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4 Feb 2008 : Column 842W—continued


4 Feb 2008 : Column 843W

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the district auditor has oversight over the (a) London Development Agency and (b) Greater London Authority. [183237]

John Healey: Yes.


4 Feb 2008 : Column 844W

Hostels

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) walk-in and (b) referral-only hostel places were available in each region in England in each year since 1997. [184393]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Department does not collect information on walk-in and referral-only hostel spaces.

Homeless UK, an online national database of accommodation services for the homeless which is funded by Communities and Local Government, holds current information on direct access hostels for rough sleepers on a regional basis—see table as follows. Direct access hostels for rough sleepers are short stay emergency services for rough sleepers where people are usually referred in by outreach services or self-refer.

Direct access hostels listed on Homeless UK by region
Bedspaces Hostels
Number Percentage Number Percentage

East Midlands

615

7

18

7

East of England

435

7

18

7

London

2,378

27

43

18

North East

498

6

14

6

North West

1,310

15

42

17

South East

964

11

37

15

South West

767

9

27

11

West Midlands

1,212

14

22

9

Yorkshire and Humber

773

9

25

10

England

8,952

100

246

100


Housing: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007, Official Report, columns 546-47W, on housing: energy, what her Department’s estimate is of the costs of retrofitting the existing (a) public and (b) private domestic housing stock to meet minimum standards for energy efficiency at entry level (one star rating) of the Code for Sustainable Homes. [178910]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Department has not made such an estimate because the code for sustainable homes applies to new homes, not existing homes. The Department’s impact assessment into making ratings mandatory under the code that formed part of the Impact Assessment of the Housing and Regeneration Bill includes an estimate of the increased build costs arising for new homes at the different code levels against current building regulations standards. This assessment is available on the

Department’s website:


4 Feb 2008 : Column 845W

The Department’s review of the sustainability of existing homes includes an estimate of the costs of installing specific energy savings measures into existing homes.

Housing: Publications

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department received a draft copy of the National Audit Office's report on Housing Market Renewal. [166235]

Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 20 November 2007]: We received the first draft of the National Audit Office's report on Housing Market Renewal on 10 September 2007.

Housing: Regional Planning and Development

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities that sign up to growth point status are committed to support accelerated housing development in Green Belt areas if these are included in draft Regional Spatial Strategy allocations. [183438]

Mr. Iain Wright: The New Growth Points initiative will encourage well-planned, sustainable growth and much of the new development will be focused on brownfield sites within existing town and city boundaries. Further, New Growth Point status is tested by the planning system and the implications for any green belt land would be subject to consultation and examination of the relevant proposals through the regional planning process and local development frameworks.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a local authority's proposal to gain growth point status must involve acceptance of housing growth to at least the level proposed by the Regional Spatial Strategy; and whether there is a requirement for this growth to be accelerated. [183439]

Mr. Iain Wright: Expressions of interest for growth points will need to offer significant, strategic growth which is additional to previous plans and which takes into account changes in plan levels between 2003, the current round of RSS reviews and the Housing Green Paper which sets a new national target of delivering 240,000 homes a year by 2016. The rate of housing growth will be determined by the regional planning process and local development frameworks.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expectations her Department has of local authorities who apply for and accept growth point status in terms of (a) accelerated and (b) additional housing growth compared with the levels of growth proposed by the relevant Regional Spatial Strategy. [183440]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Housing Green Paper sets a new target of delivering 240,000 homes a year by 2016 but the rate of housing growth in specific local and
4 Feb 2008 : Column 846W
regional areas will be determined by the regional planning process and local development frameworks. Potential growth points are expected to offer significant additional growth to previous plans that take into account changes in plan levels between 2003, the current round of RSS reviews and the Housing Green Paper national targets.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has budgeted for additional funding to local authorities with growth point status; and for what purposes local authorities would be permitted to use these additional funds. [183441]

John Healey: The Department will be investing £1.7 billion across Growth Areas, the Thames Gateway, Growth Points and Eco-Towns during the CSR07 period, and it is intended to announce funding specific to the 2nd round of growth points in the spring. This will be subject to similar funding conditions to that for existing growth points, announced in December.

Ipsos-Mori

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments her Department has made to Ipsos-MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes. [176601]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 January 2008, Official Report, column 117W.

Islam: Females

Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria were used to select the attendees at the two roundtable meetings hosted by her Department since April 2007 in which women’s access to mosque life was discussed. [183577] [Official Report, 22 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 11MC.]

Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 31 January 2008]: The attendees were selected using a range of factors including their expertise and knowledge and the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda. All the participants are in leadership positions within key organisations and have links to grass-root communities, ensuring balanced representation across Muslim communities.

Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on the development of leadership skills among Muslim (a) women and (b) young people in each year since 1997. [183584]

Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 31 January 2008]: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was formed on 5 May 2006. Since that date £118,000 has been spent directly by the Department on projects relating to the development of leadership skills of women and £225,000 on projects relating to the development of leadership skills of young people.


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