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21 May 2008 : Column 317W—continued
Housing: Carbon Emissions
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the capability of UK manufacturers to supply technologies required to (a) construct and (b) operate zero-carbon homes. [206369]
Caroline Flint: The Renewables Advisory Board, an independent, non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has been considering the implications of the zero carbon policy for the supply of microgeneration technologies, including the opportunities for UK industry. Its report, “The Role of Onsite Energy Generation in Delivering Zero Carbon Homes: A Study” can be found at:
www.renewables-advisory-board.org.uk/vBulletin/show thread.php?p=123#post123
Through the 2016 Task Force, the Department will continue to work with industry to identify issues which may affect the capacity of industry to respond to the demands for zero carbon homes.
Housing: Economic Situation
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the credit crunch on (a) the borrowing power of housing associations and (b) the building of affordable and social housing. [206050]
Caroline Flint [holding answer 16 May 2008]: The Housing Corporation has analysed the borrowing capacity of the sector to deliver housing associations’ current business plans. It published its assessment of the housing association funding and development market on 12 May 2008. The “Affordable Homes Developers Report” is available on their website at:
The corporation believes that the ability to obtain finance at a reasonable price is not an immediate concern for housing associations and the longer-term outlook for private finance for affordable housing remains positive. The Department and the Housing Corporation continue to liaise with lenders and their representatives to discuss the regulatory and funding environment and its implications for lenders in the housing association sector.
Infrastructure Planning Commission: EC Law
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what regard the Infrastructure Planning Commission will have to the provisions of the European Directives on (a) Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe and (b) Environmental Noise in making decisions on major infrastructure projects. [206447]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 13 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1443-444W.
Infrastructure Planning Commission: Public Appointments
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what regard she will have to relevant (a) expertise and (b) knowledge in making appointments to the proposed Infrastructure Planning Commission. [206446]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 13 May 2008, Official Report, column 1444W.
Landfill Tax
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government paid to local authorities as a landfill tax rebate in each year since 2003. [204519]
John Healey: Local authorities’ costs incurred on their waste management responsibilities are funded mainly through Formula Grant (Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates) in relation to household waste and mainly through fees and charges in relation to commercial and industrial waste. In determining the local government settlement, the Government took into account pressures on local government spending, including their landfill tax liability and the increased costs resulting from the rise in the standard rate escalator from 2008-09. The Government have provided significant investment in local services since taking office and by 2010-11 will have provided an overall increase in Government grant of 45 per cent. since 1997.
Local Authorities: Fees and Charges
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to assist local authorities to meet the increased fees payable in public law care proceedings. [206756]
John Healey: As I made clear in the debate on the Local Government Finance Report 2008-09 on 4 February this year, Official Report, column 729, the spending pressure on councils as a result of the transfer to local authorities of the full funding for family law cases, is included within the Formula Grant for authorities. Overall Government grant to local authorities increases by 1.5 per cent. a year in real terms over the CSR07 period, taking the investment in local services since we took office to 45 per cent. in real terms up to 2010-11.
Local Government Finance: Social Services
Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms her Department has in place to monitor local authorities’ expenditure of funding allocated through local involvement networks for social care. [206248]
John Healey: The level of the local authority contribution to the local involvement networks (LINks) is a matter for individual councils. Government funding for local authorities’ responsibilities in this area has been added into Area Based Grant which is administered by my Department. Area based Grant is a non-ringfenced general grant and as such there are no requirements for local authorities to report separately on how the grant is utilised.
Local Government Task Force: Pay
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on the expenses of board members of the Local Government Task Force. [206917]
Mr. Dhanda: The Department does not hold information on the expenses of board members of the Local Government Task Force.
Regional Planning and Development: East of England
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason hon. Members for constituencies in the East of England were not informed of the (a) launch and (b) publication of the East of England plan until the morning of publication; and if she will make a statement. [206882]
Mr. Dhanda: A revision to a regional spatial strategy should be published through the laying of a ministerial statement in the House. This publication statement was laid in the House at 9:30am on Monday 12 May and an event to launch the East of England plan was held in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, at noon on Monday 12 May. However, I understand that hon. Members in the East of England are very interested in how their constituencies are affected by the policies in the plan.
With that in mind, the Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) made every effort to ensure that hon. Members were invited to attend the event on Monday 12 May. GO-East officials first telephoned the offices of all hon. Members for the East of England on Friday 9 May to invite members to hear “a regionally significant announcement on planning in the East of England”. This was followed with an email to those offices which were not contactable by telephone.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which persons were advised of the date of (a) launch and (b) publication of the East of England plan prior to 12 May 2008; who was invited to the launch; when the invitation to each was sent; and if she will make a statement. [206883]
Mr. Dhanda: A revision to a regional spatial strategy should be published through the laying of a ministerial statement in the House. This publication statement was laid in the House at 9:30am on Monday 12 May and an event to launch the East of England plan was held in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, at noon on Monday 12 May.
The Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) invited hon. Members for the East of England and representatives of all local authorities in the region, the East of England Regional Assembly, the East of England Development Agency, the Environment Agency, the Highways Agency, Natural England, English Heritage and local delivery vehicles to attend an event with “a regionally significant announcement on planning in the East of England”, GO-East telephoned all the invitees on Friday 9 May.
Social Rented Housing: Evictions
Sir George Young: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many possession actions were brought by registered social landlords (RSLs) in England under the Housing Act 1988 in each year since 2000; and what percentage this total comprised in each year of the number of possession actions brought by RSLs on the grounds of rent arrears. [203296]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows the number of court orders for possession (including suspended orders) granted to registered social landlords (RSLs) by the county courts in England since 2003 and also a breakdown of orders by the broad grounds for possession as recorded in court databases.
However, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of possessions resulting from specific legislation because this information is not collected by county court administrative systems.
| Orders for possession (including suspended orders) granted to registered social landlords (RSLs) by county courts in England, 2003-2007 | |||||
| Grounds for possession | |||||
| Total possession orders granted to RSLs | Arrears | Antisocial behaviour | Arrears and antisocial behaviour | Other | |
| (1) Certain figures for 2006 and 2007 have been estimated. This follows the rollout of the Possession Claims On- Line (PCOL) system in late 2006, which has affected the availability of detailed information about possession claims in central departmental databases. Notes: 1. This table presents figures for RSLs only and excludes orders that could be identified as having been made by local authorities. However, this process relied on searching for known local authority titles in the claimant name field, and there may therefore be some inaccuracies as a result of typing errors, use of abbreviations, etc. 2. The figures exclude orders obtained using the accelerated procedure. | |||||
Data are not available for earlier years. The figures include all orders relating to ‘social landlords’ except those identified as having been granted to local authorities. They do not indicate how many properties have actually been repossessed, since not all the orders will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession.
Suspended possession orders allow the tenant to remain in their home as long as they keep up repayment of arrears. If the terms are not met then the landlord can obtain an eviction warrant without the need for a further court hearing.
Social Rented Housing: Foreigners
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 20 foreign nationalities obtained the most social housing tenancies in each year since information on nationality in regard to tenancies began to be collected; and how many foreign nationals obtained such tenancies in each of those years. [206259]
Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 May 2008, Official Report, column 1800W.
A question on nationality was first introduced to the Continuous Recording of Lettings form (CORE) for the 2006-07 data collection period. From this information it is possible to identify separately new tenants who are UK nationals and nationals of each of the A8 Eastern European accession states. It is not possible to separately identify the nationality of tenants recorded as from “other European Economic Area countries” or from “any other countries”.
Due to gaps in local authority data, the Department will not be making overall estimates for the number of new social housing lettings made to each of the recorded nationalities.
However, information provided by Registered Social Landlords during 2006-07 on tenant’s nationality can be found on the CORE website at:
in table 6 of the ‘CORE Annual Digest for Housing Associations 2006-07’.
Similar information for those local authorities who did provide returns during 2006-07 is also available in table 6 of the ‘CORE Annual Digest for Local Authorities 2006-07’. It should however be noted that not all local authorities provided information during 2006-07 and for those that did, not all provided complete information. As a result the local authority information is not complete across England and should not be used to provide a national estimate.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Admiralty House
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 April 2008, Official Report, column 1969W, on Admiralty House, what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) washer dryer, (b) tumble dryer and (c) fridge freezer purchased for Lord Malloch-Brown’s ministerial residence; and what the energy efficiency rating was of each appliance. [205512]
Meg Munn: The cost (including value added tax) to supply, install and take away the old appliance and energy efficiency rating for the appliances were as follows:
washer dryer—£736.02—energy rating B;
tumble dryer—£366.60—energy rating C; and
fridge freezer—£786.78—energy rating A.
Asylum
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the length of time an individual accepted for the Gateway resettlement programme will wait before resettlement; and whether they will receive financial assistance from his Department between acceptance on to the programme and resettlement. [205908]
David Miliband: The length of time between acceptance by the UK Border Agency and resettlement can vary. Accepted refugees are moved to the UK in groups once a receiving local authority has agreed to accommodate them. Therefore movement times vary according to the voluntary participation by each local authority.
Staff being considered for resettlement under the Gateway programme will be provided with financial assistance to allow them to support themselves during the screening process in a third country.
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