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19 Jun 2008 : Column 1143W—continued


Table 2: Landlord( 1) possession orders( 2, 3, 4 ) in the county courts( 5) of Essex since 2003
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Basildon

1,004

1,051

810

853

769

Chelmsford

347

337

266

313

324

Colchester

706

623

677

656

647

Harlow(6)

410

399

383

342

Southend-on-Sea

487

439

473

490

475

Essex(6)

2,954

2,849

2,609

2,654

South East

20,336

19,834

19,157

18,093

18,973

(1) Landlord possession data include all types of landlords.
(2) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction.
(3) Includes suspended orders and orders made.
(4) Landlord possession orders made through standard and accelerated procedures.
(5) Does not include the small number of possession actions entered in the High Court.
(6) The rollout of the Possession Claim On-Line (PCOL) system in late 2006 has affected the availability of court and county level data on possession orders. It is only possible to provide court level figures for those courts with direct on-site PCOL access for 2007. Upward adjustments have been made for the missing data at HMCS regional level, hence the figures for the South East are provided.
Source:
Ministry of Justice

Shops

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of economic conditions and the state of the credit market on trends in the rate of letting retail properties in urban redevelopment projects; and if she will make a statement. [206856]

Mr. Iain Wright: We are closely monitoring the property market to assess the impact of the global credit problems. While there is some concern about the potential impact of the credit crunch on future urban redevelopment, rates of lettings will depend on local market conditions and the ability of the redevelopment scheme to compete with other locations. We will continue to look at what action needs to be taken.


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Social Rented Housing

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social rented homes have been built in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England in each year since 1997. [210974]

Mr. Iain Wright: Data are not available for Jarrow constituency. This constituency, however, is within South Tyneside local authority for which figures are available.

The following table shows the number of social rented new build homes in South Tyneside local authority, the North East and England in each year since 1997-98. The figures exclude social rented acquisitions.

New build social rent homes in South Tyneside, North East and England
South Tyneside North East England

1997-98

38

1,068

24,015

1998-99

48

824

22,607

1999-2000

67

706

19,574

2000-01

31

470

18,232

2001-02

14

713

18,637

2002-03

10

289

17,510

2003-04

80

537

18,369

2004-05

25

565

18,187

2005-06

42

748

20,248

2006-07

74

1,087

21,178

Sources:
Housing Corporation
Local authority returns to Communities and Local Government.

Statistics on affordable housing supply (new build and acquisitions) for England were published in the Communities and Local Government Statistics Release of 12 June and accompanying live tables. The web links are show as follows:

Somerset County Council: Finance

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Somerset County Council's borrowing was in each of the last five years. [211434]

Mr. Dhanda: The following table shows Somerset county council's total gross borrowing and the change in borrowing for each of the last five years.

£ million
Outstanding amount at 31 March Change in borrowing

2003-04

272.9

11.3

2004-05

374.6

101.7

2005-06

399.5

24.9

2006-07

440.2

40.7

2007-08

390.9

-49.3

Source:
Quarterly Borrowing returns and Public Works Loan Board.

19 Jun 2008 : Column 1145W

Waste Management: Energy

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she gives to local authorities on the assessment of the viability of new energy from waste developments with particular reference to (a) the effect on recycling targets and (b) environmental standards of those developments. [210359]

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.

Waste Strategy 2007 sets out our policy on energy from waste, and provides guidance on the various energy from waste technologies, their different feedstocks, carbon emissions, and outputs. These are described in the ‘summary guidance on energy from waste technology’ (Annex E of Waste Strategy 2007).

New incinerators have to meet the requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive (200/76/EC), Article 6(6) which requires that

Guidance published by DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government was first issued in early 2003 and deals with this, and all other requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive.

However, technology choice is ultimately a matter for local authorities, and not DEFRA. Any plans for new energy from waste facilities must emerge out of local waste strategies, so that all options for reuse, recycling and composting can be explored first. We expect greenhouse gas emissions to be a key consideration of those developing waste to energy plants.

Experience from many other European countries has shown that a vigorous energy from waste policy is compatible with high recycling rates (e.g. Netherlands 65 per cent./33 per cent.; Sweden 42 per cent./45 per cent.; Denmark 41 per cent./55 per cent.).

All municipal waste incinerators are tightly regulated under the Waste Incineration Directive (WID) to protect public health and the environment. Emission standards for incinerators are tighter than for conventional power stations.

With regard to energy from waste projects undertaken as part of DEFRA’s Waste Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding scheme, the current Waste PFI criteria were issued in May 2006. Projects must meet these criteria in order to be considered for PFI credits. The criteria aim to ensure that PFI credits are allotted to projects that are value for money and enable the investment in residual waste infrastructure necessary if the demanding targets in the Landfill Directive and Waste Strategy for England 2007 are to be met.

The following criteria are included:


19 Jun 2008 : Column 1146W

The full criteria are available at:

Children, Schools and Families

Autism

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will conduct an investigation into the potential effects of ultrasonic dispersal devices on young people with autism. [207768]

Mr. Coaker: I have been asked to reply.

At the present time, the Government do not have any plans to conduct an investigation into the potential effects of ultrasonic dispersal devices on young people with autism.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students had claimed education maintenance allowance for more than two years in each year since 2004-05. [210091]

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who have operational responsibility for the EMA for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold information about payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC’s Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 17 June 2008:

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many people in receipt of the education maintenance allowance subsequently did not complete the course of education for which the allowance was provided in each year since its inception; [210270]


19 Jun 2008 : Column 1147W

(2) how many people were in receipt of the education maintenance allowance in each London borough in each year since its inception. [210271]

Jim Knight: The LSC operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC’s Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.


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