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18 Jun 2007 : Column 1520W—continued
Sussex Police: Finance
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in Government funding for Sussex police has been over the last 10 years. [141827]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is set out in the following table.
| Sussex police—funding | ||
| 1997-98 | 2007-08 | |
Theft: Dogs
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given to police forces on the policing of dog thefts. [142851]
Mr. McNulty: Where dog thefts emerge as a local crime issue it is for the police, in consultation with their local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, to take appropriate action.
There is no national strategy to manage dog theft and we have no plans to issue guidance to police forces.
Vetting: Maladministration
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people’s Criminal Records Bureau checks were incorrect in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007; [139224]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of people whose Criminal Records Bureau information is incorrect. [139225]
Joan Ryan: The following table illustrates the number of disclosures issued where the applicant details were matched by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to an individual who had a criminal record due to the similarities in the personal details. In these cases, the details were challenged by the applicants and their disclosures were subsequently amended.
| Upheld matching disputes | |||
| Financial year | Disclosures issued | Number | Percentage |
Communities and Local Government
Aerials: Planning Permission
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications for telecommunications masts were approved by the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last five years. [141680]
Meg Munn: The number and outcome of planning appeals relating to telecommunications masts dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.
| Financial year | Allowed | Percentage allowed | Dismissed | Percentage dismissed | Total |
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she (a) has taken and (b) proposes to take during the next 12 months to secure implementation of her response to the Report of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism; and if she will make a statement. [142817]
Mr. Woolas:
The Government welcomed the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism and published their response in March this year. In order to take the recommendations forward, we have set up a cross-government working group. Jewish stakeholders
and others have been invited to the first meeting which will take place on the 20 June.
Best Value
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the Comprehensive Area Assessment will differ from the Comprehensive Performance Assessment and Best Value. [143630]
Mr. Woolas: Unlike the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) which was established to bring together views on the current performance of a local authority, the new risk assessment will look at risk and will focus more on areas rather than just institutions. The risk assessment will be undertaken jointly by all local services inspectorates and will be the primary source for determining future inspection programmes allowing a better targeted, more proportionate approach. The majority of existing rolling programmes of inspection will cease during 2008-09.
Under best value local authorities are required to secure continuous improvement in they way they exercise their functions having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Evidence of how well authorities complied with or achieved best value was considered as part of CPA and will continue under the new CAA. The Audit Commission will continue to have powers to inspect under Best Value, with any inspection in future being triggered by the risk assessment.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to prevent increases in council tax valuations arising from the making of environmental improvements to properties. [137479]
Mr. Woolas: Making environmental improvements will have no effect on the current council tax banding of a property. If a property is sold, any environmental or other improvements may have a positive or negative effect but only if they are such that they push the value of the property into the next band range.
Departments: Equality Act 2006 (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what public awareness-raising activities her Department is planning to increase understanding of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007. [143123]
Meg Munn: Officials have attended a wide range of events in order to raise awareness of the regulations, which came into force on 30 April. These have included presentations to lesbian, gay and bisexual rights groups such as Stonewall and the Intercom Trust, as well as taking part in a sexual orientation law event, open to members of the public.
This awareness raising activity will be ongoing in advance of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights opening its doors this October, with officials
participating in events in Birmingham, Leicester, Gateshead and Manchester, which will highlight the effects of the new regulations alongside other anti-discrimination measures. Officials are also organising outreach events specifically directed at improving understanding of the regulations among service providers and faith groups.
The Government published guidance on the regulations on 30 April and further information, including a ‘quick guide’ to the regulations and answers to ‘frequently asked questions’ are also available on the Department’s website.
Departments: Pay
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in her Department received bonus payments in 2006-07; what proportion of the total work force they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if she will make a statement. [143103]
Angela E. Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government made bonus payments to 561 staff under the terms of the 2006 pay settlements. This represents 24 per cent. of the total work force as at 1 April 2006. This does not include staff in Government offices.
The total amount paid as bonus payments under these arrangements in 2006 was £838,250 and the largest single payment was £12,000.
The Department has a Special Bonus Scheme to reward exceptional performance over a limited period, in particularly, demanding tasks or situations. The maximum bonus under these arrangements is £600 but records are not yet available to show the number of payments made under this scheme in 2006-07.
The Department has not yet reached agreement on the level and award of bonus payments for 2007.
Empty Property
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department’s Electronic Survey of Empty Homes Data Collection Scheme records Empty Dwelling Management Orders issued by local authorities. [143631]
Empty Property: Lancashire
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty or abandoned properties there were in the Elevate area of East Lancashire when the body was established; and how many there are now. [142793]
Yvette Cooper:
Elevate, the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder for East Lancashire, was formed in 2003. In December of that year they submitted their first strategic plan for housing market renewal, which indicated that there were 8,000 empty properties in the Pathfinder intervention area. These are properties that
have been empty for six or more months. At the end of the financial year 2006-07 there were 6,017 empty properties.
Fire Service: Contracts
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to inform fire-fighters of changes to the terms and conditions of those retained under a second contract. [142888]
Angela E. Smith: Firefighters are employed by fire and rescue authorities who have a duty to inform them of any changes to their terms and conditions of service. Communities and Local Government provides authorities with guides to the pension and compensation arrangements which are made under statutory powers and these should be made available to employees.
Fire Services: Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the full combined costs are of all the interim solutions needed for the (a) FireControl and (b) FireLink projects. [142954]
Angela E. Smith: These costs are contractually and commercially confidential and cannot be disclosed.
Home Information Packs
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the market price of a home information pack, including VAT, excluding the Home Condition Report element. [128549]
Ruth Kelly: Estimates of the cost of compiling a Home Information Pack are set out in the Impact Assessment that was published alongside the Home Information Pack Regulations.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether details of energy performance certificates will be held on the Home Condition Report database. [129251]
Ruth Kelly: There will be separate registers for Energy Performance Certificates and Home Condition Reports.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department’s latest estimate is of the average market cost of a home information pack, including VAT, (a) with a home condition report and (b) without a home condition report following the publication of the Home Information Pack Regulations 2007. [137570]
Ruth Kelly: Estimates of the cost of compiling a Home Information Pack are set out in the Impact Assessment that was published alongside the Home Information Pack Regulations.
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many accredited home information pack inspectors are ready to operate in (a) the UK and (b) the South West; and how many are expected to be ready by 1 June 2007. [138411]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Secretary of State on 22 May 2007, Official Report, column 1107, and the answer given to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 11 June 2007, Official Report, column 817W.
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