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Council Tax

10. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future of council tax. [192485]

Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has accepted the Balance of Funding Review's conclusion that council tax should be retained but reformed. We now look to Sir Michael Lyons' Independent Inquiry to make recommendations on any changes that are necessary and how to implement them.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what the rates of council tax were for each band in each London borough in each year since 1990; [191251]

(2) by how much the level of council tax charged by each London borough changed in each of the last three years. [191476]

Mr. Raynsford: Figures for council tax rates in each Band in each London borough since its introduction on 1 April 1993, and for changes in the level of council tax charged by each London borough in each of the last three financial years, are available in the Library of the House.

Housing Development Trusts

11. Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to support housing development trusts. [192486]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no specific plans to support housing development trusts.

However, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 26 September, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is developing an initiative to
 
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help more first time buyers onto the first rung of an affordable housing ladder. The aim is to achieve better value for money and more housing options by making smarter use of public sector-owned land and by driving down construction costs. Further information will be set out in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's strategic plan to be published later this year.

Devolution

12. Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to link the work of the core cities working group with the Government's wider devolution agenda. [192487]

Mr. Raynsford: The final report of the Core Cities Working Group, "Our Cities Are Back," will be launched next month. It will highlight the key role major cities can play in creating prosperous regions in all parts of the UK, and contain an action plan to enhance their links with regional partners and strengthen their contribution to regional economic performance.

Housing

13. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will provide capital funding for council housing where tenants indicate that they wish to remain under direct local authority management. [192488]

Keith Hill: The housing finance system already provides some capital funding for authorities through the Major Repairs Allowance and mainstream capital allocations. Authorities requiring additional funds to deliver decent homes have three options for doing so. There is no fourth option that delivers additional resources.

Sustainable Communities

14. Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what definition he uses of a sustainable community. [192489]

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not have a standard definition—communities are diverse, and we do not want to be prescriptive. But for a community to be sustainable, it must be a place where people will want to live and work, now and in the future.

Regional Assemblies

15. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans for scrutiny by his Department of proposals from regional assemblies. [192490]

Mr. Raynsford: Elected assemblies will be democratically accountable to their voters, not to central Government.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will of course work closely with them and consider carefully any proposals they make to us.

Canvey Island (Development)

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the decisions of (a) the East
 
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of England Development Agency and (b) the Thames Gateway, in respect of further industrial and residential development on Canvey Island. [192348]

Keith Hill: There remain on-going discussions between the East of England Development Agency, Castle Point borough council, the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the regeneration and growth potential of Canvey Island in the context of the Thames Gateway programme. No decisions have yet been made in this regard.

Firefighters (Diabetes)

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures have been put in place by the Fire Service to medically assess people with diabetes individually who apply to become firefighters. [190562R]

Mr. Raynsford: To assist the fire and rescue service in meeting its new statutory responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination (Amendment) Act (2003), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has produced and issued an advisory document, "Medical and Occupational Evidence for Recruitment and Retention in the Fire and Rescue Service". The document incorporates current available evidence on a number of the most prevalent medical conditions, including diabetes, which may previously have precluded applicants from joining the fire and rescue service. The document is designed to help fire and rescue service medical advisers and managers to assess each individual and reach informed, evidence-based judgments about the person's ability to perform the firefighter role, taking into account any reasonable adjustment that may be necessary.

Fire and rescue service managers have also been reminded that it is unlawful to exclude an individual from employment purely on the basis of a medical condition or disability, whether or not this would previously have caused their rejection at the point of entry or their medical discharge from the service.

Government Office for London

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government Office for London is accountable to (a) the London Assembly and (b) the London Mayor. [190617]

Phil Hope: No. The Government Office for London (GOL) is part of central Government. GOL works closely with the Greater London Authority, its functional bodies and many other partners in the capital.

Green Ministers

Mr. Horam: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many meetings of the Ministerial Sub-Committee of Green Ministers were attended by the Department's Green Minister in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [190870]

Phil Hope: I am the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Green Minister and am a member of the Sub-Committee of Green Ministers, ENV(G). It has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of
 
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Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Gypsy/Traveller Sites

Mr. Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evidential basis there is for a national need for gypsy sites; and what plans the Government have to produce national data on the need for gypsy site provision. [193113]

Keith Hill: The need for additional gypsy and traveller sites was quantified in the 2003 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's report, "Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England". The bi-annual count of gypsy and traveller caravans will continue to provide valuable information on the level of unauthorised camping in England. In keeping with mainstream housing, the primary responsibility for assessing gypsy and traveller accommodation needs rests with local authorities.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he plans to offer local authorities on assessing the need for gypsy sites in local development plans. [193116]

Keith Hill: The assessment of need for gypsy and traveller sites will be incorporated into the Local Housing Needs Assessment process. Guidance is currently being revised, and will set out a number of core issues which should be taken into account when considering the needs of the gypsy and traveller community. This will be published and distributed to local authorities in the near future.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he plans to offer local authorities on the methodology for carrying out needs assessments for the travelling community. [193117]

Keith Hill: Guidance on the appropriate methodological approach for determining the needs of gypsies and travellers under the Local Housing Needs Assessment process is currently being drafted. This will be published in the near future.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what basis he determined in relation to the gypsy encampment case at Wyre Piddle dated 4 October that need was unmet; and how he reached this conclusion. [193119]

Keith Hill: The reasons for the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's decision, including the basis for his decision on need, are set out in his decision letter of 4 October 2004, a copy of which was sent to the hon. Gentleman on that day.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many travellers' caravans are illegally parked in England; how many are parked on local authority traveller sites; and how many are on the road on the latest date for which figures are available. [190743]

Keith Hill: As at January 2004, the latest date for which published figures are available, there were 5,901 caravans on local authority sites and 3,571 caravans on unauthorised encampments or unauthorised developments of land without planning permission.
 
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