| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
21 Jun 2006 : Column 1871W—continued
Departmental Report
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many copies of the Cabinet Office Departmental Report 2006 were produced; at what cost; to whom copies were sent; at what cost; who was consulted prior to publication; how members of the public can obtain copies; at what cost; and if she will make a statement. [78598]
Hilary Armstrong: One Thousand copies of Cabinet Office Departmental Report 2006 were produced for Cabinet Office’s own use and distribution. The total design and production cost to the Cabinet Office was £25,000.
Copies were distributed at no cost to the following:
Cabinet Office Parliamentary Branch and House of Commons Library;
HM Treasury and Cabinet Office Library;
Cabinet Office Board members;
Cabinet Office PSA target holders;
Cabinet Office staff;
National Audit Office;
Central Office of Information
Some copies have been reserved for future distribution among stakeholders and other contacts.
The Cabinet Office Management Board, Heads of Management Units and HM Treasury were consulted prior to the publication of the report.
Further copies were produced by The Stationery Office (TSO) for sale to members of the public at a cost of £11 per copy. They can be purchased at TSO shops, and ordered online from www.tso.co.uk/bookshop. The report can also be downloaded free of charge from the Cabinet Office website www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications
Departmental Targets
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who is responsible for progress on each of the targets set out on pages 37 to 45 of Cm 6833; to whom each person reports; what recent discussions she has had about implementation of each target; and if she will make a statement. [78599]
Hilary Armstrong: I am responsible for delivery of the Cabinet Office’s Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets and with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer jointly responsible for the delivery of PSA target 1.
Progress on performance against the PSA targets is reported to the Treasury in two, public documents the Autumn Performance Report (available on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports /psa/autumn_delivery/index.asp) and the departmental report.
Public Service Pensions
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry of 18 October 2005 on public service pensions, that all sector scheme negotiations would be completed by March 2006, when she will announce the details of the consultation on the proposed benefit structure for new entrants to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme; whether the negotiations have been completed; and if she will make a statement. [78009]
Mr. McFadden: The principles agreed between the Government and the trade unions at the Public Services Forum on 18 October 2005 stated that all sides involved in scheme-specific negotiations should aim to reach agreement no later than June 2006. However, the principles also stated that a co-operative approach should be adopted in all discussions and that adequate time should be made for the discussion process. The Cabinet Office’s primary concern is to reach an agreement which produces pension arrangements which are sustainable and which are right for the civil service. The Cabinet Office has had several months of constructive discussions with the civil service trade unions. It expects to put formal proposals to them shortly. The Cabinet Office will publish the formal proposals on its website www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk
Staff Handbook
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office staff handbook. [78271]
Mr. McFadden: The Cabinet Office no longer publishes a staff handbook. The terms and conditions of service that apply to all Cabinet Office employees are readily available electronically on the Cabinet Office intranet to all staff. The text is updated periodically as necessary. I will arrange for a CD Rom containing the current version as at 15 June 2006 to be placed in the Library.
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Prime Minister what the dimensions are of the garden at 10 Downing Street. [78264]
The Prime Minister: The dimensions of the garden at 10 Downing Street have remained unchanged since the 18th century. It is an L-shape garden which at its widest points is approximately 42m and 58m. The total area is approximately 1760m(2).
Carbon Emissions
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he takes to offset the carbon emissions of his flights to foreign countries on official business. [77696]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 15 May, Official Report, 2006, Column 820W.
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Prime Minister what official role Mrs. Blair plays when accompanying him on foreign tours; and who pays for her travel. [77863]
The Prime Minister: My wife accompanies me on official visits overseas as appropriate. The costs of such visits are included in the total cost of Ministers’ visits overseas which is published on an annual basis. Information for 2005-06 is currently in the process of being assembled and will be published shortly.
Sustainable Development
Joan Walley: To ask the Prime Minister what mechanism exists to enable liaison between Government departments responsible for delivering sustainable development policy. [77048]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply. The Government published the UK Sustainable Development Strategy “Securing the Futureonly” in March 2005, setting out a range of activities to support this vital agenda. The UK Framework for Sustainable Development, “One future—different pathsy”, also launched in March 2005, describes the shared understanding and common purpose that exists across departments and in different parts of the country.
Sustainable development is promoted and co-ordinated through a number of ministerial and official level working groups across Government.
For example, within the Cabinet there are two committees which have sustainable development issues as part of their remit: the Energy and Environment (EE) Committee and the Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development in Government (EE(SD)). The EE Committee is chaired by the Prime Minister and was established in May 2005 to develop the Government’s energy and environmental policies, to monitor the impact on sustainable development of the Government's policies, and to consider issues of climate change, security of supply and affordability of energy.
I chair the EE(SD) Sub-Committee which has the remit to improve the Government's contribution to sustainable development through the conduct of its business, including through consideration of departmental sustainable development action plans; and to report as necessary to the Energy and Environment Committee.
The Sustainable Development Commission is the Government’s independent watchdog on sustainable development, reporting to the Prime Minister and the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales. Its recently expanded role includes monitoring cross-Government and departmental progress towards sustainable development.
Details of other groups working across Government to deliver sustainable development can be found on our sustainable development website at http://www.sustainable -development.gov.uk/government/index.htm
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister whether he had read (a) the Sustainable Development Commission's report “Is Nuclear the Answer”, dated March 2006, and (b) the Environmental Audit Committee's report “Keeping the Lights on: Nuclear, Renewables and Climate Change” HC584, dated 16 April 2006, prior to making his address to the Confederation of British Industry on 16 May. [78094]
The Prime Minister: In addition to the presentation and papers from the Energy Review, I was briefed and read widely on energy issues in preparation for the address to the CBI on 16 May. This, of course, included the Sustainable Development Commission's report and its research papers and the Environmental Audit Committee’s April report.
Communities and Local Government
Business Rates
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2006, Official Report, column 370W, on business rates, how many (a) hotels, (b) hostels and (c) bed and breakfasts were on the 2005 Rating List for each local authority area in England. [78250]
Mr. Woolas: A table showing the number of properties classed as (a) hotels, (b) hostels and (c) bed and breakfasts in the 2005 Rating List for England, for each individual local authority area, at 31 January 2006, has been placed in the Library.
Council Tax
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the (a) Valuation Office Agency and (b) Valuation Tribunal Service has made of the potential effect of concerns over the effect of overhead power lines on the valuation of domestic properties for council tax; and what guidance each body has published on this. [78284]
Mr. Woolas:
Neither (a) the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) nor (b) the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) has made an overall assessment of the potential effect of overhead power lines on the valuation of domestic properties for council tax purposes. Whether the existence of overhead power lines would affect the open market value of a dwelling, on which the council tax banding is based, is a question of fact and degree in
individual cases. Such matters would be considered by listing officers of the VOA and, if their decision on banding were subject to an appeal, by Valuation Tribunal panels, on a case by case basis. No specific guidance on the effect on valuations for council tax purposes of proximity to overhead power lines has been published by either (a) the VOA or (b) the VTS. General guidance on the approach to valuation for council tax purposes is contained in the VOA's “Council Tax” manual, which is published on the VOA's website at: www.voa.gov.uk
Departmental Staff
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent communications, public relations and marketing staff were employed by the Department and its predecessors in each year since 2001. [79027]
Angela E. Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006. Information on full-time equivalent communications staff employed within the Directorate of Communication on that date is given in the table.
| Number | |
Comparable information in relation to the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is not available. However for information on ODPM press officer numbers, I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend (Jim Fitzpatrick) to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 20 July 2006, Official Report, column 1770W.
Fire Safety
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance will be offered by the Fire and Resilience Directorate to the owners of (a) metal reclamation yards, (b) tyre dumps, (c) timber yards and (d) other high fire risk open air premises to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. [78582]
Angela E. Smith: For the premises listed, and other industrial uses of open air premises, generic guidance is given in the guide for factories and warehouses. The existing guide "Fire Safety for Tyre Sites" will continue to be available. Non-industrial uses are covered by the guide for open air events and venues that we shall be publishing shortly. Further guidance may be needed on some types of premises or uses and we will be keeping the position under review.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans for responsibility for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to remain with the Fire and Resilience Directorate in her Department. [78583]
Angela E. Smith: Responsibility for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and for policy on general fire safety law for non-domestic premises both rest with the Fire and Resilience Directorate. The Department has no plans to change that.
Leisure Facilities (Discount Entitlement)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to local authorities on the required proof of entitlement for people claiming benefits to discounts for use of leisure facilities. [74614]
Mr. Woolas: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not provide guidance for local authorities in relation to proof of entitlement to discounts for the use of leisure facilities for people in receipt of benefits; this is a matter for local authorities.
Local Government
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government encourages exchange of best practice between local authorities on estate utilisation. [77573]
Mr. Woolas: Government policy is to promote the spread of best practice in local authority asset management. Asset management was one of the themes for Round 6 of the Beacon councils scheme and the authorities with Beacon status for asset management have been rolling out a programme of learning events to share their best practice with other local authorities.
Additionally, my department, in liaison with other stakeholders, commissioned the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors to prepare new guidance. This guidance, which was published in 2005, aims to help local authorities use their assets more effectively to support delivery of their strategic objectives and increase the cost effectiveness of existing assets and capital resources. The text of the guidance is available on the internet at:
http://www.rics.org/Property/Propertymanagement/Asset ManagementinLocalAuthorities230305.htm
The Government also welcomes the Asset Management Network, set up in 2000 by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and local government property societies, to disseminate best practice information and support local authorities developing asset management practices. The network runs an extensive website for hosting asset management information at:
http://www.ipfproperty.net/ampnetwork
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |