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19 Feb 2007 : Column 516W—continued
Remploy: Contracts
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public contracts have been awarded since January 2006 by councils in England to (a) Remploy and (b) other supported employers; and if she will take steps to increase the number of contracts awarded to such employers. [121016]
Angela E. Smith: Information on the award of public contracts to supported employers is not held centrally. The Department for Work and Pensions has obtained information direct from Remploy, which shows that in 2006, 9,066 contracts were awarded by councils in England to them.
Subject to their legal duties, including the duty of best value and public procurement law, local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions. It is for Remploy to bid for appropriate contractual opportunities that arise within local government.
Rough Sleeping
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on (a) rough sleeping and (b) homelessness of the influx of people from (i) A8 countries and (ii) outside the EU. [114505]
Yvette Cooper: The Department publishes the total number of rough sleepers in England in the annual national estimate each September. This does not differentiate between the nationalities of rough sleepers. The Prime Minister's target to reduce rough sleeping by two thirds from 1998 levels was met ahead of time. Rough sleeping is now 73 per cent. lower and that is being sustained.
Statistics about wider homelessness are collected and published quarterly. Between May 2004 and September 2006, 615 households from the EU accession (A8) states have been accepted as eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need. This includes A8 nationals who have been living in the UK since before 2004. This comprises 0.25 per cent. of the total number of households accepted over the 29-month period.
Between April 2005 (when we started collecting non-EU acceptances data) and September 2006, 3,716 foreign national households from outside the EU have been accepted as eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need. This comprises 2.8 per cent. of the total number of households accepted over the 18- month period.
Shropshire County Council
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings she had with officers of Shropshire county council on the county’s bid for unitary status in 2005. [111997]
Mr. Woolas: None. My right hon. Friend has had no such meetings.
Social Rented Housing: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) one-bedroom, (b) two-bedroom, (c) three-bedroom and (d) four or more bedroom properties for social housing were built in (i) the Eastbourne constituency and (ii) east Sussex in each of the last 10 years. [120566]
Yvette Cooper: Regional estimates on the proportion of new dwellings by bedroom and tenure in the south-east are published on the Communities and Local Government website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/65/Table252_id1156065.xls
A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.
It is not possible to produce reliable estimates at ‘borough’ level from the information held centrally.
Supermarkets: Land Use
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the practice of land banking by supermarket chains. [118461]
Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government have made no assessment of the practice of land banking by supermarket chains.
On 9 May 2006, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) referred the supply of groceries by retailers in the UK to the Competition Commission for investigation. One of the issues the Competition Commission are currently considering is whether any grocery retailers use the planning regime or land ownership and development in a way that deters or restricts entry or expansion by an actual or potential competitor, specifically, by acquiring or retaining land banks (including options over land), in a way which serves to exclude or deter actual or potential competitors from entering a market or expanding their operations. The commission expect to produce their final report towards the end of this year.
Supporting People
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government why mentally disordered offenders are not classified as a vulnerable group under the Supporting People programme. [121254]
Mr. Woolas: Supporting People is a devolved programme, wherein 150 administering authorities are responsible for deciding how their Supporting People grant allocations are spent, based on the local needs and priorities set out in their Supporting People five-year strategies. This means that it is up to the individual authority to decide what level of support is needed for vulnerable people in its own area, and which services can best provide this.
Temporary Accommodation: North West Region
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in (a) Warrington and (b) the North West are living in temporary accommodation; and what proportion of those households have been in temporary accommodation for more than 12 months. [117890]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 1 February 2007]: Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter. The figures include both those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, and those for which enquiries are pending.
Data are published in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness, which includes a regional breakdown of the number of households in temporary accommodation. We also publish a Supplementary
Table showing the breakdown of key data, including temporary accommodation, by each local authority (including Warrington). Both tables are published and placed in the Library of the House. The details are also available on our website each quarter, and the latest—Quarter 3 2006—can be found at the following address:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID-2309.
In January 2005 the Government set a target of halving the number of households in all forms of temporary accommodation used by local authorities to discharge their main duty under the homelessness legislation.
We do not collect data on the length of stay of those households currently in temporary accommodation. However we do collect the length of stay of those households who leave temporary accommodation during each quarter. Of those households who left temporary accommodation in (a) Warrington during the most recent quarter for which data are available (July to September 2006), 24 per cent. had been there for a year or more. Of those households who left temporary accommodation in (b) the North West during the quarter, 9 per cent. had been there for a year or more.
Women and Equality Unit: Finance
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the budget is of the Women and Equality Unit for 2006-07. [118336]
Angela E. Smith: The budget for the Women and Equality Unit for 2006-07 is £18,967,000. This breaks down as:
| £ | |
Trade and Industry
Biofuels
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many plants there are in the UK producing biofuels. [118947]
Malcolm Wicks: DTI is currently carrying out a survey of companies that announced their intention to produce biofuels to find out the actual production during 2006. Results of this survey are not expected until later in the year.
The Renewable Energy Association has published a list of the major biodiesel and bioethanol producing companies in the UK, and smaller companies that hold REA membership. Included are companies that either have operational plants, or have publicly announced plans to construct biofuels production facilities. The list is available at:
http://www.r-p-a.org.uk/content/images/articules/BiofuelsCompList(1).pdf.
British Sky Broadcasting: ITV Network
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the implications for (a) the market in television sports rights, (b) competition in the television advertising market, (c) competition in programme scheduling, (d) broadcast new services, (e) competition in the retail provision of multi-channel television and (f) the public interest of BSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake in ITV plc. [120722]
Mr. McCartney: The Office of Fair Trading is currently considering (i) whether BSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake of ITV plc means a relevant merger situation may have been created and (ii) whether that situation may result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets within the United Kingdom for goods or services and (iii) whether to make a reference to the Competition Commission.
Separately, Ofcom is considering whether the transaction represents a change of control of one or more of the licences held by ITV plc. If such a change of control had taken place, Ofcom would conduct a change of control review, examining the effects of the change on ITV's licensed services such as original productions, news and current affairs programmes and regional programming.
In addition, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is considering whether to exercise his discretion under section 42 of the Enterprise Act 2002 to issue a public interest intervention notice in respect of this transaction. Representations on this matter have been received both from the parties concerned and from interested third parties and these will be given careful consideration in reaching a decision.
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on BSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake in ITV plc. [120726]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received written submissions from British Sky Broadcasting plc about the company's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake of ITV plc providing views on a range of matters relevant to the Secretary of State's consideration of whether he should exercise his discretion under section 42 of the Enterprise Act 2002 to issue a public interest intervention notice in respect of this transaction. The Secretary of State has received written submissions from ITV plc and from interested third parties including NTL, the Virgin Group and Channel 4.
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings with (a) Ministers and (b) officials have taken place with representatives of BSkyB since BSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake in ITV plc. [120727]
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