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9 Jan 2006 : Column 247W—continued
Age Discrimination (Housing)
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures the Government are taking to combat age discrimination in relation to housing. [28617]
Yvette Cooper: I understand the hon. Member's question relates to age discrimination in relation to park homes. Many parks do not have age limitations. It is up to individual parks and their residents to decide on what, if any, conditions to attach to residency, subject to any relevant legislation. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not have any evidence to suggest that age limitations are causing significant problems for the sector and has no current plans to consider possible measures.
ASBOs
Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice he provides to local authorities on whether they can outsource the delivery of antisocial behaviour order functions to external organisations. [37891]
Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
Provision for contracting out local authority functions relating to antisocial behaviour is contained in section 1F of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 as amended by section 128 of The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 but has not yet been implemented. Subsection (9) provides that the Secretary of State
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may issue guidance on the provisions, to which local authorities and the persons to whom they contract out must have regard.
Officials within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are currently consulting on a proposal to enable local authorities to ask those bodies managing their housing under section 27 of the Housing Act 1985 to also carry out all or some of their functions relating to antisocial behaviour orders.
Buncefield Oil Depot
John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Total Oil Depot site at Buncefield, near Hemel Hempstead, is subject to the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. [39372]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Buncefield Oil Depot site has been subject to the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 since 1 December 1999. The enforcing authority for the regulations at that site is the Health and Safety Executive, who also enforce the fire certificate issued under the Fire Certificates (Special Premises) Regulations 1976.
Christmas Decorations
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance the Government have issued to local authorities on (a) celebrating Christmas and (b) Christmas lights in relation to (i) highway safety and (ii) diversity. [39480]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not issued guidance to local authorities on (a) celebrating Christmas or (b) Christmas lights in relation to (i) highway safety and (ii) diversity.
Guidance on highway safety is not within the remit of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy. As local authorities work at the local level and have knowledge of their local populations, they are best placed to decide how to celebrate Christmas and other religious festivals.
Commercial Property
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many voids on commercial property there were in each year since 2000. [40400]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not compile or collate statistics of voids in the commercial property sector.
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new commercial leases have been offered on a contracted-out basis since their introduction. [40401]
Yvette Cooper:
Landlords and tenants have been able to agree to contract out of security of tenure since 1970. Since 1 June 2004, they have been able to do so without prior court approval, but subject to new safeguards for tenants involving the issue of health warning" notices.
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There are no records of how many new commercial leases have been offered on a contracted-out basis since the new procedures were introduced. We do not expect the new procedures by themselves to change the pattern of contracting out.
The new contracting out procedures were part of a package of reforms to Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 introduced by a Regulatory Reform Order made in 2003. We are currently reviewing the impact of the reforms, with a view to reporting back shortly to the Regulatory Reform Committee.
Council Expenditure
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of spending by (a) Kent county council and (b) Gravesham borough council will be financed from council tax in (i) 2006–07 and (ii)2007–08. [37523]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not yet available. Authorities will not be setting council taxes for 2006–07 until early in 2006, with council taxes for 2007–08 not set until early 2007.
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government plan to cap council tax bills for pensioners; and if he will make a statement. [39487]
Mr. Woolas: The Government have made it clear that they expect to see an average increase in council tax in England of less than 5 per cent. in each of the next two years and are prepared to use their capping powers against excessive increases.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister look forward to receiving the final report of Sir Michael Lyons' independent inquiry into local government funding, in the context of its wider functions and future role before the end of 2006. We will consider how council tax may best be reformed in the light of Sir Michael's recommendations.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2005, Official Report, column 1500W, on council tax revaluation, whether the collection of value significant codes and dwelling house codes will continue following the postponement of the council tax revaluation in England. [39641]
Mr. Woolas:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 197W.
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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's staff computer manual or guidance document for using the automated valuation model for council tax valuation purposes. [33165]
Mr. Woolas: The guidance contains reference to OASIS and Tenet which are commercial products which may be subject to copyright.
Councillors (Allowances)
Mr. Wills: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what allowances are paid to councillors by each local authority in England. [40456]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold the information requested.
Departmental Contracts
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total value is of (a) catering and (b) entertainment contracts let by his Department; and what value of such contracts has been let in each nation and region of the United Kingdom, including London. [37467]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, the following table shows how much the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister central spent on catering, hospitality and official entertainment for the period 1 April 2005 to date. These figures do not include any from the Government Offices which perform functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.
| 1 April 2005 to date | Amount spent |
|---|---|
| Catering | 186,357 |
| Entertainment | 129 |
| Hospitality | 35,332 |
| Total | 221,818 |
Departmental Projects
Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) building and (b) refurbishment projects are planned by his Office in (i) 2005–06 and (ii) 2006–07; and what the expected costs are of each project. [37389]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has the following building and refurbishment projects being undertaken in 2005–06 and planned for in 2006–07.
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The figures provided, which exclude VAT, are gross expenditure and do not reflect receipts from other building occupants.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has defined refurbishment projects to be upgrading and efficiency projects exceeding £100,000.
This answer does not include buildings occupied by Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.
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