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Key Workers

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the categories of people who qualify for key worker status; and if he will make a statement. [20838]

Yvette Cooper: The eligibility requirements for each of the Government's key worker initiatives vary by region and criteria are constantly kept under review. Up to date eligibility requirements are published on the Housing Corporation's website.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment the Government has made of the take-up rates for the Government's key workers' initiative schemes. [19917]

Yvette Cooper: An evaluation of the key worker living scheme is currently under way, with the final report due in 2006. The interim report was published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website on 31 August.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the eligibility requirements are for each of the Government's key worker initiative schemes. [19920]

Yvette Cooper: The eligibility requirements for each of the Government's key worker initiatives vary by region and criteria are constantly kept under review. Up to date eligibility requirements are published on the Housing Corporation's website.

Local Authority Expenditure

David Mundell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the expenditure per head was in each local authority in England for (a) public order and safety, (b) enterprise and economic development, (c) science and technology, (d) employment, (e) agriculture, fisheries and forestry, (f) transport, (g) environmental protection, (h) housing and community amenities,
 
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(i) health, (j) recreation, culture and religion, (k) education and training and (l) social protection in the last year for which figures are available. [19432]

Mr. Woolas: The data are not collected centrally for the breakdown requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister collect revenue expenditure data from each local authority in England on the annual Revenue Outturn (RO) suite of forms. Documents have been placed in the Library of the House showing provisional 2004–05 expenditure per head data by local authority for each of the main service areas collected.

Local Government Cabinets

Dr. Pugh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government plan to conduct a review of the cabinet system in local government. [20747]

Mr. Woolas: The outcomes in local authorities of the constitutional arrangements, including the cabinet system, introduced by the Local Government Act 2000, are the subject of a five year research project, funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which is due to conclude in 2007.

Local Government White Paper

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for the publication of the Local Government White Paper. [19886]

Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister launched a debate on the future of local government, local: vision, in July 2004, with the aim of developing a new blueprint for local government that is shared between central and local government and other key stakeholders. Further details on how we intend to draw the debate back together and the next steps will be forthcoming in due course.

Micro-bikes

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to encourage local authorities to work with trading standards officers to ensure local retailers of micro-bikes act responsibly in making clear to customers the legal position regarding their use. [19357]

Mr. Woolas: None. It is for local trading standards to decide what advice they should give to businesses having regard to local circumstances and priorities.

Mobile Phone Masts

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning permission applications have been granted for mobile phone masts in Gravesham since 1997. [19831]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However, during September and October every year the mobile network operators write to every local authority with details of their network rollout for the year ahead. When they write to the local authority they
 
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also provide details of their existing sites within the local authority area. The hon. Member may want to contact the network operators for copies of their plans.

Pathfinder Renewal Project

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of the capital modernisation fund was spent in each pathfinder renewal project, broken down by investment in (a) renewal, (b) clearance, (c) land purchase and (d) consultants. [21771]

Yvette Cooper: Each of the nine housing market renewal pathfinders was awarded £2.66 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not have information on the way in which it was spent that can be broken down in the way specified. However, the purpose of this grant was to help the pathfinders to build capacity and develop their strategies.

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to the Newcastle-Gateshead pathfinder is over the next three years of funding a team of regeneration specialists to be employed by Newcastle city council. [21772]

Yvette Cooper: The Newcastle Gateshead housing market renewal pathfinder submitted its future spending plans to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in September 2005, as part of its scheme update. We will be considering its proposals, including those relating to staff costs, during the next few months.

Planning Delivery Grants

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what assessment he has made of the merits of allocating a greater proportion of the planning delivery grant budget to growth areas designated by the Sustainable Communities Plan; [21286]

(2) what the level of planning delivery grant for high housing demand and growth areas was for 2005–06; what the proposed level for 2006–07 is; and what representations he has received on this subject. [21287]

Yvette Cooper: The Planning Delivery Grant (PDG) is designed to reward local planning authorities (LPAs) across the country on a variety of different performance criteria to enable them to improve all aspects of the service they provide. The bulk of the grant is allocated on the basis of criteria relating to performance and workload of all LPAs. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has, however, also taken into account the extra needs of authorities in growth areas to enable them to deliver the growth required in the Sustainable Communities Plan.

In the 2005–06 PDG allocations, £16 million (9.4 per cent. of total PDG) was allocated to high housing demand and growth areas. We issued a consultation document in July on allocation criteria for the grant in 2006–07. This proposed that the percentage of grant allocated to growth areas should be 8.9 per cent. (£12 million). We received 75 responses to the consultation, 23 of which commented on high housing and growth area allocations.
 
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Public Open Space

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recommended acreage of public open space has been set for each local authority; and how much is available in each local authority listed in descending order according to the greatest difference. [20941]

Mr. Woolas: Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation" sets out national (England-only) guidance on open space provision. It states that open space standards are best set locally, to take into account demographic profiles, the existing built environment and local needs. PPG 17 and the accompanying good practice guidance give local authorities advice on setting local standards on quality, quantity and accessibility. Local authorities are not required to make information on local open spaces available to central Government.

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