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19 Feb 2008 : Column 641W—continued


19 Feb 2008 : Column 642W

Local Government Finance

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1332W, on local government finance, what the average assumed collection rate of (a) the business rate and (b) council tax of each type of billing authority is for the purposes of allocating formula grant. [178618]

John Healey: No collection rates, whether of business rates or council tax, are assumed for the purposes of allocating formula grant.

Minerals

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what minerals and waste development proposals her Department is considering from each local authority. [185354]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Secretary of State is not currently considering any minerals or waste development planning applications made by local authorities.

The Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, is currently considering 22 planning appeals that involve minerals and waste development. None of these involve the local planning authority as the appellant. The following table summarises the details of these.

Date appeal received Appellant Development type

10 April 2006

Castle Hill Quarry Company Ltd.

Miscellaneous Mineral Development

8 February 2007

G. Bolam Foods Limited

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

17 May 2007

Chas. Storer Ltd.

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

8 June 2007

M. Leivers (Waste Recycling Group Ltd.)

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

13 June 2007

Alan Williams

Miscellaneous Mineral Development

20 June 2007

P Casey Enviro Ltd

Miscellaneous Mineral Development

16 July 2007

Mr and Mrs. M.P. and J.L Hanna

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

31 July 2007

Vinery Management

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

9 August 2007

McGovern Haulage Limited

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

10 August 2007

Biffa Waste Services Ltd.

Landfill

13 August 2007

Lee Carter

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

16 August 2007

Solent Skip Hire Limited

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

3 October 2007

Grundon Waste Management Ltd.

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

27 October 2007

Durston Garden Products Ltd and Eclipse Property Investments Ltd.

Surface Mineral Extraction

30 October 2007

WM Briers and Son (Tamworth) Ltd.

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

4 December 2007

Mr. Brian Brocksopp

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

6 December 2007

Greenfileds (Organic) Ltd.

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

18 December 2007

Waste Recycling Group Ltd.

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

18 December 2007

Barker Bros aggregates Ltd.

Sand And Gravel Extraction

23 January 2008

Cappagh Public Works Ltd.

Domestic Refuse Disposal, Waste Disposal

11 January 2008

Philip Cunningham

Clays (Brick, Brick Earth, China, Ball)

15 January 2008

Aggregate Industries and Jayflex Aggregates Ltd.

Mineral Handling And Processing Installation


Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what criteria her Department applies to assess submitted minerals and waste development documents; [185222]

(2) what obligations local authorities are under to identify alternative extraction sites in the minerals and waste development documents submitted to her Department. [185232]


19 Feb 2008 : Column 643W

Mr. Iain Wright: Policies in minerals development plan documents are assessed thoroughly for their soundness during their independent examination. The criteria for this assessment is set out in paragraph 4.24 of Planning Policy Statement 12 Local Development Frameworks. It covers matters of procedure, conformity, coherence, consistency and effectiveness.

There is no obligation on mineral planning authorities to identify alternative extraction sites in their development plan documents, although some do. Minerals Policy Statement 1 Planning and Minerals only requires them to identify sites, preferred areas and/or areas of search, in order to maintain an adequate and steady supply of minerals for the economy and society.

Personal Records: Children

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to ensure that records with photographs are kept by every local authority social service department of the children that come into their care from ports of entry. [176123]

Kevin Brennan [holding answer 7 January 2008]: I have been asked to reply.

In order to respond to this question, my Department will need to gather information from other Government Departments and from representatives of the local authority sector about current operational arrangements when unaccompanied asylum seeking children present at ports of entry. When I have had the opportunity to consider this information then I shall write to the hon. Member and place a copy of that reply in the Library.

Planning: Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage planning authorities to identify for protection land that may be needed for future rail use; and if she will make a statement. [186493]

Mr. Iain Wright: Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport (PPG 13) advises planning authorities on the safeguarding of transport routes, in order to widen transport choices for both passenger and freight movements. It also advises that local authorities should consider the potential of disused railway lines and routes for possible future transport use and for walking or cycling routes. Where land is not required and proposals for transport routes are unlikely to be implemented, Planning Policy Statement 12: ‘Local Development Frameworks’ asks planning authorities to avoid blight by making this clear and to ensure that their policies and proposals are reviewed as part of the next review of their development plan.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will (a) adapt planning policy to promote the use of wood reserves as a renewable energy source and (b) ask the Biomass Task Force to examine the contribution of (i) wood and (ii) wood processing to the Government's renewable energy targets. [185496]


19 Feb 2008 : Column 644W

Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 7 February 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 7 February 2008, Official Report, column 1332W, about planning policy for renewable energy. In line with a recommendation in the final report of the Biomass Task Force (2005), the Forestry Commission through their Woodfuel Strategy for England (2007) examined the steps which would need to be taken in order to increase the contribution wood and wood processing make to the Government's renewable energy targets. The strategy sets a target to release an additional two million tonnes of woody biomass into the supply chain, annually, by 2020. In achieving the target, the focus will be on the 60 per cent. of English woodlands that are currently under-managed as bringing these woodlands back into management will deliver a number of additional benefits including boosting currently threatened woodland flora and fauna. Wood processing products will also form part of the mix, as will waste wood and arboricultural arisings.

Quarrying

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the impact of quarries on (a) residential areas and (b) areas of outstanding natural beauty. [185214]

Mr. Iain Wright: No collective assessment has been made of the impact of quarries on residential areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty. The Secretary of State only makes assessments in deciding individual planning applications which come before her. In all other cases, planning applications for quarries are decided by the appropriate mineral planning authority, who will take into account all impacts, including those on residential areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty. All likely impacts are set out in environmental impacts assessments which accompany minerals applications.

Regional Planning and Development: Standards

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of local planning authorities have had the core strategies of their Local Development Framework approved by the Government; and what her Department’s targets were for those strategies. [176596]

Mr. Iain Wright: As of 4 February 2008, 22 core strategies have been found sound at independent examination. This represents 6 per cent. of all local authorities in England.

The cross governmental PSA no 20 on Housing Supply has as its sixth indicator

The “national target” under this heading is

This is the Government’s target.


19 Feb 2008 : Column 645W

Roads: Lighting

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the provision of connections to street-lighting in inner London by EDF; what estimate she has made of the time taken by EDF to reconnect street lights in inner London in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will hold discussions with (a) EDF and (b) other companies providing connections to street lighting on steps to be taken to expedite connection times. [185603]

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.


19 Feb 2008 : Column 646W

In October 2007, Ofgem introduced a set of key performance indicators with regard to connections and faults repairs for street lighting services. DNOs are required to report on their performance in respect of each local authority against a number of criteria and meet those criteria in 90 per cent. of instances overall. Performance against criteria will be published by Ofgem annually.

Ofgem has received one quarterly return under the new requirements (for the three months ending 31 December 2007). The figures for EDF Energy (London Power Networks) show:

Standard 2 New /t ransferred c onnections EDFELPN
New works 1-10 Jobs Rqmt Performance

< 15 working days

60.0%

35

NO

(1)140

25.0%

< 30 working days

90.0%

44

NO

(1)

56.4%

> 30 working days

61

NO

(1)

43.6%

New Works 11 -50 Jobs

< 25 working days

70.0%

192

NO

(2)710

27.0%

< 35 working days

90.0%

64

NO

(2)

36.1%

> 35 working days

454

NO

(2)

63.9%


Ofgem will discuss both aggregate figures shown above for the first quarter and performance within each local Public Lighting Authority (PLA) area with EDFE. Ofgem also considers feedback received from PLAs at various forums and will take up specific issues with DNO management when necessary.


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