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7 Feb 2005 : Column 1291W—continued
Local Government Pensions
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received
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expressing concerns about the proposed changes to the local government pension scheme; and if he will make a statement. [213945]
Phil Hope: The Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment)(No 2) Regulations 2004 were laid before the House on 22 December 2004 and come into force on 1 April 2005. Amending regulations were the subject of a statutory consultation exercise between 31 March and 30 June 2004. Some 290 responses expressing concerns were received from that exercise and, of those, 220 involved correspondence from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents. Subsequently, around 5,000 items of additional correspondence have been received, representing 0.3 per cent. of the 1.5 million current active Scheme membership. Since the end of the consultation exercise, a further 530 items of correspondence have been received from hon. Members, enclosing a variety of trades union campaign letters and leaflets.
Meden Valley
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1)what legal opinion has been sought by English Partnerships in relation to compulsory purchase of properties in the Meden Valley; [213730]
(2) how many repairs orders due to public safety have been issued through the Meden Valley Partnership; [213731]
(3) how many residents have neither requested to move nor opposed compulsory purchase of their home under the Meden Valley Partnership; and how many of these are over 80 years old; [213732]
(4) how many residents of the Royal Estate and Warsop Vale have indicated a wish to remain living in their area under the Meden Valley partnership; [213733]
(5) what meetings have taken place between the Meden Valley partnership and the police about drug dealing and antisocial behaviour in the last two years; [213734]
(6) how many letters of thanks have been received by the Meden Valley partnership from local residents since its inception; [213735]
(7) when English Partnerships expects to build new houses in Warsop as part of the Meden Valley partnership; [213736]
(8) what plans English Partnerships has to meet its commitment to involve residents in the management of housing regeneration projects in Warsop; [213737]
(9) when and under what authority English Partnerships required means testing for existing tenants to buy new homes in Warsop under the Meden Valley partnership; [213738]
(10) how much public money has been spent through the Meden Valley partnership; [213739]
(11) how many homes have been refurbished under the Meden Valley partnership; [213740]
(12) when an employee of the East Midland Development Agency last entered (a) a house and (b) an area under threat of compulsory purchase from the Meden Valley partnership; [213750]
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(13) when an employee of English Partnerships last entered (a) a house and (b) an area under threat of compulsory purchase from the Meden Valley partnership. [213751]
Keith Hill: I will write to my hon. Friend in due course.
Midlands Way
Mr. Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the framework is for consultation on the Midlands Way; and if he will make a statement. [213866]
Keith Hill: The consultation paper SMART Growth: The Midlands Way was launched on 1 February at the Delivering Sustainable Communities Summit in Manchester by the two Midlands Regional Development Agencies. Details can be obtained from the East Midlands Development Agency or Advantage West Midlands websites at www.emda.org.uk and www.advantagewm.co.uk.
Millennium Dome
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total public expenditure on the Millennium Dome was in each year from 1997–98, broken down by (a) cost centre and (b) department. [211164]
Keith Hill: Expenditure of taxpayers money on the Dome, by English Partnerships, in the years requested, was as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | 73,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 1.402 million |
| 2000–01 | 5.225 million |
| 2001–02 | 10.845 million |
| 2002–03 | 7.245 million |
| 2003–04 | 4.157 million |
| 2004–05 | (22)2.228 million |
(22)To end of November 2004
the sale process which concluded in June 2004 when the commercial transaction between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Ltd. and Anschutz Entertainment Group went unconditional;
the costs of management, maintenance, security and insurance of the Dome, including English Partnerships staff costs.
Moving Out of London Scheme
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many tenants who left London under the Moving Out of London scheme have since returned to London. [213067]
Keith Hill: The number of tenants who left London under the LAWN (moving out of London) scheme is shown in the table.
| Calendar year | Transfers out | Number of returnees(23) | Percentage returnees(23) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | (24)347 | (24)17 | 4.9 |
| 2003–04 | 519 | 26 | 5.0 |
| 2002–03 | 469 | 23 | 4.9 |
| 2001–02 | 312 | 16 | 5.1 |
| Pre April 2001 | 56 | 3 | 5.4 |
| Total | 1,703 | 85 | 5.0 |
(23)Information regarding returnees is reliant solely on feedback received from landlords and occasionally from movers who expressed an interest in a move back to London and contacted LAWN for advice.
(24)To date.
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Parliamentary Boundaries (Wales)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has received the report from the Boundary Commission for Wales on the proposed new parliamentary boundaries in Wales; when he will lay the Order implementing the changes; and if he will deposit a copy of the report in the Library. [214413]
Mr. Raynsford: A copy of the Boundary Commission for Wales' report was presented to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 31 January 2005. Under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 we are required to lay the report before Parliament, together with a draft of an order in Council giving effect to the Commission's recommendations, with or without modifications, as soon as may be. Copies of the Commission's report will be made available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what dates he has planned for implementing the recommendations of the Boundary Commission in Wales. [214526]
Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received the Report of the Welsh Parliamentary Boundary Commission on Monday 31 January. By statute, we are obliged to lay this report before Parliament, together with a draft Order in Council giving effect to the new constituencies, as soon as may be after receiving it, and if Parliament approves the draft, to submit that draft to Her Majesty in Council. Subsequently the Order will be made and come into force immediately thereafter or at such later date as may be provided for in the Order.
Repossessions (Durham)
Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many repossessions by building societies and other providers of mortgages in the City of Durham there were in each of the last four years. [214359]
Keith Hill: Figures for the total number of properties taken into possession by mortgage lenders are published half-yearly by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. These figures do not contain a district or regional breakdown. The most recent statistics published indicate that the number of properties taken into possession in the second half of 2004 was the lowest since 1982.
Right to Buy
Mr. Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will update the affordability index used to determine the areas included within the scope of the Housing (Right-to-Buy) (Limits on Discounts) (Amendments) Order 2003 (Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 498). [214490]
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Keith Hill: The Housing (Right-to-Buy) (Limits on Discount) (Amendment) Order 2003 came into force on 27 March 2003. It reduced to £16,000 the maximum Right-to-Buy discount available to tenants in 41 areas in London and the South of England that appeared to be under the greatest housing market pressure in terms of high levels of homelessness and high property prices. The Government are keeping the position on maximum discounts generally under review.
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