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Proceeds of Crime

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much (a) money and (b) property has been seized in Paisley and Renfrewshire, North as a consequence of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. [14150]

David Cairns: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Hamilton) on 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 591W. As I indicated, this is a devolved matter and the information requested is not broken down by constituency or local authority area. Neither is it available in terms of money or property seized except in relation to the particular individuals involved.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old. [13860]

Jim Fitzpatrick: As at 31 August, there are no unanswered letters from hon. Members for the 2004–05 session. For the current session 52 letters remain unanswered that are more than one month old, of which three letters are more than two months old.

The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137–40WS.

Council Tax

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 298W, on council tax, whether he has a personal council tax liability on his official residences at (a) Admiralty House and (b) Dorneywood. [12084]

Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister does not have a personal council tax liability on his official residence at Admiralty House. In line with established Cabinet Office policy on official residences, council tax liability in respect of my right hon. Friend's residence at Admiralty House is paid by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
 
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In relation to Dorneywood I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 298W.

Empty/Second Homes

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Valuation Office Agency's most recent estimate is of the number of (a) empty homes and (b) second homes in England. [5570]

Yvette Cooper: The number of empty homes and second homes in England, as reported by local authorities on the CTB(1) and CTB(1)S forms submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 2005–06, are 714,000 and 229,000 respectively. No data on second homes were received from Hart or Wandsworth; the total for second homes excludes estimates for these authorities.

Fire Services

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the net cost to each fire authority of the proposed regionalisation of fire control centres; and what methodology will be used for precepting. [14608]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises that there may some net additional costs to FRAs during the transition from the existing to the new arrangements and is committed to the new burdens principles whereby it will meet net additional costs to FRAs arising from the project. From the point when the last centre goes live, the new control centres are expected to achieve, on average, a steady state saving of some 30 per cent. over existing arrangements, which will result in net savings to each fire and rescue authority. However, figures are not yet available for each authority, as the FiReControl business case only exists at national level. We are working closely with fire and rescue authorities through the FiReControl Finance Working Group to give them the information they need for budgeting at local level.

Key Worker Living Initiative

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria are used to determine allocation of funding for the key worker living initiative (a) to individual housing associations and (b) to geographical areas; and how the requirement for key worker housing in an area is assessed. [12758]

Yvette Cooper: The programme operates in London, the east and south east of England. Housing associations in these regions were invited to bid for funds in autumn 2003 as part of the Approved Development Programme competitive process. The Housing Corporation assessed bids using criteria of association capacity, deliverability, value for money and quality of schemes.

Funding has been allocated to schemes offering best value, rather than being ring- fenced to specific areas.

Evaluation of key worker housing need at a local level generally has included consultation with relevant employers and analysis of available labour and housing market data.
 
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Manufacturing

Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many manufacturing jobs were lost in each county in each year since 1997. [14761]

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Peter Bone, dated 22 September 2005:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of manufacturing jobs lost in each county in each year since 1997. (14761)

While statistics of jobs lost are not available, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in numbers of jobs from year to year.

I am placing in the House of Commons Library a table giving information for each year from 1997 to 2003, the latest year for which information is available.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her Department's policy is for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic. [14703]

Bridget Prentice: Under the Department for Constitutional Affairs' draft Welsh Language Scheme we aim to respond in Welsh to any correspondence sent to us in Welsh within the same timescale as other correspondence.

In recognition of its operational role and its delivery of services direct to the public in Wales, Her Majesty's Court Service, an executive agency of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has its own Welsh Language Scheme. A public consultation on the Scheme finished at the end of June and it has now been approved by the Welsh Language Board and came into effect on 19 July 2005. The text of the Scheme can be found at: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/3437.htm The aim as set out in the Scheme is to respond in Welsh to correspondence sent in Welsh within the same timescale as other correspondence.

There are no similar Schemes in place for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in Scots Gaelic or Irish Gaelic.

Disciplinary Matters

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will place in the Library the reports provided by the Coroner of Teesside to the Lord Chancellor on his performance since his severe reprimand. [15639]

Ms Harman: The reports referred to by my hon. and learned Friend have been provided by the Coroner for Teesside to the Lord Chancellor on a confidential basis as part of an ongoing disciplinary matter, and it is not appropriate for them to be made available in the way
 
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requested. The annual coronial statistics for 2004 will shortly be published. I will send a copy to my hon. Friend as soon as they are available.

Electoral Administration Bill

Mr. Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects her Department to complete its work on the Electoral Administration Bill in advance of its publication; and if she will make a statement. [15112]

Ms Harman: The Electoral Administration Bill will be introduced to Parliament as soon as parliamentary time allows.

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