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20 Mar 2006 : Column 63W—continued
Housing Benefit
Margaret Moran: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research he has undertaken on the views of registered social landlords on the removal of housing benefit from tenants who engage in antisocial behaviour. [55689]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not undertaken any research on this subject to date.
Housing Corporation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to merge the Housing Corporation with English Partnerships. [56100]
Yvette Cooper: No decision has been taken to merge the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister believes both organisations are doing important, valuable and complementary work.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will make public the results of his Department's discussions with the Local Government Association on additional financial assistance for local authorities to cover the costs associated with (a) licensing, (b) asylum-seekers, (c) pensions and (d) disposal of electrical equipment; and if he will make a statement. [57460]
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Mr. Woolas: Under the new burdens doctrine the Government are committed to ensuring the net additional costs of new policies are covered. The outcome of the joint work with the Local Government Association to look at the pressures councils face, and the ways central and local government can manage those pressures, was announced in the statement to the House on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's proposals for the funding of local authority revenue spending in 2006–07 and 2007–08 on 5 December 2005, Official Report, column 627WS. This included extra formula grant for the two years over and above previous plans of £305 million and £508 million for local government, and a commitment to the new burdens procedure.
In that statement, it was reiterated that the cost pressures arising from the temporary reinstatement of the 85 year rule in the local government pension scheme will not fall on taxpayers; and the Government's commitment that costs to local authorities from meeting their requirements under the new Licensing Act will be fully met by fees within the national fee regime, provided they are incurred legitimately and efficiently.
Parliament has now approved the ODPM proposals and the Local Government Finance Settlement provides for an overall increase in Government grant of 4.5 per cent. and 5 per cent. over the next two years.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2239W to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather) on local government finance, how much each local authority in England was paid in service debt charges in each year since 1997. [57172]
Yvette Cooper: I have arranged for the information to be made available in the Library of the House detailing the value of each authority's Housing Revenue Account Subsidy entitlement for debt charges. The data for 2005–06 has not yet been audited and should be considered preliminary data only and subject to change.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2239W, to the hon. Member for Brent, East, on local government finance, what the local authority allowances for management, maintenance and major repairs were in each year since 1997; and what the (a) service debt charges and (b) rental income paid to local authorities were in each year in the same period. [57174]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is tabled as follows; the major repairs allowance was introduced on 1 April 2001:
20 Mar 2006 : Column 65W
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on the 2006–07 local government settlement for the London Borough of Bexley. [59656]
Mr. Woolas: The London borough of Bexley submitted two written representations during the consultation period on the provisional local government settlement for 2006–07; one on a range of issues and one specifically on the subject of school capital allocations.
Mayors
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to review the legislation which introduced directly elected mayors. [56359]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is planning to publish a White Paper on the future of local government in the summer.
Milton Keynes Partnerships
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2241W, on Milton Keynes Partnership, what the levels of remuneration are for each member of Milton Keynes Partnerships. [56841]
Yvette Cooper: The remuneration details per annum for members of the Milton Keynes Partnership are as follows:
(24) No.
Mobile Phone Masts
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when district councils were informed of the annual roll-out indicative plans of mobile telephone operators for mast erection in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [59670]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 2001, during September and October, each year the mobile network operators individually wrote to every local authority with details of their network roll-out for the year ahead.
However, in 2005, the operators collaborated to send combined network development plans from a single source; this happened on 27 October. We understand that this will be their continued practice in future years.
Parish Councils
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average length of time taken by his Department to process a parish council application from submission to final approval was in 2004–05. [58514]
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Mr. Woolas: The average length of time taken to process a parish council application by petition from submission to an order being made establishing a new parish in 2004–05 was nine months.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons a final decision has yet to be reached on the parish council application from the South Lathom Residents Association. [58581]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the explanation provided in my reply of 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2832W. I understand the Electoral Commission has still to receive information from West Lancashire district council on their consultation about the electoral arrangements for the proposed parish of Lathom South.
It appears that the district council has now consulted on this matter with local government electors in the proposed parish. Once the Electoral Commission has obtained details about the electoral arrangements of the proposed parish from the district council they will be able to provide advice to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and we can make a final decision about this application.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department follows on the length of time during which consultation on electoral arrangements for parish council applications should be conducted. [58583]
Mr. Woolas: None. The responsibility for electoral arrangements for parish council reviews and petitions applications lies with the Electoral Commission. It is for them to determine any guidance on such arrangements.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date the application for a parish council from the South Lathom Residents Association was submitted to his Department. [58584]
Mr. Woolas: The petition for a parish council for Lathom South was sent to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister by West Lancashire district council on 20 October 2003.
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