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26 Mar 2007 : Column 1336W—continued


Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of
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a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in Taunton constituency are on housing waiting lists; and how many have been waiting (a) less than six months, (b) six to 12 months, (c) 12 to 18 months, (d) 18 to 24 months and (e) over 24 months for housing. [128745]

Yvette Cooper: The constituency of Taunton covers the whole of Taunton Deane district council but also includes a large part of West Somerset district council. Information is not collected at the constituency level, only at local authority level and includes households rather than people. Information on length of waiting time on a housing list for households is not held centrally.

However, the number of households on the waiting list for social housing in Taunton Deane, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The link for this table is as follows:

Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Land

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has she made of the effect of landbanking by developers on the cost of housing. [129201]

Yvette Cooper: Landbanking and option contracts were considered within Kate Barker's Review of Housing Supply, commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Deputy Prime Minister. Her interim report (December 2003) found little evidence, across the country as a whole, to substantiate concerns that these practices allow housebuilders to erect barriers to entry into the market; however, once land is acquired, competitive pressure and responsiveness in the industry are reduced and faster rates of production may be more socially beneficial.

In December 2006 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced the Callcutt Review of Housebuilding Delivery. The Review will provide analysis of the acquisition, holding and disposal of land for housebuilding, the volumes of land held and the influence of land supply on levels of housebuilding production. This will include an assessment of the relationship between supply and
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demand for housing and any observed market failures and the means by which they may be addressed. We expect the Review to report in the autumn.

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department collects on landbanking by developers. [129206]

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government does not collect information on landbanking by developers.

The Callcutt Review of Housebuilding Delivery, announced by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in December 2006, will provide analysis of the acquisition, holding and disposal of land for housebuilding, the volumes of land held and the influence of land supply on levels of housebuilding production. This will include an assessment of the relationship between supply and demand for housing and any observed market failures and the means by which they may be addressed. We expect the Review to report in the autumn.

Local Government: Standards

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Comprehensive Performance Assessment rankings and scores have been for every council since its introduction. [129274]

Mr. Woolas: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member. The reply was sent on 22 March and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will respond to the letter of 12 January from the hon. Member for Billericay on the provisional local government finance settlement 2007-08 for Basildon council. [130042]

Mr. Woolas: I have now replied to the hon. Member's letter.

Millennium Dome

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research has been conducted into the causes of the Millennium Dome cost over-runs. [129102]

Mr. Caborn: I have been asked to reply.

Since the final cost of the Millennium Experience was just 4 per cent. higher than the amount allowed for in the original May 1997 budget, we have not conducted any specific research. However, the National Audit Office published two wider reports on the Millennium Experience, “The Millennium Dome” (HC936) in 2000 and “Winding up the New Millennium Experience Company” (HC749) in 2002.


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Non-Domestic Rates

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a material change to a business premises that increases the rateable value will result in an amended business rates bill prior to the next periodic business rates revaluation. [129209]

Mr. Woolas: Billing authorities calculate and send out revised rates bills to ratepayers as soon as possible after changes in rateable values have been notified to them by valuation officers, rather than waiting until the next revaluation of non-domestic properties.

Planning Permission

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment concerning issues of planning permission guidance; when those meetings took place; whether she plans to publish the minutes of the meeting; and if she will make a statement. [126817]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 13 March 2007]: The Secretary of State has not met with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) specifically to discuss issues related to planning. She last met with representatives from CABE on 21 November 2006 for a general discussion of their progress against agreed work priorities for 2006-07. At this meeting CABE did re-iterate views it had set out as part of its formal response to the consultation on the forthcoming Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing, with specific reference to the importance of emphasising good design.

CABE is the Government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space and therefore Communities and Local Government Ministers may meet with CABE for a variety of reasons each year. One meeting will normally be held to discuss CABE’s objectives for the forthcoming year. Other meetings can involve a broad discussion on design issues which may include consideration of how CABE’s programmes can support good quality outcomes from the planning process, for example through its design review service.

There will also be occasions when Ministers and CABE representatives are both present at meetings and events that are also attended by other parties, and at which the planning system may be among the issues discussed.

Planning: Fees and Charges

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the (a) one-off cost and (b) recurring costs of implementing the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I., 2005 No. 843) to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators. [126651]


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Yvette Cooper: Statutory Instrument 843 of 2005 relates to planning fees. The Regulatory Impact Assessment issued at the time balanced the additional cost to applicants (including businesses) against the benefit to applicants of a better-funded, more effective planning service.

In the year since the fee increase (2005-06) research suggests that planning fee income to local authorities increased by £35 million. The number of local authorities meeting all their Best Value targets for turning round planning applications has gone up from 19 per cent. in the year ending 31 March 2004, to 64 per cent. in the year ending 31 March 2006.

The cost to regulators was merely that of using existing staff to revise the legislation and inform stakeholders.

Regeneration: Finance

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated to regeneration projects from her Department in each year between 2001-02 and 2005-06, broken down by by local authority area. [125876]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many regeneration projects received funding from her Department in each year between 2001-02 and 2005-06, broken down by region. [125877]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of her Department's spending was devoted to (a) urban and (b) rural regeneration and redevelopment in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06. [125890]

Yvette Cooper: We estimate that around 32 per cent., 36 per cent. and 37 per cent. of the Department's main programme spend was spent on regeneration and redevelopment programmes for 2003-04 , 2004-05 and 2005-06 respectively. It is not possible to analyse how much of this expenditure could be considered to be urban and how much rural regeneration and redevelopment other than at disproportionate cost.

Rents: North West Region

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeowners in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) Denton and Reddish constituency pay a rent charge. [127905]

Yvette Cooper: The precise address and location of a particular property is required to access this information from the Land Registry. It is not possible to provide the quantity of homeowners paying a rent charge without a description of all of the properties relevant to the enquiry. Information on particular premises can be obtained for a small charge by contacting the Land Registry.


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Rents: Swindon

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what average rent was paid in Swindon by (a) council tenants, (b) tenants with a registered social landlord and (c) tenants paying market rates in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement; [127658]

(2) what average rent was paid for (a) council housing and (b) registered social landlord housing in each local authority in England in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [127661]


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Yvette Cooper: The average rent paid for local authority housing was £57.90, and for registered social landlord housing it was £64.32. Figures are as at the end of April 2006 and for local authorities are based on unaudited information. Figures for the RSL sector are based on data collected by the Housing Corporation.

The average rent paid by tenants in Swindon as at end April 2006 was £54.57 for local authority rents, and £67.54 for RSL rents.

As part of the next restructuring programme, local authority and housing association rents for similar properties are converging. Information on average rent paid by private renters in Swindon is not available. This information is available by region as tabled.

Table 734: Rents, lettings and tenancies: mean rent( 1) of “free market”( 2) private tenancies: by region
£ a month
1994-95 and 1995-96 combined 1995-96 and 1996-97 combined 1996-97 and 1997-98 combined 1997-98 and 1998-99 combined 1998-99 and 1999-2000 combined 1999-2000 and 2000-01 combined

North East

267

283

263

256

240

257

North West

282

307

277

287

329

330

Yorkshire and the Humber

259

266

267

268

283

284

The North

272

289

271

276

297

300

East Midlands

251

256

266

303

304

279

West Midlands

274

300

303

280

279

316

The Midlands

262

278

285

290

291

296

East

324

339

353

356

359

387

London

502

549

577

613

642

655

South East

386

390

421

437

441

470

South West

283

306

318

339

355

364

The South

400

426

445

465

483

511

England

350

373

380

390

403

421


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