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Local Elections

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1625W, to the hon. Member for Meriden, on local elections, which local authorities (a) are in the process of changing and (b) have formally requested a change to a whole council election cycle since that answer. [57686]

Mr. Woolas: Since the last answer the Order implementing whole council elections in Broadland district council has been made and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects a formal request from Eastbourne in the near future.

Microgeneration

Vera Baird: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the merits of using council tax incentives to encourage the installation of microgeneration in private and rented accommodation. [57878]

Mr. Woolas: None.

Neighbourhood Wardens

Vera Baird: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he plans to take to strengthen local authority neighbourhood warden schemes. [57918]

Mr. Woolas: Funding is available to local authorities through both the neighbourhood renewal fund and the neighbourhood element of the safer stronger communities fund to develop warden schemes if they choose to do so. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also continues to strengthen and sustain warden schemes through the advice and support available through the regional warden resource centres.

Planning (Schools)

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of Planning Inspectorate rulings relating to planning applications for expanding schools over the last five years. [54538]

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

Single Status Scheme

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost of the Single Status Scheme for council employees to (a) Tamworth borough council, (b) Staffordshire county council and (c) all councils in England; and what financial support the Government are providing to local authorities for implementing the scheme. [58108]

Mr. Woolas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shipley on 6 March 2006, Official Report, column 1169W.

Sustainable Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government plans to extend the Code for Sustainable Buildings to include requirements in respect of (a) build quality and (b) durability of construction methods and materials. [54684]

Yvette Cooper: The consultation on the proposed code closed on 6 March 2006, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 9 March 2006 that we will strengthen the Code for Sustainable Homes in order to increase environmental sustainability and give home owners better information about the running costs of their homes.

Further analysis of the consultation responses is not yet complete, so it is too early to say exactly which issues concerning build quality and durability will be included within any revised code.

But I can confirm that, in the light of the issues raised by this consultation, the ODPM will be introducing a series of revisions to the code as well as undertaking further research into future improvements.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will incorporate flood resilience into the Code for Sustainable Buildings. [54699]

Yvette Cooper: Consultation on the code has just completed. We are currently considering the responses. Final decisions on the scope have yet to be made.

Thames Gateway

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies are taking to ensure an adequate provision of (i) cultural and (ii) sporting facilities in the Thames Gateway development; and if he will make a statement. [56918]

Yvette Cooper: The Government's strategy for the Thames Gateway, Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway" (March 2005) recognises the importance that culture plays in bringing people together socially, so that they form mixed and integrated communities. The Government believe that communities with culture at their core are often more vibrant and ultimately more attractive places to live.
 
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The Thames Gateway Programme Fund has already been used for a number of cultural projects across the Gateway including:

£1.45 million for the refurbishment of the Thameside library and theatre complex in Grays;

£1.75 million for the creation of the award winning Old Laban dance centre in Lewisham;

£100,000 for the refurbishment of The Broadway arts venue and training facility in Barking;

The acquisition of a former factory sports club, in Gravesend, and its transformation into a sport, social and cultural asset for the community.

Over £20 million of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's funding is going into the regeneration of Dartford town centre. This is helping to provide real impetus to the wider regeneration across the town. Although not being funded by ODPM, this complements the construction of a new stadium, not only as a multi sports community facility but to support the return of Dartford Football Club to the town centre and the adjacent Leigh technical college is to be rebuilt as an academy school specialising in sport, enterprise and business. These developments are all on the new Fastrack route providing for enhanced accessibility.

Heritage sites in Chatham, Fort Amherst and in Gravesend, Old Town Hall, have also been in receipt of ODPM funding towards preservation and development.

Sport England provide the strategic lead for sport in England and are responsible for delivering the Government's sporting objectives. As part of this objective, they help local authorities plan for the provision of sporting facilities including playing pitches, golf courses and other sports requiring green areas.

One major project that Sport England are doing in partnership with the Thames Gateway Strategy and delivery divisions of ODPM is the Thames Gateway North Kent Cultural Framework and Toolkit. The project, funded to the tune of £60,000 by the Thames Gateway delivery unit, is to develop a framework for culture in the area to set a consistent context for cultural planning in Thames Gateway North Kent.

The toolkit will bring together in one place the analytical tools used by the various cultural agencies, such as Sport England's planning contributions toolkit, to help local authorities in particular to deliver cultural facilities through the planning system.

It is further hoped that the local regeneration partnerships will incorporate this thinking into their planning processes, with ODPM approval, so that a consistent approach to cultural provision is embedded in the planning process.

Finally, the 2012 games will leave a legacy of world class sporting facilities for both elite and community use. The facilities will comprise a 25,000 seat stadium, an aquatic centre with two 50m pools and diving facilities, a hockey centre, a velodrome and BMX area, and a multisports arena.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Active Communities Directorate

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many organisations representing the women's voluntary and community
 
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sector have been short listed for the Active Communities Directorate Strategic Funding Programme. [57236]

Paul Goggins: The Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) continues to receive funding under the Active Communities Directorate Strategic Funding Programme as part of a pre-existing agreement on unrestricted grant-aid to WRVS.A number of umbrella Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations were short-listed where their work includes representing women's interests relating to the VCS. No organisations with sole responsibility for representing women's interests relating to the VCS were able to satisfy the selection criteria.

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