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21 May 2007 : Column 1108W—continued
The table sets out the specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils’ core services) paid to Westminster and excludes grants outside AEF such as capital grants, funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities, European funding, or where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area. Revenue support grant and other elements of formula grant (such as redistributed business rates and police grant) have also been excluded.
Revenue outturn data have been used from 1997-98 to 2005-06 (the last year available) and revenue account data have been used for 2006-07.
There are a number of smaller grants included in an “Other” category on the revenue returns submitted by local authorities. The totals of these are included above, although it is possible that there are grants from other Government Departments in this category. It is not possible to identify these separately within the return. The Private Finance Initiative grant has also been included above, although this will cover projects outside the policy responsibility of this Department.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) gross and (b) net income from capital receipts, including property and land disposals, was in each London local authority in each of the last 10 years. [137765]
Angela E. Smith: Information on the amount of capital receipts reported by each London local authority over the last 10 years has been made available in a table which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Capital receipts shown are gross, excluding the portion of receipts applied in defraying the administrative costs arising from the disposal of land or housing held under Part II of the Housing Act 1985 (regulation 23(e)).
National Mobility Scheme
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what programme she will introduce to replace the National Mobility Scheme and other initiatives designed to allow tenants to carry out mutual exchanges; and if she will make a statement. [133659]
Yvette Cooper:
The Government have replaced the mutual exchange scheme, which was facilitated by Scout Solutions Projects Ltd., with a number of alternative providers offering a free of charge service. These services can be accessed via the Government’s website, www.direct.gov.co.uk/socialhousing. This link also provides access to information on a wide range of housing-related matters and the full range of
Government services. The Government are also providing funding to support the development of 26 sub-regional choice-based lettings schemes and one regional choice-based lettings scheme covering all London authorities. When operational these schemes should make it easier for people to move between neighbouring authorities and ultimately across regional boundaries.
Olympic Games: Greater London
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's first estimate was of the total contribution to be made from the departmental budget towards the costs of hosting the Olympic games; and what her Department's current estimate is of that cost. [133291]
Angela E. Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the announcement made on 15 March 2007 by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which set out in detail both the budget for the games and the background to it. A schedule has been placed in the Library of the House.
How the Government contribution will be funded departmentally will be determined as part of the Spending Review discussions which are currently under way
Planning Permission
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the Planning Inspectorate requires three copies of each letter of objection to planning applications; and how many such letters the Inspectorate received on average per year over the last five years. [138216]
Yvette Cooper: The Planning Inspectorate does not maintain statistics of the volume of letters received from interested persons about appeals but estimates that these number approximately 135,000 per year. The Inspectorate is required by appeal regulations to copy such letters to the appellant and the local planning authority. Nevertheless the Inspectorate recognises that some people will not have easy access to copying or computer facilities and in those cases will happily accept a single letter.
Planning: Advertising
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 will be introduced in England and Wales. [131167]
Yvette Cooper: The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 came into force on 6 April. They do not apply to Wales.
Social Rented Housing
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of households faced with possession actions by social landlords in England in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2004-05. [131000]
Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the number of social landlord possession actions made, in the county courts of England and Wales in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
| Social landlord possession actions in England and Wales in 2004-5 and 2005-6 | |||
| Claims Issued | Orders made (suspended and outright orders) | Warrants of possession successfully executed( 1) | |
| (1) Figures are estimates Source: Department for Constitutional Affairs. | |||
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the revenue from the sale of council houses in (a) Castle Point and (b) England was reinvested in new social housing in each of the last 10 years. [132251]
Yvette Cooper: The Department does not collect data on the proportion of the sale of council houses that is reinvested in the provision of new social housing.
In general, on disposal of a council house, for instance through the right to buy, 75 per cent. of the capital receipt comes back to Government for recycling to other areas and investment, the local authority is free to use the remaining 25 per cent. for any capital purpose it sees fit—including the provision of new social housing. Prior to 2004-05, local authorities that had housing attributable debt set aside a proportion (75 per cent. for right to buy sales) of the housing capital receipt to repay their housing debt. That mechanism was replaced in 2004 with the pooling regime, which recovers a proportion (again, 75 per cent. for right to buy sales) of housing capital receipts for investment elsewhere.
Capital investment by central Government in affordable housing for the last 10 years generally (that is, investment in, maintenance of and provision of new affordable housing) has been greater than the value of capital receipts generated by the sale of council housing nationally. Since 1997 the Government have consistently invested more in housing than has been received in receipts.
Spend for Castle Point from 1997-98 to 2005-06 for social rent and low cost home ownership (LCHO) through Housing Corporation Affordable Housing Programme (AHP). The figures provided are for new provision through either new build, acquisition and refurbishment.
The right to buy receipts generated by the disposal of social housing, in Castle Point and in England.
The amount of housing receipts (including RTB sales but not limited to those, this data also includes non-RTB sales of housing assets such as bare land) that were recycled for investment, either through the set-aside regime or through the pooling of housing capital receipts, in Castle Point and in England.
The value of capital investment in Castle Point (local authority stock investment only) and nationally.
| £ million | |||||||
| Castle Point | England | ||||||
| RTB Receipts | Set-Aside/ Pooling | LHCO/ AHP( 1) | LA Capital Investment | RTB receipts | Set-Aside/ Pooling | Capital Investment | |
| Note: Data pre-1997-98 is available only at disproportionate cost. 2005-06 is the latest year for which we have audited data. ( 1 ) Source: Housing Corporation | |||||||
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of each English local authority's housing stock was social housing in (a) 1986, (b) 1996 and (c) 2006. [137771]
Yvette Cooper: The proportions of social housing for rent as a total of the housing stock by local authority have been tabulated and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. Social housing is defined as those dwellings that are owned or managed by local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs). Figures are as reported by local authorities and RSLs.
Valuation Office
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government through what data sources the Valuation Office Agency gathers property attribute information for the ZI value significant code. [128556]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 1596-97W.
Culture, Media and Sport
Homophobia
9. Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to tackle homophobia in football and other sports. [137934]
Mr. Caborn: The Government believe that there is no place for homophobia in sport or in wider society. We fully support the work being taken forward by the National Governing Bodies of sport to ensure that equity exists for all.
The Government’s investment into sport, through the Whole Sport Plan process led by Sport England, enables NGB’s to produce robust and effective equity plans. These plans aim to tackle homophobia along with other types of discrimination.
The Equality Standard for Sport requires these bodies to demonstrate that they are addressing inequalities and making their sports more accessible to under-represented individuals, groups and communities.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the London bid team on being awarded the right to host the 2008 International Gay and Lesbian Football Association World Championships. The week long tournament, which will take place at Regents Park in August 2008, will attract teams from all over the world and will have a positive impact on promoting unity and tackling homophobia.
2012 Olympics
10. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in identifying which towns and cities will be selected as official hosts for competitors from individual countries participating in the 2012 Olympics. [137935]
Mr. Caborn: Good progress has been made.
London 2012 has received over 700 applications from facilities across the UK which wish to feature in their Pre-Games Training Camp Guide, and is now carrying out an assessment and selection process.
Facilities will be notified of their inclusion in the Guide at the beginning of 2008—which will be distributed to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) in August 2008.
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to ensure that the Olympic facilities are constructed from sustainable materials and in an environmentally-friendly fashion. [137650]
Mr. Caborn: The aim of the planning and development of the Olympic Park is to deliver not only the best Olympic Games and Paralympic Games ever, but ensure that they are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable too, leaving a lasting legacy for the Lower Lea Valley and the UK as a whole.
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