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30 Oct 2006 : Column 44W—continued
Household Numbers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of households in each year from 1990-91 to 2030-31; and if she will make a statement. [97029]
Yvette Cooper: Updated estimates of the number of households in England in each year from 1991 to 2004 will be published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website in November 2006. Projections of household numbers from 2003 to 2026 were published on the DCLG website on 14 March 2006:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l002882&PressNoticeID=2097
Housing
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of social housing provided by housing associations has been achieved by section 106 agreements, broken down by region. [96855]
Yvette Cooper: The percentages of affordable housing units provided by registered social landlords as a result of section 106 agreements in England in the financial year 2004-05 are tabulated as follows. Information on section 106 agreements in 2005-06 is being finalised and will be made available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website shortly.
| Affordable housing provided by registered social landlords in financial year 2004-05: England | |||
| Total affordable housing units provided | Number of affordable units with contributions through S106 agreements | Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Affordable housing is defined as social rent and low cost home ownership. 2. Units includes dwellings and bed spaces. 3. Information refers to registered social landlords only and excludes other housing associations not registered with the Housing Corporation. Source: Housing Corporation. Annual returns (HSSA) from local authorities to DCLG. | |||
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will respond to the Rural Housing Commission Report. [96856]
Yvette Cooper: The Government are already taking forward many of the recommendations of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission. Its proposals are being fed into a series of processes, including the Comprehensive Spending Review and the forthcoming planning policy statement on housing. We have also set up a website to report on the progress we are making towards improving access to affordable housing in rural areas, including examples of best practice, in response to the Affordable Rural Housing Commission’s report.
Land Use
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial contribution her Department has made to the Department for Transport-sponsored research project Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods. [94821]
Yvette Cooper: The Department made a contribution of £35,000 in October 2004 to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council sponsored project Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods.
Muslim Council of Britain
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) financial support and (b) support in kind her Department and its agencies have given to the Muslim Council of Britain in each year since 1997. [96278]
Meg Munn [holding answer 20 October 2006]: Since its creation in May 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government has not given any financial support, or support in kind, to the Muslim Council of Britain.
Omega
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will make a decision on how the Government will proceed with the planning application for the Omega site. [97290]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 26 October 2006]: The planning application referred to is for the development of part of a site known as Omega, situated in Warrington. It covers approximately 100 hectares and lies on either side of the M62 motorway. The application includes the provision of offices, light industry, warehousing and distribution facilities, and makes up the first two phases of the proposed development of the whole Omega site, which covers some 230 hectares in total. Warrington borough council resolved on 19 October that it was minded to approve the application, and in accordance with the terms of a Direction made under Article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, the council has consulted the Secretary of State and sought her authorisation to grant planning permission for the application. A decision on how the Government will proceed (about whether it will call in the application for further public scrutiny and determination by the Secretary of State, or alternatively allow the council to determine the application itself) will be made in the near future.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the basis was for the issue by the Government office for the north west of an Article 14 direction preventing the determination by Warrington borough council of the planning application for the Omega site. [97291]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 26 October 2006]: The planning application referred to is for the development of part of a site known as Omega, situated in Warrington. It covers approximately 100 hectares and lies on either side of the M62 motorway. The application includes the provision of offices, light industry, warehousing and distribution facilities, and makes up the first two phases of the proposed development of the whole Omega site, which covers some 230 hectares in total. Warrington borough council resolved on 19 October that it was minded to approve the application. The nature and scale of this proposal is such that it raises significant strategic planning and transport issues. They are of a type which require a decision to be made as to whether the application should be called-in for further public scrutiny and determination by the Secretary of State, or alternatively left with the council for determination. It was for this reason that a Direction was made under Article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995—the Direction requires the council not to grant permission for the application unless and until authorised by the Secretary of State.
Pensions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on the local government pension scheme in each year since 1980-81; what forecasts she has made of how much will be spent in each year between 2007-08 and 2050-51; and how many members of the scheme there are. [95999]
Mr. Woolas: The amount spent on the local government pension scheme (LGPS) involving contributions paid by employers and employees, plus investment income, and the amount spent annually on pension benefits between 1995-96 and 2004-05 is shown at columns two and three respectively in the following table. Information before 1995-96 is not available.
| £ billion | ||
| Total income | Expenditure on benefits | |
No forecasts have been made of how much will be spent between 2007-08 and 2050-51. Future pension liabilities, and the amount of employer contributions, taking into account the expected level of investment returns needed to match future liabilities, are determined by fund actuaries every three years. The next fund valuation exercise takes place in England and Wales on 31 March 2007.
At 31 March 2005, the number of active members, pensioners with deferred benefits and pensioners in the local government pension scheme was 1.6 million; 757,000 and 952,000 respectively. All the above data are derived from annual returns submitted to the Department by LGPS administering authorities in England and Wales.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on the firefighters pension scheme in each year since 1980-81; what forecasts she has made of how much will be spent in each year between 2007-08 and 2050-51; and how many members of the scheme there are. [96001]
Mr. Woolas: DCLG holds data on the actual amount spent by Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) on the firefighters pension scheme for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06 as well as estimates, provided by the FRAs, of the amount that will be spent on both the 1992 and 2006 firefighter pension schemes for the years 2006-07 until 2010-11. These data are shown in the following table.
| £000 | ||
| Financial year | Pensions expenditure by FRAs | |
These figures are only for the amount spent in England on the firefighter pension scheme by FRAs.
There were 31,062 members of the 1992 firefighter pension scheme at the 31 March 2006.
Planning
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many appeals her Department has heard under schedule 2, part 5 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995 against a proposed development by a statutory undertaking in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement; [91415]
(2) how many developments have been made by statutory undertakings using powers contained in schedule 2, part 5 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995 in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement; [91416]
(3) what rights of appeal residents have to a proposed development by a statutory undertaking in accordance with schedule 2, part 5 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995; and if she will make a statement. [91417]
Yvette Cooper: There is no right of appeal against a statutory grant of planning permission which has been enacted by Parliament and part 5 of the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO), in particular, contains no powers, only entitlements. We have no records of part 5 permitted development rights being exercised by statutory undertakers. Statutory undertakers have their own permitted development rights in part 17 of schedule 2 of the GPDO, though there is nothing to prevent a statutory undertaker from enjoying the benefit of any of the other permitted development rights in the GPDO that might apply to their land in a particular case. Were there to be a dispute about whether permitted development rights applied in a particular case, it might be resolved either by an application made to the local planning authority for a certificate of lawfulness to confirm the existence of such rights in respect of a particular development proposal, or by enforcement action taken by the local planning authority.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration is given to (a) the employment opportunities created and (b) the impact on the regional economy in determining planning applications for major employment sites. [97289]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 26 October 2006]: The development plan is the starting point in the consideration of planning applications, together with any other material considerations, including national planning policy, where relevant. The degree to which the creation of employment opportunities and the impact of proposals on the regional economy are considered will depend on the circumstances of the case, but they may well be material considerations for the decision-taker to weigh in the balance with other factors when determining planning applications for major employment sites.
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