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5 Jun 2006 : Column 201W—continued
Euro-preparation Group
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the local authorities' euro preparations group will next meet. [70591]
Ed Balls: I have been asked to reply
The Euro Preparations Unit (EPU) in HM Treasury takes the lead in co-ordinating appropriate euro preparations across the economy. As part of its regular programme of activities with stakeholders, EPU intends to host a further meeting between local authorities and central Government officials in the autumn.
Fire Service
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments have been made by her Department to the Chief Fire Officers' Association in each year since 2002. [73401]
Angela E. Smith: Grants to Chief Fire Officers' Association or its predecessor organisation, Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers' Association were as follows:
| £ | |
| Amount | |
The 2006-07 payment is the first of four proposed payments totalling £815,000.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) staffing and (b) administrative costs of its Fire Service Group have been since 2002. [73402]
Angela E. Smith: Since 2002 responsibility for fire services within the Department has been restructured several times and historic figures are not available in the form requested. The current staffing in relation to fire and rescue service is 173 and expenditure for 2005-06 on administration was £9.4 million.
Flood Protection
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list those councils which offer their council taxpayers a flood protection product discounted scheme. [74326]
Mr. Woolas: The Department is not aware of any local authority which offers assistance to residents for the purchase of flood protection products by means of council tax discounts.
Growth Areas Fund
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding will be allocated to the Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough Growth Corridor by her Department for public parks and green spaces under the auspices of the Growth Areas Fund in the next five years; and if she will make a statement. [73074]
Yvette Cooper: The London Stansted Cambridge Peterborough Growth Area will benefit from £17.7 million investment in 17 projects over the period 2004 to 2008, for the improvement and creation of new green spaces. This includes £1 million for the Peterborough Green Park South project, which compliments other flagship projects such as Coton Countryside Reserve and the Wicken Fen Vision. These projects will be delivered by local authorities and a number of specialist organisations, including the Wildlife Trusts and Groundwork.
This significant funding package represents part of the £38 million the Department for Communities and Local Government is investing in the three newer growth areas through the Growth Areas Fund (GAP) to support the delivery of green infrastructure, meeting our 10 per cent. funding commitment set out in the Government's response to the Barker report. Growth Area Funding post 2008 is subject to the outcome of the comprehensive spending review 2007.
Home Information Packs
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Government have made of the number of individuals likely to be fined each year for attempting to sell a
home without a home information pack once the proposal is implemented. [70602]
Yvette Cooper: Home information packs offer benefits for sellers as well as buyers. We do not expect widespread failure to comply with the home information pack duties. The main focus of enforcement by local weights and measures authorities will be aimed at providing information and advice to help estate agents and others to comply with the duties. Penalty charges are likely to be reserved for serious breaches—for example a persistent failure to comply with home information pack obligations.
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of including information on water metering in the home information pack. [71032]
Yvette Cooper: A drainage and water search is obtained by most buyers now and will therefore be a required document in the home information pack. The search currently costs around £30 plus VAT and includes information on a range of matters relating to drainage and water other than water metering. The search will include information on the location of water meters, whether the water supply is currently metered and whether this arrangement is likely to change following a change of occupancy.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will delay the introduction of home information packs to take account of concerns expressed by the industry. [73898]
Yvette Cooper: We have published the timetable for implementation and are on track to meet the 1 June 2007 target. Home information packs are being introduced to benefit consumers.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to review the requirements for home information packs; and if she will make a statement. [73907]
Yvette Cooper: The regulations which we plan to lay shortly will contain details of the content of home information packs. These have been widely consulted upon, and are well understood by the principal stakeholders, the details of the home information packs will be tested as part of the dry run.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received expressing concerns about the introduction of home information packs; from which organisations such representations have come; and what the nature is of the concerns expressed. [73908]
Yvette Cooper: A wide variety of views have been received over many years and discussions take place regularly with all the major stakeholders. Some of those who make money out of the current system for buying and selling homes are opposed to home information packs and have always been. The main organisation representing consumers is strongly in favour of home information packs.
Home Inspectors
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the candidates registered for home inspector training have no (a) previous qualification and (b) practical work experience related to property (i) surveying and (ii) construction. [72421]
Yvette Cooper: The latest figures provided by the assessment centres in May indicate that 60 per cent. of the candidates were chartered surveyors. We have no detailed breakdown of the remainder. All those qualifying as home inspectors will have reached the appropriate national standard irrespective of their experience or previous qualifications.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether an individual convicted of a criminal offence will be eligible to become a certified home inspector. [46947]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
Currently, there are no checks on the criminal records of people conducting home surveys and valuation inspections. The 2004 Housing Act requires home inspectors to be fit and proper persons to carry out inspections. Those wishing to become home inspectors will therefore be subject to a full background investigation, involving a Criminal Records Bureau check. We are working with the Home Office on developing an approach similar to that used for people wishing to become police officers.
Housing
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings would be constructed in an acre of residential development with a density of (a) 30, (b) 50 and (c) 70 dwellings per hectare. [70697]
Yvette Cooper: One acre is 0.405 hectare and therefore basic maths shows that the number of dwellings on one acre of land, on the basis set out, would be: (a) 12, (b) 20 and (c) 28 dwellings.
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which councils have firm plans in place to meet the decent homes standard for existing housing stock. [71024]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 12 May 2006]: The majority of councils now have time plans in to meet the decent homes standard for existing stock. Seven councils have plans for delivery but are awaiting Government Office sign off (Birmingham, East Devon, Stroud, Isles of Scilly, North Tyneside, Ribble Valley and the London borough of Merton) 46 authorities have firm plans in place but are waiting for the bidding round for arms length management organisations and stock transfers which will be launched shortly. Two currently have no plans in place (Camden and Ellesmere Port.)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she make a statement on the provision of affordable housing in Coventry South. [70956]
Yvette Cooper: It is not possible to provide separate figures for Coventry South.
Allocations to provide new affordable housing are made from the national Affordable Housing Programme, on the recommendation of the Regional Housing Board, and through a local bidding process to the Housing Corporation.
For 2004-06 the city of Coventry was allocated £7.4 million from the Housing Corporation to provide 174 units of affordable housing.
For 2006-08 just over £9 million has been allocated to fund 255 units, and this represents a 21 per cent. increase in funding from the Affordable Housing Programme to Coventry city council.
During 2004-06 the city delivered 208 new affordable homes in Coventry, of which:
95 were achieved through planning gain (section 106 agreements), providing 64 homes for rent and 31 for shared ownership;
An additional 57 homes for rent were provided through an acquisition and refurbishment programme.
During 2006-08 the city council expects to provide 320 new affordable homes in Coventry, of which:
160 are expected to be achieved through planning gain (section 106 agreements); providing 80 for rent and 80 for shared ownership;
An additional 30 homes for rent are expected to be delivered through an acquisition and refurbishment programme.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with church authorities on releasing land and buildings for social housing. [72499]
Yvette Cooper: My officials have had occasional discussions with a number of housing providers and landowners, including the Church Commissioners, on the issue of affordable housing provision. The Church Commissioners consider that they have a legal obligation to obtain the best possible long term return on property disposals.
Jaywick
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funds have been made available for the regeneration of Jaywick; over what period of time these funds may be spent; from what sources the funds have been provided; and if she will make a statement. [74000]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is subject to the Jaywick Options Assessment Report which has been prepared by the consultants Llewelyn Davies Yeang. The report has been circulated to the Jaywick Agencies Group who will decide on a way forward for Jaywick and the project on these matters at their next meeting, due to take place before the end of June 2006. I have asked my officials to write to the hon. Member once this information is available.
Mr. Carswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of the proposals outlined
for consultation in the Jaywick regeneration plan for the compulsory purchase of homes; and if she will make a statement. [74001]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is subject to the Jaywick Options Assessment Report which has been prepared by the consultants Llewelyn Davies Yeang. The report has been circulated to the Jaywick Agencies Group who will decide on a way forward for Jaywick and the project on these matters at their next meeting, due to take place before the end of June 2006. I have asked my officials to write to the hon. Member once this information is available.
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of the agencies involved in the Jaywick master plan will take overall responsibility for ensuring that the plan takes the concerns of local residents into account. [73197]
Yvette Cooper: Tendring district council and EEDA have joint responsibility for managing the master plan project and ensuring that the plan takes the concerns of local residents into account.
The master plan tender contract with the consultants Llewelyn Davies Young included a clause about the need for community engagement to ensure that the interests of all residents are taken into account. The consultants have organised and held a number of public meetings in 2006 to gain an understanding of local needs. The outcome of these meetings will inform the detailed masterplanning, due to be completed in June 2006.
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether overall responsibility for the Jaywick master plan proposal lies with (a) the East of England Development Agency, (b) the Government Office of the East of England (Go-East), (c) Tendring district council, (d) her Department and (e) another organisation. [73198]
Yvette Cooper: Responsibility for the master plan project lies jointly with of the East of England Development Agency and Tendring district council, on behalf of the Jaywick Agencies Group (East of England Development Agency, GO-East, Essex county council, Tendring district council, Environment Agency). The project is being funded by EEDA.
Local Government Finance
Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the total cost of (a) collecting and (b) administering council tax in each of the last five years. [55766]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The total cost of collecting council tax (including administration costs) in England in each of the last five years is as follows:
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