Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the work of the Waste and Resources Action Programme in the East Sussex region. [221512]
Mr. Morley: Defra does not assess the work of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) on a geographic basis but in relation to its progress towards achieving the targets set out in its business plan.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the funding of the Waste and Resources Action Programme. [221513]
Mr. Morley: The Waste and Resources Action Programme is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and currently funded by Defra, DTI, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.
The latest published set of accounts for WRAP (covering the financial year 200304) is available for inspection at Companies House.
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she proposes to introduce changes to the system of using rateable values as the basis for domestic water charges. [222460]
Mr. Morley: We have no present plans to require water companies to abandon rateable values as the basis of their unmeasured charges. Rateable values are outdated, and we are open to proposals for better systems, but any change would have to address the issue of winners and losers. We will update the existing analysis in the light of the Lyons inquiry and any consequential changes to council tax.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the outputs of the Water Savings Trust feasibility study; and what action she proposes to take following the Environment Agency's report to her Department on the outcome of this study. [222520]
Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency have been delayed in presenting the report on the feasibility of a Water Savings Trust to Defra. I now expect to receive the report from them in the first week of April.
On receipt of the report, I will consider what contribution a Water Savings Trust could make towards securing a sustainable water supply.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the maximum fine is which local authorities can impose on landowners allowing temporary wheeled billboards to be placed next to motorways. [222680]
Keith Hill: Local planning authorities can prosecute the owner or occupier of the land on which the advertisement is displayed. The maximum fine on conviction of an offence is £2,500 and for a continuing offence £250 for each day the unlawful advertisement continues to be displayed.
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average fine imposed by local authorities on landowners allowing temporary wheeled billboards to be placed next to motorways was in the last year for which figures are available. [222683]
Keith Hill:
The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
17 Mar 2005 : Column 362W
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the business rate for Chorley is forecast to be in 200506; and what the rate is in 200405. [222439]
Mr. Raynsford: The net business rate yield for Chorley for 200506 is forecast to be £18.187 million, compared with £16.840 million that was forecast for 200405.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level of council tax receipts raised in England was in each year since 199798. [219909]
Mr. Raynsford: The figures requested are tabled as follows. Figures for 200405 are not yet available on the same basis.
£ million | |
---|---|
199798 | 9,570 |
199899 | 10,579 |
19992000 | 11,457 |
200001 | 12,242 |
200102 | 13,209 |
200203 | 14,510 |
200304 | 16,392 |
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what exemptions from council tax apply for narrow boats away from their moorings; and when guidance was last issued on this matter to local authorities. [221897]
Mr. Raynsford: A mooring occupied by a boat which is somebody's sole or main residence is deemed to be a dwelling" for council tax purposes and will therefore attract a council tax liability in the same way as other domestic types of property. Under Class R of The Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992 (as amended) a dwelling consisting of a mooring which is not occupied by a boat is exempt. This exemption came into force on 1 April 1994. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not issued any guidance on this matter.
Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Witney constituency, the effects on Rochdale of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [217366]
Yvette Cooper:
Along with other Government Departments, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to improving the lives of people across the whole of the UK. For example, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is determined that everyone should have the opportunity to have a decent home, and since 1997 we have reduced the number of non-decent homes nationally by 1 million.
17 Mar 2005 : Column 363W
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister provides grant funding that benefits the Rochdale constituency through a number of programmes.
For example, over the period 200106 Rochdale has been allocated £20.7 million of Neighbourhood Renewal Fund resources to help the local authority, in collaboration with the Local Strategic Partnership, improve services in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the area.
More broadly, since 1997 we have been able to increase the total amount of Government grant given to local authorities by £22.6 billion. This is a 33 per cent. increase in real terms. Rochdale council has received an average annual increase in formula grant since 1997 of 5.3 per cent.
The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) private, (b) public sector key worker, (c) private sector key worker and (d) social housing homes are to be built on each of the redundant NHS sites now controlled by his Department. [222042]
Keith Hill: My right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health announced in April 2004 that a portfolio of around 100 surplus NHS sites would be transferred to help deliver the objectives of the sustainable communities plan. It is expected that the first of these sites will transfer to English Partnerships shortly. Many of the sites will be suitable for the provision of affordable homes for sale and will include an element of social housing.
The future use of each site and development proposals where appropriate will be determined in consultation with the relevant local planning authority as part of the normal planning process.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is continuing to develop a First Time Buyers Initiative as recently announced in our 'Five Year PlanSustainable Communities: Homes for All'. We plan to deliver 15,000 homes under the initiative by 2010, half of which will be for key public service workers and the other half for individuals and families recommended by Regional Housing Boards. Details about where these houses will be built have not yet been announced.
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable housing units were built or procured through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Challenge Fund in London in each year since 199798, broken down by (a) mixed funded social rented housing, (b) temporary social rented housing, (c) homebuy general market purchase, (d) homebuy general new build, (e) mixed
17 Mar 2005 : Column 364W
funded general low cost ownership for sale, (f) miscellaneous works to registered social landlord (RSL) stock, (g) reimprovement to rented RSL stock, (h) works-only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (i) works-only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (j) intermediate rented accommodation for key workers, (k) homebuy market purchase for key workers, (l) homebuy new build for key workers, (m) the London Challenge Teacher Market Purchase Homebuy, (n) mixed funded sale for key workers and (o) starter home initiative. [222371]
Keith Hill: The information requested on the number of dwellings built or procured in London through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme and Challenge Fund by the various categories listed in each year since 199798 is being collated. I will write to my hon. Friend and make a copy available in the Library of the House.
Ms Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Challenge Fund funding has been spent on (a) mixed funded social rented housing, (b) temporary social rented housing, (c) homebuy general market purchase, (d) homebuy general new build, (e) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (f) miscellaneous works to registered social landlord (RSL) stock, (g) reimprovement to rented RSL stock, (h) works-only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (i) works-only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (j) intermediate rented accommodation for key workers, (k) homebuy market purchase for key workers, (l) homebuy new build for key workers, (m) the London Challenge Teacher Market Purchase Homebuy, (n) mixed funded sale for key workers and (o) starter home initiative in London in each year since 199798. [222372]
Keith Hill: The information requested on funding in London through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme and Challenge Fund by the various categories listed in each year since 199798 is being collated. I will write to my hon. Friend and make a copy available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when Mrs. Lea Rowles of Wylie Court, Sittingbourne will receive her refund from Swale Housing Association. [222368]
Keith Hill: This is a private matter between Mrs. Lea Rowles of Wylie Court, Sittingbourne and Swale Housing Association. I understand that Swale Housing Association are currently investigating this matter and will be in contact with Mrs. Rowles shortly.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authority properties were sold under the right to buy in each London borough in each year since 199697; and what the average discount per dwelling was in each case. [221426]
Keith Hill:
The annual number of right to buy sales of council dwellings reported by each London borough and the annual average right to buy discount per sale since 199697 have been made available in the Library of the House.
17 Mar 2005 : Column 365W
Next Section | Index | Home Page |