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28 Oct 2004 : Column 1321W—continued

Fire-related deaths

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fire-related deaths in dwellings in (a) North Southwark and Bermondsey, (b) Camberwell and Peckham and (c) Dulwich and West Norwood there were in each year since 2000. [194312]

Mr. Raynsford: The available information on fire-related deaths in dwelling fires recorded by the London Fire Brigade in the calendar years since 2000 is tabled as follows:

	2000	2001	2002	2003
(a) North Southwark and Bermondsey	1	0	2	1
(b) Camberwell and Peckham	0	0	0	1
(c) Dulwich and West Norwood	1	1	0	0

Source:
London Fire Brigade

Housing Renewal Pathfinder Areas

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many houses are earmarked for demolition (a) this and (b) next year in each of the Housing Pathfinder areas in England. [193234]

Keith Hill: The following table outlines the estimated demolitions in the eight pathfinders that have been awarded grant from the housing market renewal fund for the period to March 2006.
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1322W
 

Pathfinder	Estimated demolition figures
	Up to March 2005	Up to March 2006
Birmingham Sandwell	200	400
East Lancashire	200	600
Manchester Salford	500	700
Merseyside	1000	1,700
Newcastle Gateshead	1000	1000
North Staffordshire	45	55
Oldham Rochdale	150	150
South Yorkshire	700	900
Total	3,795	5,505

Indemnity

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the personal indemnity of members and officers of local authorities; and what plans he has to change the Government advice on such indemnity. [194281]

Mr. Raynsford: A draft order on indemnities for relevant authority members and officers was considered by Committee on 20 October 2004 and approved by the whole House on 25 October 2004. It is awaiting consideration in the other place.

The order would permit (but not oblige) authorities to provide indemnities and insurance that would provide "cover" for a member or officer:
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1323W
 

if the member or officer had acted honestly and in good faith when taking the action giving rise to the liability

if the authority was found to have acted ultra vires, but at the point at which the member or officer acted that member or officer honestly and reasonably believed that the action or advice giving rise to the liability was intra vires the authority;

to cover the costs incurred by a member in relation to defence of proceedings under the Code of Conduct but limited to cases in which the member is found not to have breached the code.

Copies of the draft order are available in the House Library.

Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussion took place between his Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effects of the landfill allowance trading scheme on local authorities in growth areas. [193753]

Mr. Raynsford: Discussions take place between the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regularly to consider issues such as the landfill allowance trading scheme.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what additional funding will be given to local authorities in growth areas through the Environmental protection and cultural services block grant to compensate for the effects of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. [193754]

Mr. Raynsford: The Spending Review 2004 provides £7.2 billion more in general grant for local government programmes by 2007–08 over 2004–05. Part of these resources will support the achievement of significant diversion of waste from landfill during the SR04 period. The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme is designed to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that is sent to landfill in England in the most cost-effective way. The Government recognises that certain authorities facing above average population growth may find the implementation of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme challenging and there are a range of
 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1324W
 
measures in place to support local authorities meeting this challenge. In addition, officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are meeting with representatives from certain growth areas to discuss the issues surrounding population growth.

Local Authority Housing

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have (a) started and (b) completed their consultation with tenants on (i) arm's length management organisations (ALMOs), (ii) use of the private finance initiative and (iii) use of stock transfer in relation to ownership of housing; which of those authorities have held ballots with their tenants on ALMOs, PFI and stock transfer; when those ballots were held; and what percentage was (A) in favour and (B) against each option in each such ballot. [193887]

Keith Hill: Consultation with tenants occurs throughout the Options Appraisal process. Local authorities are all required to go through this process, but an Options Appraisal will not be signed off unless the Government Office is satisfied that tenants are properly consulted. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would normally consider a ballot to be the most formal type of consultation with tenants. These are normally only undertaken for transfer and Arm's Length Management Organisations (ALMOs). Although ballots are not generally undertaken for PFI schemes, tenants are required to be consulted and section 27 consent must be given.

Tabled is a detailed breakdown of the figures requested. It covers all ballots since the Decent Homes Programme began in 2001, including partials, and shows that 73 ballots have taken place for transfer, while 18 have balloted tenants successfully for Arm's Length Management Programmes.

42 local authorities have had their Options Appraisals signed off by Government Offices. 150 local authorities have not had Options Appraisals signed off, and so are either engaging with tenants or about to do so.
Transfer ballots since 2001

Local authority	Against	Ballot date	In favour
2001 Programme
Birmingham	April 2002	43.2	66.8
Carlisle CC	June/July 2002	52.0	48
Chelmsford BC	September 2001	55.7	54.3
City of Bradford	March 2002	62.2	37.8
Craven	September 2002	75.6	24.4
Crewe and Nantwich BC	February 2002	64.9	35.1
Derbyshire Dales DC	June/July 2001	69.3	30.7
Dudley	November 2001	43.8	56.2
East Herts DC	November 2001	76.4	23.6
Erewash	June/July 2001	75	25
Herefordshire C	April 2002	57.7	42.3
Knowsley MBC	November/December 2001	73.9	26.1
LB Hackney (sheltered stock)	November/December 2001	71	29
LB Harrow	March 2002	74.6	25.4
LB Merton (partial)	July 2002	48.5	51.5
LB Waltham Forest (partial)	January 02	62.3	37.7
Liverpool CC—Eastern Fringe (Central)	March 2002	87.8	12.2
Liverpool CC—Eastern Fringe (North)	March 2002	66.4	33.6
Liverpool CC—Eastern Fringe (South)	March 2002	78.5	21.5
Manchester CC—Langley Estates	November 2001	68	32
Mid Bedfordshire DC	March/April 2001	51	49
Redcar and Cleveland BC	August 2001	89	11
Reigate and Banstead BC	August 2001	80.8	19.2
Shrewsbury and Atcham BC	March/April 2001	64.7	35.3
St. Edmundsbury BC	September 2001	71.5	28.5
LB Southwark (partial)	November/December 2001	26	73.1
St. Helens MBC	October 2001	83	17
Vale Royal BC	November 2001	85.2	14.8
Walsall	October 2001	71	29
Walsall	July 2002	74.1	25.9
2002 Programme
Amber Valley BC	August 2002	56.9	43.1
Bromsgrove DC	July 2003	67.8	32.2
Cherwell DC	July 2003	59.1	40.9
Copeland BC	July 2003	78	22
Forest of Dean DC	July 2002	69.1	30.9
LB Ealing (Havelock)	October/November 2002	47.6	52.4
Liverpool CC (Kensington)	November 2003	61.3	38.7
Maidstone BC	March 2003	61.3	38.7
Manchester C (Carbrook)	April 2003	95.1	4.9
Manchester C (East Manchester)	December 2002	68	32
North Hertfordshire	July 2002	59.9	40.1
Nuneaton and Bedworth BC	April 2003	40.3	59.7
Oldham MBC (Limeside)	October 2002	87	13
Oldham MBC (Fitton Hill)	July 2003	83	17
Rushcliffe BC	July 2003	52.1	37.9
Scarborough BC	December 2002	71.7	28.3
South Norfolk C	July 2003	68	32
Stockport MBC	March 2003	45	55
Teignbridge DC	March 2003	64.5	35.5
Worcester	July 2003	75	25
2003 Programme
Forest Heath DC	December 2003	57.9	42.1
Hartlepool BC	July 2003	75	25
LB Hackney (Kings Crescent)	December 2002	79	21
LB Islington (Grove)	July 2004	72.8	27.2
LB Islington (Surr Street)	July 2004	55.8	44.2
LB Islington (Tollington)	November 2003	39.9	60.1
LB Lambeth (Kennington Park)	July 2004	60	40
LB Tower Hamlets (Crossways)	October 2004	90	10
LB Tower Hamlets (Mile End)	June 2004	55.9	44.1
Manchester CC (Woodhouse Park)	March 2004	92.7	7.3
Middlesbrough	February 2004	77.1	22.9
North East Lincolnshire	May 2004	67.3	32.7
Peterborough CC	December 2003	81.5	18.5
Purbeck DC	October 2003	69.7	30.3
RB Kingston	May 2004	63	37
South Norfolk	July 2003	68	38
Stroud DC	November 2003	43.2	56.7
Trafford MBC	March 2004	72.9	27.1
Wakefield MDC	February 2004	74	26
Wirral MBC	April 2004	77.36	22.64
2004 Programme
Tower Hamlets (Tarling East)	August 2004	77.1	22.9

 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1325W
 

ALMO Ballots since 2001

Local authority	Ballot date	In favour	Against
ALMO Round 1
Derby	February 2002	88	12
Hounslow	March 2002	83	17
Kirklees	December 2001	81	19
Rochdale	February 2002	90	10
Stockton-on-Tees	February 2002	93	7
ALMO Round 2
Carrick	January 2002	96	4
Colchester	July 2003	76	24
Leeds—East	June 2002	83	17
Leeds—North East	June 2002	88	12
Leeds—North West	July 2002	89	11
Leeds—South	August 2002	91	9
Leeds—South East	September 2002	88	12
Leeds—West	October 2002	90	10
Waltham Forest	October 2002	85	15
ALMO Round 3
Camden	December 2003	23	17
Harrow	March 2003	73	27
High Peak	August 2003	98	2
Islington	November 2003	85	15
Sheffield: Brightside and Shiregreen	December 2003	78	12
Sheffield: Central Area	December 2003	87	13
South Lakeland	October 2003	88	12
ALMO Round 4
Bassetlaw	May 2004	88	12
Hammersmith and Fulham	October 2003	83	17
Nottingham	July 2004	76	24
Sheffield: Hillsborough, Nether Thorpe	March 2004	87	13
Sheffield: Parson Cross, Foxhill, Longley	March 2004	94	6
Sheffield: Westfield, Hackenthorpe	March 2004	89	11

 
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1327W
 

PFI schemes since 2001

Local authority	Date	In favour	Against
Schemes balloted on since 2001
Leeds	March 2002	46	54
Camden	March 2004	20	80

Schemes with section 27 consent since 2001

	Date
Islington	March 2003
Manchester	March 2003
Reading	March 2004

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