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26 July 2007 : Column 1419W—continued

Leader of the House

Departments: Aviation

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House how much was spent by her Office on (a) first class and (b) business flights in the last 12 months. [153018]

Helen Goodman: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons spent £12,626.21 on flights in the last 12 months.

Departments: Expenditure

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House (1) how much was spent by her Office on flowers in the last 12 months; [153017]

(2) how much was spent by her Office on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months; [153022]

(3) how much was spent by her Office on staff away days in the last 12 months; [153024]

(4) how much was spent by her Office on redundancy payments in the last 12 months. [153025]

Helen Goodman: None.

Departments: Manpower

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House how many people have been appointed to her Office outside civil service grades in the last 30 days. [153015]

Helen Goodman: One temporary appointment.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House how many press officers are employed by her Office. [153136]

Helen Goodman: None. Press office services are provided by the Cabinet Office Communication Group.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House what the names are of each special adviser in her Office. [153014]

Helen Goodman: There are no special advisers currently in post.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Mrs. May: To ask the Leader of the House how many overseas visits were made by (a) officials and (b) Ministers within her responsibility, and at what cost, in each year since 1997. [151640]


26 July 2007 : Column 1420W

Helen Goodman: The total cost for the 2006-07 financial year yet to be published by the Cabinet Office amounted to £12,862.46. The details of destinations

are as follows:

Dates Destination

18 to 19 April 2006

Vienna, Austria

31 August 2006

The Hague, Netherlands

3 October 2006

Brussels, Belgium

28 October to 6 November

Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

16 to 20 November 2006

Delhi, India


All travel is undertaken in accordance with the civil service management code and the ministerial code.

Details of overseas ministerial visits, including costs for Ministers and officials are published annually by the Cabinet Office and can be found at:

Draft Legislative Programme

Mr. Allen: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the oral statement by the Prime Minister of 11 July 2007, Official Report, columns 1449-51, on the draft legislative programme, what discussions she has had with the Chairs of Select Committees and the Liaison Committee on making all Bills subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. [153070]

Helen Goodman: I have had no discussions with the Liaison Committee or other select committees on this point since the Prime Minister's statement, but the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny of Bills is one which has arisen in previous exchanges with the Liaison Committee. My right hon. Friend expects to meet the Liaison Committee in the autumn.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the oral statement by the Prime Minister of 11 July 2007, Official Report, columns 1449-51, on the draft legislative programme, how many Bills she is preparing for pre-legislative scrutiny in the new Session; and if she will make it her policy that all Bills will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny unless a particular reason is given for a Bill not being so subject. [153073]

Helen Goodman: It is hoped to announce the planned draft Bills for next session at the beginning of the session in the normal way. Plans for draft Bills are more tentative than those for Bills expected to be introduced into the main programme and it is too soon to give an indication of a likely number of such Bills at this stage. Some indication of Bills being considered for publication in draft is given in Chapter 3 of the White Paper on the Government's Draft Legislative Programme (Cm 7175, P19).

As I indicated to the hon. Member in answer to an earlier question at Official Report 25 July 2007 column 1122, the Government endeavour to subject Bills to pre-legislative scrutiny, where timing and other constraints allow. Where a Bill is introduced which has not been published in draft the reasons for this will frequently be clear.


26 July 2007 : Column 1421W

Communities and Local Government

Anti-Semitism

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions since November 2006 (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with representatives of the Jewish community to discuss anti-Semitism in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement. [151005]

Mr. Dhanda: Ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with representatives of the Jewish community since November 2006. Discussions have been on a range of issues affecting the Jewish community, including anti-Semitism.

Coastal Areas: Flood Control

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding local authorities received for (a) coastal and (b) flood defences in the latest period for which figures are available. [152393]

Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.

In the 2006-07 financial year, English local authorities received £65.8 million worth of capital grant from DEFRA for coast protection projects and £5.8 million for flood defence projects.

Local authorities also received funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government to support non-capital expenditure. In 2006-07, this involved:

Local authorities carry out works to manage flood risk on less critical watercourses and sea defences in some areas (flood defence) and are responsible for works to protect against coastal erosion (coast protection). However, the Environment Agency is the principal operating authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England from both rivers and the sea.

Council Housing: Construction

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if her Department will make an assessment of the merits of allowing local authorities to build council houses without recourse to independent registered social landlords. [152000]

Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 23 July 2007]: On 23 July we published a Housing Green Paper which sets out the Government's plans to enhance the role of local authorities in securing the supply of social
26 July 2007 : Column 1422W
housing. It includes opportunities for councils to take more of a direct role in the delivery of new affordable homes.

Departments: Contracts

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (1) pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, columns 152W-3W, on Departments: contracts, if she will place in the Library the data compiled for the European Commission to which the Answer refers; [151525]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007, Official Report, columns 152W-3W, on Departments: contracts, how much was spent on contracts awarded to external suppliers by public bodies sponsored by her Department in each year since 2001. [151532]

Mr. Iain Wright: The following table displays data compiled for the European Commission for calendar years ending 31 December 2003, 2004 and 2005 by Communities and Local Government. This listing includes those contracts of an estimated value above the threshold of the procurement regulations, entered into by Communities and Local Government and its affiliated, autonomous organisations.

The data provided for the year ending 2005 also shows the type of activity contracted for, a brief description of the contract based on the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) code, the type of procurement procedure adopted and the total value of the contract.

Provision of this further data for previous years could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.


26 July 2007 : Column 1423W
Data from Communities EC statistical r eturn to OGC.
£
Calendar y ear ending 31 Dec 05 Activity Type of c ontract Procedure Value

Communities centre including

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

15,189,198

Government Offices and

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

18,454,136

Executive Agencies

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

15,944,592

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

20,802,039

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

19,059,277

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

15,991,549

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

20,664,375

Work

Construction and Civil Engineering

Restricted

22,148,695

Supply

Storage Containers

Restricted

8,600,000

Service

Advertising Consultancy

Restricted

1,900,000

Service

Business Services

Restricted

416,312

Service

Software development

Negotiated

700,000

Service

Business Consultancy

Restricted

220,312

Service

Office Cleaning

Restricted

131,081

Audit Commission

Supplies

Computer Supplies

Open

900,000

Services

Exhibition Services

Open

360,000

Services

Data processing

Restricted

3,570,000

Supplies

Books, Brochures and Leaflets

Restricted

900,000

Services

PR Consulting

Restricted

80,000

Housing Commission

Service

Technical Training

Restricted

300,860

Service

Printing and Publishing

Restricted

549,846

London Thames Gateway

Service

Office Furniture

Restricted

298,474

Development Corporation

Service

Urban Development

Restricted

163,424

Thurrock Thames Gateway

Service

Urban Planning

Restricted

165,531

Development Corporation

Service

Urban Planning

Restricted

180,000

English Partnerships

Works

Road Construction

Restricted

8,121,283

Services

Economic Research

Restricted

2,471,951

Works

Highway Construction

Restricted

1,986,042

Services

Vehicle Insurance Services

Negotiated

240,000

Works

Construction

Restricted

7,581,147

Works

Engineering and Construction

Restricted

2,350,086

Works

Drainage Construction

Restricted

1,065,614


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