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13 Mar 2006 : Column 1952W—continued
Winter Sports Teams
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of maintaining winter sport teams for each of the services in the last three years. [56450]
Mr. Touhig: The costs of maintaining winter sports teams in each of the three services for the season 2005–06 are: Royal Navy, £28,833 from public funds and £67,480 from non-public funds; Army, £17,161 public funds and £37,900 non-public funds; and the Royal Air Force, £22,966 from public funds and £32,410 non-public funds. Figures are not readily available for the previous two years and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. Eight service sports men and women were selected for the British team at the recent Winter Olympics, which represents 20 per cent. of the team.
Youth Justice Board
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he (a) has held and (b) plans to hold with the Youth Justice Board about providing support to cadet force organisations. [57469]
Mr. Touhig: The Ministry of Defence and Youth Justice Board (YJB) have held two formal meetings at official level. The first was on 18 May 2004 and the second on 21 February 2006. A further meeting before Easter is planned, although a specific date is yet to be agreed. In addition, the MOD is in regular touch with the YJB at desk level concerning our joint support of youth activities.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Building Regulations (Part L)
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will delay the implementation of part L of the Building Regulations for six months to allow business further time to acquaint itself with the accompanying documentation and software. [54827]
Yvette Cooper:
In my press release of 13 September 2005 I announced that we were introducing the changes to part L of the Building Regulations two years early in April 2006. This includes a deferral of three months from the implementation date set out in the Energy White Paper, to give the building industry sufficient time to prepare. Draft versions of the technical guidance were also made available in September 2005 and final software from October 2005. I intend to lay the statutory instrument and publish final approved documents in sufficient time for the April 2006 amendment.
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Departmental Pay
Mr. Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level is of the London Weighting element of pay given to employees of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [57131]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) on 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2216W.
Departmental Staff
Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new measures are being put in place to deal with bullying in his Department; and how these measures will differ from current practice. [51157]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently reviewing its policy and guidance to staff on bullying. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will set out full details of any changes to its current policy and guidance in its response to the ODPM: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee First Report of Session 2005–06.
Green Parks
Mr. Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on planned funding of green parks in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England. [57226]
Mr. Woolas: Public parks and green space are primarily funded by local authorities through their revenue budgets. Decisions on spending are therefore a matter for them to determine in line with local priorities.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made more targeted money available for parks over the past five years, through the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund. The ODPM has also committed £5.45 million to green space projects in Northamptonshire, through its Growth Areas Fund programme.
The quality of urban parks has improved since 2000, as recognised by the recent National Audit Office (NAO) report, 'Enhancing Urban Green Spaces'. The ODPM remains committed to supporting local authorities to deliver quality parks and green spaces through our Cleaner, Safer, Greener Communities programme.
Housing
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 188W, to the hon. Member for Brent East, on housing, how many units (a) built and (b) procured under (i) the Starter Home Initiative, (ii) the Key Worker Living Programme and (iii) other key workers housing schemes have been sold to non-key workers under the cascade mechanism in (A) the south-east, (B) London and (C) the East of England in each year for which figures are available. [57149]
Yvette Cooper:
The cascade mechanism developed for the Key Worker Living programme did not come into operation until 2005. No dwellings developed through the Starter Home Initiative or Challenge Fund are subject to the cascade mechanism.
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Thirty-two dwellings in the south-east out of the 2190 dwellings completed through the Key Worker Living programme had their eligibility criteria widened to include non-key workers through the cascade mechanism in 2005–06.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the registered social landlords who specialise in housing ex-forces personnel. [57069]
Yvette Cooper: The Housing Corporation does not record data on registered social landlord (RSL) housing provision in such a way as would allow us to give a complete list of those RSLs specialising in housing ex-service personnel except at disproportionate cost. All RSLs may house former members of the armed services provided the RSLs eligibility criteria are met. There are a number of associations which were established specifically to house ex-forces personnel, although their objects may have diversified since their inception. These include: Haig Homes; Housing 21 (formerly Royal British Legion Housing Association); Enham; Royal Air Forces Association Housing Ltd., and the Ex-Service Fellowship Centres.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will announce the Housing Corporation's National Affordable Housing programme for 2006 to 2008. [57122]
Yvette Cooper: A decision on the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing programme for 2006 to 2008 is expected to be announced later this month and announcements on individual allocations will be made subsequent to that.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of housing stock is (a) listed and (b) in a conservation area. [55779]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not collected centrally and exact figures are unavailable. However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published Protecting our historic environment: making the system work better" in October 2003. This estimated that approximately 1 per cent. of dwellings are listed. This estimate was based on a number of sources, including the English Heritage State of the Historic Environment Report 2002".
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many social housing units were built with Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant funding in 2004–05. [57216]
Yvette Cooper: Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant (TLASHG) provided 3,695 homes for rent and low-cost home ownership in 2004–05. Of these, 3,187 were for social rent.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the final figures were for expenditure on transitional local authority social housing grant in each Government office region in 2004–05. [57230]
Yvette Cooper:
The following table shows spend in each Government Office region in 2004–05 for Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant (TLASHG). The table is divided into spend provided via the Housing Corporation to Registered Social Landlords for schemes in debt free authorities and that
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provided by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to with debt local authorities who received interest only payments in order to support the repayment of loans.
Figures for with debt authorities are subject to validation and do not include retrospective claims of around £90,000.
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