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19 Mar 2008 : Column 1197W—continued
Tribunals: Learning Disabilities
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he has issued on the (a) extent and (b) examples of reasonable adjustments expected by employment tribunals under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 in order to facilitate fair hearings for people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement. [193973]
Bridget Prentice: The Tribunals Service does not provide specific guidance on the provision of reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities attending a tribunal hearing. The Tribunals Service considers any request for a reasonable adjustment on a case by case basis as the specific requirements for each person will be different. However I shall raise this with/ask the Head of the Tribunals Service to consider issuing guidance.
Communities and Local Government
France (Channel)-England Operational Programme
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisation provides the Joint Technical Secretariat for the France (Channel)-England Operational Programme; and where the secretariat is located. [193829]
John Healey: The Joint Technical Secretariat for the France (Channel)-England Operational Programme is employed by the programme and is located in Rouen.
France (Channel)-England Programme Managing Authority
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representatives of (a) her Department and (b) the Government office for the south-east attended the launch event of the France (Channel)-England Programme Managing Authority in Rouen on 24 January 2008. [193809]
John Healey: The launch event of the France (Channel)-England Programme on the 24 January 2008 was attended by one official from Communities and Local Government and two officials from the Government office south-east.
Cemeteries: Monuments
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints the Local Government Ombudsman has received in the last 36 months in relation to the removal of headstones from cemeteries by local authorities. [193813]
John Healey: In the last 36 months, the Local Government Ombudsman has received 142 complaints relating to cemeteries and crematoria. Data on the specific nature of the complaints falling within this category are not collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Coastal Areas: Migration
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what modelling her Department has undertaken on migration patterns affecting coastal towns; and what account has been taken of that modelling in formulating Government policy in relation to those towns. [180650]
Hazel Blears: My Department produces household projections across all local authorities, including coastal areas. These are based on population projections published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at a sub-national level that include estimates of migration. The ONS is undertaking a programme of work to improve population and migration statistics, including projections. In formulating strategies and plans, all places, including coastal towns, will need to assess demographic trends in their area. A cross-departmental working group on coastal towns has been established to consider the wider evidence base and policy issues affecting these towns.
Community Relations: Bingo
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the contribution made by bingo clubs to (a) sustainable communities and (b) social cohesion and inclusion. [191568]
Mr. Dhanda: No such assessment has been made by my Department. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 March 2008, Official Report, column. 2685W, by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Sutcliffe).
Council Housing: Waiting Lists
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on local authority waiting lists for social housing in (a) England and (b) each Government office region in (i) 1996 and (ii) 2007. [194291]
Mr. Iain Wright: The information requested is given in the table. Information on the number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists broken down by Government office region and local authority for 1997 to 2007 is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600 at the following web address:
Copies of this table have also been placed in the Libraries of the House.
| Households on local authorities’ waiting lists for social housing, by Government office region: England 1996, 2007 | ||
| Number of households( 1) | ||
| Government office region | 1996 | 2007 |
| (1) As reported by local authorities. Excludes households looking for transfers. Rounded to the nearest 10. Source: 2007 data—Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA). 1996 data—Housing Investment programme. | ||
Local authorities in England report the number of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. The size of the waiting list is not an indicator of absolute need; it is only useful as a broad indicator of housing demand in an area. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house.
Council Tax
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the costs of collecting council tax in 2007. [193967]
John Healey: Net current expenditure on collection of council tax in England in 2006-07 was published in “Annex A9 of Local Authority Revenue Expenditure and Financing: England 2006-07 Final Outturn” on 21 November 2007.
Council Tax: Local Government Finance
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was received by local authorities in council tax revenue in (a) 2003, (b) 2004, (c) 2005, (d) 2006 and (e) 2007. [194029]
John Healey: Details of the council tax collected in England from 2002-03 to 2006-07 are shown in the following table The figures are shown in £ million and are the cash amount collected within the year, irrespective of the year to which the money relates. The figures therefore include both arrears received for previous years and prepayment of council tax for subsequent years but exclude amounts funded by council tax benefit.
| £ million | |
Details of the income from council tax relating to each year taken into account by local authorities when setting their budgets are published in table 2.la of “Local Government Financial Statistics England No17 2007”.
Council Tax: Oxfordshire
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tax valuations appeals there have been in Oxfordshire in the last three years, broken down by billing authority; and how many resulted in a lower banding being awarded. [194825]
John Healey: The numbers of council tax valuation appeals received and decided in the last three years were as follows:
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 to 13 March 2008 | ||||
| Council tax valuation (CTV) appeals received | CTV appeals decided by tribunals | CTV appeals received | CTV appeals decided by tribunals | CTV appeals received | CTV appeals decided by tribunals | |
Information about the numbers resulting in a lower banding being awarded could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Council Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which billing authorities had the (a) highest and (b) lowest Band D council tax, including all precepts, in England in 2007-08. [194022]
John Healey: Details of the level of Band D council tax in England in 2007-08 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
Departmental Publications
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the executive summary only of the Trees in Towns II report was published on her Department's website. [193975]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 13 March 2008]: The full report of the Trees in Towns II research is 646 pages long and is available as a priced publication from Communities and Local Government Publications. It has been produced as a CD and includes a database of the tree survey data and an interactive mapping tool enabling detailed analysis of the data. The length and complexity of the report together with the associated database and software made publication on the Department's website inappropriate. Hard copies of the executive summary, which included the CD containing the full report, were placed in the Libraries of the House.
Eco-Towns: Planning Permission
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which authority will consider planning applications for new eco-town developments. [193781]
Caroline Flint: We would expect all applications for eco-towns to be considered as a normal planning application by the appropriate local planning authority unless called in by the Secretary of State.
The Housing and Regeneration Bill currently being debated by this House, includes provision which gives the Secretary of State the power to designate an area and confer local planning authority functions on the Homes and Communities Agency in relation to that area. Such functions may include the determination of planning applications. There are currently no plans to use the designation powers for the delivery of eco-towns.
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