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3 Feb 2005 : Column 1081W—continued
Firefighters
Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have for revisions to the injury benefits arrangements for firefighters. [213967]
Phil Hope: As required by Inland Revenue rules, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently preparing proposals for consultation on an injury benefits scheme for firefighters which would replace that currently available in the Firefighters' Pension Scheme. Any scheme would include the death and serious injury award provided for in the conditions of service.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the proposed new minimum pension age for firefighters is. [213968]
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Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has recently completed consultations on proposals for new pension arrangements for firefighters which include a minimum pension age of 55 for members of the existing pension scheme who retire from April 2013, and for all members of a new pension scheme which we intend to introduce in April 2006. We are considering the responses we have received.
Gypsies/Travellers
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) Gypsy and (b) Traveller families are seeking permanent settlements in Kent. [213936]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) Gypsy and (b) Traveller families have made illegal encampments in Kent since 1997. [213937]
Yvette Cooper: Information is not held centrally on the number of families on unauthorised encampments, however the bi-annual count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans does provide information on the number of caravans on such sites. In January 1997 there were 94caravans on unauthorised encampments in Kent. In July 2004 there were 64 caravans on unauthorised encampments in the county.
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many court cases there have been in Kent involving illegal encampments by (a) Gypsy families and (b) Travellers since 1997. [213940]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provide only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) Gypsy and (b) Traveller camps have been opened in (i) Kent and (ii) Medway since 1997. [213966]
Yvette Cooper: Since 1997 one local authority site has been established in Kent, providing accommodation for 46 caravans.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold data centrally on the number of private Gypsy and Traveller sites established over time, however the bi-annual count does provide information on the number of caravans on such sites.
The number of caravans on authorised private sites in Kent has risen by 30 from 235 caravans in January 1997 to 265 caravans in July 2004.
The number of caravans on unauthorised developments of land without planning permission in Kent has increased from 54 in January 1997 to 120 in July 2004.
In the Medway council area, no new sites have been opened since 1997, either public or private.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated public expenditure by central Government on (a) authorised Traveller sites and (b) illegal Traveller encampments has been in each year since 1997. [211923]
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Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created in May 2002. Since then it has provided the following funding to local authorities to enable them to renew and refurbish the existing network of local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites through its Gypsy Sites Refurbishment Grant.
| Grant paid (£) | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 2,843,847 |
| 2003–04 | 6,084,059 |
| 2004–05 | (6)7,739,726 |
(6)Allocation
£8 million is available for the 2005–06 financial year.
The costs associated with unauthorised camping are borne by individual local authorities or private landowners, rather than by central Government.
High Hedges
Mr. Pike: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received about high hedges; and if he will make a statement. [213210]
Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received requests from members of the public and local authorities about when Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, which gives local authorities the powers to deal with complaints about high hedges, will be fully operational. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to issue guidance for local authorities at the same time as the Regulations to bring the legislation into force are laid before Parliament. We expect the complaints system to be fully operational early this year.
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to issue guidance to local authorities in respect of provisions to address problems with high hedges contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. [213221]
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Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to issue guidance for local authorities at the same time as the Regulations to bring Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 into force are laid before Parliament. We expect the complaints system to be fully operational early this year.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the number of complaints relating to high hedges that will be submitted to local authorities once the new system is fully operational; what proportion of local authorities will be ready to process complaints filed relating to high hedges in the first quarter of 2005; and what his estimate is of the average length of time to be taken to process a complaint. [213366]
Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that local authorities may expect to deal with 10,000 complaints relating to high hedges in the first three years after the legislation comes into force. All local authorities in England should be ready to process complaints once the legislation becomes fully operational. There is no set deadline for the local authority to resolve complaints.
Homeless Children
Mr. Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many children were living in temporary accommodation in (a) the South West region and (b) South Gloucestershire in each year since 1997. [212026]
Yvette Cooper: Local authorities report their activities under homelessness legislation quarterly, and this includes the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter. Information on the number of these households that contain dependent children and/or an expectant mother has been distinguished since March 2002 and the number of children in these households has been collected since June 2004.
The following table presents available information for all quarters since March 2002.
(7)Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting re-allocation of a settled home following Acceptance. Excludes those households designated as homeless at home" that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
(8)Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and may include estimates for any authority in the South West that failed to provide report data. The series is due to be revised in March 2005.
Source:
ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly)
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