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7 Nov 2006 : Column 995W—continued
EU Business Support
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much EU funding was spent on small and medium-sized enterprises in the last period for which figures are available for (a) the South East England Development Agency and (b) all regional development agencies. [99664]
Mr. Woolas: My Department is responsible for the implementation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in England, one of the European Structural Funds targeted at EU regions whose economic development is lagging behind.
For the current round of ERDF programmes from 2000-06, £497,630,629 ERDF grant has been awarded to English RDAs from the mainstream programmes, of which £1,562,471 has been awarded to the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
Of the other two main Structural Funds, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is responsible for the Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).
I can report on behalf of the DWP, that £48,974,962 ESF has been granted to RDAs, which covers the three RDAs which are the co-financing organisations for ESF, including SEEDA. Of this, £13,691,402 has been awarded to SEEDA.
I can also report on behalf of DEFRA, that no EAGGF funds have been allocated to RDAs in any of the three regions which receive that fund.
Home Condition Reports/Information Packs
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 376W, on home condition reports, when she expects negotiations and procurement to have been completed. [95778]
Yvette Cooper: Good progress is being made on the procurement and the negotiations for the home condition report register with the preferred supplier Landmark Information Group. We expect to award the contract shortly.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 1656W, on Home Condition Reports/Information Packs, if she will place in the Library copies of the written advice provided by the Information Commissioner. [94749]
Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government had various discussions with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the Register of Home Condition Reports, The Information Commissioner’s Office did not provide a formal response document.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the cost of a home information pack for an average leasehold (a) flat and (b) house. [94825]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 6 November 2006 (question 94852).
We do not have a separate assessment of the likely cost of packs for leasehold properties.
Homelessness
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of those applying as homeless in Reading have been found to be (a) homeless and (b) not in priority need of temporary accommodation in each year since 1997. [100129]
Yvette Cooper: The following table sets out the number of households who were found to be eligible for assistance, homeless and not in priority need by Reading borough council in each year since 1997.
| Number | |
Information on English local authorities' activities under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly P1(E) housing returns from local authorities and relates to households. This covers all decisions made in respect of homelessness applications to the authority and includes those which were found to be eligible, unintentionally homeless, but not in priority need. These households are not owed a main homelessness duty by the local authority.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the provision of hostel bed spaces for homeless people in Reading. [100131]
Yvette Cooper: We are investing over £700,000 from our Hostels Capital Improvement Programme in Reading. This money is providing supported housing for six to eight rough sleepers with drug and alcohol issues and a new 40-bed hostel for young people.
In addition, Reading have received £250,000 non-ringfenced homelessness grant from DCLG in 2006-07.
In 2003 every local authority was required to put in place a homelessness strategy to prevent homelessness and provide accommodation and support. It is for local authorities to decide how to use their homelessness grant to effectively deliver their strategies.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's street count methodology in establishing an accurate picture of the extent of street homelessness in England. [100132]
Yvette Cooper:
The methodology and guidance for conducting street counts was developed by the former Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions in partnership with Shelter. Independent evaluation by the National Audit Office has shown that
it is the most effective method for evaluating the changing levels of people sleeping rough.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the £70 million for homelessness prevention services made available by her Department to local authorities in 2006-07 is designated for the provision of additional hostel bed spaces for homeless rough sleepers during periods of severe weather. [100133]
Yvette Cooper: Local authorities are expected to have plans in place to ensure that there is severe weather emergency provision for rough sleepers. The cost of meeting this provision is covered by DCLG's non-ringfenced homelessness grant to each local authority.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to monitor the performance of local authorities in providing sufficient hostel bed spaces for homeless rough sleepers during periods of severe weather. [100134]
Yvette Cooper: We will be writing to local authorities reminding them that they should have severe weather emergency provision plans in place for any rough sleepers.
Usually, the trigger for severe weather provision will be a forecast predicting three consecutive nights, or more, of a minimum temperature of zero degrees Celsius or lower.
It is up to local authorities how they make this provision.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless rough sleepers her Department’s street count has identified in Reading in each year since 2001. [100135]
Yvette Cooper: The number of rough sleepers in Reading in each year since 2001 is set out in the following table. The numbers represent rough sleepers identified by single night street counts conducted by the local authority as reported on the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return.
| Number | |
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding was allocated by her Department to each voluntary sector organisation helping homeless people in Reading in each of the last five years. [100136]
Yvette Cooper: The Department has allocated capital funding of £165,000 in 2005-06 and £69,000 in 2006-07. The Department does not provide any direct revenue funding to voluntary sector organisations in Reading.
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent to local authorities in December 2005 on hostel spaces for the accommodation of homeless rough sleepers during the winter of 2005-06. [100138]
Yvette Cooper: A copy of the letter sent to local authorities in December 2005 on severe weather provision for rough sleepers has now been placed in the Library.
Household Projections
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many additional households were attributable to migration in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; what estimate the Government had previously made of additional households attributable to migration in these years for the purpose of household projections; and what plans she has to adjust future household projections to 2026 to take account of the actual level of migration in 2003 and 2004. [94217]
Yvette Cooper: DCLG household projections which are used to estimate future housing requirements are based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) population projections. The assumptions about international migration in these are then translated into the DCLG household projections. The migration from the eight accession countries is not accounted for separately.
The DCLG 2003 based household projections show a projected increase in households in England between 2003 and 2006 of 580,000 of which 105,000 (18 per cent.) is attributable to net migration.
The 2003 based household projections were based on the ONS 2003 based population projections that assumed a long-term net migration into the UK of 130,000 per year. ONS has subsequently released 2004 based population projections that involve an assumed long-term figure of 145,000 per year. This latest projection also includes higher short-term figures in order to take account of A8. The Department for Communities and Local Government plans to produce updated household projections that take account of the 2004 based population projections.
Housing (Migration)
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2006, Official Report, column 1416W, on housing (migration), what account is taken of migrants from the 2004 EU accession states in the 2003 household projections. [97179]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 November (Question 94217).
Housing Act
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many final Empty Dwelling Management Orders under the Housing Act 2004 the Government expect to be granted; what extra resources are planned to be allocated to residential property tribunals for hearing EDMO cases; under what circumstances a property owner will be able to ask for a final EDMO to be lifted within the seven-year period; what rights a property owner has in respect of a local housing authority which is not managing a property which is subject to an EDMO to a reasonable standard; whether a local housing authority will be able to charge a reasonable management fee; and what rights neighbours will have in respect of tenants of a property subject to an EDMO in cases of anti-social behaviour. [75592]
Yvette Cooper: We do not know how many Empty Dwelling Management Orders will be made in practice since they have been introduced, as many local authorities are finding them a helpful backstop which encourages greater voluntary action to bring properties back into use.
An additional £1 million is being made available annually to the Residential Property Tribunal Service (RPTS) to cover its new jurisdictions under the Housing Act 2004.
A property owner may at any time ask for a final EDMO to be revoked early by the council. If the council refuses to revoke the order, the property owner can appeal to the RPTS. A local authority may revoke the order if it concludes: there are no steps which it could appropriately take to secure occupation of the dwelling; that keeping the order in force is not necessary; it is satisfied the dwelling will become either or continue to be occupied despite the revocation; it is satisfied the dwelling will be sold; it would be appropriate to revoke the order to prevent or stop interference with the rights of a third party; a further final EDMO will be made to replace the existing order; or in any other circumstances the local authority consider it would be appropriate to revoke the order.
A local authority must take such steps it considers appropriate when an Empty Dwelling Management Order is in force to ensure proper management of the dwelling. A final EDMO must contain a management scheme setting out how the local authority intends to manage the property. A property owner may apply to the residential property tribunal for an order requiring the authority to manage the dwelling in accordance with the scheme.
A local authority is not restricted in setting a management fee in respect of a dwelling subject to an EDMO and would seek to recover its fees (or those of its appointed manager) from any rental income accrued from letting the dwelling.
Neighbouring property owners would be entitled to complain to the local authority about the behaviour of tenants of a property subject to an EDMO in the same way they would be entitled to complain to any property manager.
International GCSE
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment. [96731]
Angela E. Smith: My Department recognises the International GCSE but it is accepted only from those countries which come under the civil service nationality rules. It is accepted from nationals of European Economic Area member states, members of the Commonwealth and Swiss nationals who have the right to work in the UK.
Interreg
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has spent on the EU Interreg programme. [94642]
Mr. Woolas: The European Union Interreg Community Initiative is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, not the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Member states involved in programmes funded from the Interreg Community Initiative are expected to contribute to the technical assistance budget for the programme, which is allocated to cover the administrative costs of the programme. The Department and its predecessors have contributed just over £5 million in total since 2003. The Department and its predecessors have also provided some match funding for projects in England and other activity designed to support the programmes. This has amounted to around £7 million in total in the three years 2003-04 to 2005-06.
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