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22 Jul 2004 : Column 570W—continued
Urban Capacity Studies
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities in the Thames Gateway have completed an urban capacity study; when the most recent one in each local authority area was completed; and which of these studies were undertaken according to the best practice guidance set out in "Tapping the Potential", December 2000. [185819]
Keith Hill: Urban capacity studies for local authorities in the London part of the Thames Gateway have been undertaken as part of larger London-wide capacity work. The latest London-wide urban housing capacity study was undertaken by the London Planning Advisory Committee in 1997 and published by the GLA in 1999. The approach taken by the London Planning Advisory Committee in their study informed the methodology for urban capacity studies set out in the Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: "Tapping the Potential document".
All four local authorities in the Kent part of the Thames Gateway are signed up to Kent County Council's protocol for producing urban capacity studies, which is in line with the methodology set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3. Gravesham Borough Council published their urban capacity study in 2000, Dartford Borough Council in 2002 and Swale Borough Council in 2003. Medway Council expect to complete their urban capacity study later this year.
Each of the urban capacity studies carried out by local authorities in the Essex part of the Thames Gateway were undertaken in line with Planning Policy Guidance Note 3. Rochford Borough Council completed their urban capacity study in 2001, and plan to review this in the latter half of next year. Urban capacity studies for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Thurrock Council were completed in 2003. Both Basildon and Castlepoint completed urban capacity studies in 2004.
Urban District Councils
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the current status of an urban district council in England is; and when this status changed. [186227]
Mr. Raynsford: Urban district councils were abolished during the reorganisation of local government in 1974. The Local Government Act 1972 divided England into local authority areas called counties and districts. The areas of the former urban district councils became part of the new district council areas.
WALES
Consultant Episodes
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many finished consultant episodes there were in the NHS in Wales in each year since 1999, broken down by the local authority in which the patient resided. [184889]
Mr. Touhig: The information is in the following table:
(59) Welsh resident treated in England and Wales. Updates are sometimes received a considerable time after the period to which data refers and this can result in revisions to previously published figures.
Source:
Patient Episode Database for Wales
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Hospital Waiting Lists
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with his colleagues in the Welsh Assembly on hospital waiting lists in Wales. [184033]
Mr. Touhig: I regularly meet the National Assembly Health Minister to discuss matters of health and social care in Wales: our most recent meeting was on 16 June.
The Assembly announced on 30 June that the 2nd Offer Scheme is to be extended to reduce the maximum waiting time for inpatient and day-case surgery in Wales to 12 months. This will mean that by 31 March 2005, there will be no one in Wales waiting over 12 months for surgery who has not been offered the opportunity of having their treatment.
Milford Haven
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what assessment he has made of the availability of equipment and personnel from the emergency services in the event of a major disaster at the proposed liquefied natural gas handling facility at Milford Haven; and if he will make a statement; [179861]
(2) what provision he has made for the development of an emergency disaster plan for the proposed liquefied natural gas handling facility at Milford Haven; and if he will make a statement. [179862]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
If the proposed liquefied natural gas handling facility goes ahead at Milford Haven, the development of an emergency disaster plan will be required.
My Department will be involved in assessing the Emergency Disaster Plan once it has been agreed by the relevant parties, and it will need to be included in the site's Port Facility Security Plan, as stipulated by the International Maritime Organisation's International Ship and Port Security Code.
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NHS Performance Criteria
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what main criteria he judges the performance of the NHS in Wales. [183392]
Mr. Touhig: The performance of NHS Wales is evaluated as part of the Performance Improvement Framework for NHS Wales.
The "balanced scorecard" is a key component of the framework, giving all perspectives of performance equal weighting. Unlike previous systems which focused on finance and operations, this approach also includes assessment of how the NHS continuously improves and how effectively the needs of all stakeholders are met. Scorecards are produced on a quarterly basis and inform organisational performance reviews.
In addition, key annual targets for NHS Wales are monitored on a monthly basis and where performance causes concern action is taken by regional offices.
HOME DEPARTMENT
"Reducing Crime—Changing Lives"
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responses he has received to "Reducing Crime—Changing Lives"; and how many supported the principal proposals. [182309]
Paul Goggins: We have received a total 264 responses to the initial consultation on the National Offender Management Service.
52 of these responses requested specific information or further copies of the consultation document. Of the responses that provided an opinion, over half offered general support for the new service.
Airguns
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of
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the number of airguns which should have been licensed by 30 April but for which no application has been received; [179584]
(2) what discretion is available to the police to grant a licence to an individual who possessed an airgun prior to 30 April and subsequently makes an application; and in what circumstances that discretion may be exercised; [179585]
(3) how many late applications the police have received for air gun licences; and in how many cases (a) a licence has been granted and (b) the gun has been confiscated by the police and destroyed. [179586]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 21 June 2004]: We estimate that between 50,000 and 70,000 self-contained gas cartridge guns have been sold in the UK. Not all will still be in circulation but because they were not previously subject to control it is not possible to say how many might have been destroyed or otherwise disposed of before the new laws came into effect. I understand from the Association of Chief Police Officers that as at 30 April a total 5,791 guns had been entered on certificate and a further 1,524 had been surrendered for destruction. Separate information on the number of late applications is not available. It is for the police to determine in individual cases whether the circumstances warrant acceptance of a late application. Owners have already had over three months in which to either surrender their guns or apply for a certificate. Those who have failed to do so are committing an offence although the Association of Chief Police Officers have advised that where somebody voluntarily comes forward to surrender a gun which they have only just learned has been banned, it will often be sufficient to seize the gun and not to prosecute.
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