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10 July 2007 : Column 1421W—continued
Council Housing: Sales
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants bought their council homes under the right-to-buy scheme in Romford in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. [147378]
Mr. Iain Wright: Information specific to Romford constituency is not held centrally; however the numbers of local authority homes sold through the right to buy scheme in the London borough of Havering, in each financial year since 2003-04, are tabulated as follows:
| Local authority stock sold through the right to buy scheme, Havering | |
| Number of homes | |
| Source: P1B Return from local authorities to CLG | |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants bought their council homes under the right-to-buy scheme in each year since 1997. [147379]
Mr. Iain Wright: The numbers of local authority homes sold through the right-to-buy scheme, in each financial year since 1996-97, are tabulated as follows.
| Local authority stock sold through the right-to-buy scheme: England | |
| Number of homes | |
| Note: Data include estimates for non-responding authorities. Source: Returns (P1B) from local authorities to CLG | |
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local councils in (a) England and (b) London are not permitted to give reduced discounts on council homes sold via the right-to-buy scheme. [147405]
Mr. Iain Wright: No local council is able to reduce the discount available to tenants under the right to buy scheme. There is no discretion for local authorities to set right to buy discounts. The maximum level of discount available under the scheme is prescribed by the Secretary of State under section 131 of the Housing Act 1985.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to inform first-time buyers about the right-to-buy scheme. [147406]
Mr. Iain Wright: Social landlords are required by section 104 of the Housing Act 1985 to provide their secure tenants with information on the provisions of the right to buy scheme. Section 189 of the Housing Act 2004 places an additional duty on social landlords to supply information to tenants to help them to decide whether to exercise the right to buy. The matters on which information must be provided are specified in the Housing (Right to Buy) (Information to Secure Tenants) (England) Order 2005 (Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1735), and relate to the terms of the scheme (including eligibility and exceptions), the costs of home ownership (including mortgage, stamp duty, valuation fees and maintenance costs) and the risk of repossession if regular mortgage payments are not made.
Since 1980, the Government have produced a booklet for tenants, “Your right to buy your home”, which social landlords are expected to provide to their tenants. The booklet describes the terms and procedures of the scheme and the costs of home ownership.
Departments: Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in her Department have had (a) five or more, (b) four, (c) three and (d) two periods of sick leave of less than five days in the last year. [147194]
Hazel Blears: The information requested for the Department for Communities and Local Government and its predecessor the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister is as set out in the table. The figures refer to the year 2006-07. They do not cover the Government Offices network, Departmental agencies or non-departmental public bodies.
| Number of periods of absence of fewer than 5 days | Number of staff |
The Department is committed to managing sickness absence proactively and supporting managers in managing sickness absence effectively.
Emergency Services: Floods
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions
she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) the Home Department and (b) Heath on assessing the capabilities of fire, rescue and emergency services to carry out their duties when flooding has taken place. [148348]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has provided specialised high volume pumping equipment to the fire and rescue service which was used in the recent flooding. The number of high volume pumps was sufficient to meet all operational requirements, and leave a cushion of spare capacity.
As is normal procedure following a significant event, Communities and Local Government will be conducting a lessons learned exercise into the fire and rescue services response.
A flooding work stream, led by Department for Food and Rural Affairs, under the cross-government Capabilities Programme, assesses whether local responders have what they need to address the flooding risks we face. This work informs the future development of the national flood capability, and complements that of responders at the local level, who undergo a similar process within their area.
Fire Services
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list all publications containing current operational guidance issued to fire and rescue authorities. [148330]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 9 July 2007]: Recently issued operational guidance for the fire and rescue service is available on the Communities and Local Government website, and a substantial proportion of older guidance such as fire and rescue service manuals is available from The Stationery Office.
The Department is currently in the process of reviewing all operational guidance issued to the fire and rescue service. This is likely to result in the review, reissue or withdrawal of some of the considerable body of existing guidance. After the review, a complete up to date list will be placed on the departmental website.
Flood Control
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if she will provide additional funding for local authorities to improve flood drains; and if she will make a statement; [146208]
(2) what funds the Government have made available for local authorities to improve flood drains; and if she will make a statement. [146209]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
Local authorities have permissive powers to undertake flood defence work on ordinary watercourses(1) (which are outside Internal Drainage Board districts) and against flooding from the sea. They receive grants towards the cost of capital flood and coastal erosion risk management projects from DEFRA through Environment Agency Grant-in-Aid.
Local authorities also incur revenue expenditure on flood and coastal erosion risk management, typically
on maintenance of defence or watercourses or non-grant eligible costs of capital schemes. This expenditure is supported through the local government finance system framework.
In addition, work on future funding levels is currently taking place in the context of negotiating DEFRA’s Comprehensive Spending Review settlement. The outcome of this is expected to be announced in the autumn.
(1) Water Resources Act 1991 defines watercourses as any river, stream, ditch, drain, cut, culvert, dyke, sluice, sewer and passage through which water flows, except a public sewer.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what discussions she has had with water companies on upgrading drainage systems to reduce the impact of flash flooding; and if she will make a statement; [146210]
(2) what regulations govern the upgrading of drainage systems where incidents of flash flooding have taken place; and if she will make a statement. [146211]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
DEFRA Ministers and officials regularly meet with key water industry stakeholders to discuss a wide range of issues, including urban drainage systems.
Sewerage companies have a statutory duty to ensure the effectual drainage of their area. However, it would not be practical to extend this to an absolute duty to prevent sewer flooding under all circumstances. Ensuring compliance with the duty on sewerage companies is a matter for the economic regulator, Ofwat.
The Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards have permissive powers to undertake work to manage the risk of flooding or to secure drainage and water level management under the Environment Act 1995, the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Land Drainage Act 1991.
Housing
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings she has had with Ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss housing policy. [147964]
Mr. Iain Wright: Although there have not been recent meetings with the devolved administrations to discuss housing policy at ministerial level, there are regular contacts between senior officials to exchange information and consider housing issues of mutual interest.
Housing Associations: Essex
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing associations there are in (a) Essex and (b) Romford. [147374]
Mr. Iain Wright:
There are 314 registered social landlords (RSLs) operating in Essex and 22 operating in Romford. Information is only available for RSLs.
There may be other housing associations operating in these areas that are not registered with the Housing Corporation.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing associations there are in (a) Essex and (b) Romford. [147963]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 July 2007, Official Report , [147374].
Housing: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the number of homes built in Bournemouth in each of the last five years which have been purchased as second homes. [148314]
Mr. Iain Wright: Information on the number of new homes built that have been purchased as second homes is not available centrally.
At 10 October 2005, around 2,500 dwellings of the total 80,300 stock in Bournemouth district council had a “second homes” discount on council tax (3.1 per cent.) according to figures reported by Bournemouth district council.
Source: Council Tax Base (CTBI) returns.
Housing: Essex
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many non-decent homes there are in (a) Essex and (b) the London borough of Havering. [147960]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today.
Housing: Floods
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes were built on flood plains in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [146698]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 8 January 2007, Official Report, column 369W.
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps have been taken to implement the Government’s undertakings in reply to the Agriculture Committee’s recommendation that a clear presumption should be made against future development in flood plain land where the flooding risk attached to a particular development is deemed to outweigh the benefits, given to the Agriculture Committee in response to its report Flood and Coastal Defence, HC707, 27 October 1998. [146883]
Mr. Iain Wright:
In December 2006 we published Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25 “Development and
flood risk”, which aims to avoid inappropriate development in flood risk areas and direct development away from high risk areas by ensuring that sites at little or no risk of flooding are developed in preference to areas at higher risk. In the 10 per cent. of England at high risk of flooding PPS25 ensures that essential homes and services can be provided where it can be demonstrated that the need for the development outweighs the flood risk and the development will be safe and not increase risk.
PPS25 strengthens and clarifies the policy established by Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 25, which was published in 2001 in response to the Agricultural Committee recommendation and the floods of Easter 1998 and autumn 2000.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses were built on designated floodplains in each year since 2000. [148334]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 9 July 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 8 January 2007, Official Report, column. 369W.
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