| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
1 Nov 2006 : Column 410W—continued
Landlords
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities require private sector landlords to register with them as a condition of renting properties. [96168]
Yvette Cooper: There is not, nor has there ever been, a statutory requirement or power for local authorities to require all private landlords to register with them in order to rent out properties. The legislation under which authorities could require private landlords who operated houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) to register their properties with them has been replaced by the licensing provisions of the Housing Act 2004. These include requirements for mandatory licensing and transitional provisions for existing HMO registration schemes.
Local Government White Paper
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to her statement of 26 October 2006, Official Report, column 1657, on the local government White Paper, what information was made available by her Department before her statement to local councillors which enabled them to express their views on her proposals. [98798]
Mr. Woolas: We have engaged extensively with external stakeholders on the issues considered in the local government White Paper. Through the ‘local:vision’ process we formally consulted a wide range of stakeholders across the public, private and the third sector, on key issues for local government. We have also held innovative city summits, ministerial dialogues and continued our regular discussions with local authorities individually and through representative bodies including the Local Government Association.
Local councillors have been able to express their views in a number of ways and they have been instrumental in developing the policy content.
Mayors
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the requirements are for a local authority to move from a directly elected mayor to a non-mayoral executive structure. [94656]
Mr. Woolas: Under section 27 of the Local Government Act 2000 a local authority must resolve to hold a referendum, consult on the detail of the proposed change to a non-mayoral executive structure, and hold a referendum on whether or not to make the change. If a majority of those voting are in favour of the change, the authority must implement it.
Mobile Telephone Masts
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications for mobile telephone masts were (a) referred to and (b) granted by the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last five years. [95505]
Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the number of planning appeals (a) received, decided and (b) allowed by the Planning Inspectorate concerning telecommunication masts, aerials, dishes and antenna from each year from 2000 to 2006 (January to September). It is not possible to extract numbers for those appeals relating solely to telephone masts.
| Appeals | |||
| (a) Received | Decided | (b) Allowed | |
| (1) January to September. | |||
New Homes (Design Standards)
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans there are to merge Housing Corporation and English Partnership new build design standards for homes. [98579]
Yvette Cooper: Common standards on housing regarding sustainability already apply to English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation. Since 1 April 2006 all new homes funded by each body have had to meet EcoHomes 2006 Very Good standard. The code for sustainable homes is currently being finalised and is due to be published before the end of the year. It will make it a requirement that all new homes funded by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation will have to meet a minimum of level 3 of the code.
In the meanwhile English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation will continue to work together to identify areas of commonality in new build design standards for homes and best practices so both can learn from each others experiences.
We are currently reviewing English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation as part of the review of the institutional structures for delivering housing and regeneration, and we expect to make an announcement shortly.
Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the way in which council overview and scrutiny committees use their powers (a) to monitor proposed changes in the NHS and (b) to make representations to the Secretary of State for Health. [96167]
Mr. Woolas: My Department has made no such assessment.
PFI Projects
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by her Department on private finance initiative projects postponed pending further consideration or stopped in the last 12 months. [96800]
Yvette Cooper: Only two projects sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government have been stopped in the last 12 months and one postponed. The amount spent is associated with staff time for which costs have not been recorded. The cost of obtaining these figures is likely to be disproportionate in relation to the amount spent.
Planning (Flood Plains)
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) timetable and (b) purpose is of the revision to planning policy guidance on flood plains and flooding; and if she will make a statement. [95876]
Yvette Cooper: We expect to publish a new planning policy statement 25 later this year. This will strengthen and clarify planning policy to ensure that flood risk is taken into account at all stages in the planning process to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, and to direct development away from areas at highest risk. Where new development is, exceptionally, necessary in such areas, policy aims to make it safe, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, reducing flood risk overall.
Planning (London Mayor)
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from those organisations representing business in London on the proposed increase in the planning powers of the Mayor of London; and if she will place copies in the Library. [97629]
Yvette Cooper: Organisations representing business in London who responded on the planning proposals in the Government's consultation document ‘The Greater London Authority: The Government's proposals for additional powers and responsibilities for the Mayor and Assembly’ are set out as follows. The consultation exercise was held between 30 November 2005 and 22 February 2006. Copies of all responses to the consultation were placed in the Library of the House on 13 July 2006.
Association of Consultant Architects
British Hospitality Association
Canary Wharf Group
CBI
Chartered Institution of Wastes Management
Environmental Services Association
Home Builders Federation
Institute of Civil Engineers
London First
London Retail Consortium
South London Business
West London Business
We are currently consulting on how the detailed operation of the Mayor's new development control power will best work in practice. This consultation exercise ends on 2 November and a summary of the responses will be published by 2 February 2007.
Aside from the responses received to the current planning consultation, the Secretary of State has received a letter commenting on the planning proposals from one organisation representing business in London—London First. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Public Requests Ordering Disposal
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public requests ordering disposal have been received by the Government in each year since 1997; and how many such orders were made in each year. [94868]
Yvette Cooper:
Since 1997, the Government have received 14 public requests ordering disposal under
Section 98 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980. The following table shows the year in which each request was received:
| Number of requests | |
None of these requests resulted in a direction being issued.
Section 106 Agreements
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions in the last five years section 106 agreements have been included in the approval of a planning application by the Planning Inspectorate. [95795]
Yvette Cooper: The Planning Inspectorate does not hold information on the number of appeals that have involved section 106 agreements.
Social Housing
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable housing units (a) built and (b) procured through the Housing Corporation National affordable Housing Programme in 2005-06 were (i) mixed funded social rented housing, (ii) temporary social rented housing, (iii) homebuy general market purchase, (iv) homebuy general new build, (v) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (vi) miscellaneous works to registered social landlord (RSL) stock, (vii) reimprovements to rented RSL stock, (viii) works only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (ix) works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (x) intermediate rent for key workers, (xi) homebuy market purchase for key workers, (xii) homebuy new build for key workers, (xiii) mixed funded sale for key workers and (xiv) starter home initiative in the north-east region in each year since 1997-98; and how much was spent on each category. [98592]
Yvette Cooper: The following table shows completions, new build and procured, through the Housing Corporation affordable housing programme (formerly the approved development programme), for categories from (i) to (ix).
The key worker living programme is limited to London and the wider south-east, therefore there are no completions in the north-east region.
| Completions in Units for the north-east region from 1997-98 to 2004-05 | ||||||||||||||||
| Allocation statement | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-08 | |||||||
| (1) Shared Ownership completions from 1997-98 to 2005-06. In 2006-08 programme allocation for New Build HomeBuy. Notes: 1. Miscellaneous works, re-improvements to rented RSL stock, works only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock and works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale are not recorded as completed dwellings as they may have previously received funding and would therefore be double counted. 2. Figures for 2006-08 are based on the Housing Corporation's Allocation Statement for the North East following approval of their 2006-08 Affordable Housing Programme. | ||||||||||||||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |