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Mayoral Referendums
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance the Government have published on the classification of expenditure on (a) gathering signatures for a mayoral petition and (b) campaigning for or against a mayoral referendum. [83074]
Mr. Woolas: The Government have not published guidance on the classification of expenditure on gathering signatures for a mayoral petition. Chapter 13 of guidance on council constitutions issued by the Government set out guidance and statutory rules which apply in respect of expenditure incurred on campaigning in referendums.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to what extent her plans for city mayors will involve elected mayors representing (a) an existing local authority area and (b) an area crossing a number of existing single-tier local authorities. [83101]
Mr. Woolas: Discussions are ongoing with the core cities regarding their business case proposals, following the summits that were held during 2005. Those business cases include options for devolving decision-making to the cities or city-regions (which may cover a number of local authorities). We will further develop these ideas and associated thinking, including on individual local authority leadership, in the forthcoming Local Government White Paper.
Neighbourhood Management Schemes
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role she proposes for local councillors in proposed neighbourhood management schemes. [81000]
Mr. Woolas: Local councillors have a vital contribution to make to neighbourhood management schemes, and research shows the most successful Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders have a very close working relationship with local councillors. Councillors can play a variety of roles, for example by acting as a champion for the neighbourhood within the local authority or with partner organisations. In most cases, the Government would expect councillors to be a part of local steering groups overseeing a neighbourhood management scheme. More information is provided in “Neighbourhood renewal and social inclusion—a councillor’s guide”. This guide was published in November 2005 jointly by Improvement and Development Agency, Local Government Association and Local Government Information Unit, with sponsorship from the Department for Communities and Local Government (previously the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister).
Private Office
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the size is of her private office in square feet. [84171]
Angela E. Smith: The size of the office occupied by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is 571 square feet, and her Private Office occupy a separate office of 560 square feet.
Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on possible standards for reduced ignition propensity cigarettes to be introduced under the EU’s General Product Safety Directive. [83462]
Angela E. Smith: There have been recent discussions in Europe on possible standards for reduced ignition propensity cigarettes at the General Product Safety Directive Committee Meeting on 14 June 2006.
The UK’s position in those discussions was that there was sufficient evidence to recommend the development of a European technical standard for reduced ignition propensity cigarettes. The European Commission has indicated that it will undertake further investigation into the need for such action.
The Department for Communities and Local Government will issue a written statement shortly regarding the potential for reduced ignition propensity cigarettes to reduce accidental fires in the home.
Regional Funding (South-West)
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the Governmental organisations with responsibility (a) to spend and (b) to allocate funds in the South-West. [82125]
Mr. Woolas: The governmental organisations for whose expenditure and allocation of funds the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is responsible are the DCLG itself, its executive agencies and its sponsored non departmental public bodies.
A full list of these is included in the Department's annual report and updated from time-to-time on the DCLG website. Those with the authority to allocate or administer funds within the South-West are the Commission for Racial Equality, the Community Development Foundation, English Partnerships/Commission for the New Towns, FireBuy and the Housing Corporation.
In addition, DCLG has responsibility for the regeneration funding administered by the Department for Trade and Industry-sponsored Regional Development Agencies, for European Regional Development Fund programmes and (jointly with the Department for Work and Pensions) for European Social Fund spending in the South-West.
The Government Office for the South-West delivers a wide range of Government policies and programmes on behalf of 10 Whitehall departments (including DCLG). These together aim to regenerate communities, fight crime, tackle housing needs, improve public health, raise standards in education and skills, tackle countryside issues and reduce unemployment.
Residential Development
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals the Planning Inspectorate permitted in 2005 involving residential development, in part or whole, on gardens. [83083]
Meg Munn: This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Standards Board
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints were made to the Standards Board for England in each year since its inception in relation to each different type of council it is responsible for; and how many complaints (a) were not pursued, (b) there were where there was no breach in standards, (c) were where no further action was necessary (d) were referred for local determination and (e) were referred to the Adjudication Panel; and what the recommendation was of the panel which was referred to it in each case. [83248]
Mr. Woolas: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Standards Board to write to my hon. Friend on this matter. I shall arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of complaints submitted to the Standards Board in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 were against parish councillors. [83080]
Mr. Woolas: I have asked the chief executive of the Standards Board to write to the hon. Member on this matter. I shall arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.
Travellers
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers are available to planning authorities enabling preventative action to be taken in relation to the unauthorised development of land sold to travellers. [83399]
Meg Munn: Section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 provides that planning authorities may, if they consider it necessary, apply to the court for an injunction to restrain an actual or anticipated breach of planning control.
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1877W, on the Valuation Office Agency, whether the plot sizes that Ordnance Survey data are used for include data for the plots of (a) open spaces and (b) residential gardens. [82938]
Mr. Woolas: Ordnance Survey maps will show (a) open spaces and (b) residential gardens. Whether these are within the plot of a domestic property, which is to be taken as part of a dwelling for council tax banding purposes (as defined in section 3 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992) is dependant upon what land belongs to or is enjoyed with that domestic property.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1877W, on the Valuation Office Agency, if she will list the property attributes which have been gathered using Ordnance Survey maps. [82939]
Mr. Woolas: Ordnance Survey (OS) maps have been used in some instances to clarify the extent of detachment (eg fully detached, semi-detached, terraced) of individual or small groups of properties.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 21 June 2006, Official Report, column 1877W, on the Valuation Office Agency, if she will place in the Library a copy of the data supplied by Rightmove. [82940]
Mr. Woolas: Data are supplied by Rightmove.co.uk plc under a contractual arrangement which prohibits disclosure.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 22 June 2006, Official Report, column 2045W, on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), if she will place in the Library a copy of all the (a) dwelling house code and (b) value significant code data held by the VOA for each of those official residences. [82944]
Mr. Woolas: Any decision to place individual property attribute coding information into the public domain would be subject to public consultation. Until such consultation has been undertaken revealing coding detail of any dwelling is not appropriate.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 19 June 2006, Official Report, column 1600W, on the Valuation Office Agency, whether (a) crime and (b) deprivation influence the chartered surveyor's assessment of market forces. [82949]
Mr. Woolas: Chartered surveyors employed within the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) used their market and valuation knowledge to identify geographic areas within which domestic property prices are influenced by the same or similar market forces (these are known as "localities"). The market for dwellings may well be influenced by levels of crime and deprivation, amongst many other factors. No separate analysis of these factors is made by the Valuation Office Agency as, even if possible, this is not considered necessary.
West Lancashire District Council
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated to the West Lancashire district council for (a) 2006-07 and (b) each year since 1996-97 in (i) cash and (ii) real terms. [83642]
Mr. Woolas: The amount of formula grant provided to West Lancashire district council for the period 1996-97 to 2006-07 in both cash and real terms (deflated by the GDP deflator) is given in the following table. Formula grant consists of revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and SSA reduction grant (SSA review) where appropriate.
| £ million | ||
| Formula grant in cash terms | Formula grant in real terms( 1) | |
| (1)
Base year = 2006-07 Note: These figures are
not comparable year-on-year due to changes in funding and function. For
example, in 2004-05 funding for housing benefit ceased to be included
within formula grant but was instead paid by special grant from
DWP. | ||
Leader of the House
Modernisation
25. Paul Rowen: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make a statement on his plans to modernise the proceedings of the House. [83322]
Mr. Straw: I am keen to take forward the work of my predecessors in modernisation of the House and its proceedings. The Modernisation Select Committee, which I chair, is planning to produce a report on the Legislative Process in the near future. I am looking also at ways of improving the effectiveness in the ways the House can hold the Government to account in other areas. I am happy to receive representations on these matters from all Members.
Ministerial Statements
26. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to provide that Ministerial Statements are not begun on a Thursday until a full hour has been spent on Business Questions. [83323]
Nigel Griffiths: My right hon. Friend has no plans to bring forward proposals on this issue.
The amount of time provided for Business Questions is at the discretion of Mr. Speaker, who judges how much time is sufficient on a case-by-case basis.
There are occasions when the full hour would not be used up.
EU Legislation
27. Keith Vaz: To ask the Leader of the House what steps he is taking to improve the scrutiny of EU legislation. [83324]
Mr. Straw: The Government are considering the proposals of the Modernisation Committee in the last session on Scrutiny of European Business. We hope to bring forward ideas for taking this issue further forward in due course.
House of Lords Reform
28. Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make a statement on reform of the House of Lords. [83325]
Mr. Straw: The Joint Committee on Conventions was established on 22 May 2006 and will report at the end of this Session. The free vote on the composition of the House of Lords will take place around the turn of the year, preceding any legislation.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Bone: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to improve the accuracy of parliamentary answers and the speed with which they are provided. [83480]
Mr. Straw: As I stated to the hon. Member in a written answer on 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 885W, I attach great importance to the accuracy and timeliness of responses to parliamentary questions tabled in the House and I have raised the matter directly with ministerial colleagues.
Departments should answer named day questions on that day and endeavour to reply to ordinary written questions within a working week.
I refer the hon. Member also to the adjournment debate on 28 June 2006 on this matter, Official Report, column 344, in which it was noted that the substantial growth in the number of parliamentary questions tabled can place the system under pressure and that the time might be suitable for a further review of the system by the House.
My office continues to offer guidance to other Departments about the handling of parliamentary questions.
Party Funding
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff are assisting Sir Hayden Phillips’s review of party funding. [83000]
Mr. Straw: Sir Hayden Phillips has four staff assisting him in the review of party funding.
These staff members have been seconded from the DCA and are separate from staff within the DCA who report to me on party funding.
Questionnaires
Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House how many (a) questionnaires, (b) statistical inquiries and (c) investigations have been carried out by his office wholly or partly at public expense in each year since 1997; and what the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was in each case. [83173]
Mr. Straw: None.
Saturday Sittings
Mr. Amess: To ask the Leader of the House on what dates the House has met on a Saturday since February 1986; what the main item of business under discussion was on each occasion; and at what time the House subsequently adjourned. [82323]
Mr. Straw: The House has not met on any Saturday since February 1986.
The last occasion on which the House met on a Saturday was in April 1982, to discuss the Falklands crisis.
Work and Pensions
Temporary Accommodation
15. Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to improve work incentives for households in temporary accommodation. [83312]
Mr. Plaskitt: As announced in this year’s Budget, the Government intend to pilot an ‘Extra Homes’ scheme.
The Extra Homes initiative will take the Working Future project—currently under evaluation in East London—a step further by helping to provide more settled homes in the longer term.
Local authorities and housing associations will be invited to put forward innovative proposals to explore new approaches to help families in temporary accommodation overcome barriers to work and I would urge her borough to look into pursing that.
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