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10 Sep 2008 : Column 1996W—continued

10 Sep 2008 : Column 1997W

10 Sep 2008 : Column 1998W

	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Average Right to Buy discount per dwelling (£)
North-east	14,490	10,670	12,590	11,680	13,240	14,850	18,800	21,100	21,010	21,470
North-west	16,510	16,670	16,700	17,230	18,200	19,460	21,370	23,670	24,580	25,210
Yorks and Humber	15,650	15,650	15,630	16,260	16,270	18,110	20,250	22,550	23,030	23,750
East midlands	18,260	16,740	17,100	17,830	21,390	21,820	22,420	22,920	23,590	23,850
West midlands	18,230	18,470	19,960	19,840	20,330	22,580	23,930	25,180	25,050	25,620
Eastern	25,020	27,350	27,300	27,830	30,360	31,360	32,580	33,380	33,010	33,770
London	34,070	36,150	37,140	36,990	35,960	37,190	35,490	30,180	21,150	20,700
South-east	29,780	30,760	31,060	32,640	34,510	36,200	36,640	36,610	36,500	36,890
South-west	21,230	21,670	23,090	24,880	26,460	28,430	28,870	29,340	29,300	29,680
England	22,880	23,630	23,880	23,380	23,790	24,640	25,650	25,550	24,970	25,340
Average Right to Buy discount as percentage of market value
North-east	48	47	47	46	45	42	34	34	31	28
North-west	48	48	47	46	45	43	41	37	34	32
Yorks and Humber	47	47	46	46	44	43	40	35	31	28
East midlands	50	46	45	43	41	38	35	31	28	27
West midlands	49	48	49	47	44	40	34	33	30	30
Eastern	49	47	45	43	39	35	33	30	27	25
London	53	51	48	42	37	32	28	22	14	13
South-east	50	47	44	42	39	35	32	30	28	26
South-west	50	48	46	44	40	36	34	31	28	27
England	50	48	47	44	41	37	33	31	27	24
Source : Statistical Returns from Local Authorities (PIB)

Safeguarding Authorities Scheme

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will re-examine the appropriateness of the level of registration fee charged under the independent Safeguarding Authorities scheme; and on what basis the present fee was calculated. [221540]

Meg Hillier: I have been asked to reply.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Scheme is a new mandatory work force vetting scheme set up under the auspices of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 to improve protection for children and vulnerable adults.

This scheme, which replaces some existing work force checking procedures, will come into operation in October 2009.

The application fees referred to are additional to the existing Disclosure Service fees charged by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). It is envisaged that the total fee will be charged to users of the service by CRB, with a pass through of this element to ISA.

As a self-funding service, the proposed additional fee chargeable to users of the scheme has been calculated to recover the full economic costs of the service over the first 54 months of operation, based on the estimate of paying users. Fee levels have been calculated to fully fund the scheme but not to return a profit.

All employed applicants, whether in part-time or full-time employment and regardless of salary level, will be expected to pay to be checked to ensure that they do not pose a risk to vulnerable groups.

Applicants will be required to pay a one-off fee of £64 at point of initial application to join the scheme. This fee will cover the applicant’s life within the scheme and they will not be required to pay for further or repeat checks.

However, applicants who work exclusively in unpaid voluntary capacities will not pay for the service but will be subsidised by the fees from paying users.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes to projects funded by her Department have been made as a result of implementation of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Exemption of Certain Acquisitions of Residential Property) Regulations 2008. [223362]

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury today. (PQ 223363).

Water Supply

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2008, Official Report, columns 392-3W, on water supply, what the evidential basis is for the establishment of (a) the benchmark in the Code for Sustainable Homes of 80 litres of water per person per day at Level 5 and (b) the proposed building regulation design performance standard of 125 litres per person per day; what estimate she has made of the number of homes expected to achieve each target by 2021; and if she will make a statement. [217141]

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