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29 Oct 2007 : Column 671W—continued

Microgeneration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) when she expects to lay before Parliament in accordance with section 10 (3) of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 a report of any review she has conducted in accordance with section 10 (1) of the same Act; [159334]

(2) when she plans to exercise her powers under section 59 (2)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so as to provide that development orders made by virtue of that section facilitate development in England consisting of the installation, within the curtilage of a dwelling place, of equipment apparatus or appliances for microgeneration in accordance with section 10 (3) of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006; [159335]

(3) whether she has formed a view in accordance with section 10(2) of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 as to what provision (or further provision) development orders issued under section 59(2)(a) of the Town and Country Planning
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Act 1990 should make to facilitate development in England consisting of the installation, within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse, of equipment, apparatus or appliances for microgeneration. [159388]

Yvette Cooper: We will be issuing a summary of responses to the consultation paper on proposed changes to permitted development rights for householder microgeneration in the near future. We are currently considering the many detailed points raised and what changes, if any, are needed to the original proposals. We will then, as required by section 10 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, report to Parliament on the detailed changes for householder microgeneration we propose to make. The necessary changes to secondary legislation will be made as soon as possible after that.

Parish Councils: Audit

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the Audit Commission has charged a parish council for inspecting and auditing complaints about accounts made by members of the public under sections 15 and 16 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 in each year since 1998; and what total revenue has been raised from parish councils for such services. [157658]

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 22 October 2007:

Audit year Completed parish council audits Total audit fees (£) Scale audit fees (£) Additional fees (£) Percentage

2001-2002

9,324

1,295,017

1,256,586

38,431

3.1

2002-2003

9,312

1,392,138

1,331,864

60,274

4.5

2003-2004

9,293

1,477,026

1,382,128

94,898

6.9

2004-2005

9,267

1,615,681

1,567,065

48,616

3.1

2005-2006

9,154

1,745,320

1,708,297

37,023

2.2

2006-2007(1)

4,137

612,314

604,095

8,219

1.4

Total

50,487

8,137,496

7,850,035

287,461

3.7

(1) To date

Planning Permission: Flood Control

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will give the Environment Agency a veto on planning applications on floodplains. [152876]

Yvette Cooper: As part of the Government’s ‘Making Space for Water strategy’ for flood and coastal erosion risk management, we have strengthened the role of the Environment Agency, to ensure effective management of flood risk to new development:

Taken with the clearer and stronger policy in Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), we think this will ensure that flood risk is taken account of at all stages in the planning process whilst retaining the decision making role of the local authority.

Planning Portal

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has she made of the reasons for the lack of commercial viability of the Planning Portal. [157682]

Mr. Iain Wright: The future of the Planning Portal is currently under review. An assessment of its commercial viability by the study team concluded that the best option would be a joint venture with local government, but allowing for the Portal to continue to develop commercial opportunities. We expect to announce the outcome of the review shortly.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many developments have been approved in Greater London incorporating (a) the Mayor’s requirement for onsite renewable energy as a condition of planning permission and (b) individual boroughs’ Merton Rules. [157356]

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


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Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement will encourage all local planning authorities to require onsite renewables in all major new developments. [159332]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2007, Official Report, columns 860-61W (question 155448).

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) whether the Merton rule will be incorporated into the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement; [161326]

(2) if she will include provisions for borough-wide planning requirements for onsite renewable energy in the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement. [161355]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 October 2007, Official Report, columns 860-61W.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will include representatives of the sustainable and energy efficiency industry trade associations on her Department’s Climate Change Planning Policy Statement sounding board. [161356]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today (PQ 159384).

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will include trade associations representing the UK onsite renewable energy industry in her Department’s zero carbon homes taskforce. [161357]

Yvette Cooper: The renewables industry is represented on the 2016 Taskforce by the chair of the Renewable Advisory Board’s Subgroup on Microgeneration.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she took account of the financial value of the Merton rule to the UK’s microgeneration industry in drawing up guidance on climate change in the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement. [161358]

Yvette Cooper: The consultation draft of the Planning Policy Statement (PPS): Planning and Climate Change was supported by a partial regulatory impact assessment (PRIA). The potential additional benefits of the PPS identified in the PRIA included expanded markets and demand for renewable and low-carbon technologies. While not quantifying the estimated monetary value associated with this, the PRIA states that by helping to stimulate markets for renewable, low-carbon and decentralised energy, the PPS would benefit the many small businesses active in this sector.

As I confirmed in the answer given to the hon. Member on 15 October 2007, Official Report, columns 860-61W, the final PPS will support local strategies that
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include both site (and area) specific targets and Merton rules. The final PPS will be supported by an impact assessment.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if she will take steps to ensure a public consultation takes place on her Department's proposals on the Merton rule in the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement; [161359]

(2) what representations her Department has received on the effect of the Merton rule on new house building. [161324]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 October 2007, Official Report, columns 379-80W. The public consultation on the draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS): Planning and Climate Change took place between 13 December 2006 and 8 March 2007.

Planning: Supermarkets

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from supermarkets in relation to planning reform in the last 12 months; and if she will place in the Library copies of such representations. [143745]

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State (or her officials) has received representations from the following supermarkets in relation to planning reforms in the last 12 months:

Copies are available the House of Commons Library, except for where supermarkets have asked that these remain confidential (indicated by*).

Poverty: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the local government financial assistance schemes available through Leeds City Council aimed at tackling urban poverty in the area. [159859]

John Healey: The information is as follows:


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