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9 Mar 2005 : Column 1835W—continued
Police Custody
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mentally ill people have died in police custody since 2001 in (a) the UK, (b) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland and (c) the North East. [215874]
Ms Blears: Information collated by the Home Office on deaths during or following police contact in England and Wales does not specify the mental condition of the person.
We are aware of those people who have been detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act and who have died during or following police contact. The number of deaths in this category in England and Wales since 2001 by force area is as follows:
| Force area | Total |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | |
| None | 0 |
| 2001–02 | |
| Staffordshire | |
| Lancashire | 2 |
| 2002–03 | |
| West Midlands | 1 |
| 2003–04 | |
| Dorset | |
| Metropolitan police | |
| Essex | |
| Cleveland | 4 |
Both the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Office advise that figures are not held centrally to enable the breakdown into the requested category.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to improve training of police officers to enable them to deal more effectively with mentally ill people. [215875]
Ms Blears:
Justice and Offenders Service, Health, Education and Development (JOSHED) was established in December 2003 to develop cross-agency National Occupational Standards and accredited training on health awareness issues, including mental health awareness. A scoping study was commissioned by the group in January 2004 to identify common training needs across the criminal justice and correctional services agencies, including the police. It
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identified and made recommendations for the improvement of training which are under consideration by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
The Strategy for Improving Performance in Race and Diversity 2004–09" aims to improve police performance in race and diversity, including dealing more effectively with mentally ill people. As part of the Strategy, which was launched in November 2004 and developed jointly between the Home Office, ACPO and the Association of Police Authorities (APA), learning materials about the interaction between police officers and mentally ill people are being prepared for police officers and staff. ACPO is also undertaking a review of the National Learning Requirement for mental health awareness training in the light of a report on 'Mental Health and Social Exclusion' published by the Social Exclusion Unit in June 2004.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Business Rates
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appeals there have been against the recent re-valuations of business properties, broken down by local authority area. [220664]
Mr. Raynsford: None. The new rating lists take effect from 1 April 2005 and ratepayers will be able to appeal against their new rateable value from that date.
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the outturn Band D council tax precepts are for 2005–06 for each fire authority in England and Wales. [219853]
Mr. Raynsford: Information on Band D council taxes for fire authorities 2005–06 is currently being collected by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Figures will be published on 23 March as part of the statistical release on council taxes for 2005–06.
Once it has been set as part of the budget-setting process, an authority's council tax for a particular financial year remains unchanged at outturn, unless an alternative, and lower, figure is set as a result of the authority setting a substitute budget. The results of any such calculations for 2005–06 that take place before its budget return for 2006–07 is submitted would be reported as part of the previous year's information collected on the 2006–07 return.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average Band D council tax in England was in 2004–05; and what percentage of national annual average earnings this represented. [220689]
Mr. Raynsford: The average Band D council tax in England in 2004–05 is £1,167, including amounts funded from council tax benefit.
This represents 5.1 per cent. of the mean gross annual pay in England in 2004, which was £22,893, according to the 2004 Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
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It should be noted, however, that the figures are not directly comparable, because there are many properties for which the council tax is payable by more than one wage-earner.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what Band D council tax equivalent figure his Department uses in respect of each new property in (a) Aylesbury Vale district, (b) Chiltern district, (c) Wycombe district and (d) Milton Keynes unitary authority to be set against the formula spending share when calculating grant distribution; and if he will make a statement. [220912]
Mr. Raynsford: The figures are £181.93 for Aylesbury Vale district council, Chiltern district council, and Wycombe district council: and £967.38 for Milton Keynes unitary authority. The figures are different because Aylesbury Vale district, Chiltern district and Wycombe district councils only provide district-level services whereas Milton Keynes unitary authority provides both district and county level services.
Disabled Facilities Grant
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much (a) was made available in 2004–05 and (b) will be made available in 2005–06 to (i) local authorities in south-east England, (ii) Aylesbury Vale district council, (iii) Chiltern district council, (iv) Wycombe district council and (v) Milton Keynes unitary authority through disabled facilities grant. [220913]
Yvette Cooper: The Government pay a specified capital grant to local authorities each year which covers 60 per cent. of total local authority expenditure on disabled facilities grants (DFG). This is subject to an annual allocation limit for each authority announced prior to the beginning of the relevant financial year.
The allocation of Government grant for DFG for years 2004–05 and 2005–06 to (i) local authorities in south-east England, (ii) Aylesbury Vale district council, (iii) Chiltern district council, (iv) Wycombe district council and (v) Milton Keynes unitary authority are tabled as follows:
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Electrical Regulations
Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of training places available for electricians wishing to obtain qualifications under the part P electrical regulations. [221225]
Phil Hope: Training places for those wishing to obtain the qualifications necessary for registration with a part P authorised competent person scheme are provided mainly by technical colleges in England and Wales and in some cases by the operators of the competent person schemes.
Officials met representatives of the training providers to advise them that there was likely to be a significant increase in those wishing to attend the relevant courses and most providers have increased the number of places available.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether local authorities will need to employ additional staff to monitor part P electrical regulations. [221228]
Phil Hope: It is for each local authority in England and Wales to decide where it needs to employ additional resources to carry out its building control functions in relation to part P of the Building Regulations. Local authorities are likely to make such decisions on the basis of the number of additional submissions of building notices or full plans.
Homelessness
Mr. Gill: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of the population of Leicester were homeless in each year since 1997. [220780]
Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly and is in respect of households rather than people. The number of households accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need and the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities under homelessness legislation as at 31 March of each year in Leicester, since 1997, is tabled. Also shown is the number of acceptances and in temporary accommodation as a percentage of all households in Leicester.
After being accepted as homeless, a household will be placed in some form of accommodation. They may be placed in temporary accommodation, until a settled solution becomes available, or they may be given a settled solution straight away depending on the accommodation available to the local authority. As an alternative to temporary accommodation an authority may arrange for a household to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home), until a settled solution becomes available.
(15) Households eligible under homelessness legislation and found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category. Figures provided are for the financial year (i.e. April to March).
(16) The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister PIE homelessness returns (quarterly).
(17) 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.
(18) The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (annual).
(19) Estimated as at 30 of June each year. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
(20) Data received for three quarters only. Annual figure includes ODPM estimates for the missing quarter.
(21) Indicates that data were not reported by Leicester on the PIE return.
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Information is also collected, since 1998, on the number of people who sleep rough, that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. The above table shows number of persons sleeping rough in Leicester district, on a single night.
Quarterly Statistical Releases on statutory homelessness published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister include information on decisions, and households in temporary accommodation, at local authority level in an associated Supplementary Table. The latest Release of, 13 December, and previous editions are available both in the Library of the House and via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website.
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