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23 Jan 2008 : Column 2044W—continued
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many road traffic accidents in which a driver aged between 17 and 25-years-old died there were (a) no passengers, (b) passengers aged between 17 and 25 and (c) passengers aged over 25 in the vehicle in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [180428]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents involving 17 to 25-year-old car driver fatalities with (a) no passenger casualties, (b) at least one 17 to 25-year-old passenger casualty and (c) at least one passenger casualty aged over 25 are given in the table.
| No passenger casualties | At least one 17 to 25-year-old passenger casualty | At least one passenger casualty aged over 25 | |
Data are shown for passenger casualties as information on uninjured passengers is not collected. Accidents may be included in both columns (b) and (c) as a vehicle may have a 17 to 25-year-old passenger casualty as well as a passenger casualty aged over 25.
Safety Belts
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what files are held by her Department on (a) the Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill of Sessions (i) 1978-79 and (ii) 1979-80 and (b) the Safety of Children in Cars Bill of sessions (A) 1978-79, (B) 1979-80 and (C) 1980-81; and if she will make a statement. [180774]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department’s records for the periods in question do not show files specifically relating to these Bills. Many files from that period have now been destroyed or transferred to The National Archive.
Speed Limits: Driving Offences
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that every person referred to a speed awareness course in Lancashire undertakes the course. [180509]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department is not responsible for ensuring the attendance of offenders at speed awareness courses. Courses are offered at the discretion of the Police, as an alternative to prosecution, to speeding offenders for whom they feel it is the most productive option. Should an offender agree to attend a course but fail to do so, the offer of a course is withdrawn and the offence reverts to a prosecution.
Vehicle Registration: Fines
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fines the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has issued relating to the lack of notification of change of vehicle ownership in the last two years. [180594]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of penalties issued by the Agency in respect of a failure to notify a change of vehicle ownership is as follows:
| Financial year | Number |
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many appeals against fines imposed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for non-notification of change of vehicle ownership have been made in the last two years; how many of these were successful; on what grounds such cases were successful; and if she will make a statement. [180596]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Agency does not hold statistics to advise the total number of appeals received in cases which involve non-notification of change of vehicle ownership. These details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of non-notification of change cases closed following further investigation is as follows:
| Financial year | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
Communities and Local Government
Coastal Areas
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in establishing a cross-departmental working group to examine coastal towns. [180655]
John Healey: The inaugural meeting of the cross-departmental working group on coastal towns, convened by officials from this Department, will be held on 6 February 2008.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of freedom of information requests received by her Department have given rise to responses that have been published by her Department. [180211]
Mr. Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has adopted a selective disclosure policy whereby only the most high profile pieces of information and those of wider public interest are published as a matter of course on the disclosure log on its website at:
To date, 5 per cent. of responses to requests made to Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 since 1 January 2005 have been published.
Fire Services: injuries
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters, following injury (a) retired and took their pensions due to injury, (b) were re-employed within the Fire Service in other roles and (c) left the Fire Service without their pension, in each of the last five years. [180809]
Mr. Dhanda: Available information, for ill-health retirements due to injury, which relate to all Fire and Rescue Staff (uniformed and non-uniformed) is set out as follows:
| Ill-health retirements due to injury England 2001-02 to 2005-06 | |
| Number | |
| Source: Annual returns to Communities and Local Government | |
Information on re-employments and leavers without pensions is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Flood Control: Essex
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Scot Wilson Strategic Flood Risk Assessment for Mid Essex and Colchester will be published; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish it. [180712]
Mr. Iain Wright: The strategic flood risk assessment (SFRA) work undertaken by Scott Wilson was split into two phases. Phase 1 successfully completed in November 2006, with Phase 2 involving the delivery of the individual SFRA chapters to suit local development framework (LDF) timetables. This is a joint piece of work commissioned by Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon and Braintree local planning authorities to help inform their emerging LDFs.
A number of factors led to the delay in publication of this study. In August 2007, the Environment Agency requested that the scope of the study be changed to take into account new guidance in planning policy statement 25 ‘Development and Flood Risk’ and the accompanying practice manual to take account of the possible impacts of climate change for river systems, such as the incidence of higher density rainfall. This required the engagement of additional consultants to undertake reruns of the fluvial models, which took further time. However, undertaking this further work means that the final SFRA aims to comply with most recent Government guidance and provide the most up to date information in relation to flooding that also includes consideration of the potential impacts of climate change.
Greater London Authority: Standards
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if her Department will initiate a review into (a) the governance of the London Development Agency and (b) the operation of arrangements for the scrutiny of the Mayor of London’s advisers. [178338]
John Healey [holding answer 14 January 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 January 2008, Official Report, columns 773-74.
Green Belt
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007, Official Report, columns 131-39W, on green belt, how many hectares were designated green belt in (a) Durham district and (b) Easington district in 1997. [180199]
Mr. Iain Wright: There was no designated green belt land in Durham district or Easington district in 1997.
Heating: Standards
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce legislation to require the retrospective implementation in council housing of the 2004 British Standard for water system thermostats. [180971]
Mr. Iain Wright: Last summer we began a wide ranging review of the Building Regulations to see whether any changes to the legal requirements might be made that would further improve the robustness and safety of hot water systems in all new homes and homes undergoing alteration and major building works. We do not want to pre-judge the outcome of this review.
In parallel we are working with our colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and in industry to see whether additional guidance and a more robust approach to ensuring the proper implementation of legal provisions relating to safety in existing housing is needed.
This review and our joint work with HSE and the industry will, of course, take account of the findings of the coroner, following the tragic death of Rhianna Hardie.
Housing
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what criteria the decision made to grant the housing market renewal scheme £1 billion of Government funding on 11 October 2007 was based. [166231]
Mr. Iain Wright: Decisions to grant the housing market renewal programme additional funding of around £1 billion for 2008 to 2011 were taken as part of allocations within the Department for Communities and Local Government following the comprehensive spending review 2007.
The new funding reflects in part the initial success of the programme in narrowing the gaps in house prices and vacancies between pathfinders and their regions, as recognised in the National Audit Office’s recent report on the programme. It also recognises that more remains to be done—in some cases, to continue to tackle problems of deep-seated structural need, where markets are reviving more slowly; and in others to ensure that the housing market renewal and growth programmes can be taken forward together where appropriate, responding to emerging issues including the need for more affordable housing.
Decisions on allocations to individual areas will be taken shortly.
Housing: Empty Property
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic dwellings in England are classified as empty. [180160]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on 9 January 2008, Official Report, columns 547-48W.
Housing: Low Incomes
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will allow the redesignation of disused or underused farm buildings for the purposes of developing affordable housing. [180189]
Mr. Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement 7: “Sustainable Development in Rural Areas” (PPS7) sets out a supportive approach to the re-use of buildings in the countryside where this would meet sustainable development objectives. Conversion for economic development uses is preferred but residential conversions may also be acceptable. Isolated new houses in the countryside will require special justification for planning permission to be granted but this may be provided if accommodation is needed, for example, to enable agricultural, forestry or other workers to live at or in the vicinity of their place of work.
Any dwellings will count as new housing for the purposes of Planning Policy Statement 3 “Housing” (PPS3). PPS3 highlights the need for local authorities to plan for the provision of market and affordable housing in rural areas that contributes to the creation and maintenance of sustainable rural communities in market towns and villages. It also sets out how local authorities in rural areas should consider allocating and releasing sites solely for affordable housing, including using a rural exception site policy.
It is for local planning authorities to determine planning applications, such as those for the development of disused or underused farm buildings for housing, in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
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