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18 Apr 2006 : Column 116W—continued
Local Government (Pensions)
Mr. Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has discussed with the Scottish Executive changes to the local government pension scheme. [61318]
Mr. Woolas: I discussed the local government pension scheme with Tom McCabe, Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform at the Scottish Executive, on 7 March 2006.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Local Government Pension Scheme will participate in the Pension Protection Fund. [62280]
Mr. Woolas: The pension benefits paid under the terms of the Local Government Pension Scheme are guaranteed by statute. As a public service pension scheme, therefore, there is no reason why it needs to participate in the Pension Protection Fund.
Local Government Expenditure
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of local government revenue expenditure was financed through parking charges and fees in each year since 1997–98; and what the estimated figure is for 2006–07. [60196]
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Mr. Woolas: Revenue expenditure is financed by grants, council tax and changes in reserves. Income from services, including parking, do not finance revenue expenditure, but are netted off from service expenditure when determining revenue expenditure. It is therefore not possible to calculate a proportion of revenue expenditure financed by parking charges and fees.
Local Government Restructuring
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the meetings that the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for local government has had with local authority (a) officials and (b) representatives concerning local government restructuring in the last 12 months. [52884]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 March 2006, Official Report, columns 941–42W to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas).
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government's plans for local government restructuring involve potential changes to the boundaries of existing unitary authorities. [62309]
Mr. Woolas: We have launched a public debate about the governance arrangements for local areas and are interested to hear all views on the merits of change and how it might be made. We intend to finalise our position around the middle of the year at about the same time as the publication of the proposed White Paper.
London Governance
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 24 November 2005, Official Report, column 2238W, on London governance, when he expects to publish the outcome of his consultation; and whether he plans to do so before the London local elections. [62207]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government aims to publish a final package of additional powers for the Mayor of London and London Assembly later in the spring. We do not intend to publish the final package before the local elections on 4 May.
Mines Rescue Service
David Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on the (a) past, (b) present and (c) future utilisation of the specialist skills of the Mines Rescue Service by fire and rescue services; and if he will make a statement. [60262]
Jim Fitzpatrick
[holding answer 21 March 2006]: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not received any representations on the utilisation of the Mines Rescue Service, though technical and operational advice has been sought from Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate in relation to particular specialist incidents. Over the years Fire and Rescue Services in whose areas the Mines Rescue Service is located have maintained close links with it, particularly where there are working mines.
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I have undertaken, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant), 8 March 2006, Official Report, column 809, to consider how the specialist skills of the Mines Rescue Service may be used in future major incidents.
A close relationship has been forged with the Mines Rescue Service through ODPM's New Dimension Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) project over the last few years. This relationship was effectively demonstrated through the response to the Glasgow factory collapse in May 2004, whereby USAR and Mines Rescue Service teams worked closely together. I would anticipate that there will be future involvement between the USAR project and the Mines Rescue Service to address operational and other issues.
Neighbourhood/Community Warden Schemes
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what central direct funding his Department has provided to each local authority (a) neighbourhood and (b) community warden scheme since 1997. [62290]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister made available £84 million to directly fund three rounds of warden schemes across England since 2000. Tables showing the funding to each local authority have been made available in the Library of the House.
Parish Precepts
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average parish precept in England was in each year since 1997–98; and what the estimated figure is for 2006–07. [62307]
Mr. Woolas: For earlier years, I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the Member for Kettering on 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1733W.
The total amount precepted by parish and town councils for 2006–07 is £282 million. This is shown in Table 3 of the statistical release on the Levels of Council Tax Set by Local Authorities in England 2006–07", which is available at: http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctax067.pdf
Pathfinder Schemes
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) targets and (b) performance indicators that the Government have set for each of the pathfinder schemes; and what the latest performance is against each. [56185]
Yvette Cooper: Data is not yet available for the outcome up to March 2006. Some pathfinders have adjusted the balance of their progress in response to consultation or changing market circumstances. In some areas development has been put back in order to incorporate longer consultations.
The following table shows the key performance indicators that are contained in each pathfinder's funding agreement for the period between implementation of the agreement at 31 March 2006 and the performance against them up to September 2005, the latest information available.
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Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what legally binding (a) requirements, (b) contracts and (c) targets the Government have agreed with the pathfinder schemes. [56186]
Yvette Cooper: The pathfinders have funding agreements with the Government up to 31 March 2006. These agreements include expected levels of key outputs on the number of homes affected, but can also cover land and covered property in the areas.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2005, Official Report, columns 814–15W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on pathfinder areas, if he will estimate (a) the number of demolitions funded by
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Housing Market Renewal Grant in each pathfinder area in (i) 2005–06 and (ii) 2006–07 and (b) the total payments to the housing market renewal pathfinders, including housing market renewal funding, for 2005–06. [56053]
Yvette Cooper: The following table provides information on the number of demolitions, refurbishments and new builds funded by the Housing Market Renewal Fund (HMRF) in 2005–06 as at 30 September 2005 (the latest information available) and the amount of grant payments to housing market renewal pathfinders in respect of expenditure between April 2005 and January 2006. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have not yet concluded funding agreements for 2006–07 so estimates of outputs are not yet available.
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