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11 Dec 2006 : Column 897W—continued
There were no specific key worker schemes over this time period.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities are using the new prudential borrowing framework for housing purposes; and what the scale of their borrowing is in each case. [105253]
Yvette Cooper: This information is not collected centrally.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the void turnaround time was for (a) council flats and (b) housing association properties in Bristol in each year since 2001. [106623]
Yvette Cooper: The average void re-let times for council homes in Bristol since 2001 are as follows. The data is collected in respect of the whole stock. Separate figures are not available for flats.
| Days | |
The average void re-let times for housing association properties in Bristol are as follows. Data are not available for the period 2000-01 to 2003-04.
| Days | |
Local Government
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many targets her Department sets for local authorities; and what they are. [104906]
Mr. Woolas: The Department for Communities and Local Government has set three national targets for local authorities. Details are set out as follows:
By 2007-08, each local authority to achieve total efficiency gains equivalent to 7.5 per cent. of their baseline expenditure in 2004-05;
By 2010, all social housing to meet minimum standards of decency. Details available at http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1152190
By 2010, 70 per cent. of vulnerable households in the private sector to live in a decent home.
In addition, a further three targets have been set for fire and rescue authorities:
By 2010, reduce the number of accidental fire-related deaths in the home by 20 per cent.;
By 2010, achieve a 10 per cent. reduction in deliberate fires;
By 2010, no local fire and rescue authority to have a fatality rate, from accidental fires in the home, of more than 1.25 times the national average.
Annual targets are also set for specified local authorities requiring them to process planning applications within a prescribed period of time.
Targets are additionally set through Local Area Agreements (LAAs). These are three-year agreements, based on local community strategies, which set out the priorities for a local area.
There are also a number of floor targets, setting minimum standards that every area should meet, which have been set by central Government as part of each Spending Review since 2000. These floor targets now cover six thematic areas: crime, education, housing, employment, health and liveability, and are designed to help reduce the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest. Details of these floor targets, showing changes made to the targets and where targets have been rolled over or removed at each Spending Review, are available via the HMT website at the following addresses, and are made available in the Library of the House:
Changes from 2000-02 SR:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./Spending_Review/spend_sr02/psa/spend_sr02psatargets.cfm
Changes from 2002-04 SR:
http://performance.treasury.gov.uk/recontopublishsr02to04.pdf
The local government White Paper, “Strong and Prosperous Communities”, published on 26 October, set out proposals for a new performance framework for local authorities and their partners. As part of the new framework, the number of targets for each area will be limited to around 35, plus the 18 statutory early years and performance targets from the Department for Education and Skills, agreed through the LAA.
Targets will reflect the agreed set of national outcomes and will be set against the approximately 200 national indicators that will be determined through next year’s Comprehensive Spending Review.
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances a local authority is able to impose penalties on contractors who fail to complete works to an agreed deadline. [105128]
Mr. Woolas: Local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions subject to the requirements of Best Value legislation and to the EU/UK regulatory framework. However, generally speaking, parties to a contract may agree inclusion within contracts of mechanisms by which sums of money may be paid as compensation for a late or failed delivery. The sum must be a genuine pre-estimate of loss to be upheld by the courts.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been awarded to Westminster city council under the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund since its inception; and what amount has been allocated for 2007-08. [105217]
Mr. Woolas: Westminster city council received the following allocations through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund since its inception in 2001-02:
| £ | |
A further £3,562,712 will be received in 2007-08, making a total allocation of £12,980,091 over seven years.
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assets are held by each regional local government pension scheme; and how many members there are in each regional local government pension scheme. [105291]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 7 December 2006]: The market value of the assets held by the Local Government Pension Scheme fund authorities in England as at 31 March 2006 and the number of active, deferred and pensioner members of those funds is shown in the following table. The data are derived from annual returns submitted to the Department by LGPS administering authorities in England.
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