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8 Oct 2007 : Column 18W—continued
Communities and Local Government
Aerials
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many mobile phone masts are on the Valuation Office Agency's ratings list in England. [155694]
John Healey: The number of non-domestic hereditaments shown in the Rating Lists of England, under the description of Communication Station as at 26 September 2007 is 27,428. This figure includes all mast sites including mobile, telecommunications and broadcast sites. A break down to show the numbers of mobile phone sites could be delivered only at a disproportionate cost.
Allotments: Liability
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has provided to local authorities in relation to public liability and allotments. [155687]
Mr. Iain Wright: In June 2001 the Department (then DETR), the LGA, Shell Better Britain Campaign and the GLA jointly published a ‘Growing in the Community: A Good Practice Guide for the Management of Allotments' for local authorities—a free copy was circulated to all local authorities. The aim of the guide was to raise standards in the provision, management and care of allotments and the guide has a section on public liability insurance. The guide recommends that local authorities obtain further advice on public liability from representative bodies such as the National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardeners who provide free legal advice to members.
The guide is currently being updated by the LGA in consultation with the Department and will be published later this year.
More general advice on health and safety on allotments is available in ‘Allotments: A Plot Holders Guide' which was published by the Department in June 2007, and in the Health and Safety facts sheet published by the Allotment Regeneration Initiative.
Allotments: Sales
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) approvals and (b) rejections of the sale or disposal of allotments under the Allotments Act 1925 have been made by her and her predecessor since May 2007. [152520]
Mr. Iain Wright: We have been advised by the Government Offices that between 1 May 2007 and 20 September 2007 there have been 10 approvals of the sale or disposal of allotments:
“Former” allotment land at Hollin Lane/Rochdale Road, Middleton, Rochdale.
Turnsdale Allotment, County Durham—sale of one allotment plot which is continuing as an allotment.
Days Field, Breckland—5.09 acres (replacement sites have been made available).
Shoulder of Mutton, Breckland—3.47 acres (replacement sites have been made available).
South Acton Estate, Ealing, London.
Finnigan Road Allotment, Plymouth—sale of an 0.1 acre overgrown vacant plot for addition to garden of adjoining house.
Whitton Church Land field, Ipswich (land not used for allotment purposes since before 1985)—to provide more football pitches in the locality.
Bucklands Way Allotments, Sutton, London—temporary one year licence for occupation of land/hut which forms part of the allotment site.
Church Fields Allotments Land, Surrey Heath—land given over to additional burial ground.
Carshalton Athletic FC, War Memorial Sports Ground, Sutton, London.
There have been no rejections of the sale of allotments.
There are currently a total of 34 application cases which are pending decision.
Audit Commission: Information Officers
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many press officers are employed by the Audit Commission. [154150]
John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission. The Chief Executive of the Audit Commission has written to the hon. Member.
Council Housing: Overcrowding
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants in London are classed as living in overcrowded accommodation. [154383]
Mr. Iain Wright: Based on data derived from the Survey of English Housing it is estimated that over the period 2003-04 to 2005-06 an average of 62,000 households living in council housing in London were in overcrowded conditions, as defined by the Bedroom Standard.
Council Housing: Waiting Lists
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average waiting time was for council housing in each London borough in each of the last 10 years. [154814]
Mr. Iain Wright: Information on average waiting time on a housing list for households is not held centrally. While information is collected centrally on the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists, which is given in the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA), there is no indication of average time spent on a waiting list.
The accuracy of the list also depends on the extent to which housing authorities keep the register up-to-date, e.g. some people might already have found housing, yet remain on the list. It is also important to bear in mind that not everyone on the waiting list will necessarily be in urgent housing need. It will also include those who consider social housing as their preferred choice, or one of a number of housing options.
Council Tax: South East Government Office
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the council tax collection rates of (a) Gravesham, (b) other councils in Kent and (c) other councils in the South East Government Office in the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [154569]
Mr. Dhanda: The collection and enforcement of council tax is a matter for individual billing authorities. Communities and Local Government has made no assessment of the collection rates in the last 10 years for Gravesham, other councils in Kent or other councils in the South East. Across England, in-year collection of council tax rose for the seventh successive year in 2006-07, to 96.9 per cent. of the total collectable.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 12 July 2007, Official Report, column 1629W, on departmental travel, what the (a) cost and (b) purpose was of the visits to (i) the US and (ii) Kenya; and how many staff went on each visit. [153724]
Hazel Blears: The visit to the US cost £7,021 and was for two staff to share best practice with policy and law enforcement practitioners and community organisations working on integration/cohesion and preventing violent extremism and to deliver two lectures on these subjects.
The Kenya visit cost £2,898 and was for one member of staff to attend the UN Habitat Governing Council as part of the UK delegation.
Departments: Legislation
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2007, Official Report, column 957W, on Departments: Legislation, which (a) sections and (b) schedules of the specified acts have (i) been repealed and (ii) not been brought into force. [154205]
Mr. Iain Wright: Pursuant to the answer given on 24 July, Official Report, column 957W, provisions in acts sponsored by Communities and Local Government not yet in force or repealed are set out in the following table.
Departments: Ministerial Responsibilities
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the ministerial responsibilities of each of her ministerial team are. [156516]
Hazel Blears: The ministerial responsibilities of each member of the CLG ministerial team are outlined as follows.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Overall responsibility for the Department and its policies, including departmental strategic objectives (DSOs); public service agreement (PSA) targets; comprehensive spending review settlement
Empowering communities and citizens
Olympics legacy
Lead responsibility for: housing policy and programmes (Homebuy and shared ownership, low and zero-carbon housing, eco-towns, homelessness, HMR pathfinders, social housing, HIPs), including housing elements of the comprehensive spending review and PSAs; and planning reform (town and country planning); and representing the Department in Cabinet on these areas of policy
Physical and housing-related regeneration and sponsor minister for new Homes Agency implementation
Housing and Regeneration Bill
Urban policy and design
Sustainable development and climate change: including the code for sustainable homes and building regulations
Minister for the Thames Gateway, new growth points and growth areas
Olympics legacy issues
Lead responsibility for local government policy and finance, including local government pensions and Supporting People
Cities and regions (including lead minister for the Greater London Authority Bill)
Government offices
Neighbourhood renewal and tackling disadvantage (including neighbourhood renewal fund; new deal for communities; LEGI)
Planning for major infrastructure, and the Planning Bill
Resilience and recovery from flooding
Overview of fire and rescue service
Community engagement and empowerment; Quirk review
Overview of liveability
Joint Chair of the London Resilience Forum
Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State
Cohesion (including joint chair of Migration Impacts Forum)
Preventing violent extremism
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