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20 Jun 2005 : Column 836W—continued
Local Government Standards Board
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many complaints to the Local Government Standards Board against a councillor in each of the last three years were made (a) by a member of the public, (b) by another councillor, (c) by a councillor from the same political party, (d) by a councillor from another political party, (e) by an officer of a council, (f) by the chief executive of the council and (g) by the monitoring officer of the council, where the monitoring officer is not the chief executive; how many were (i) upheld, (ii) dismissed and (iii) resulted in no penalty being imposed in each case; and if he will make a statement. [3895]
Mr. Woolas: The information which can be provided is tabled as follows:
The Standards Board does not record information regarding the political affiliation of councillors who have submitted allegations. Its records do not distinguish between allegations submitted by chief executives and other local authority officers or whether there are cases where monitoring officers are also chief executives.
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Information is not available on the detailed outcome of cases in respect of each particular category of complainant.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many hours of Standards Board officers' time were spent on the case of Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, broken down by grade of officer; and if he will make a statement. [3900]
Mr. Woolas: The Standards Board does not record the amount of time spent by staff on any particular investigation.
Mobile Advertising
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will take steps to ban mobile advertising hoardings in the countryside. [3060]
Yvette Cooper: Outdoor advertisements, such as these, are controlled by local planning authorities under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 and require the express consent of the local planning authority before they can be displayed lawfully.
It is for the relevant local planning authority to determine whether a particular advertisement should be permitted and the most appropriate course of action to take when an advertisement is displayed in contravention of the regulations.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to write to local authorities shortly, reminding them of their powers to act in these cases.
Mobile Phone Masts
Anne Milton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Government expect to conclude their review of planning regulations for mobile phone masts. [3370]
Yvette Cooper: In September last year the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned the University of Reading and Arup to undertake an independent study to assess the impact that the code of best practice on mobile phone network development has had since its introduction. The report will be published in due course. On 4 April I announced the Government will be commissioning further research to identify the future direction of mobile phone technology and the future need for mast developments.
National Spatial Address Infrastructure
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he will lead the Government agency with responsibility for the National Spatial Address Infrastructure. [4267]
Mr. Woolas: The proposed specification and plans to deliver the National Spatial Address Infrastructure are set out in the outline prospectus published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 26 May 2005.
The proposals state that the new infrastructure will be provided by Ordnance Survey on behalf of the user community under direction of the Office of the Deputy
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Prime Minister and there will be a new governance structure that will ensure that interests of stakeholders are protected.
The main partners, Ordnance Survey and the Local Government Information House (LGIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) have agreed heads of terms for the development process.
Ordnance Survey, the National Mapping Agency, is a trading fund that reports to Parliament through Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Non-departmental Bodies
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list each non-departmental public body, executive agency, quango or taskforce which (a) has regional offices or (b) is based around a Government office region; and what the date of establishment was of each. [4295]
Yvette Cooper: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Pensions
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he will publish a regulatory impact assessment for his plans to revoke the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004. [4306]
Mr. Woolas: A final decision to revoke the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 will require the preparation of a regulatory impact assessment which will be published.
Planning Appeals/Policy Guidance
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes the Government have made to planning guidance relating to park-and-ride sites since May 1997. [4248]
Yvette Cooper: Since May 1997, the Government have issued planning policy guidance note (PPG) 13 Transport (March 2001), which covers park-and-ride schemes at paragraphs 59 to 63, and also at annex E provides an amendment to PPG2 Green Belts, adding new paragraphs 3.17–3.20.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons planning appeal decisions by the planning inspectorate are not accessible to the public via their website; and if he will make a statement. [4309]
Yvette Cooper: The planning inspectorate is in the process of rolling out an online appeals service the Planning Casework Service (PCS).
The PCS is available via the Planning Portal (www.planningportal.gov.uk). It enables people to complete, submit, view, track progress, comment on, and search for appeals online.
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The PCS is being rolled out in stages. It is currently live for access restriction appeals and enforcement appeals and will go live for new planning appeals later this year.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes the Government have made to planning guidance on (a) the density of residential development, (b) infill development and (c) suburban development, since May 1997. [4242]
Yvette Cooper: 'Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing' was published by the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in 2000. It introduced a new approach to planning for housing, including guidelines for the density of residential development.
Other relevant changes to planning policy include 'Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development' and 'Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres', both published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005, and 'Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport' published by DETR in 2001.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1)what plans the Government have to revise Planning Policy Guidance 3; [4247]
(2) what plans he has to revise planning guidance relating (a) to the green belt, (b) residential housing development and (c) infill development; and if he will make a statement; [4315]
(3) what plans the Government have to amend planning guidance on infill development; and if he will make a statement. [4322]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Housing and Planning on 17 June 2004, Official Report column 45WS, which set out the Government's plans for revising planning policy guidance.
Since this written statement was made, the Government have published Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing consultation paper entitled 'Planning for Mixed Communities' and have announced the intention that they will consult this summer on an updated approach to planning for the supply of land for housing.
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