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25 Oct 2005 : Column 325W—continued
Workless Households
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of children have lived in households with two adults, neither in work in each year since 1982; and if he will make a statement. [20687]
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. David Laws, dated 25 October 2005:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about children living with two adults, neither of whom is working. (20687)
The attached table gives the proportion of children who live with a married or cohabiting couple in which neither partner is working, for the three month period to May of each year from 1992 to 2005. These estimates are from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Information for previous years is not available.
(35) Children under 16 years old.
(36) Children who live with a workless couple as a percentage of all children.
(37) Estimates take into account couples with unknown economic status.
Source:
ONS Labour Force Survey
25 Oct 2005 : Column 326W
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Architects Registration Board
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he next expects to make appointments to the Architects Registration Board. [19960]
Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State has powers to make recommendations to the Privy Council in respect of the appointment of lay members to the board. The council then makes appointments. One vacancy is currently being filled; three further appointments will need to be made with effect from 1 April 2006.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what appeal process is available to architects who have had complaints against them upheld by the Architects Registration Board. [19961]
Yvette Cooper: The Architects Act 1997 provides that any person may appeal to the civil courts about removal of his name from the Register of Architects or the making of a disciplinary order against him. Persons may also apply for judicial review of any decision made by the board.
Admiralty House
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 298W, on council tax, what contribution his Department has made towards the total maintenance, renovation and running costs of Admiralty House, in each year since its establishment; and what the estimated figure is for 2005–06. [12032]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The total cost of maintaining, renovating, and running Admiralty House in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 was £345,929, £216,487 and £246,284. The estimated figure for 2005–06 is £269,126. These figures exclude business rates and council tax payable on the building. The cost covers work across the whole of Admiralty House which, as well as three flats assigned to Ministers by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, includes function rooms used by Government for more than 200 events every year.
The operation of Admiralty House is covered by a single facilities management contract which covers maintenance, renovation, security and running costs. It is not possible, within the overall total, to separately identify the costs that arise from the three flats in Admiralty House, although for internal accounting purposes the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister meets 20.7 per cent. of the costs of the operation of the entire building. This is calculated on the basis of the floor area of the flat occupied by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, as a proportion of the total floor area of Admiralty House. The actual amounts paid by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in each year reflect that the Office was established in May 2002, and thus did not pay costs for the whole of 2002–03, and benefited from an internal accounting adjustment that reduced ODPM's contribution in 2003–04. In addition there were minor works specific to the flat occupied by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, amounting to £1,087 in 2004–05 and £159 to date in 2005–06.
25 Oct 2005 : Column 327W
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) gross total expenditure and (b) gross revenue raised from council tax in each precepting and billing local authority in England was in the latest year for which figures are available. [19915]
Mr. Woolas: Details of (a) total service expenditure and (b) the council tax requirement for 2004–05 are published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website and can be found at http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/stats/0405pro.xls at line 699 and line 890 respectively.
The data are as reported by local authorities and are taken from Revenue Summary returns for 2004–05.
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many pensioners in Gravesham have experienced increases in their council taxes since 1997. [20186]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average band D council tax has been in Suffolk in each year since the establishment of the council tax. [19778]
Mr. Woolas: Details of the average band D council tax in each authority in Suffolk in each year since establishment of the council tax are published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website. The details can be found under Information For Taxpayers" at Council Taxes" and Historical Data Archive" which can be found at: http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/ct.htm.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) costs and (b) contractual liabilities were incurred for the council tax revaluation in England by (i) the Valuation Office Agency and (ii) central Government prior to its postponement. [17356]
Mr. Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency has incurred approximately £60 million in costs and contractual liabilities in relation to the revaluation in England prior to its postponement. Some £45 million will be of potential use in the future for the Agency's routine business or revaluation at a later date. Costs incurred by central Government are not separately identified.
Departmental Finance
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the phrase corporate overhead" in the Department's business plan covers. [20755]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The Corporate Overhead budget provides money for essential operational services, activities and costs which are procured or managed centrally. The chief elements of this are: accommodation costs; cost of capital and depreciation on our assets; provision of IT services; long-term sickness and maternity pay; and centrally funded training.
25 Oct 2005 : Column 328W
Empty Homes
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for introducing secondary legislation on empty dwelling management orders. [19888]
Yvette Cooper: The Government published the detailed programme for commencement of the Housing Act 2004 on Monday 10 October. There will be a phased introduction of the provisions, leading to a common commencement date of 6 April 2006 for the provisions contained within the Housing Act 2004, including Empty Dwelling Management Orders. The full timetable, setting out the phased introduction of these provisions, has been listed as follows.
Housing Act 2004—implementation of HHSRS, licensing, EDMO and TDS
Week commencing 28 November 2005
Week commencing 30 January 2006
Week commencing 2 October 2006
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