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Housing

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list major housing developments of 50 units or more in the Thames Gateway region which have received planning permission in each of the last five years indicating (a) the total number of planned units on each site, (b) the number of (i) social and (ii) affordable units agreed upon in the section 106 agreement between the developer and local authority for each site and (c) the total number of (A) social and (B) affordable units on each site where all phases of development have been completed. [209837]

Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Finance

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average percentage change in band D council tax rates in England has been since 1997. [209365]

Mr. Raynsford: The average Band D council tax bill increased by 69.6 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2004–05.

Planning Applications (Flood Risk)

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice he has issued to planning authorities in respect of allowing properties to be built on land at risk from flooding; what plans he has to revise such guidance; and if he will make a statement. [209471]


 
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Keith Hill: Policy guidance for England is contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 25, Development and Flood Risk, published in July 2001. Responses to consultation in late summer 2004 on whether to revise PPG25 are being considered and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will announce conclusions shortly.

Premises serving Alcohol

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes to national planning (a) guidance and (b) regulations relating to premises serving alcohol have been made since 1997. [209707]

Keith Hill: The amendments to the Use Classes Order, announced in November 2003, are the only changes to national planning (a) guidance and (b) regulations relating to alcohol-serving premises.

These regulations will come into force this year and amended guidance, in the form of a Circular, will be published at the same time.

Roadside Advertising

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the (a) hazards of and (b) trends in incidence of commercial advertising alongside motorways and major roads; [208862]

(2) what representations he has received regarding the (a) effects of and (b) level of commercial advertising alongside motorways and major roads; [208863]

(3) if he will take action to curb the amount of commercial advertising alongside motorways and major roads. [208864]

Keith Hill: Local planning authorities have powers to control advertisements alongside motorways and major roads. They have to consider amenity and public safety when allowing an advertisement to be displayed.

During the past six months, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received 20 representations from Members of Parliament and 21 from members of the public about the road safety aspects and the increase in commercial advertisements alongside motorways and major roads.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to remind local planning authorities of their powers to remove advertisements displayed in contravention of the Regulations when new Regulations are made later this year.

Social Housing

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) social and (b) affordable housing targets have been set for major housing development sites of each local authority in the Thames Gateway region. [209836]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not set annual targets centrally for local authorities on either affordable or social housing.

For the Thames Gateway, as elsewhere, planning policies for affordable housing (which includes social housing) are currently set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 : "Housing" and in Circular 6/98,
 
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"Planning for Affordable Housing". They advise that where local planning authorities are able to demonstrate a lack of affordable housing to meet local needs, based on up-to-date surveys and other data of local need, they should indicate in their local plan how many affordable homes need to be provided throughout the plan area, and set indicative targets for specific suitable sites (expressed either as numbers of homes or a percentage of the homes on the site).

In London the Mayor is responsible for preparing the spatial development strategy (SDS), also known as the London Plan. In the remaining eight English regions, regional planning bodies (RPBs) are responsible for developing regional spatial strategies (RSSs). RSSs and the SDS should be developed in line with national planning policy. The principal role of the RSS/SDS is to serve as a strategic planning framework for the region, with which local development frameworks produced by local planning authorities must be in conformity. This may include indicative targets for the delivery of affordable housing.

The Thames Gateway is covered by the Mayor of London, and the two RPBs, the east of England regional assembly and south east England regional assembly. In August 2004, these three bodies published an interregional planning statement, to act as a co-ordinated planning strategy for the Thames Gateway sub-region. While it is a non- statutory document, it provides the regional partners with an agreed strategy and should inform the development of regional plans.

The London Plan, published in February 2004, set an affordability target of 50 per cent. for new developments. Regional spatial strategies for the south east of England and the east of England regions are currently under review. At present neither existing RSS sets a target for affordable housing. An anticipated target of 30 per cent. was put forward in the interregional planning statement. The draft RSS revision for the east of England contains a policy providing an affordability target of 30 per cent.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the contracts signed by his special advisers differ from the Model Contract for Special Advisers. [207238]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 753W.

West Midlands Fire Service

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of pension provision to the West Midlands Fire Service was in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of the total budget of the authority this represented in each year. [209873]

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does hold figures for pensions expenditure and total net current expenditure of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority for the
 
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financial years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. The figures, also expressed as a percentage, are tabled as follows:
Pension's expenditure
(actual £000)
Net current expenditure (£000)Pension's expenditure as a percentage of total net current expenditure
2001–0220,27987,78123.1
2002–0321,60190,68223.8
2003–0421,67097,84722.1

The data provided are as reported by the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority and are taken from outturn figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 and budget estimates for 2003–04.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Darfur

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of conditions at Ardamata Camp outside Geneina, Darfur. [209068]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 19 January 2005]: The situation in Ardamata Camp, as in much of West Darfur is stabilising. The latest United Nations Humanitarian Needs Profile (HNP) shows the following percentage of residents of Ardamata Camp for the month of December, compared with those published in November's profile, which had access to:
HNP

Percentage
December 2004
Food100
Shelter86
Clean water81
Sanitation71
PHCF100
Nutrition97
November 2004
Food100
Shelter86
Clean water81
Sanitation71
PHCF100
Nutrition64

With regard to security, the UN Humanitarian Needs Profile indicates that there have been only isolated incidents being reported.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with non-governmental organisations to ensure that efforts to provide aid to Darfur are not reduced consequent on work done to provide aid to victims of the tsunami in Asia. [209730]

Hilary Benn: Since September 2003, the UK has allocated £62.5 million to providing humanitarian relief to Darfur. This contribution, and our total pledge to
 
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Sudan for the next financial year of £100 million, underlines the UK's continuing strong commitment to Sudan. Sudan remains a very high priority for us, and our support will not be affected by our response to the tsunami affected countries.

A significant proportion of the £100 million for next year—£20 million—has been allocated to NGOs, which remain committed to both rebuilding of Sudan and supporting the humanitarian operations in Darfur. DFID holds regular meetings with NGOs working in Darfur on both a bilateral level and collectively. We have had no indication that they are looking to decrease their operations.


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