on.
Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 describes the types of "exempt information" which a local authority can decide to keep confidential. Gloucestershire county council has resolved to keep confidential the types of information specified in paragraphs 5, 7 and 9. These paragraphs cover information relating to financial assistance provided by the authority, the financial or business affairs of other parties and terms proposed in the course of commercial contract negotiations. No discussions have been held between the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the county council about the council's use of confidentiality provisions in local government legislation. The circumstances under which a specific consent would need to be sought by the county council are set out in sections 24 and 25 of the Local Government Act 1988.
Economic Regeneration Funding
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what financial support was given by his Department to each of the areas designated as a priority area for economic regeneration as defined by Regional Planning Guidance 9 in 200304. [179230]
Yvette Cooper:
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funds a large number of programmes either through its agencies, such as English Partnerships, or directly. In 20034 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's direct initiatives which assisted economic regeneration in the South-East included the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Wardens Schemes, Neighbourhood Management Pilots, New Deal for Communities, the Community Empowerment Fund, Community Chest, Community Learning Chest, Single Regeneration Budget and European Structural Fund Objective Two. The information on how much was given in 20034 in each of the priority areas for economic regeneration is not held centrally, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
Fire Service (Recruitment)
Mr. Randall:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many recruits there were to each fire authority in England and Wales in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity. [178770]
Mr. Raynsford:
Information in the form requested is not readily available for the years 19992001. Information on the number of successful applicants for
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each fire authority in England and Wales from 1999 to 2001 by gender and ethnicity is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Information on the number of successful applicants for each authority in England and Wales in each of the last two years by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity is available in the Library of the House.
Housing Stock Transfer
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what receipts there were from stock transfer of council housing, broken down by local authority and
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giving the number of homes involved, the unit transfer price, and the total capacity receipt in each case, in each year since 1997. [178905]
Keith Hill:
To reflect the intended continued use of the properties for social housing and the need for capital investment, the price paid to each local authority per council dwelling and reflected in the following table, accords with a Tenanted Market Value (TMV) rather than an open market value. Where there is a negative value a grant equal to this amount was paid by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as part of the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund (ERCF) programme. The table shows the receipts from stock transfer, broken down by local authority, showing the number of dwellings, price per dwelling and the gross transfer price in each year since 1997.
Local authority | Date of transfer | Number of dwellings | Price per
dwelling (£) | Gross transfer price (£ million) | ERCF grant paid for negative valuation X
|
Cotswold DC | 28 February 1997 | 4,282 | 12,818 | 53.45 |
|
South Staffs C | 7 March 1997 | 5,273 | 7,998 | 42.67 |
|
Lichfield DC | 19 March 1997 | 4,921 | 8,416 | 40.88 |
|
South Oxfordshire DC | 7 July 1997 | 5,018 | 13,618 | 68.33 |
|
Eden C | 22 September 1997 | 1,510 | 11,253 | 16.99 |
|
LB Lambeth * Moorlands | 5 January 1998 | 515 | -24,660 | -12.80 | X
|
LB Bexley | 9 February 1998 | 4,118 | 11,996 | 49.40 |
|
LB Bexley | 9 February 1998 | 4,097 | 8,540 | 34.99 |
|
Congleton BC | 2 March 1998 | 4,061 | 7,939 | 32.24 |
|
Oldham BC* Limehurst | 9 March 1998 | 642 | -8,941 | -5.74 | X
|
Liverpool CC * Windermere | 19 March 1998 | 493 | -13,164 | -6.49 | X
|
LB Merton* Pollards Hill | 23 March 1998 | 1,018 | -13,635 | -13.88 | X
|
LB Tower Hamlets* Poplar 1 | 23 March 1998 | 1,852 | -19,006 | -35.20 | X
|
Kerrier DC | 23 March 1998 | 3,732 | 8,579 | 32.02 |
|
LB Hackney * Kingsmead | 30 March 1998 | 951 | -11,199 | -10.65 | X
|
LB Brent * Fortunegate/Church End | 30 March 1998 | 1,481 | -16,874 | -25.00 | X
|
Basildon DC* Vange | 30 March 1998 | 708 | -9,562 | -6.77 | X
|
West Somerset DC | 30 March 1998 | 1,869 | 13,750 | 25.70 |
|
Stoke-on-Trent CC * Bentilee | 31 March 1998 | 917 | -11,221 | -10.29 | X
|
Tewkesbury BC | 27 April 1998 | 3,066 | 7,985 | 24.48 |
|
Rother DC | 1 May 1998 | 3,058 | 10,072 | 30.80 |
|
LB Lambeth * Lansdowne Green | 20 July 1998 | 681 | -12,555 | -8.54 | X
|
LB Tower Hamlets* Poplar II | 7 December 1998 | 2,431 | -7,805 | -18.97 | X
|
Wirral* Leasowe | 25 January 1999 | 1,082 | -4,799 | -5.19 | X
|
Tameside * West Ashton | 1 February 1999 | 901 | -10,655 | -9.57 | X
|
West Devon BC | 22 February 1999 | 1,446 | 9,200 | 13.52 |
|
South Somerset DC | 1 March 1999 | 8,883 | 7,795 | 69.25 |
|
East Lindsey DC | 1 March 1999 | 5,102 | 8,820 | 45.00 |
|
Liverpool CC * Pinehurst | 5 March 1999 | 646 | -9,505 | -6.14 | X
|
Manchester CC Darnhill | 8 March 1999 | 1,030 | 82 | 0.85 |
|
LB Hackney * Morningside | 15 March 1999 | 1,084 | -9,339 | -10.12 | X
|
South Hams District Council | 22 March 1999 | 3,096 | 13,243 | 41.00 |
|
LB Hammersmith and Fulham * Old Oak | 17 March 1999 | 668 | -14,027 | -9.37 | X
|
LB Hackney * Upper Clapton | 22 March 1999 | 1,000 | -19,975 | -19.98 | X
|
Telford and Wrekin C | 25 March 1999 | 13,081 | 9 | 113.37 |
|
LB Enfield | 29 March 1999 | 1,194 | n/a | 0.00 |
|
Worthing BC | 29 March 1999 | 2,525 | 14,095 | 35.59 |
|
Bath and North East Somerset C | 29 March 1999 | 9,887 | 8,040 | 79.49 |
|
Manchester CC* East Wythenshawe | 29 March 1999 | 6,667 | -3,165 | -20.81 | X
|
LB Greenwich * Charlton Triangle | 29 March 1999 | 1,280 | -14,077 | -18.02 | X
|
LB Hackney * Haggerston | 29 March 1999 | 661 | -20,030 | -13.24 | X
|
Allerdale BC | 31 March 1999 | 3,704 | 8,261 | 30.60 |
|
Allerdale BC * Salterbeck | 31 March 1999 | 727 | -5,451 | -3.96 | X
|
Preston BC * Avenham | 14 June 1999 | 1,121 | -8,576 | -9.61 | X
|
LB Lambeth* Central Stockwell | 5 July 1999 | 2,358 | -6,667 | -17.53 | X
|
Birmingham CC* Central Areas | 21 June 1999 | 2,813 | -17,401 | -50.55 | X
|
LB Islington* Barnsbury | 26 September 1999 | 647 | -6,646 | -4.29 | X
|
LB Islington* Ten Estates | 26 September 1999 | 739 | -24,898 | -18.41 | X
|
Liverpool CC* Speke Garston | 4 October 1999 | 4,382 | -9,990 | -43.78 | X
|
West Lindsey DC | 18 October 1999 | 3,929 | 7,814 | 30.70 |
|
LB Lambeth* St. Martins | 25 October 1999 | 1,033 | -6,805 | -7.03 | X
|
Boston BC | 29 November 1999 | 4,871 | 8,907 | 43.40 |
|
Tynedale DC | 20 December 1999 | 3,564 | 9,5 | 33.86 |
|
Newcastle under Lyme BC | 31 January 2000 | 9,887 | 5,462 | 54.00 |
|
Restormel BC | 7 February 2000 | 3,577 | 7,018 | 25.11 |
|
Manchester CC (Colshaw Farm) | 14 February 2000 | 600 | 1,500 | 0.90 |
|
North Devon DC | 21 February 2000 | 3,293 | 13,438 | 44.25 |
|
LB Hackney* Stamford Hill | 6 March 2000 | 1,095 | -12,082 | -13.23 | X
|
LB Hackney* Pembury Estate | 6 March 2000 | 1,241 | -12,379 | -15.35 | X
|
Burnley BC | 8 March 2000 | 5,330 | 4,205 | 22.41 |
|
Manchester CC Sale Estate | 20 March 2000 | 1,655 | 1,419 | 2.35 |
|
Weymouth and Portland C | 20 March 2000 | 3,105 | 9,983 | 30.99 |
|
Huntingdon DC | 20 March 2000 | 6,650 | 9,534 | 63.40 |
|
Elmbridge BC | 27 March 2000 | 4,894 | 11,626 | 56.90 |
|
Test Valley BC | 27 March 2000 | 5,495 | 14,559 | 79.99 |
|
Wyre Forest DC | 27 March 2000 | 6,056 | 6,762 | 40.95 |
|
Manchester CC Whitefield Estate | 27 March 2000 | 1,033 | 1,942 | 1.97 |
|
LB Tower Hamlets* THCH | 27 March 2000 | 1,551 | -13,718 | -21.43 | X
|
Tameside | 27 March 2000 | 8,532 | 6,489
| 127.50 |
|
MBC | (1) | 7,934 | 7,057 |
|
|
LB Richmond | 17 July 2000 | 7,139 | 8,335 | 59.50 |
|
Coventry CC | 22 September 2000 | 20,125 | 2,460 | 49.50 |
|
Fylde BC | 2 October 2000 | 1,905 | 6,300 | 12.00 |
|
Chester CC | 27 November 2000 | 7,096 | 6,341 | 45.00 |
|
Horsham DC | 11 December 2000 | 4,650 | 14,462 | 67.25 |
|
LB Tower Hamlets* Poplar 1 | 12 February 2001 | 1,859 | -1,894 | -35.22 | X
|
East Northamptonshire DC | 19 February 2001 | 3,495 | 6,150 | 21.49 |
|
Torbay BC | 19 February 2001 | 2,947 | 6,480 | 19.10 |
|
Staffordshire Moorlands DC | 23 February 2001 | 3,132 | 6,290 | 19.67 |
|
Calderdale MBC | 6 March 2001 | 12,759 | 2,825 | 36.00 |
|
Chichester DC | 13 March 2001 | 5,321 | 14,752 | 78.50 |
|
Mendip DC | 19 March 2001 | 4,326 | 8,091 | 35.00 |
|
West Wiltshire DC | 26 March 2001 | 3,284 | 6,423 | 21.00 |
|
West Oxfordshire DC | 26 March 2001 | 3,643 | 13,972 | 50.90 |
|
East Staffordshire BC | 26 March 2001 | 5,637 | 3,643 | 24.50 |
|
Manchester CC Handforth Estate | 26 March 2001 | 659 | 535 | 0.37 |
|
Sunderland CC | 26 March 2001 | 36,356 | 6,045 | 219.80 |
|
Blackburn with Darwen BC | 28 March 2001 | 9,886 | 4,195 | 35.40 |
|
Shrewsbury and Atcham BC | 1 October 2001 | 5,500 | 11,527 | 63.40 |
|
Mid-Bedfordshire DC | 5 November 2001 | 3,084 | 10,159 | 31.33 |
|
Derbyshire Dales | 4 March 2002 | 3,287 | 7,616 | 24.80 |
|
Chelmsford BC | 11 March 2002 | 6,902 | 11,530 | 79.60 |
|
East Hertfordshire | 18 March 2002 | 2,687 | 11,937 | 32.10 |
|
East Hertfordshire | (1) | 3,237 | 13,725 | 44.40 |
|
Erewash BC | 25 March 2002 | 5,847 | 6,460 | 38.10 |
|
Reigate and Banstead BC | 25 March 2002 | 4,846 | 13,212 | 64.00 |
|
St. Edmundsbury | 24 June 2002 | 5,947 | 7,489 | 45.10 |
|
Vale Royal BC | 1 July 2002 | 6,813 | 7,462 | 51.07 |
|
St. Helens MBC | 1 July 2002 | 14,632 | 1,974 | 28.90 |
|
Redcar and Cleveland BC | 15 July 2002 | 11,625 | 5,180 | 60.20 |
|
Knowsley MBC | 15 July 2002 | 17,090 | 1,794 | 30.66 |
|
LB Waltham Forest | 30 September 2002 | 2,242 | 832 | 1.87 |
|
LB Hackney cc sheltered stock | 14 October 2002 | 954 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
LB Harrow | 14 October 2002 | 518 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Manchester cc Langley Estate | 18 November 2002 | 3,360 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
County of Herefordshire C | 25 November 2002 | 5,696 | 6,945 | 39.56 |
|
Carlisle CC | 9 December 2002 | 7,198 | 1,803 | 12.98 |
|
Rushcliffe BC | 20 January 2003 | 3,445 | 12,934 | 44.56 |
|
Liverpool CC Eastern Fringe (south) | 23 January 2003 | 2,833 | 1,800 | 5.10 |
|
Liverpool CC Eastern Fringe (central) | 30 January 2003 | 3,702 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
City of Bradford | 24 February 2003 | 24,764 | 2,831 | 70.10 |
|
Amber Valley BC | 24 February 2003 | 5,632 | 5,077 | 28.57 |
|
Crewe and Nantwich BC | 10 March 2003 | 5,515 | 6,181 | 34.10 |
|
Liverpool CC Eastern fringe north | 10 March 2003 | 6,183 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Oldham MBC Limeside (Hollins/The Avenues) | 17 March 2003 | 634 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Walsall MBC (majority of stock) | 27 March 2003 | 22,971 | 1,026 | 24.00 |
|
Walsall MBC (tenant managed stock) | 27 March 2003 | 1,828 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Craven DC | 31 March 2003 | 1,541 | 5,201 | 17.60 |
|
Forest of Dean DC | 31 March 2003 | 3,577 | 6,849 | 24.50 |
|
North Hertfordshire DC | 31 March 2003 | 8,570 | 3,128 | 27.00 |
|
Manchester CC (East Manchester) | 8 September 2003 | 2,823 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Scarborough BC | 15 December 2003 | 4,632 | 5,232 | 24.25 |
|
Maidstone BC | 2 February 2004 | 6,810 | 5,685 | 35.82 |
|
Teignbridge | 4 February 2004 | 3,647 | 3,651 | 12.90 |
|
Oldham MBC Fitton Hill | 15 March 2004 | 1,285 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Cherwell | 29 March 2004 | 3,656 | 7,397 | 42.85 |
|
Bromsgrove | 29 March 2004 | 3,096 | 5,218 | 16.50 |
|
Hartlepool | 29 March 2004 | 7,509 | 427 | 3.20 |
|
Liverpool (Kensington) | 29 March 2004 | 289 | 0 | 0.00 |
|
Worcester | 31 March 2004 | 4,714 | 1,128 | 5.31 |
|
South Norfolk | 17 May 2004 | 4,214 | 7,499 | 31.60 |
|
Copeland BC | 7 June 2004 | 3,787 | 317 | 1.20 |
|
(1) Two transfers to separate RSLs.
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