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18 May 2007 : Column 975W—continued
Communities and Local Government
Aerials: Planning Permission
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received in the last six months on radiation produced by mobile telephone masts; and if she will make a statement. [138106]
Meg Munn: I have received several letters from Members of Parliament and others about telecommunications and planning policy, some of which refer to the radiation produced by mobile telephone masts. In addition, officials have dealt with correspondence, e-mails and telephone queries on this issue.
Building Research Establishment: Disclosure of Information
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make information about non-traditional construction held by the Building Research Establishment publicly available. [134177]
Angela E. Smith: The release of information owned and held by the Building Research Establishment is a matter for its management, and I have no responsibility for its operations.
Construction: Electromagnetic Fields
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her response is to the conclusion contained in the Stakeholder Advisory Group on Extremely Low Frequency Electronic and Magnetic Fields report that a ban on building new homes and schools near power lines is the best available option for obtaining a significant reduction in exposure to power frequency electric and magnetic fields to protect public health; and if she will make a statement. [137662]
Meg Munn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate) on 15 May 2007, Official Report, column 704W.
Construction: Manpower
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure there are sufficient numbers of skilled builders to facilitate the meeting of her zero carbon target for all new homes by 2016. [137399]
Yvette Cooper: We are in discussion with the Home Builders Federation and other industry representatives to put in place measures to ensure that those in the housebuilding industry have the necessary skills to deliver zero carbon new homes by 2016.
Departments: Greater London
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department’s responsibilities are with respect to London, broken down by policy area; what responsibilities she holds jointly with the Mayor of London; and if she will make a statement. [138513]
Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible for national policy related to local and regional government, housing, planning, fire and resilience, neighbourhood renewal, community cohesion and equalities in England, including London.
The Mayor of London’s statutory responsibilities are set out in the Greater London Authority Act 1999, and will be enhanced through the Greater London Authority Bill currently proceeding through Parliament. These responsibilities cover strategic planning, fire services and—with the completion of the Bill—housing in London.
The Mayor also has a general power to promote economic and social development and improve the environment in London.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Mayor of London have distinct statutory responsibilities in relation to strategic planning, housing and fire services, and none of the Secretary of State’s statutory responsibilities are held jointly with the Mayor.
Departments: Sovereign Strategy
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department and its predecessor held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. [136858]
Angela E. Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 July 2006, Official Report, column 1759W. Ministers have held no meetings with Sovereign Strategy since my earlier answer. It would entail disproportionate cost to provide the information requested for predecessor Departments for the whole period since 1997.
Homelessness: Hostels
Mr. Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007, Official Report, column 657W, on homelessness: hostels, when her Department expects to publish its review of hostels for rough sleepers in London. [136532]
Yvette Cooper: The review of hostels for rough sleepers in London has now been finalised and we anticipate a June publication.
Housing: Chelmsford
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people living (a) in the Chelmsford Local Authority area and (b) outside the Chelmsford Local Authority area are on the Chelmsford housing waiting list; and what the figures were in 1997. [132413]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 23 April 2007]: Local authorities in England report the numbers of households (not people) on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. However, the information is not broken down by whether the household is living within or outside the local authority district.
The number of households on Chelmsford borough council’s housing waiting list, 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 and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House:
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 on to the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.
Housing: Children
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many children were registered as living in (a) temporary accommodation, (b) non-decent accommodation and (c) overcrowded accommodation in each London borough in each year since 1997. [130743]
Yvette Cooper: Information on children in temporary accommodation is only available from 2004. Figures for local authorities in London are provided in the following table.
| Number of children in temporary accommodation( 1) on 31 December 2004-06: by London local authority | |||
| Local authority | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| (1) Households in temporary accommodation (excluding applicants recorded as homeless at home) on the last day of the quarter, as arranged by a local housing authority as a discharge of their statutory homelessness functions. (2) Local authority did not report. Source: P1E quarterly returns | |||
Estimates of the number of children living in non-decent homes or in overcrowded households in each London borough is not available.
Local Authorities: Climate Change
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many whole-time equivalent staff were employed (a) as climate change officers and (b) in other posts with responsibility for climate change by English local authorities in each of the last five years. [135051]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 1 May 2007]: The Government do not hold this information centrally.
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