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21 Jun 2005 : Column 880W—continued

Affordable Housing

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people in (a) the London borough of Haringey and (b) Hornsey and Wood Green constituency he estimates will be eligible for his Department's extended home ownership programme; and if he will make a statement. [4803]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently consulting on the details of our proposals for making our low cost home ownership schemes simpler and fairer, as set out in the consultation document 'HomeBuy—Expanding the Opportunity to Own' (a copy of which is available in the Library of the House).

We will make our decisions in the light of responses to consultation and the recommendations from the Regional Housing Boards. Locations will also reflect the quality and value for money of bids received under theprogramme.
 
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Fire Officers (Attacks)

Mr. Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many firemen have been hospitalised following assaults whilst on active duty in each of the last five years. [4886]

Jim Fitzpatrick: Attacks on firefighters have only been recorded since 1 April 2004. Since 1 April 2004 a total of six firefighters have been hospitalised due to an assault.

High Hedges

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set a maximum level of fees to be levied by local authorities in respect of charges for applications under the high hedges provisions of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. [4933]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 23 March 2005, Official Report, column 70WS.

Home Information Packs

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date he expects to implement those parts of the Housing Act 2004 relating to home information packs; and if he will make a statement. [4856]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) intends to introduce home information packs throughout England and Wales as early as possible in 2007 and we are discussing with key stakeholders how this might best be achieved. The regulations required for the introduction of home information packs will be made at different times during 2005 and 2006, commencing with those prescribing the contents of the packs in September 2005. Details of the proposed contents have been published on the ODPM website at www.odpm.gov.uk

Home Inspectors (Diploma)

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many diploma courses for home inspectors are in operation; and how many people are training on them. [4855]

Yvette Cooper: The Awarding Body for the Built Environment (ABBE) has developed a Diploma in Home Inspection in consultation with the industry. The ABBE Diploma has been approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and comprises of a vocationally related qualification rather than a course. Over 1,000 such candidates are registered with assessment centres for the Diploma. ABBE has approved four assessment centres and a further three centres are currently seeking approval.

House Prices

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average house price was in each Government office region in (a) 1991, (b) 2003 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available. [5564]


 
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Yvette Cooper: Data are not available for Government office regions on a consistent basis before 1993, and later for the north-west Government office region.
Mix-adjusted house price by Government office region
£

Government office region19932004
North-east51,569121,260
North-westn/a133,647
Yorkshire and the Humber55,325131,279
East midlands54,540151,339
West midlands60,032154,758
East67,463197,187
London83,109257,266
South-east77,798227,726
South-west61,714191,426




Source:
Survey of Mortgage Lenders



Mix-adjusted average house prices from 1993 for Government office regions are published as Live Table 507 on the ODPM website at:

Prior to 1993, simple average house price data are available for Standard Statistical Regions and are published as Live Table 512 on the ODPM website at:

Local Authority Staff

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff were employed by each local authority per 1,000 population in the last year for which figures are available. [5258]

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Park and Ride Schemes

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1)what the location is of each park and ride scheme in operation in England; and on what date the construction of each was approved by the relevant government office for the region; [5583]

(2) what the location is of each proposed park and ride scheme that has been given approval by the relevant government office for the region. [5584]

Yvette Cooper: The Government do not collect information on the number or location of existing or proposed park and ride schemes. Government offices for the regions do not approve park and ride schemes. Their planning role is to act on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, on land use planning matters in the region.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance the Government have issued to (a) local authorities and (b) government offices for the regions on park and ride schemes. [5585]

Yvette Cooper: The Government have issued planning policy guidance note (PPG) 13 Transport which gives national planning guidance on park and
 
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ride. The Government have not issued separate guidance to either local authorities or government offices for the regions.

Planning (Polytunnels)

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to change planning requirements for polytunnels; and if he will make a statement. [5668]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 20 June 2005]: Where polytunnels are placed temporarily on agricultural land and used for horticulture, they may be deemed to be a use of land for agriculture and therefore exempt from planning controls under the provisions of section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Where the erection of polytunnels for agricultural purposes is deemed to constitute 'development' under these provisions, 'permitted development rights' under part six of the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) 1995 may be available, subject to criteria set out in the Order. The Government currently have no proposals to change these statutory provisions.

Public Conveniences

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether public conveniences run by local authorities are liable for business rates; and if he will make a statement. [5579]

Mr. Woolas: Non-domestic rates are payable on non-domestic property, including public conveniences. The rateable value of each non-domestic property represents its annual rental value at the set date of 1 April 2003.

John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many public toilets were available in each (a) unitary and (b) district council area on 1 January (i)2000, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2003 and (iv) 2004. [4829]

Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 June 2005, Official Report, columns 562–63W. I have deposited in the Library of the House a table that has been obtained from Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's analyses of commercial and industrial property data held by the Valuation Office Agency.

The table gives the number of public conveniences as at 1 October 2000 and 1 April for 2002, 2003 and 2004. No data prior to 2000 and for 2001 are currently available.


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