Written Answers to Questions
The following answers were received between Wednesday 26 July and Friday 1 September 2006
Communities and Local Government
Advertising Campaigns
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advertising campaigns the Department ran between 2000 and June 2004; and what the (a) date and (b) cost was of each. [87066]
Meg Munn: The Department for Communities and Local Government was established on 12 March 2006 and its predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was established on 29 May 2002. Advertising figures before that can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In 2002-03 the advertising spend was £3.4 million on fire safety running throughout the year.
In 2003-04 the advertising spend was £4.4 million of this sum—£2.9 million was spent on fire safety running in September, February and March and £1.5 million was spent on Elected Regional Assemblies running in June and July.
Arm's Length Management
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to reform arm’s length management organisations. [88223]
Yvette Cooper: The review of Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) and a statement, “From Decent Homes to Sustainable Communities” were published on 7 June. The documents examined how ALMOs could build on the success of their delivery of decent homes and set out the Department’s view on the long-term future of ALMOs within the broader social housing context. The statement invites views on the emerging initiatives and ideas raised in the documents by 15 September 2006.
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average rents were in council-owned housing stock in each local authority in each year since 1990, including where the management of the stock has been transferred to an arm's length management organisation. [83375]
Yvette Cooper: A table showing average local authority rents for the years 1995-96 to 2004-05 inclusive has been placed in the House Library. Information for earlier years is available only at disproportionate cost.
Ballpoint Pens
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spent on ballpoint pens with Office of the Deputy Prime Minister branding; and how many were ordered. [88400]
Meg Munn: The then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spent a total of £3,450 on 20,000 ballpoint pens with Office of the Deputy Prime Minister branding.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spent in the last 12 months on pens marked with the “Office of the Deputy Prime Minister” title. [86935]
Meg Munn: The then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spent £1,900 on pens marked with “Office of the Deputy Prime Minister” in the 12 months to the 5 May 2006.
Brownfield Land
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her definition is of brownfield land for planning purposes; and if she will make a statement. [86163]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 July 2006]: The definition for brownfield land is currently set out in Annexe C to Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 —Housing. This says that:
“Previously-developed land is that which is or was occupied by a permanent structure (excluding agricultural or forestry buildings), and associated fixed surface infrastructure(1). The definition covers the curtilage of the development(2). Previously-developed land may occur in both built-up and rural settings. The definition includes defence buildings and land used for mineral extraction and waste disposal(3 )where provision for restoration has not been made through development control procedures(4).
The definition excludes land and buildings that are currently in use for agricultural or forestry purposes, and land in built-up areas which has not been developed previously (e.g. parks, recreation grounds, and allotments—even though these areas may contain certain urban features such as paths, pavilions and other buildings). Also excluded is land that was previously developed but where the remains of any structure or activity have blended into the landscape in the process of time (to the extent that it can reasonably be considered as part of the natural surroundings), and where there is a clear reason that could outweigh the re-use of the site—such as its contribution to nature conservation—or it has subsequently been put to an amenity use and cannot be regarded as requiring redevelopment.”
The definition is based on the Land Use Change Statistics classification (LUCS) introduced in 1985.
In December last year we published draft PPS 3, which is designed to update planning for housing policy. Annexe A of draft PPS 3 proposes some clarificatory changes to the definition of previously developed land. We are currently considering representations that were received to the consultation on draft PPS3, and are due to publish final PPS 3 later in the year.
Cantxx
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) she has and (b) Ministers in her Department have received official hospitality from Cantxx Ventures Ltd. and Cantxx UK and its associated companies in the last four years. [85273]
Meg Munn: Neither the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, or any Minister in her Department has received official hospitality from Cantxx Ventures Ltd. or Cantxx UK or its associated companies.
Conservation Areas
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many designated conservation areas there are in (a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster. [88378]
Yvette Cooper: The Government do not hold this information centrally. However I understand from the local planning authority that Barnsley has recorded 18 conservation areas and that Doncaster has recorded 46.
Criminal Offences
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many criminal offences her Department has created by Orders in Council in each year since 1997. [88478]
Angela E. Smith: There have been no criminal offences created in Orders in Council for which the Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible since DCLG was created in May 2006. Nor were any criminal offences created in Orders in Council by its predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, since 2002. It would involve a disproportionate cost to provide details in respect of predecessor Departments for the period before 2002.
Departmental Finance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the projected budgets are for each area-based initiative which receives funding from her Department for (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09, broken down by (i) region and (ii) county. [87526]
Mr. Woolas: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was established on 5 May 2006 following the machinery of government changes.
The table following sets out the projected budgets by region for the area based initiative programmes sponsored by the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which are now administered by DCLG.
The Department does not hold county level data for the full suite of area based programmes.
The 2008-09 budget allocations will be set following the outcome of the comprehensive spending review 2007.
| (i) Details of projected budgets by region | ||
| £ million | ||
| Region/programme | 2006-07 budget | 2007-08 provisional budget |
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