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14 Dec 2004 : Column 1049W—continued
Ministerial Tour
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether civil servants accompanied him on his tour of the North East on 1 November. [204590]
Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister was accompanied by one special adviser. No other civil servants accompanied him.
Mortgages
Tom Cox: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average proportion of household income spent on mortgages by first-time buyers buying property within the Greater London area was in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [203629]
Keith Hill: First-time buyers who purchased property within the Greater London area during 2003 faced mortgage repayments equivalent to an estimated 22.6 per cent. of their income. The equivalent figure for first-time buyers for the whole of the United Kingdom was 19.9 per cent.
1. The incomes of first-time buyers are as recorded on their mortgage application forms and will include single or combined incomes depending on whether they were single or joint buyers. The information is derived from mortgage completions data obtained through the Survey of Mortgage Lenders. 2. The basis for the calculation is that all mortgages applied for were repayment mortgages (as opposed to an interest-only mortgages). For buyers who actually opted for an interest-only mortgage, their repayments as a percent of their income would have been slightly lower.
North-east Referendum
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what European Parties Elections and Referendums Network funds were used in support of the recent referendum in the North East. [204069]
Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Expenditure by permitted participants in national and regional referendums is a matter for the Electoral Commission.
Planning Delivery Grant
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Planning Delivery Grant has been allocated to each local authority in each year since its creation. [204488]
Keith Hill: A table with the information requested has been made available in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria are used for the allocation of Planning Delivery Grant to individual local authorities in England. [204489]
Keith Hill:
Officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local planning authorities in England on 18 May this year setting out the broad criteria for allocation of Planning Delivery Grant 2005–06 a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. We will shortly issue a document consulting on the detailed criteria for allocation.
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Seaside and Country Homes Scheme
Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many and what size properties were released by nominees from London boroughs to the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04, broken down by local authority; [202920]
(2) how many applicants were on the waiting list for a nomination to a property under the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme on (a) 1 April 2003 and (b) 1 April 2004; [202921]
(3) what the average length of time was between an application for rehousing under the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme and nomination to a property in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [202922]
Keith Hill: On the average length of time taken between an application for rehousing and nomination to a Seaside and Country Home (SCH) property, the information requested is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The number of applicants that were on the waiting list for a nomination to a property under the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme on (a) 1 April 2003 and (b) 1 April 2004 was:
The breakdown of the number of applicants on the waiting lists at (a) and (b) according to year of registration is available in the Library of the House. On the number of households rehoused under the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme by property size and local authority is also available in the Library of the House.
Shredding
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff hours have been spent shredding documents in each month since January. [202098]
Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [202263]
Phil Hope: Information on the travel and accommodation for special advisers who accompanied my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on overseas visits are included in the list of Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers 2003–04, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. In addition between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 a special adviser attended an official meeting in Spain. No costs were incurred by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Information on domestic visits could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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All travel by special advisers is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the ministerial code and the civil service management code, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997. [203446]
Phil Hope: Special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether departmental special advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997. [203507]
Phil Hope: Any speeches made by special advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the code of conduct for special advisers.
Supporting People Initiative
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff are employed by the Supporting People initiative in (a) Worcestershire and (b) England. [203763]
Keith Hill: The Supporting People team in Worcestershire consists of 12 members of staff (11 full-time and one part-time). In England there are 1,176 full-time staff and 238 part-time staff working on the Supporting People programme across the 150 administrating authorities.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
British Energy
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many reactors owned by British Energy are out of action; what discussions she has had with British Energy on the potential impact on generating capacity; and if she will make a statement. [203761]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The operational performance of British Energy's nuclear power stations is a matter for the company. British Energy publishes monthly output statements which include, among other things, information on which of its power stations was unavailable in that month. My officials have regular discussions with British Energy and other generators about a range of matters affecting the generating industry. The Government's concern is to seek to ensure sufficient generating capacity to meet the countries needs. Overall generating capacity for Great Britain is projected to be 21.7 per cent. above expected peak demand for this winter. In their Winter Outlook, published on 15 October, National Grid Transco stated that the then plant margin of 20.2 per cent.
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