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12 Sept 2005 : Column 2442W—continued

Working Holidaymakers Scheme

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications have been received under the working holidaymakers scheme since 25 August 2003 from (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka, (d) Nigeria, (e) Ghana, (f) Sierra Leone and (g) Jamaica; and how many of these were (i) refused, (ii) granted and (iii) appealed against. [8795]

Dr. Howells: The information on applications received under the working holiday makers scheme for the countries requested, is as follows:

	1 April 2003 -31 March 2004
Working holiday maker applications	Received	Refused	Granted
India	7,665	4,106	1,218
Pakistan	14	0	47
Sri Lanka	4,534	3,510	962
Nigeria	120	73	47
Ghana	2,367	712	1,532
Sierra Leone	4	2	1
Jamaica	481	187	301

It is not possible to provide figures for the exact date range requested. The figures supplied represent applications received in the financial year 2003–04. In addition, monthly return statistics for appeals for this period are not available specifically for the working holiday maker category. They are only available for generic categories: non-settlement, settlement and family visit.

The total number of applications issued and refused may not always equal the total of applications received. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. Applications can be carried forward from one year to another before being resolved. They may be withdrawn during processing, but still count as an application received. In these circumstances, delays can and do occur between the application being received and the decision being taken.

The statistics provided are publicly available on the UKvisas website, www.ukvisas.gov.uk. UKvisas is the department responsible for entry clearance overseas. Figures for April 2004 to March 2005 are not yet available. When they are, they can be found, along with other entry clearance statistics, on the website at www.ukvisas.gov.uk— Entry Clearance: Facts and Figures".

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Arm's-length Management

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the arm's length management organisations in operation, broken down by date of creation; and what sums have been paid by the Government to date. [14748]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested about the arm's length management organisations (ALMOs) which are currently in operation is in the following table:
 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2443W
 

Local authority	Arm's Length Management Organisation	Date of s.27 approval(97)	ALMO funding to 2004–05 (£ million)
Ashfield	Ashfield Homes	March 2002	46.0
Blyth Valley	Blyth Valley Housing	March 2002	16.3
Derby	Derby Homes	March 2002	78.3
Hounslow	Hounslow Homes	March 2002	70.0
Kirklees	Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing	March 2002	90.4
Oldham	First Choice Homes	March 2002	36.0
Rochdale	Rochdale Boroughwide Housing	March 2002	82.2
Stockton	Tristar Homes	March 2002	63.0
Westminster	CityWest Homes	March 2002	47.9
Wigan	Wigan and Leigh Housing	March 2002	97.8
Brent	Brent Housing Partnership	September 2002	36.7
Salford	New Prospect Housing	September 2002	0.0
Bolton	Bolton at Home	October 2002	53.0
Kensington and Chelsea	Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation	October 2002	21.6
Barnsley	Berneslai Homes	November 2002	48.2
Leeds	Leeds East Homes	January 2003	6.5
Leeds	Leeds North East Homes	January 2003	10.5
Leeds	Leeds North West Homes	January 2003	8.1
Leeds	Leeds South East Homes	January 2003	8.4
Leeds	Leeds South Homes	January 2003	12.9
Leeds	Leeds West Homes	January 2003	18.3
Carrick	Carrick Housing	March 2003	7.3
Cheltenham	Cheltenham Borough Homes	March 2003	10.0
Hillingdon	Hillingdon Homes	April 2003	16.6
Waltham Forest	Ascham Homes	April 2003	0.0
Colchester	Colchester Borough Homes	August 2003	13.5
Gateshead	Gateshead Housing Company	December 2003	0.0
High Peak	High Peak Community Housing(98)	January 2004	0.0
Solihull	Solihull Community Housing	January 2004	1.2
South Lakeland	South Lakes Housing(98)	January 2004	0.0
Warrington	Golden Gates Housing	January 2004	4.3
Barnet	Barnet Homes	February 2004	4.0
Easington	East Durham Homes	March 2004	0.0
Hammersmith and Fulham	Hammersmith and Fulham Housing Management Services(98)	March 2004	0.0
Islington	Homes for Islington	March 2004	2.9
Newcastle	Your Homes Newcastle	March 2004	16.0
Poole	Poole Housing Partnership	March 2004	1.3
Sheffield	Sheffield Homes	April 2004	25.2
Ealing	Ealing Homes	August 2004	0.0
Sandwell	Sandwell Homes	August 2004	0.0
Bassetlaw	A1 Housing Bassetlaw	September 2004	0.0
Newark and Sherwood	Newark and Sherwood Homes	October 2004	0.0
Bury	Six Town Housing	March 2005	0.0
Eastbourne	Eastbourne Homes	March 2005	0.0
Nottingham	Nottingham City Homes	March 2005	0.0
Rotherham	2010 Rotherham	March 2005	0.0
		Total	954.2

⁽⁹⁷⁾The dates given are those when the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister gave approval under s.27 of the Housing Act 1985 for the local authority to delegate housing management responsibilities to its ALMO. The ALMO would normally become operational shortly afterwards.
⁽⁹⁸⁾These ALMOs have been awarded a rating of at least 2 stars by the Housing Inspectorate and have qualified for ALMO funding from 2005–06. The other ALMOs with no recorded expenditure have yet to secure a qualifying rating.

Building Regulations

Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to business and industry of a change to building regulations requiring seven-foot doors. [8367]

Yvette Cooper: There are no proposals, nor has there been any consideration of proposals, to amend the building regulations to require doors to be built to a specific height. No estimate of costs accruing to business and industry has accordingly been made.

Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the costs to (a) Government and (b) local authorities of amending building regulations to require doors to be built to a specified height. [7997]

 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2444W
 

Yvette Cooper: There are no proposals, nor has there been any consideration of proposals, to amend the building regulations to require doors to be built to a specific height. No estimate of costs accruing to either central or local government has accordingly been made.

Mr. Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of (a) the number of staff required and (b) the cost of building inspectors to check whether doorways have been built to the height specified in regulations; and if he will make a statement. [7998]

Yvette Cooper: There are no proposals, nor has there been any consideration of proposals, to amend the building regulations to require doors to be built to a specific height. No estimate of staff numbers or cost of compliance inspections has accordingly been made.
 
12 Sept 2005 : Column 2445W
 

Childhood Cancer

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what assessment he has made of the Draper Report on Childhood cancer in relation to distance from high voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case-control study; and if he will make a statement; [14776]

(2) if he will introduce an immediate moratorium on the building of new homes in the vicinity of high voltage power lines; and if he will make a statement; [14777]

(3) if he will discuss the findings of the Draper Report on Childhood cancer in relation to distance from high voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case-control study with (a) ministerial colleagues in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health and (b) the National Grid and power suppliers; and if he will make a statement. [14778]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister takes advice from the Department of Health who consider the implications of medical research projects.

The Department of Health have advised the recent publication in the British Medical Journal by Dr Draper and colleagues found a statistically increased incidence of leukaemia for children whose home address at birth was near power lines compared with those further away. The work was funded by the Department of Health and has significantly added to the body of knowledge built up over the last few years regarding this very important subject. The work will continue with an investigation of the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures at the addresses studied.

The World Health Organization and indeed the Health Protection Agency have recommended additional research and the need for further precautionary measures to be considered.

The stakeholder advisory group on electromagnetic ELF fields (SAGE) set up last year has already enabled Government officials to engage in detailed discussions with industry, regulators, professional bodies and interest groups about how to respond to this complex issue. The intention of the process is to offer carefully considered practical recommendations in the interests of society as a whole. Information about this process can be found at: www.rkpartnership.co.uk/sage

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