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The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Communities and Local Government

Bellwin Scheme

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have notified her Department of their intention to apply for Bellwin scheme funding following the recent floods. [153497]

John Healey [pursuant to the reply, 3 September 2007, Official Report, c. 1637-38W]: The following authorities had notified an intention to claim for the flooding events in June by the closing date of 31 July:


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Authorities have until the end of August to notify incidents occurring in July. To date the following authorities have done so:


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Council Tax

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much council tax was raised in the last year for which figures are available. [155216]

Mr. Dhanda: The council tax received by local authorities in England in 2006-07 was £19,315 million. This figure excludes amounts funded by council tax benefit and includes both arrears received for previous years and prepayment of council tax for subsequent years.

The data are as reported on QRC4 forms submitted by billing authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Council Tax: Administration

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of administering the council tax system in the latest year for which figures are available. [155217]

Mr. Dhanda: Net current expenditure by local authorities in England on administering the council tax system for 2005-06 is tabled as follows.

Cost of administering £ million

Council tax collection

330.1

Council tax benefits

273.4

Total

603.6


The data are as reported by local authorities on Revenue Outturn (RO) returns for 2005-06.

Net current expenditure is defined as gross expenditure on employees and running expenses, less income from sales, fees and charges, and ‘other income’.

The cost of council tax collection includes any costs relating to collection of arrears of council tax and community charge.


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Council Tax: Pensioners

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the impact of council tax on pensioners. [155218]

Mr. Dhanda: Keeping council tax under control, in the interests of all taxpayers, is a priority for the Government. Government grant to councils in England since 1997 has increased on a like for like basis by 39 per cent. in real terms up to 2007-08, and it has taken capping action against excessive council tax increases. This has helped bring the average band D (two adult) council tax increase down from almost 13 per cent. in 2003-04 to 4.2 per cent in 2007-08.

As Sir Michael Lyons’ recent report on local government recognises, council tax benefit is the key to tackling the perceived unfairness of council tax towards all those on low incomes. The Government are working hard to improve take up and has done a great deal to improve pensioner incomes, spending around £11.5 billion more on pensioners in 2007-08 than if 1997 policies had continued.

Departments: Departmental Coordination

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) ministerial committees and (b) permanent groups involving senior civil servants have been set up by her Department to liaise with the Ministers for Women. [155241]

Mr. Dhanda: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government sits on numerous ministerial committees, including a number of committees with the Minister for Women and Equality. A list of committees and the ministerial membership is available on the Cabinet Office website:

In addition, the Government Equalities Office, who support the Minister for Women and Equality, are represented on the following CLG senior civil servant-led groups:

Departments: Public Bodies

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's legal, constitutional and management responsibilities are for (a) each of its non-departmental public bodies, (b) each of its executive agencies and (c) the Government Offices for the English Regions. [155337]

Mr. Dhanda: The Department sponsors 13 executive NDPBs/public corporations. Each has a legal status distinct from the Department. Such bodies are led by a chair and board members normally appointed by Ministers in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments' guidance, and are managed by a chief executive. Ultimately, Ministers
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and the Department are accountable for these bodies. Hence the Department has put in place proportionate sponsorship arrangements for each in accordance with guidance provided by the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and others.

The Department sponsors three executive agencies: the Fire Service College, the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. Each was established by way of administrative action, hence they are not legally separate entities from the Department. The college and the centre were both granted trading fund status by way of Trading Fund Orders; PINS is vote-funded. Each agency has a chief executive and management board, including non-executive directors, reporting directly to Ministers.

The Government offices were also established by administrative action by bringing together in 1994 the existing regional offices of the then Departments of the Environment, Transport, Trade and Industry and Employment. Subsequently, the Home Office, DEFRA and DCMS also joined the network as sponsor Departments.

The Government offices are hence not legally separate entities from those sponsor Departments, who each contribute staff and provide funding to them. Following the Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit's Report, ‘Reaching Out’, it was decided that the Deputy Prime Minister should take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Government office network on behalf of the Secretaries of State of all the sponsor Departments. This responsibility has now passed to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers her Department has with regard to each of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies and the Government offices for the English regions to (a) grant and withdraw delegated personnel responsibilities, (b) oversee and control the exercise of delegated personnel responsibilities (including those for pay) and (c) ensure compliance with all equality legislation. [155338]

Mr. Dhanda: For the Department's executive NDPBs and executive agencies, delegated personnel responsibilities were granted either in founding legislation or in framework documents approved by Ministers setting out roles and responsibilities. While Ministers ultimately have the right to withdraw delegated personnel responsibilities, as these entities were established to operate at arm's-length of Ministers and the core Department there would be little justification for doing so. Ministers oversee and control the exercise of delegated personnel responsibilities for such bodies by having right of approval over staff terms and conditions, pay and grading proposals and annual pay remits, delegated by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Equalities legislation applies to such bodies in the same way that it does to any other public body, and they are obliged to comply as appropriate.

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