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20 Mar 2007 : Column 817W—continued


State Retirement Pensions

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the annual cost of increasing the additional 25 pence paid to pensioners over 80 years of age to £5 per week. [127509]

James Purnell: The estimated annual cost of increasing the additional 25 pence paid to pensioners over 80 years of age to £5 per week is £500 million in 2007-08.

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual cost is of uprating state pensions to pensioners over 80 years of age. [127519]

James Purnell: The estimated cash cost of uprating state pensions to pensioners over 80 years of age this April will be approximately £490 million.


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Village Agents

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the current funding arrangement is for village agents; and what will happen when the present funding comes to an end. [128055]

James Purnell: The Gloucestershire Village Agents is one of eight LinkAge Plus Pilots. Funding for the eight pilots for two years was secured at approximately £10 million.

Overall pilot allocation for Gloucestershire is £937,015. This funding was for pump priming to kick start the pilot in Gloucestershire.

All LinkAge Plus pilots have to develop plans to ensure long-term sustainability beyond the two year funding package: no further central funding will be provided.

A full evaluation of LinkAge Plus will be completed in autumn 2008.

Vocational Training: Fees and Charges

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what checks are undertaken by jobcentres on firms conducting interviews in jobcentres for enrolment on training courses for which applicants will have to pay; and whether it is a requirement for the pass rates of such courses to be made known to interviewees. [124659]

Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 2 March 2007]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 20 March 2007:

Welfare to Work: Reform

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the welfare system in the UK. [127750]

Mr. Jim Murphy: Ministers in this Department regularly receive representations from members of the
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public and representatives of major organisations regarding our welfare system. We continue to liaise closely with a wide range of stakeholders.

Communities and Local Government

Adoption: Equality

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a faith-based adoption agency which is not in receipt of public funds would be eligible for the exemption under Regulation 14, paragraph 3, of the proposed Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007. [128086]

Meg Munn [holding answer 19 March 2007]: A faith- based adoption agency that is not operating on behalf of and under contract with a public authority could qualify for the religious organisation exemption under Regulation 14, paragraph 3 of the proposed Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007—provided the agency is not being run on a commercial basis and can demonstrate that the exemption is necessary either to comply with the doctrine of the organisation, or to avoid conflicting with the strongly held religious beliefs of a significant number of the religion's followers.

Audit Commission: Expenditure

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) budget and (b) administrative costs were of the Audit Commission in each year since its creation. [126947]

Ruth Kelly: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member. The chief executive subsequently replied to her on 14 March as follows:

Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 14 March 2007:


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Year end Period length (months) Total (£000)

1984

12

12,859

1985

12

17,347

1986

12

21,623

1987

12

23,625

1988

12

25,482

1989

12

28,169

1990

12

33,704

1991

12

46,383

1992

12

61,000

1993

12

73,775

1994

12

82,216

1995

12

88,657

1996

12

92,356

1997

12

93,130

1997

7

60,311

1998

12

104,983

1999

12

111,081

2000

12

143,847

2001

12

177,927

2002

12

212,972

2002-04

17

324,054

2005

12

230,736

2006

12

193,824


Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations her Department has received from black and minority ethnic groups on the involvement of the Race Equality Group in the development of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. [127451]

Meg Munn: The Secretary of State has received two letters on the involvement of the Race Equality Group in the development of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR). Officials have also met with the chair of the British Federation of Race Equality Councils, who is also a member of the Race Equality Group, to discuss a programme of work to aid the transition of race equality councils to the CEHR.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how long the appointed Transition Commissioners are expected to assist the Commissioner for Equality and Human Rights. [127452]

Meg Munn: The transition Commissioners have been appointed to assist in assuring good continuity between the work of the existing equality Commissions (Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission) and that of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, Under the Equality Act, the transition commissioners will remain in post for up to two years after the dissolution of the existing Commissions.

Community Development: Expenditure

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Millennium communities have been constructed; in what locations; and how many homes have been completed in each. [128534]

Yvette Cooper: There are seven Millennium communities. Greenwich Millennium Village was the first to be announced in 1997. The others are at Allerton Bywater (near Leeds), New Islington (East
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Manchester), South Lynn (Kings Lynn), East Ketley (Telford), Oakgrove (Milton Keynes) and Hastings. In total the programme will bring forward over 9,000 eco-home ‘Excellent’ standard homes, plus other commercial and community facilities, providing inspiration to both the development industry and the general house-buying public and demonstrating how difficult sites can be brought back into use.

All the projects are currently on site with the exception of Oakgrove (Milton Keynes) where construction work is due to start towards the end of 2007.

A total number of 955 homes have been completed to date. Of these, 867 are at Greenwich, 44 are at Allerton Bywater, 21 are at Kings Lynn and 23 are at New Islington.

A further 895 homes are currently under construction, and we anticipate 6,000 being completed by 2010.

Council Housing: Rents

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities have to increase rent for council house tenants; and if she will make a statement. [127660]

Yvette Cooper: Section 24 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended by section 162 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and by section 92 of the Local Government Act 2003, provides that:

European Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the merits of including Cornish people within the terms of the European Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities. [123433]

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 March 2007, Official Report, columns 1885-86W.

Local Government: Reform

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a by-election would be held under her proposals for reform of local government if a member of a directly elected executive (a) resigned and (b) died. [127063]

Ruth Kelly: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill provides that if the executive leader resigns or dies, there is a by-election for the whole executive. If any other member of the executive resigns or dies, it is the decision of the leader whether or not there is a by-election for that position, unless the remaining number of executive members is below the minimum allowed in which case there must be a by-election for that position.


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