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4 Dec 2006 : Column 169W—continued

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant toher Department's Preventing Extremism Together
4 Dec 2006 : Column 170W
document, what the cost was of the visits by British Muslim delegations to promote a positive image of Britain's Muslim youth abroad; which Government Departments contributed to the cost; what the size was of each delegation; where each delegation went; and what other visits are planned. [104348]

Dr. Howells: I have been asked to reply.

In financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office allocated £350,000 to British Muslim delegations going overseas. Delegation sizes are between four and eight people.

Countries visited to date are; Bahrain, Qatar, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Algeria, Bosnia, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Morocco. The next sets of visits are still being planned.

Business Rates

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will reduce the business rates due on stand-by communication services. [106943]

Mr. Woolas: There no plans to alter communication services' business rates liability.

Community Associations

Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many community associations are (a) formally registered and (b) incorporated in each of the English regions. [101769]

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.

The Charity Commission, the independent registrar and regulator of charities, is responsible for the registration of community associations as charities. I have therefore asked the Commission's chief executive to write to my hon. Friend and for a copy of this letter to be placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

Council Tax

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the average parish precept levied on an average Band D council tax bill in a parished area is in England in 2006-07; [104045]

(2) which council has the highest parish precept on Band D council tax in England in 2006-07; and what the level of the precept is. [104046]

Mr. Woolas: Information on precepts and Band D council taxes set by individual parish and town councils is not collected by the Department.

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Band D council tax was in each local authority area in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) England in each year since 2003-04. [106479]

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Mr. Woolas: The average area Band D council tax (in pounds) for each local authority area in (a) the Yorkshire and the Humber region and (b) England in each year since 2003-04 is shown in the following table.

Local authority	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
Barnsley	1,045	1,104	1,162	1,219
Bradford	1,016	1,061	1,105	1,151
Calderdale	1,131	1,181	1,237	1,297
Craven	1,127	1,199	1,254	1,309
Doncaster	1,040	1,094	1,102	1,136
East Riding of Yorkshire UA	1,109	1,183	1,241	1,302
Hambleton	1,055	1,128	1,182	1,233
Harrogate	1,145	1.224	1,279	1,335
Kingston upon Hull UA	1,036	1,094	1,143	1,196
Kirklees	1.089	1,134	1,190	1,250
Leeds	985	1,040	1,086	1,136
North East Lincolnshire UA	1,174	1,265	1,325	1,364
North Lincolnshire UA	1,157	1,237	1,294	1,356
Richmondshire	1,145	1,219	1,277	1,327
Rotherham	1,085	1,143	1,200	1,259
Ryedale	1,142	1,215	1,268	1,321
Scarborough	1,141	1,222	1,277	1,332
Selby	1,136	1,207	1,260	1,312
Sheffield	1,155	1,216	1,274	1,333
Wakefield	1,006	1,048	1,090	1,130
York UA	988	1,078	1,127	1,182
England	1,102	1,167	1,214	1,268

The data are collected on budget requirements forms submitted annually by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government and include, where applicable, the authorities own council tax plus council tax collected on behalf of precepting bodies such as county councils, fire authorities and police authorities.

Departmental Staff

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many value for money exercises on the use of (a) management consultants and (b) professional advisers were conducted by her Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement. [103018]

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Angela E. Smith: The Department has not instigated any consultancy specific value for money exercises in the last five years.

The National Audit Office carries out value for money exercises and it has been conducting a study on central Government’s use of consultants which is due to be published in December 2006. The Department worked with the NAO on this study.

Departmental Travel

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what foreign visits have been undertaken by departmental staff on official business since 7 July 2006. [103939]

Angela E. Smith: Since 7 July 2006 there have been 133 foreign visits undertaken by Department for Communities and Local Government staff. The destinations included 122 to Europe (outside UK); eight visits to Far East; three visits to North America .

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of the visits abroad by staff in her Department in the last 12 months. [104051]

Angela E. Smith: The cost of the 519 trips abroad by staff in the Department for Communities and Local Government in the last 12 months is £197,992.

Elected Mayors

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what referendums have been held for elected mayors since the relevant provisions of the Local Government Act 2000 came into force; what the percentage turnout of the electorate was in each case; and what the percentage of those (a) in favour and (b) against a mayoral election was in each case. [105953]

Mr. Woolas: The following tables show results of referendums.

Mayoral referendums 2001 to date
	Summary of results
'YES' results	12
'NO' results	22
Total	34

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Detailed breakdown
		Result
Date	Council	Yes	Percentage	No	Percentage	Turnout (%)
7 June 2001	Berwick-upon-Tweed	3,617	26	10,212	74	64
28 June 2001	Cheltenham	8,083	33	16,602	67	32
28 June 2001	Gloucester	7,731	32	16,317	68	31
12 July 2001	Watford	7,636	52	7,140	48	25
20 September 2001	Doncaster	35,453	65	19,398	35	25
4 October 2001	Kirklees	10,169	27	27,977	73	13
11 October 2001	Sunderland	9,375	43	12,209	57	10
18 October 2001	Brighton and Hove	22,724	38	37,214	62	32
18 October 2001	Hartlepool	10,667	51	10,294	49	34
18 October 2001	Lewisham	16,822	51	15,914	49	18
18 October 2001	Middlesbrough	29,067	84	5,422	16	34
18 October 2001	North Tyneside	30,262	58	22,296	42	36
18 October 2001	Sedgefield	10,628	47	11,869	53	33
8 November 2001	Redditch	7,250	44	9,198	56	28
20 November 2001	Durham (City)	8,327	41	11,974	59	29
6 December 2001	Harrow	17,502	43	23,554	57	26
24 January 2002	Plymouth	29,559	41	42,811	59	40
24 January 2002	Harlow	5,296	25	15,490	75	35
31 January 2002	Newham	27,263	68	12,687	32	26
31 January 2002	Southwark	6,054	31	13,217	69	11
31 January 2002	West Devon	3,555	23	12,190	77	42
31 January 2002	Shepway	11,357	44	14,438	56	36
21 February 2002	Bedford	11,316	67	5,537	33	16
2 May 2002	Hackney	24,697	70	10,547	30	32
2 May 2002	Mansfield	8,973	55	7,350	45	21
2 May 2002	Newcastle-under-Lyme	12,912	44	16,468	56	32
2 May 2002	Oxford	14,692	44	18,686	56	34
2 May 2002	Stoke on Trent	28,601	58	20,578	42	27
1 October 2002	Corby	5,351	46	6,239	54	31
12 December 2002	Ealing	9,454	45	11,655	55	10
5 May 2005	Isle of Wight	28,786	44	37,097	56	62
14 May 2005	Fenland	5,509	24	17,296	76	34
14 July 2005	Torbay	18,074	55	14,682	45	32
4 May 2006	Crewe and Nantwich	11,808	38	18,768	61	35

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