House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Nov 2005 (pt 47)

14 Nov 2005 : Column 1040W—continued

Housing Act 2004

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the timetable is for (a) the laying of secondary legislation and (b) the publication of guidance in relation to the Housing Act 2004. [24680]

Yvette Cooper: Please see the following table.
Housing Act 2004: Timetable for secondary legislation and guidance

Provision/Part Proposed laying of SIs Proposed publication of guidance

Part 1—Housing Conditions End November 2005 Statutory guidance will be laid with the Regulations. Subject to the parliamentary procedure, estimated to be ready for publication in March.

Parts 2, 3, 4 and 7—HMO and Selective Licensing End January 2006 The Act does not provide for formal guidance but explanatory information will be made available for landlords and tenants in February and March 2006. The intention is to issue informal advice to local authorities in due course.

Part 4—Empty Dwelling Management Orders End January 2006 March 2006

Part 5—Home Information Packs Early 2006 Guidance on draft SI to be published w/b 8 November 2005

Draft SIs published in full on 31 October 2005

Part 6—remaining Right to Buy modifications Commenced July 2005

Clarification of application of Right to Buy provisions to Preserved Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes December 2005

Part 6—Suspension of certain rights in connection with antisocial behaviour Commenced June 2005 To be confirmed

Part 6—Extension to introductory tenancies Commenced June 2005

Part 6—Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessments Spring 2006 Draft guidance on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessment will be issued shortly

Guidance on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation strategies: spring 2006

Part 6—Tenant Deposit Protection July 2006 Explanatory information to be issued from May 2006 onwards.

Part 6—Additional power to give grants for social housing End November 2005

Part 6—Allocation of housing accommodation by local authorities Commenced April 2005

14 Nov 2005 : Column 1041W

Provision/Part	Proposed laying of SIs	Proposed publication of guidance
Part 1—Housing Conditions	End November 2005	Statutory guidance will be laid with the Regulations. Subject to the parliamentary procedure, estimated to be ready for publication in March.
Parts 2, 3, 4 and 7—HMO and Selective Licensing	End January 2006	The Act does not provide for formal guidance but explanatory information will be made available for landlords and tenants in February and March 2006. The intention is to issue informal advice to local authorities in due course.
Part 4—Empty Dwelling Management Orders	End January 2006	March 2006
Part 5—Home Information Packs	Early 2006	Guidance on draft SI to be published w/b 8 November 2005
	Draft SIs published in full on 31 October 2005
Part 6—remaining Right to Buy modifications	Commenced July 2005
Clarification of application of Right to Buy provisions to Preserved Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes	December 2005
Part 6—Suspension of certain rights in connection with antisocial behaviour	Commenced June 2005	To be confirmed
Part 6—Extension to introductory tenancies	Commenced June 2005
Part 6—Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessments	Spring 2006	Draft guidance on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessment will be issued shortly
		Guidance on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation strategies: spring 2006
Part 6—Tenant Deposit Protection	July 2006	Explanatory information to be issued from May 2006 onwards.
Part 6—Additional power to give grants for social housing	End November 2005
Part 6—Allocation of housing accommodation by local authorities	Commenced April 2005

Lea Valley Park Authority

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much (a) Havering council and (b) the Lea Valley councils allocated to the Lea Valley Park Authority in 2004–05. [25869]

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

Local Area Agreements

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 449W, on local area agreements (LAAs), (1) if he will place a copy of each agreed LAA in the Library; and why the website page referred to in the answer does not provide access to copies of each LAA; [24671]

(2) if he will list the measures which can be applied should certain targets not be met for each of the agreed LAAs. [24677]

Mr. Woolas: Copies of all LAAs signed to date are in the Libraries of both Houses. The signed LAAs can be found online as part of the LAA toolkit, accessible through both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website and at:

http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=627986

I have also placed a copy of the document Local Area Agreements Guidance" in the Libraries of the House. This document contains a range of detailed information on the creation and operation of LAAs, including performance management.

Local Government Finance

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Valuation Office Agency forecast the number of council tax banding appeals. [25622]

Mr. Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency forecast council tax banding appeals in the light of knowledge of levels of appeals received in successive years to date. The clearance targets published annually in its business plan, contained in the Agency's Annual Reports and Forward Plan, reflect these forecasts. The Annual Reports and Forward Plan can be viewed on www.voa.gov.uk. In the current year the Agency expects to receive and clear some 28,000 appeals against the 1993 council tax lists.

Mr. Borrow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what the percentage increase in (a) Government grant and (b) council tax was for each county council between 1996–97 and 2005–06; [26143]

14 Nov 2005 : Column 1042W

(2) what the percentage increase was in (a) Government grant and (b) council tax for each county council between 2004–05 and 2005–06. [26144]

Mr. Woolas: Tables have been made available in the Library of the House showing the percentage increases in Government grant and council tax for each county council in each year between 1996–97 and 2005–06.

Local Government Pensions

Mr. Newmark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total amount is of unfunded local government pension liabilities. [26227]

Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 548W.

Mobile Phone Masts

Mike Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning permission applications have been granted for mobile phone masts in Dacorum since 1997. [25818]

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 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.

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning permission applications have been granted for mobile phone masts in North East Milton Keynes since1997. [27174]

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 also provide details of their existing sites within the local authority area. My hon. Friend may want to contact the network operators for copies of their plans.

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning permission applications for mobile telephone masts in the Kettering constituency have been (a) granted, (b) granted on appeal and (c) refused in each year since 1997. [27296]

14 Nov 2005 : Column 1043W

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the planning applications which have been granted for mobile phone masts in West Lancashire since 1997. [27700]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given on 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1066W to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham).

Outdoor Advertising

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to amend planning regulations on outdoor advertising controls; and if he will make a statement. [26917]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be consulting on amended regulations on outdoor advertisement control later this year. We expect the new advertisements regulations to be introduced in 2006.

Park Homes

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the charging by park home operators of commission on sale. [24411]

Yvette Cooper: Paragraph 8(2) of schedule 1 to the Mobile Homes Act 1983 entitles park owners to receive a commission on the sale of a park home, not exceeding a rate specified by the Secretary of State. The current maximum rate is 10 per cent. and is specified in the Mobile Homes (Commissions) Order 1983.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is planning to issue a consultation paper early next year exploring the basis for changes to the commission rate. This will draw on the research report on the Economics of the Park Homes Industry, published in 2002.

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