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10 July 2006 : Column 1535W—continued
(a) September and February
(b) £3.3 million
The campaign on the registration of landlords who own houses of multiple occupancy.
(a) February and March
(b) £1.4 million
In the financial year 2006-07 the advertising campaigns run by the department to date are as follows.
Local E-Gov campaign Connect to your Council designed to encourage people to use on-line local government services, to deliver efficiency and cost savings to local authorities
(a) May through to July
(b) £5 million.
Fire Service recruitment campaign the encourage women to apply for posts in the Fire and Rescue Service.
(a) May through to August
(b) £800,000
The campaign to inform business of their new responsibilities under the Fire Order Reform.
(a) June through to September
(b) £1.3 million
The trade sector Home Information Pack campaign.
(a) April through to September.
(b) £557,000.
A continuation of the advertising campaign on the registration of landlords.
(a) April to June.
(b) £300,000.
The Department for Communities and Local Government are planning to run Fire Safety advertising.
(a) September and February
(b) £1.8 million.
Agency Staff
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average hourly rate was paid by her Department to each employment agency for staff employed through agencies in 2005-06. [81501]
Angela E. Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has a framework agreement with three employment agencies.
The average hourly rate paid to each of them in 2005-06 was £12.82, £13.83 and £12.34 respectively.
DCLG uses agencies to supply temporary staff to cover short-term needs.
Birmingham Tornado
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in repairing the areas of Birmingham affected by the tornado in July 2005; and if she will make a statement. [83520]
Angela E. Smith: The information is as follows:
The serious damage to housing was in the Sparkbrook/Moseley area, where many houses suffered damage to roofs and supporting walls.
The city council owned a handful of homes in the tornado affected area; any that were damaged have had repairs completed and the tenants are back in their homes.
Most of the social housing in the area is owned by a small number of registered social landlords (RSLs) and in all around 900 of their homes suffered damage; some sustaining severe damage to the main structure, making them structurally unsound.
A number of residents (mostly RSL tenants) had to be temporarily re-housed while repairs works were carried out, but the vast majority are now back in their homes.
The four largest RSLs in the area report that all repairs have been completed and all their tenants have returned home.
A smaller number of private sector homes suffered damage, and although the city council offered loans to residents for repair costs, the majority of tenants were able to access either insurance payments or make separate funding arrangements.
Parks and public open spaces in the affected area suffered considerable damage, with park infrastructure such as railings, footpaths, lighting columns, litter bins, benches, play equipment and signs badly damaged. Over 500 trees were destroyed—90 per cent. of the total.
All health and safety issues and structural features such as paths and boundary railings have now been repaired and/or replaced in the parks and public open spaces affected by the tornado.
Some replacement tree planting was carried out last autumn, sponsored by the city council’s service providers, and there are plans to carry out additional planting this coming autumn.
A redevelopment plan for the worst affected site, Balsall Heath Park, is being developed with local residents.
An initial survey of the affected area indicated there were 114 business physically affected by the tornado. The majority of local traders are now back in business.
The city council have provided the emergency/recovery costs associated with the tornado, this accounted for an overall figure of £4.3 million. Further to this, £1.0 million of capital investment funding is being approved.
RSLs in the area have also invested around £6 million to repair damaged homes.
Building Capacity
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was allocated to Swindon borough council under the category of building capacity in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. [82836]
Mr. Woolas: Swindon received approval for grant of £85,000 in 2004-05 and £1,014,950 in 2005-06 under the category of building capacity.
In addition, Swindon received approval for a grant of £1 million in March 2005 to enable the council to meet expenditure incurred through the piloting of a social services franchise with Kent county council. The Department of Health met £180,000 of the £1 million.
Carbon Monoxide/Fire Alarms
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimates she has made of the percentage of households equipped with (a) carbon monoxide and (b) fire alarms in (i) Lancashire and (ii) West Lancashire constituency. [83437]
Angela E. Smith: Information is not available centrally on the percentage of households equipped with carbon monoxide alarms.
Figures from the Survey of English Housing 2004-05 show that an estimated 79 per cent. of households in Lancashire have a working smoke alarm. Information is not available centrally on the West Lancashire constituency.
Civil Servants
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil servants are employed by (a) the Government Office of the South West and (b) the South West Regional Assembly. [82122]
Angela E. Smith: The Government Office for the South West employs 323 civil servants.
The South West Regional Assembly (SWRA) Secretariat has one civil servant seconded to it from the Home Office.
Command Papers
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the Unnumbered Command Papers produced by her Department in each Session since 1976; by what means (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if she will make a statement. [81270]
Angela E. Smith: Since the Department for Communities and Local Government was formed on 5 May 2006, it has not produced any Unnumbered Command Papers.
Commission on Integration and Cohesion
Mr. Khabra: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the role of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. [82524]
Mr. Woolas: The Commission on Integration and Cohesion, which was announced on Wednesday 28 June, will consider how local areas themselves can play a role in forging cohesive and resilient communities, by:
Examining the issues that raise tensions between different groups in different areas, and that lead to segregation and conflict
Suggesting how local community and political leadership can push further against perceived barriers to cohesion and integration
Looking at how local communities themselves can be empowered to tackle extremist ideologies
Developing approaches that build local areas’ own capacity to prevent problems, and ensure they have the structures in place to recover from periods of tension.
The Commission will undertake its work within the context of existing Government policy.
It will be chaired by Mr. Darra Singh OBE, the chief executive of Ealing borough council.
Consultancies
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which (a) public affairs and (b) public relations consultancies the Government Office of the South East has commissioned since 2001; for what purpose in each case; and how much was spent on each contract. [83020]
Angela E. Smith:
Government Offices moved to a new financial accounting system from April 2003 therefore I am unable to provide complete information prior to that date. In defining whether consultancy work covered Public Affairs I have defined this as any consultancy work that would provide value and knowledge to our partner organisations or add to regional intelligence. Therefore all work (with the exception of number 5) I have defined as Public Affairs. Activity 5 was a GOSE partnership survey and I have defined this as public relations. Excluded from the table
is any consultancy work which I have defined as inward facing such as GOSE organisational development e.g. IIP costs.
Where work has been commissioned from a consultant who is an individual rather than an organisation I have been advised that providing their names could be prohibited by the Data Protection Act 1998. In these few cases I have provided brief details of the work and cost.
Details of consultants are as follows:
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