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Castle Point Borough Council

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the objectives are of the head official from his Department who has been placed with Castle Point borough council. [189467]

Mr. Raynsford: The objectives of the lead official who has been appointed to Castle Point borough council are to advise Ministers on the capability and capacity of the council to achieve sustained recovery following their assessment as 'poor' under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment and to monitor the implementation of the authority's recovery plan.

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many hours per week will be spent in Castle Point borough council by the head official from his Department (a) within the council and (b) on the council's business. [189468]

Mr. Raynsford: The lead official has no fixed number of hours per week to work with Castle Point borough council, but will spend such time as is necessary to form a view on the council's prospects for recovery and to monitor its rate of progress. This will include time spent at the council's offices in discussion with members and officers.

Civil Service (Job Losses)

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which services within his Office will be (a) affected by and (b) subject to job losses consequent on the cuts in the Civil Service announced in the Spending Review. [189631]

 
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Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Paul Boateng) on 16 September 2004, Official Report, column 1659W.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Mr. Wood: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many compulsory purchase orders have been (a) initiated, (b) successfully completed and (c) completed at the initial price in the last two years; and what the most common obstacles for completion of such orders are. [189494]

Keith Hill: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Failing Councils

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria he considers in deciding whether to place a district or borough council which is judged as failing under administrative control; and if he will list the councils where this (a) has taken place and (b) is under consideration. [189353]

Mr. Raynsford: The Government's powers to intervene in the manner in which a local authority exercises its functions are set out in section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999 and may be used where the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is satisfied that the authority in question is failing to meet its statutory duty to achieve best value, as set out at section 3 of the same Act.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has so far used these powers on two occasions; in respect of the London Borough of Hackney, in 2001; and in respect of Kingston-upon-Hull council, in 2003.

Market Towns

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many visits he has made to market towns over the past 12 months. [189234]

Phil Hope: In the last twelve months my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has visited a number of market towns on departmental business including market Warsop, Bingley, Kendal and Harrogate.

Millennium Dome

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people are employed on the Millennium Dome project; and what the total wage bill is for this financial year. [189312]

Keith Hill: English Partnerships (EP) currently employs seven members of staff at the Millennium Dome, at an annual salary cost of £225,756. This does not include those other EP corporate staff who may spend part of their time dealing with Dome-related matters as part of normal business, but who are not employed exclusively in relation to the Dome or the Greenwich Peninsula.

Parish Boundaries

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that (a) local authorities and
 
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(b) parish councils are obliged to inform landowners of proposed changes to parish boundaries which might affect the prospect of housing development on their land. [189530]

Mr. Raynsford: Procedures to be followed by local authorities when consulting on reviews of parish arrangements in their area including any proposed changes to parish boundaries are contained in the Local Government and Rating Act 1997.

Local authorities are under statutory obligation to secure that persons who may be interested in proposals to change parish boundaries are informed of reviews and recommendations. This may include advertising in the local press, notices in local libraries and, particularly in smaller areas, an individual notification to affected households. In areas that are already parished it may be appropriate to call a parish meeting to consider proposals to change parish boundaries.

Planning Guidance (Rural Areas)

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of planning guidance on (a) B1 and (b) B8 categories in rural areas; and what plans he has to issue further guidance on these categories. [189379]

Keith Hill: No specific assessment of this kind has been made. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned a wider study into planning for economic development. The report of this study, which we published in May 2004, will help inform the review of national planning policy guidance, including Planning Policy Guidance note 4, "Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms".

In August 2004 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published Planning Policy Statement 7 (PPS7), "Sustainable Development in Rural Areas". PPS7 makes clear that local planning authorities should plan for and support a range of economic activity in rural areas, subject to sustainability considerations and with most new development being focused on existing towns and villages.

Copies of PPS7 and the research report, "Planning for Economic Development" are available in the Library of the House.

Rossendale Council (Asset Sales)

Janet Anderson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department has had discussions with Rossendale borough council about the possible sale of the site of the former civic hall in Whitworth. [188492]

Phil Hope: Within the context of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's monitoring the council's overall performance, the topic of asset management is periodically discussed with the council. However decisions concerning asset sales are taken solely by the council.

Janet Anderson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list requirements made by his Department of Rossendale borough council in respect of asset sales. [188493]

 
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Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has no requirements of Rossendale borough council (RBC) in relation to asset sales other than those generally required by law. Like all local authorities, RBC is expected to submit its asset management plan to its regional Government office for assessment, with the aim of reaching a "Good" standard. As a council categorised as poor under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment regime, RBC is also required to agree an Improvement Plan with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, against which its performance is regularly monitored.

Smoke Alarms

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on encouraging further take-up of smoke alarms in domestic properties; and if he will make a statement. [189309]

Mr. Raynsford: Most fire and rescue services already undertake work to encourage and publicise fire prevention, including installing smoke alarms for vulnerable households. Smoke alarm ownership in the home has increased from nine per cent. in 1987 to the current level of 80 per cent.

The National Fire and Rescue Framework sets out the Government's objectives to increase smoke alarm ownership. Fire and rescue services are encouraged to implement smoke alarm installation programmes, targeting those at most risk by offering fire safety advice to householders and supplying and fitting smoke alarms free of charge where a dwelling has none. To underpin this work, a key feature of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, is the new duty on all fire and rescue services to promote fire safety in their area.

The Government will continue to promote smoke alarm ownership through a series of national community fire safety campaigns.

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