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24 Jan 2005 : Column 201W—continued
Pay Television Subscriptions
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many pay television subscriptions the Department had in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year. [207659]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established in May 2002. Complete data is not held on the number or cost of cable and satellite subscriptions held in 2002–03.
In 2003–04, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had cable and satellite service in five of its buildings. Two of these were provided at no cost and three were base package satellite/cable services provided at a cost of £21,310 including VAT.
Although the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has overall responsibility for the buildings occupied by Government Offices, they carry out functions on behalf of ten Government Departments.
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Police Funding
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to provide additional grant to (a) Hampshire police authority and (b) other police authorities who lost grant as a result of errors in calculating the 2001 population. [210979]
Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has always been clear that we would issue an Amending Report for the 2003–04 settlement to incorporate the revised 2001 population estimates. It is only fair that authorities should receive the correct amount of grant relative to the updated population estimates. Indeed, we consulted on options for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 Amending Reports during the previous summer.
However, it is not possible for authorities that receive less grant under the Amending Report than they did under the original Local Government Finance Report to reopen their budgets for 2003–04. For this reason we will pay, or recover, any changes in 2003–04 grant amounts during 2005–06; and we have proposed amending the floor damping scheme for 2005–06 to ensure that all authorities should receive at least the floor increase in their formula grant after paying back any money owed under the 2003–04 Amending Report.
Under the provisional 2005–06 settlement, Hampshire police authority will receive a year-on-year increase of 3.75 per cent. on a like-for-like basis net of the effects of the 2003–04 Amending Report.
PPG 3
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many representations he has received from (a) individual local authorities and (b) others concerning the delay in publishing the updated version of Planning Policy Guidance Note 3; and if he will make a statement; [210200]
(2) when he expects to publish the revised version of Planning Policy Guidance Note 3; and what the reasons are for the delay. [210202]
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published in July 2003 two consultation updates to Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (PPG3) entitled 'Influencing the Size, Type and Affordability of Housing', and 'Supporting the Delivery of New Housing'.
In the 'Planning for Housing' statement made to the House on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 3WS, the publication of two updates to PPG3, entitled 'Supporting the Delivery of New Housing' and 'Planning for Sustainable Communities in Rural Area' was announced. These relate respectively to new policies on the re-use of unneeded employment land where it is needed and suitable for housing, and the provision of affordable housing in rural areas (the latter forming part of the consultation update 'Influencing the Size, Type and Affordability of Housing').
In the 'Planning for Mixed Communities' statement also made to the House on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 1WS, the publication of a consultation update to PPG3, entitled 'Planning for Mixed Communities' was announced. It proposes a revised
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approach to planning for a mix of housing to that which was set out in 'Influencing the Size, Type and Affordability of Housing'. The consultation period for responses closes on 15 April 2005.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has considered the responses it received during the consultation period and has since held extensive discussions with key stakeholders, in particular on the approach to the mix of housing set out in 'Influencing the Size, Type and Affordability'. The 'Planning for Mixed Communities' statement explains why the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is re-consulting. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not received any representations concerning the delay in publishing the updated version of PPG3.
Regional Housing Boards
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the role of the regional housing boards is in relation to (a) social housing and (b) Travellers. [209706]
Keith Hill: The Boards were established as part of a dynamic and more strategic approach towards addressing housing and other associated problems. They recommend to Ministers how resources for housing capital investment is best targeted to address regional and national priorities, and to address the needs of all groups.
These recommendations are made on the back of Regional Housing Strategies, which the Boards produce, and which cover all tenures, including social housing, and groups with different housing needs, including Travellers. The resources are used to increase the supply of social housing, to ensure that existing social housing meets the decent homes standard, and to provide sites for Travellers.
Right to Buy
Mr. Pike: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent changes have been implemented to the (a) right-to-buy and (b) right to acquire regulations; and if he will make a statement. [209998]
Keith Hill: The Housing Act 2004, which received Royal Assent on 18 November 2004, makes a number of changes to the Right to Buy scheme set out in Part V of the Housing Act 1985. It:
extends the initial qualification period from two years to five years for new tenants, although they will then qualify for the same amount of discount as under the current rules—i.e. after the five years, 35 per cent. for a house or 50 per cent. for a flat
extends the period after sale during which landlords may require owners to repay some or all of their discount on early resale, from three years to five years
makes it clear that landlords have discretion to waive repayment of discount, to address cases where repayment could involve genuine hardship (the Government will issue guidance on this)
requires the amount of discount repaid to be a percentage of the resale value of the property (less the value of any improvements made by the owner since exercising their Right to Buy) rather than the current flat rate basis
shortens from 12 months to three months the period after which a landlord may serve on a tenant a 'first notice to complete'
allows landlords to suspend the Right to Buy for up to five years on dwellings scheduled for demolition, or to exempt such dwellings from the Right to Buy altogether if they are due to be demolished within two years
requires tenants who agree to resell their homes to companies within the discount repayment period (a 'deferred resale agreement') to repay some or all of their Right to Buy discount
requires owners who wish to resell properties within 10 years of their being sold under the Right to Buy to offer them back to a local social landlord (the local authority or a registered social landlord) at market value. Landlords have always been able to do this for properties in national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, and areas designated as 'rural' for this purpose, of which there are now 35. The Act extends this power to other areas. The Government will specify procedures and timescales in regulations, which will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible
requires landlords to give their tenants information on the costs and responsibilities of home ownership. The Government will specify the matters on which information is to given in an order, which will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible
enables landlords of secure tenants to seek an order suspending the right to buy for a specified period in respect of the tenancy on the grounds of anti-social behaviour
transfers jurisdiction over appeals by tenants denied the Right to Buy on the grounds that their homes are particularly suitable for occupation by elderly persons from the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, to residential property tribunals in England. This will take place on a date to be determined by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, which is likely to be in the spring of 2005.
All these changes except the last three came into effect on 18 January 2005. Mostly, they do not affect applications for the Right to Buy made before that date, apart from the following:
landlords have been given discretion to waive the repayment of discount in respect of disposals which take place after 18 January
information for tenants will be provided to all tenants regardless of whether an application has been made for the Right to Buy or not; and
the transfer of jurisdiction for elderly exclusion appeals will be dependent upon the date of the appeal rather than the date of the Right to Buy application.
The changes automatically apply to the Preserved Right to Buy (available to tenants transferred with their homes from local authorities to registered social landlords, mainly under large-scale voluntary transfer arrangements) (see section 171C of the Housing Act 1985), also and, with the exception of the last two, to the Right to Acquire scheme (see section 17 of the Housing Act 1996). Provision has to be made to continue orders suspending the Right to Buy because of antisocial behaviour in cases where the tenant ceases to be a secure tenant, but has a Preserved Right to Buy or the Right to Acquire, so that their right to purchase their home is still suspended.
The Preserved Right to Buy regulations and the Right to Acquire regulations will be replaced with new regulations which reflect these changes. These will be made and laid before Parliament as soon as possible.
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