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PRIME MINISTER

Alistair Campbell

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether Mr. Alistair Campbell retains security clearance for 10Downing street. [59423]

The Prime Minister: It has been the practice of successive governments not to comment on security issues,

Anniversary

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to commemorate his anniversary of 10 years as Prime Minister. [59422]

The Prime Minister: I focus on delivering the Government's manifesto commitments.

Cabinet Discussions

Mrs. May: To ask the Prime Minister which Ministersare prevented from participating in Cabinet discussions because of a declared interest; and on what subjects. [59434]

The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 13 March 2006, a copy of which is available on the No.10 website. Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet are not disclosed.

Downing Street (Events)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list official events held in 2005 at 10 Downing street to which individuals other than hon. Members and officials were invited where the total numbers present exceeded 30. [59425]

The Prime Minister: The programme of events at No.10 is designed to give access to as many people as possible and includes regular children's tea parties and receptions for a wide cross-section of the community.

I have placed a list of official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing street in 2005 in the Library of the House. The costs of the charity receptions are funded by the charities involved. As was the practice under previous administrations, I have hosted a number of political events at Downing street. The costs of these were met by the Labour Parry.

Lord Levy

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the activities he has asked Lord Levy to carry out for him since 1 May 2005. [59424]

 
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The Prime Minister: In his capacity as Prime Minister's envoy, Lord Levy undertakes meetings to exchange views on a range of issues, including the Middle East Peace Process, Latin America and Kazakhstan.

Lord Levy's diary is regularly published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is available on their website. The latest version will be published shortly.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Adapted Housing

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will provide additional funding to local authorities for the provision of adapted housing for sufferers of motor neurone disease. [55793]

Yvette Cooper: The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) programme provides financial assistance to individuals to adapt their homes and enable them to live as independently as possible. The grant is subject to a means test to ensure that help goes to those in most need. Government funding for DFG in 2006–07 will be £121 million, an increase of 17 per cent. on the previous year.

However, the Government are determined to ensure that grants are paid expeditiously, particularly where people are suffering from degenerative conditions and need urgent help. We are undertaking a wide-ranging, interdepartmental review of the DFG programme and a consultation paper detailing the Government's proposals for change will be issued shortly.

Building Regulations

Graham Stringer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will introduce building regulations to control standards and safety during the installation of oil-fired appliances and oil storage equipment. [57809]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 13 March 2006]: Such regulations already exist as part J of the Building Regulations.

Consultants and Advisers

Mike Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 14 March 2006, Official Report, column 2142W what estimate he has made of the cost of providing the information in each of the three categories required. [59556]

Jim Fitzpatrick: None. As I indicated in my earlier answer of 14 March this information is not held centrally. To obtain this information would require the Office to ask individually every one of its staff, the consultants and paid advisors it employs. We could not insist that this information is provided and consequently could not be confident in its coverage or accuracy.

Council House Sales

Mr. Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the total income in capital receipts from the sale of council housing under the right-to-buy scheme in each Government Office Region in 2004–05. [58674]

 
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Yvette Cooper: Figures for the right-to-buy capital receipts in 2004–05 by Government Office Region can be found on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website http://www.odpm.gov.uk/pub/383/Table648Excel545Kb_idl156383.xls.

Mr. Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will require each local authority to submit a report to his Department setting out the capital programmes it funds using the 25 per cent. of retained capital receipts from the sale of council housing under the right-to-buy scheme. [58691]

Yvette Cooper: We do not intend to require authorities to submit such a report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Development Land Tax

Tim Farron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment his Department has made of the proposed development land tax; and if he will undertake a review to evaluate the potential impact of such a tax on future investment in affordable homes in rural constituencies. [58997]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 16 March 2006]: The consultation document on the Planning-gain Supplement (PGS), published on 5 December 2005, sets out the Government's proposals based on work by HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. We are currently considering the responses received to the consultation, which will help to inform further work looking at the detailed impacts of the planning-gain supplement on different types of development and on different site types.

This work will include examining further any impacts on the process by which affordable housing is delivered, including in rural areas. The consultation document proposes that affordable housing currently provided through the planning process should continue to be delivered through section 106 planning obligations.

Environmentally Sustainable Housing

Vera Baird: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to encourage the use of microgeneration in new build housing. [57922]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 13 March 2006]: The Government recently announced that they will strengthen the Code for Sustainable Homes. For example, in order to further promote on-site energy generation, new homes that use micro-renewable technology such as wind turbines and solar panels will also gain extra points in the code.

The Government are also supporting amendments to the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Private Members Bill to further support micro-renewable technology, encourage more action on micro-generation by local authorities, and improve compliance with building regulations.

Home Buyers Packs

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of (a) the cost
 
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excluding VAT of a home condition report for larger, detached properties and (b) the minimum and maximum costs of producing such a report. [59122]

Yvette Cooper: The cost of the home condition report (HCR) will be set by the market, as is the case with the survey products available to consumers now, and we have not estimated a minimum or maximum cost. Our estimate of £300 (less VAT) is based on the cost of a report on a three bedroom semi-detached house in average condition located in a provincial town. A report on a larger property would be likely to cost more depending on its complexity.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of (a) the cost excluding VAT of a home information pack for larger, detached properties and (b) the minimum and maximum costs of producing such a pack. [59123]

Yvette Cooper: The cost of the pack will be determined by the market. We have not produced a range of assessments but estimate that a home information pack will cost between £600 and £700 for the average home. The most expensive elements of the pack are likely to be the home condition report (HCR) and local searches. The cost of the HCR will vary according to a number of factors, as is the case with surveys now. Local searches are usually charged at a standard rate by search providers, regardless of the size of the home in question.

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