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18 May 2007 : Column 979W—continued
Manufacturing Industries
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what discussions she has had with employers’ organisations on the availability of appropriate sites and facilities for manufacturing start-up businesses and other small and medium-sized enterprises in the manufacturing sector; [131806]
(2) what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities provide sufficient land and accommodation to meet the needs of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies; [131807]
(3) what discussions she has had with the Local Government Association on the availability of appropriate sites for start-ups of small and medium- sized businesses in the manufacturing sector. [132078]
Meg Munn: The Secretary of State meets a range of organisations, but has had no specific discussions with employers’ organisations or with the Local Government Association about sites and facilities needed for start-up businesses and other small and medium-sized enterprises in the manufacturing sector.
National planning policy set out in Planning Policy Guidance 4: “Industrial, commercial development and small firms” asks local planning authorities to ensure that there is a sufficient quantity and variety of land available to meet the differing needs of businesses. Local planning authorities should also ensure that there is sufficient land available which is readily capable of development and well served by infrastructure.
Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities, in preparing and reviewing their development plans, should make a realistic assessment of the quantity of land likely to be needed in their areas to meet the needs of business and developers. That assessment should ensure that suitable locations are available for start-up businesses likely to come forward in the manufacturing sector as well as for small and medium-sized enterprises.
To assist planning authorities in assessing the overall demand for and supply of employment land, we have published “Employment Land Reviews: Guidance Note” (December 2004). This guidance seeks to help planning authorities assess the suitability of sites to accommodate employment development, to help protect the best sites in the face of competition from higher-value uses, and to help authorities to identify
sites which are no longer needed for employment development and can be released for other uses, including for housing.
Manufacturing Industries: Kirklees
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage Kirklees Metropolitan Council to provide more land for business start-ups and small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises. [131809]
Meg Munn: It is for Kirklees Metropolitan Council to determine the amount of land that is required to meet business needs in its local area in line with national planning policy set out in Planning Policy Guidance 4: ‘Industrial, commercial development and small firms.’
Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities, in preparing and reviewing their development plans, should make a realistic assessment of the quantity of land likely to be needed in their areas to meet the needs of business and developers. That assessment should help local planning authorities to ensure that suitable locations are available for business start-ups and small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises likely to come forward.
Manufacturing Industries: Yorkshire and Humberside
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to discuss the provision of appropriate sites for manufacturing industry, particularly start-ups for small and medium-sized enterprises, with Yorkshire Forward. [131810]
Meg Munn: The Secretary of State has no plans to discuss with Yorkshire Forward the provision of appropriate sites for manufacturing industry, particularly start-ups for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Mobile Homes
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether park home owners are required, if requested by park home residents, to list all works undertaken on their behalf in cases where the increase in the pitch fee is below the retail price index. [136645]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 14 May 2007]: Implied Term 22(b)(i) of the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment of Schedule 1) (England) Order 2006 requires a park owner, if requested by the occupier, to provide (free of charge) a park home occupier with documentary evidence in support and explanation of any new pitch fee, including where the increase in pitch fee is below the retail price index.
Regional Planning and Development: Science
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work of regional development agencies in the development of science cities. [135908]
Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
Six science cities make up the Science Cities Consortium Development Group. RDAs are partners with local authorities, universities, and business in the development of science cities in their regions. The consortium in each individual science city has taken forward its development according to the individual opportunities and challenges faced in each location.
It is too early to assess the impact of science cities. There has not, therefore, yet been any formal assessment of the effectiveness of the RDAs’ work in this area. In any event, an assessment of the work of RDAs in particular would not tell the whole story, as RDAs are only one of the partnership organisations involved in the development of science cities.
Defence
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact on access to means-tested social service support of the receipt of payment from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [135807]
Derek Twigg:
Following the publication of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme ‘Evaluation of First Year’ report on 19 March 2007, Ministry of Defence officials are in discussion with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on the impact of Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards on means- tested social services support. The principal focus is on the Disabled Facilities Grant Programme, reflecting the concerns raised by the ex-service community during the consultation for the evaluation report. It has been agreed that the AFCS will be included in any DCLG considerations arising from the recent public consultation on the Government's proposals to improve Disabled Facilities Grant Programme delivery.
Armed Forces: Chorley
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Army Cadets based in Chorley to receive replacement rifles. [136960]
Derek Twigg: On current planning, the replacement weapons for the Cadet General Purpose and Drill Purpose rifles will be issued to Cadet Forces from September 2008 with the final weapons delivered in November 2009. A detailed fielding plan has not yet been developed. Until that time, the Cadets will continue to use their existing rifles for exercises and training.
Armed Forces: Deployment
Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel are deployed in line with harmony guidelines. [128240]
Mr. Ingram: Deployment is one element of separated service that is taken into account in monitoring of the employment of personnel in line with the respective service harmony guideline.
Levels of separated service against harmony guidelines are reported in the Department’s regular public service agreement performance reports and in its annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
The Department plans to publish further harmony figures for financial year 2006-07 in its spring performance report in the next few weeks.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average tour interval is of (a) 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh, (b) 1st Battalion the Scots Guards, (c) 19th Regiment Royal Artillery, (d) 5th Regiment Royal Artillery and (e) 39th Regiment Royal Artillery. [137348]
Mr. Ingram: The recent average tour intervals for the Army units listed are provided in the following table.
As tour intervals are calculated by units rather than subunits, we are unable to calculate tour intervals for 5th Regiment Royal Artillery.
Armed Forces: Embassies
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which British embassies and high commissions have (a) a defence attaché, (b) a military attaché, (c) a Royal Naval attaché and (d) an air attaché; and if he will make a statement on the future funding of these posts. [136606]
Mr. Ingram: In each of the 79 countries listed the UK currently has a resident accredited Defence Attaché/Adviser (DA). In smaller posts, a singleton DA will also act as the de facto Military Attaché/Adviser (MA), Naval Attaché/Adviser (NA) and Air Attaché/Adviser (AA) to look after single service issues in addition to wider defence matters. To spread the work load, busier posts may have one or more additional accredited attaches/advisers who are subordinate to the DA. To align with the focus of the specific defence relationship with the host country, these individuals are often styled in more than one way: either as single service attachés/advisers in their own right, or in a combined roles (such as NA/AA or MA/NA); or simply as the Deputy or Assistant Defence Attachés/Advisers (covering issues across all three services). Where single service attachés are not specified the DA performs these roles where required. A number of other countries and overseas territories are covered on a non-resident basis. The current disposition of attachés/advisers is described in the following table.
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