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16 Mar 2006 : Column 2446W—continued
Town and Country Planning Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the operation of section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended; [54202]
(2) if he will list the occasions when he has revoked planning permission under section 100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended, since 1997; [54203]
(3) what recent representations he has received about his powers under section 100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended; and if he will make a statement. [54204]
Yvette Cooper: Local planning authorities have power under s97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to make an order revoking or modifying a planning permission, prior to it being implemented, where they consider it expedient to do so. They should have regard to the development plan and to any other material consideration. This is not a routine justification since the fact that planning permission was granted indicates that the development was considered acceptable at the time. If an order is opposed, it has to be confirmed by the Secretary of State before it can take effect.
The Secretary of State has power, under s100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, to revoke or modify a planning permission granted by a local planning authority. Revocation or modification can only be made before a planning permission is implemented. The Secretary of State can use these powers as he thinks fit, after consultation with the local planning authority. Such intervention by the Secretary of State can only be justified in exceptional circumstances. However, the Secretary of State will generally use this power only if the original decision is judged to be grossly wrong, so that damage is likely to be done to the wider public interest.
Where orders come before the Secretary of State the decision will be taken only after considering the evidence by way of written representations, a hearing or a public local inquiry. The more controversial cases will almost inevitably go to inquiry.
Since 1997 the Secretary of State has used this power on 5 March 1998 to make a modification order to remove Al retail use from outline planning permission for an industrial site granted by Alnwick district council and on 9 March 2000 to make a revocation and a modification order in respect of proposals for a factory outlet shopping village in an isolated location in Restormel, Cornwall.
The Office does not record representations received about the powers of the Secretary of State to revoke planning permissions.
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Water Usage
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans are in place to include water use reduction measures in building regulations. [53833]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 27 February 2006]: We intend to regulate to reduce water use in new buildings. We are currently reviewing Building and Water Fitting Regulations with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and expect to publish detailed proposals later in the year.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Courts (Sitting Hours)
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to extend the sitting hours of criminal courts; and if she will make a statement. [58649]
Ms Harman: The Government's Supporting Magistrates Courts to provide Justice" White Paper" published on 7 November 2005, states that the Government believe that greater flexibility should be introduced for magistrates court sitting hours where practical arrangements can be agreed locally with other key criminal justice system agencies. It sets out the need for magistrates courts to sit for a minimum of five hours per day, for each day that the courts are open.
Electoral Commission
Julie Morgan: To ask the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the operation of the Electoral Commission. [53921]
Ms Harman [pursuant to the reply, 28 February 2006, Official Report, c. 121]: My previous answer stated that the Electoral Commission is an independent body established by Parliament reporting to the Speaker's Committee. Should they so wish, Members of Parliament may meet with Representatives of the Electoral Commission to discuss its work in areas such as electoral registration, election fraud and registration of service voters, so we have that additional transparency. Further to this Members of Parliament can ask the Speaker's Committee about the Commission's work.
Freedom of Information
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2193W, on freedom of information, if she will bring forward legislation to include sports trusts providing services on behalf of a local authority within the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [58415]
Ms Harman:
We are currently evaluating the impact of the FOI Act 2000 on those public bodies covered by the legislation. This evaluation will inform consideration of how best to use the power contained in Section 5 of the Act which provides for extension of coverage.
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Immigration Judges
Clare Short: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what monitoring is undertaken of the decisions of individual immigration judges; and whether the results indicate that decision-making is consistent. [58554]
Bridget Prentice: Immigration Judges are independent members of the Judiciary, and as such it would be inappropriate for the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) to monitor or comment upon individual judicial decisions. Immigration Judges determine appeals based on their own findings of fact and by applying the law as established to that particular claim. Current case law and country guidance notes are available for Immigration Judges' reference in ensuring consistency of approach in determining appeals that raise similar issues.
Within the AIT, a judicial management structure has been formed through the introduction of Designated Immigration Judges (DIJ) at each of the Tribunal's hearing centres. DIJ's guide and support small teams of Immigration Judges together with conducting regular appraisals with Immigration Judges. The judicial structure seeks to ensure that all judiciary have the resources and legislative knowledge to continue to produce high quality decisions within the Tribunal.
Job Relocation (Wales)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many jobs in her Department have been relocated to Wales since 2001. [57694]
Ms Harman: No DCA jobs have relocated to Wales since 2001.
Voter Registration
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have been penalised under the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 for failing to return voter registration forms since 2001, broken down by (a) region and (b) county. [57895]
Ms Harman: Information on the number of prosecutions for this offence is not collected centrally or by region and county.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefits
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Lancashire constituency have received (a) widow's benefit, (b) housing benefit, (c) council tax credit and (d) income support in each year since 1997. [58517]
Mr. Plaskitt: Widows benefit is not available broken down geographically prior to 1999. Housing benefit and council tax benefit figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency; local authority figures have been provided.
The available information is in the tables.
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n/a=Figures not applicable
Notes:
1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. Bereavement benefit, which replaced widows benefit for new claims, was introduced in April 2001.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent.
Notes:
1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
3. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.
4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-count taken in August 1997 to August 2005.
Notes:
1. Figures for August 1999 to August 2005 are from the DWP 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, while figures for August 1997 and August 1998 are derived by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. totals.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
3. Income support figures exclude minimum income guarantee (MIG); pension credit replaced MIG on the 6 October 2003 and ended IS entitlement to customers aged 60+. Pension credit cases are not included in the figures in the table.
Source:
DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. samples
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Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action the Government are taking to encourage local authorities to develop strategies aimed at promoting take-up of benefits; and what national assessment has been made of the strategies already in place. [55932]
Mr. Plaskitt: For the third year running, we are working with local authorities' in running publicity and marketing take up campaigns, aimed at getting people who are entitled to council tax benefit to claim it.
People claiming pension credit can now claim housing benefit and council tax benefit at the same time. The Pension Service takes their details over the telephone and fills in a three page claim form on their behalf, so all they have to do is check and sign it before sending it on to the local authority for processing.
Although no national assessment has been made, evaluation from last year's awareness campaign revealed that before the campaign, 13 per cent. of respondents knew something about council tax benefit; this was 29 per cent. after the campaign. The corresponding figures for people aged 65 and over were 27 per cent. and 50 per cent. respectively.
The housing benefit/council tax benefit performance standards, against which local authorities are inspected by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate and assessed for the comprehensive performance assessment, require local authorities to have a strategy to encourage take-up. Their activities should go beyond the first step of raising awareness and should include targeted campaigns and partnership working with other stakeholders such as The Pension Service and voluntary agencies to maximise take up of all benefits.
In addition, when pension credit was introduced in October 2003, we invested almost £0.5 billion a year in increasing the amounts on which housing benefit and council tax benefit are based. This meant that around 2 million pensioner households became either entitled to council tax benefit for the first time or qualified for more help.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made in terms of each of the non-contributory benefits of the proportion of people who are entitled to access benefits who fail to do so; what measures are in place to encourage awareness of and access to those schemes and benefits, with particular reference to people who (a) are not able to read and (b) are not on the electoral roll. [55933]
Mr. Plaskitt: The latest available information is in Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take Up in 2003/2004", a copy of which is in the Library.
There are no specific awareness schemes aimed at people who are not on the electoral roll, but we do all we can to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they are entitled and how to claim them. For example, for the third year we are running publicity and marketing take-up campaigns with local authorities' support, aimed at getting people who are entitled to, but not getting, council tax benefit to claim it.
The Pension Service has also written to every pensioner household to tell them about pension credit. It has done this through a number of campaign
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initiatives such as the You're Missing Out" direct mailings targeted at 1.5 million people most likely to be entitled. Direct mailings are issued using the latest addresses held within departmental records and are not dependent on electoral rolls. If a customer does not respond to the direct mailing, this will be followed up with a telephone call and if the customer can not be contacted by phone or does not wish to use the phone to conduct their business, the Pension Service will undertake a home visit to discuss entitlement to pension credit and any other service or benefit to which the customer may be entitled.
For customers who are unable to read, pension credit has been advertised on national and regional TV and radio. Pension credit leaflets are published in audio format. In addition, the Pension Service local service works closely with community partners to capture a much wider customer base and reach some of the most vulnerable pensioners in order that they receive their entitlement to pension credit and any other benefits and services.
Income support and jobseeker's allowance information is available to customers through leaflets and posters in Jobcentre Plus offices, and through a number of community partners, such as citizens advice bureaux and GPs' surgeries. Information is also available on the Jobcentre Plus and Department for Work and Pensions websites. Leaflets are also published in audio format for customers unable to read.
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where (a) claimants and (b) recipients of (i) Child Benefit, (ii) Child Support, (iii) Severe disablement allowance, (iv) Industrial injuries benefit, (v) Income Support, (vi) Jobseeker's Allowance, (vii) Job Grant, (viii) Earnings top up (ix) Statutory sick pay, (x) Statutory Maternity Pay, (xi) Maternity allowance, (xii) Incapacity elements, (xiii) child elements in Income Support, (xiv) state pensions, (xv) non-contributory state pension, (xvi) Christmas Bonus, (xvii) pension credit, (xviii) TV licences for over 75s, (xix) widow's benefit, (xx) War Pensions, (xxi) Winter fuel payments, (xxii) bonuses and payments from the Social Fund, (xxiii) Crisis Loans, (xxiv) funeral payments, (xxv) Attendance Allowance, (xxvi) Disability Living Allowance, (xxvii) Disability Working Allowance, (xxviii) Carer's Allowance, (xxix) Invalid Care Allowance, (xxx) Vaccine Damage Payments, (xxxi) Motability specialised vehicles, (xxxii) council tax benefit, (xxxiii) Housing Benefit and discretionary housing payments, (xxxiv) Independent Living Funds, (xxxv) New Deal allowances and credits, (xxxvi) over 65s payment, (xxxvii) over 70s payment, (xxxviii) Guardian's allowance and (xxxix) Child's Special Allowance who live in County Durham may go to receive face-to-face advice from departmental staff about their entitlements and circumstances. [48546]
Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 9 February 2006]: Jobcentre Plus offices and The Pension Service Local Service Information Points in County Durham will provide personal advice on those benefits listed that are administered by DWP.Jobcentre Plus is in the process of transforming the way in which it delivers its services to customers. In County Durham Jobcentre Plus services are now delivered from a network of ten newly equipped Jobcentre Plus offices in Bishop Auckland, Chester le
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Street, Consett, Crook, Durham, Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Spennymoor, Stanley and Seaham. All these offices provide a face-to-face service and will offer appropriate advice about benefit entitlements.
In addition to the personal service provided through Jobcentre Plus offices improvements to be introduced in 2006 will allow customers to access services through the telephone and through the Internet.
The Pension Service provides assistance to those customers who are unable to conduct their business over the telephone and require face-to-face contact. Home visits are carried out through 'Local Service' which is the visiting arm of the Pension Service. Customers can also make appointments to visit one of the regular sessions held by Local Service, referred to as 'Information Points', in places that they are familiar with, such as Age concern and CAB outlets, local libraries and community centres, local hospitals and residential homes. In County Durham there are Information Points in Bishop Auckland and Chester-le-Street.
The following benefits listed are not administered by DWP but signposting advice is available from Jobcentre Plus and The Pension Service:
Child Benefit, Child Support, TV licences for over 75s, Motability Specialised vehicles, Independent Living Funds, Guardian's Allowance.
Earnings Top Up is no longer available, and income related benefits whilst in employment are now covered by Tax Credits.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 246W, on housing benefit, whether his Department holds copies of the responses to the Housing Green Paper, Quality and Choice: A Decent Home for All", relating to the modernisation of housing benefit. [57958]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold copies of the responses. The then Departments of the Environment Transport and the Regions (DETR) and Social Security issued the Housing Green Paper—Quality and Choice; A Decent Home for All" in April 2000. DETR (now Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) officials collated responses to the Green Paper and published the results in December 2000.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is to date of the Pathfinders pilots of local housing allowance in each pathfinder area; and how much of this cost was met (a) by the benefit authority and (b) from central funds. [56282]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The total benefit expenditure (AME) on the local housing allowance and the total local housing allowance benefit subsidy from central Government in 2004–05 are presented by Pathfinder area in table 1. These costs do not represent the additional benefit costs due to the local housing allowance and a large proportion of these costs would have been incurred under the current housing benefit scheme had the local housing allowance not been introduced in these Pathfinder areas.
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Note:
Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £000.
Source:
LHA1 forms
Information on the total administration costs (DEL) of each of the Pathfinder areas is not available. Information on the administration costs funded by central Government for the local housing allowance alone is also not available at local authority level. Pathfinder local authorities receive funding based on what it is reasonably expected to cost them in administering the local housing allowance. All Pathfinders are receiving additional funding to implement the local housing allowance, run the Pathfinder project, contribute to the evaluation activity and procure the necessary software. Table 2 provides the breakdown of this additional funding for each year since the introduction of the local housing allowance.
Notes:
1. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £000.
2. Of the total figures in this table, IT expenditure accounts for £1,281,000 in 2003–04, £64,000 in 2004–05 and £26,000 in 2005–06.
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