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10 Dec 2007 : Column 147W—continued
Local Authorities: Disclosure of Information
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has given to the regional chambers on whether they are subject to environmental information regulations, by virtue of carrying out functions of public administration. [171504]
John Healey: Guidance on the general principles of voluntary designation was issued to Regional Assemblies by the Minister of Communities and Local Government on 29 March 2006. Paragraph 20 of that guidance states that
“Assemblies should also be mindful of their duties under the Environmental Information Regulations”.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the real terms percentage change in Government funding for local authorities, excluding education spending, was in each year since 1997-98. [171628]
John Healey: It is not possible to provide a figure for the amount of Government funding which has been provided for non-education expenditure because a significant proportion of expenditure was funded by Revenue Support Grant and redistributed non-domestic rates. These are not hypothecated to a particular service, and authorities are able to decide on their own spending priorities.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether revenue raised from the local authority business growth incentive scheme is ring-fenced. [171712]
John Healey: The Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme is designed to reward local authorities for increasing their business rateable value base by paying grant to authorities where business growth exceeds a certain level. Revenues under the scheme are not ring-fenced in any way.
The Government have published an issues paper on possible reforms to the scheme:
This seeks views from respondents on a wide-range of issues, including on ring-fencing of business growth incentives payments.
Local Government Finance: Disabled People
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether funding for the disabled facilities grant is included in the Local Government Finance Settlement. [168773]
Mr. Iain Wright: Funding for Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) does not form part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. An announcement on funding for DFG will be made shortly.
Local Government Network: Finance
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments her Department has made to the Local Government Network in the last 24 months. [171592]
Planning: Land Use
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which areas of green belt she has earmarked for (a) development and (b) mitigation; and what areas of brownfield land she expects to be built on in the next 10 years. [165864]
Yvette Cooper: Local authorities, rather than the Secretary of State, have primary responsibility for planning and managing development in their areas. Local authorities are responsible for defining their green belt boundaries, in line with national policy, through their development plans. National Government policy on the green belt was confirmed in the Planning White Paper and Housing Green Paper. Government have set a national target that at least 60 per cent. of new housing development should be on brownfield land; currently around three quarters of housing development is on brownfield land.
Planning: North West Region
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will give guidance to the Government Office for the North West on liaison with hon. Members when major projects in their constituencies are under consideration by the Office. [172799]
Mr. Dhanda: Guidance is currently being prepared and will be circulated to all Government Office officials shortly.
Planning: Public Participation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to produce a summary of responses to the consultation on the recent Planning White Paper. [171507]
Mr. Iain Wright: Alongside her written statement and publication of the Planning Bill on 27 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State published “Planning White Paper Consultation: Government response to consultation replies” which is a summary of consultation replies and the Government’s response. The summary can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
Planning: Renewable Energy
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on maintaining the Merton Rule in the forthcoming Climate Change Planning Policy Statement. [164002]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 October 2007, Official Report, column 380W, to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker).
Planning: Retail Trade
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to review the needs test in planning guidance on out-of-town retail development. [171713]
Mr. Iain Wright: As set out in the “Planning White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future” in May 2007, we are reviewing the current approach in “Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres” (PPS6) to assessing the impact of proposals outside town centres. We will replace the need and impact tests with a new test which has a strong focus on our town centre first policy, and which promotes competition and improves consumer choice, avoiding the unintended effects of the current need test.
It remains our intention to take forward our White Paper commitment, and to consult on revisions to PPS6 in the new year.
Planning: Schools
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning guidance and circulars are in force in relation to planning permission for (a) new schools and (b) expansion of existing schools. [171593]
Mr. Iain Wright: Planning applications for the development of new schools or the expansion of existing schools need to take account of all of the Government’s planning policies.
‘Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable development’, will be of key relevance. This sets out the Government’s overarching planning policies on the delivery of sustainable development through the planning system and asks local authorities to promote socially inclusive communities by having policies which address accessibility for all members of the community to education, leisure and community facilities.
Other relevant policies include ‘Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport’ (PPG13), which sets out
general policy on the location of a range of facilities and car parking provision, and ‘Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable development in rural areas’ (PPS7) which sets out the Government’s policy on community services and facilities in rural areas, including schools. ‘Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation’ (PPG17) will also be of relevance as it relates to the planning for public and private sports facilities, playing fields and children’s play areas. Circular 09/98: ‘Town and Country Planning (playing fields) (England) Direction 1998’ which relates to the loss of playing fields, whether for schools or for the wider community, will also be directly relevant.
Population: Herefordshire
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will break down the population of Herefordshire, by age group; and if she will make a statement. [170879]
Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 10 December 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question asking for the breakdown of the population of Herefordshire by age group. I am replying in her absence. (170879)
Table 1 shows the population by quinary age group for Herefordshire for mid-2006. These are the latest population estimates available.
| Table 1: Mid-2006 population for Herefordshire UA, by quinary age group | |
| Thousand | |
| Age group | Population |
| Note: Figures may not add due to rounding. Source: Office for National Statistics. | |
Regional Development Agencies
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities will have in relation to the integrated regional strategies of regional development agencies. [171514]
John Healey: The review of sub-national economic development and regeneration published on 17 July makes it clear that regional development agencies will be expected to work closely with local authorities and other partners to develop single regional strategies.
The Government will be consulting on the detailed implementation of regional strategies early in 2008.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the (a) composition of the boards and (b) procedures used to select board members for regional development agencies will be amended following the transfer of responsibilities for regional housing and planning from regional assemblies. [171643]
Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.
RDA boards will remain business-led bodies. The expanded responsibilities of the RDAs as they assume their new role as the regional planning body, subject to parliamentary approval, will mean that the board will need to have a broader skills-set than at present. This will be reflected in specifications for appointments which are put out for consultation. RDA board appointments will continue to be made in accordance with the code on public appointments.
Regional Government
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research has been conducted into public (a) approval of regional government and (b) awareness and approval of Government Office regions. [171508]
Mr. Dhanda: The information requested is as follows.
(a) None by this Department or its predecessor, the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister.
(b) In 2005 the Government Offices commissioned a survey of stakeholders. This will be repeated in 2008. A copy of the 2005 survey results will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Rented Housing
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish a summary and analysis of the responses to her Department’s consultation on the Mechanism for Setting Guideline Rents in Housing Revenue Account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10. [164191]
Yvette Cooper:
The summary and analysis of responses to the August 2007 consultation document ‘Mechanism for setting guideline rents in housing
revenue account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10’ will form part of the draft housing revenue account subsidy determination 2008-09, which will be published shortly.
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of her Department’s consultation on the ‘Mechanism for setting guideline rents in housing revenue account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10’. [164193]
Yvette Cooper: I have arranged for copies of the August consultation document ‘Mechanism for setting guideline rents in housing revenue account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10’ to be deposited in the Library of the House.
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on tenants of the rental constraint allowance mechanism in the last three years. [164194]
Yvette Cooper: The rental constraint allowance (RCA) was part of the housing revenue account (HRA) subsidy regime for 2006-07 and 2007-08. Audited figures for 2006-07 will not be available until January 2008, meaning no formal assessment has been possible so far.
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