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30 Apr 2008 : Column 436W—continued
Housing: Disabled
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Enfield Borough Council spent on improving homes for disabled people in each of the last three years. [202858]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 2 April 2008, Official Report, columns 928-29W.
Housing: Mortgages
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings she has had with the Local Government Association to discuss the potential effects of mortgage foreclosures on local housing demand. [201412]
Caroline Flint: I have had no such meetings with the Local Government Association but I have asked discussions to be held at official level with regard to the potential effects of mortgage foreclosures on local housing demand.
Licensed Premises: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008, Official Report, columns 509-10W, on valuation: licensed premises, if she will place an updated copy of Volume 5 of the Rating Manual in the Library. [202478]
John Healey: Work on updating The Rating Manual section on public houses, licensed restaurants and wine bars has not yet been completed. When the work is complete it will be published on the Valuation Office Agency's website to replace the existing section.
Local Authorities: Pay
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what pay scales for chief executives of local authorities are rated by the Audit Commission as poor; [202687]
(2) what pay scales for chief executives of local authorities are judged by the Audit Commission to be fair. [202697]
John Healey: It is a matter for the individual councils to determine the pay for their chief executives.
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 have yet to be (a) commenced and (b) implemented. [202650]
John Healey: Section 245 of the Act sets out which provisions were commenced at Royal Assent on 30 October 2007, and which were commenced on 30 December 2007. All remaining provisions have or will be commenced by order. There have been five such orders to date which apply to England. The note annexed to the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (Commencement No 5 and Transitional, Saving and Transitory Provision) Order 2008 (S.I. No. 2008/917) sets out the provisions which have so far been commenced. The planned timetable for implementing relevant policies is set out in the latest version of the White Paper implementation plan which was published on 1 November 2007. A further version will be published shortly.
Local Government: Pensions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the long-term solvency of the Local Government Pension Scheme following the March 2007 valuation. [202610]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 28 April 2008, Official Report, columns 66-67W.
National Muslim Women's Advisory Group
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what issues have been discussed in her meetings with the National Muslim Women's Advisory Group; and what steps have been taken as a result of these meetings. [201434]
Hazel Blears: The first meeting with the National Muslim Women's Advisory Group was held in November 2007, prior to the launch which was on 31 January 2008. It was an introductory meeting for both the Secretary of State and the advisory group members. This meeting set the context for the group's involvement and identified what key areas and issues the group would be interested to get involved in over the coming year. It was agreed that it was important to ensure that Muslim women received positive media and were engaging with Muslim women from all parts of society. As a result Communities and Local Government has organised media training and will be offering the group leadership training in May 2008.
The second meeting was held in March 2008. This meeting provided the Secretary of State with an update of the challenges and issues faced by the group in their regions. The group also agreed the terms of reference and an operating structure that they would work within. The group identified the priority areas they wanted to work on and are in the process of working up an action plan for 2008-09.
In order for the group to produce a robust and challenging action plan, a facilitated away day has been organised in May 2008. The action plan will set out key objectives that the group will aim to achieve in their first year, details of which will be released in May 2008.
Non-Domestic Rates: Appeals
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which (a) Government departments and (b) executive agencies have made a business rates challenge or appeal to the (i) Valuation Office Agency and (ii) Valuation Tribunal Service in the last 12 months. [202552]
John Healey: Valuation officers and valuation tribunals do not specifically identify proposals or appeals as coming from Government Departments or executive agencies but simply record the name of the person or body making the proposal/appeal. The information requested cannot, therefore, be provided without disproportionate cost.
Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for work on the 2010 business rates revaluation in England and Wales. [202597]
John Healey: The Antecedent Valuation Date of 1 April 2008 has already been set by regulation and the Valuation Office Agency has started work on assessing new rateable values. Draft 2010 rateable values will be published in the autumn of 2009, with final valuations being published on 1 April 2010. The timetable for Wales is the responsibility of Welsh Ministers.
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre: Databases
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose and function is of the QE2 Conference Centre’s meeting matrix database. [203047]
Mr. Dhanda: The Queen Elizabeth II conference centre (QEIICC) is one of London’s leading venues for professional meetings and events. The QEIICC is continuously looking to offer its clients additional means of support and flexibility to organise meetings as efficiently as possible. Meeting Matrix provides both the event planner and the conference centre with invaluable tools that create simple and accurate diagrams of the conference rooms customised to clients’ requirements.
With the addition of the Meeting Matrix space rendering package, a meeting planner will also be able to view their selected conference spaces in 3D. This facility will enable the QEIICC’s commercial team to more easily convert inquiries into confirmed bookings.
Regional Planning and Development: Greenbelt
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local planning authorities the Government Office for the South East has instructed to review their green belt boundaries as part of their local development framework. [202596]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Government Office for the South East (GOSE) has not instructed any local planning authorities to review their Green Belt boundaries as part of their local development framework. The Government's policy on green belts is set out in planning policy guidance note 2 (PPG2): Green Belts. PPG2 advises that up-to-date approved boundaries in development plans are essential, to provide certainty as to where green belt policies do and do not apply and to enable the proper consideration of future development options. When drawing green belt boundaries in development plans local planning authorities should take account of the need to promote sustainable patterns of development.
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