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21 Nov 2005 : Column 1699W—continued
Local Government Finance
Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) the average expenditure by (i) county councils and (ii) district councils on the functions for which they are responsible and (b) the average population served by (A) county councils and (B) district councils was in (1) 2002–03, (2) 2003–04 and (3) 2004–05. [28890]
Mr. Woolas: The average expenditure by county and district councils on the functions for which they are responsible and the average population served by county and district councils in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 are as shown in the following table.
The data are as reported by local authorities and are taken from the Revenue Summary (RS) return for 2002–03 and 2003–04, and the Revenue Account budget (RA) return for 2004–05.
The definition of council expenditure used here is that expenditure funded from Aggregate External Finance (AEF), council tax and authorities' reserves.
Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changes in the method of reporting the information. In particular, the outturn data for 2002–03 have been calculated on a non-FRS (Financial Reporting Standard) 17 basis while the outturn data for 2003–04 have been calculated on an FRS 17 basis. The budget data for 2004–05 are a mix of FRS 17 and non-FRS 17. This is because the FRS 17 reporting was first introduced
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in 2004–05 budget form and, after consultation, local authorities were given the option to complete their form either on a non-FRS 17 basis or on an FRS 17 basis. Hence, figures for different years may not be directly comparable.
The population figures are the mid-year estimates (ie 30 June) published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Local Government Pensions
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total amount of local government pension liabilities is if calculated using a discount rate based on index linked gilts; and what rate was used for the calculation. [26223]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for each individual local authority pension fund in the light of its independent actuarial and other professional advice.
Mobile Phone Masts
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 413W, on mobile phone masts, if he will list the meetings his (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants have had with mobile phone mast operators or their representatives since 1 January. [19711]
Yvette Cooper: There have been no meetings between Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister or their special advisers and the five mobile network operators, or their representatives since 1 January.
Officials have met with mobile networks operators or their representatives for briefing on: the findings of the Deloitte and Touche review of the implementation of the operators' Ten Commitments; the MORI Planners—Quantitive Research Over Five Years; and the MORI General Public—Pyramid Research. Officials have also held quarterly liaison meetings with the MOA.
In addition, representatives of the mobile networks operators have attended project meetings for the review of the General Permitted Development Order; the review of the Code of Best Practice for Mobile Phone Network Development; and the research project to identify the future direction of mobile phone and electronic communications network technology.
Pathfinder
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate the Government have made of the average price of a property facing demolition in the Pathfinder areas. [29723]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer given on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 814W.
Planning
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a local authority may advertise planning applications on its website rather than in local newspapers; and if he will make a statement. [28262]
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Yvette Cooper: Local authorities must advertise planning applications in a local paper when required to by the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what were the (a) average, (b) longest and (c) shortest times taken by the Government Office South West (i) to determine whether a planning application referred to it by a local authority required full consideration and (ii) to announce its final decision where a full inquiry was required in each of the last six years. [28438]
Yvette Cooper: The information is set out in the following tables 1 and 2. Table 1 includes the percentage of decisions on whether referred cases should be called in for determination by the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister completed within the statutory 21 day period. This indicates that in every year the average case has been dealt with in less than three weeks.
(73) To date.
(74) To date.
Peter Law: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to establish a centralised mechanism to collect data on the number of planning permissions granted for housing development on green belt land. [28885]
Yvette Cooper:
A centralised national database of planning permissions granted or refused by each local planning authority is maintained on a quarterly basis. Aggregate statistics on permissions for housing development are collected but not details of individual applications or their location in each authority, including on green belt land. A special inquiry to local authorities to provide such detail would be an extra burden on them and could not be justified. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently exploring other ways of obtaining information more efficiently through e-planning" initiatives.
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Property Valuation
Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many days' notice a valuation officer must give before visiting a property. [30660]
Mr. Woolas: Section 26 (2) of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 states that if exercising his or her power of entry, the valuation officer must give at least three days notice in writing of the proposed exercise of the power.
The Valuation Office Agency's Charter on Council Tax states that if a valuation officer needs to see inside a taxpayer's property he or she will give seven days notice, wherever possible, contacting the taxpayer to arrange a convenient appointment.
Regional Government
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information his Department would need to collect to be able to publish figures for the total expenditure of the English regional chambers. [26904]
Yvette Cooper: Regional assemblies are voluntary bodies. We do not collect information on regional assembly expenditure. I refer the hon. Member to my answer given on 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 817W, which details grant made by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to regional assemblies between 2001–02 and 2005–06
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has issued to the regional chambers on their duties under the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [26907]
Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has not issued any guidance to the regional assemblies on their duties under the Human Rights Act.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place the interim report commissioned from Arup on regional assemblies in the Library. [26915]
Yvette Cooper: Copies of the interim report prepared by Arup on regional assemblies have been placed in the Library of the House.
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