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15 Oct 2008 : Column 1310W—continued
Housing: Low Incomes
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the average length of time taken was for a family to be provided with suitable housing after entering the socially provided housing waiting list in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire in each of the last two years; [226393]
(2) how many families were on the socially provided housing waiting list in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire in each of the last 10 years. [226392]
Mr. Iain Wright: Information for average length of time on a housing waiting list is not collected centrally.
Information about social housing waiting lists is collected in respect of households rather than families. Where local authorities and registered social landlords operate a common register, households registered with the RSL will be included in the data. However, registered social landlords are independent bodies and can keep their own waiting lists. 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:
Copies of this table have been deposited in the Library of the House.
The number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists for Yorkshire and the Humber, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Leeds from 1997 to 2007 is given in the following table.
| Number of households on local authorities’ housing waiting: 1997 to 2007 | |||||||||||
| Number of households on the waiting list (excludes households looking for transfers) | |||||||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Note: As reported by local authorities. Excludes households looking for transfers. Rounded to the nearest 10. (Leeds forms part of West Yorkshire) Source: Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA) | |||||||||||
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.
Housing: Sustainable Development
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been assessed against the Code for Sustainable Homes since 1 May 2008; how many of these homes have been issued with (a) design stage and (b) post-construction certificates for levels (i) 3, (ii) 4 and (iii) 6 of the Code; and if she will break down these figures by type of landlord. [226969]
Mr. Iain Wright: There is approximately a six month time lag between registration and the design stage assessment, with a further time lag between the time the design is assessed and graded and when the home is built and the post-construction assessment carried out.
382 homes have been assessed against the Code for Sustainable Homes since 7 April 2008 (which is the date that we received data). Of these 337 received design stage certificates at code level 3 and none at code levels 4 and 6.
There are now 11 homes with post construction certificates; nine at code level 3 and two at code level 4. We do not currently hold data on whether the property is freehold or the status of the tenancy.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Code for Sustainable Homes assessors in each region have been fully accredited; and how many are in training. [226970]
Mr. Iain Wright: As of 13 September 2008 there were 884 licensed code assessors; in addition there are 981 people that have either completed the training or will have by the end of the year but have yet to become licensed assessors. We currently do not hold data on the numbers of assessors in each region.
Housing: Valuation
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the internal refurbishment of a property, where the physical refurbishment affects the notional rent that the property would attract, should routinely lead to the carrying out of revised valuation by the Valuation Office Agency prior to the 2010 business rates revaluation. [225654]
John Healey: The Valuation Officer has a statutory duty to maintain a correct rating list. When he/she becomes aware that an internal physical refurbishment of a property has increased its rateable value, under the statutory definition, he/she is obliged to alter the current rating list accordingly. The rateable value must have regard to the market conditions at the antecedent valuation date (1 April 2003 for the current rating lists), and will take effect from the completion of the works.
A refurbishment which addresses disrepair may not warrant an increase in the rateable value since the statutory definition already assumes a reasonable state of repair.
Housing: Yorkshire and the Humber
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many first-time buyers purchased a home in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire in each of the last 10 years. [226380]
Mr. Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government do not hold the information requested.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders does publish data on number of mortgages to first-time buyers for the UK but not at more local geographies. The UK data can be found at:
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requests for meetings her Department has received from businesses operating at ports to discuss changes to the rules on business rates for businesses on ports land and the backdating of that tax. [226652]
John Healey: The Department has received no request for a meeting from businesses operating at ports. The Department has received 14 letters from businesses, local authorities and MPs on behalf of their constituents setting out the concerns of businesses within the ports. The Government are aware of the concerns and are looking at the situation.
Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses located in British ports have gone into liquidation since the issuing of business rate demands for port tenants; and what their names are. [226654]
John Healey: The Department does not collect such information.
Parking: Income
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) gross and (b) net income from parking was for each local authority in England in each year between 1996 and 2003. [225640]
John Healey: I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the requested information on the gross and net income on parking services by each local authority in England between 1998-99 and 2001 -02.
Figures for 1997-98 have been presented separately owing to complexities arising from the extensive local government reorganisation which took place around that time.
For 1996-97, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 October, Official Report, column 354W.
For 2002-03 and 2003-04, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck) on 18 June 2008, Official Report, column 941W.
Aggregate information for England is published in editions of Local Government Financial Statistics and the information is drawn from the Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns.
Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.
Regional Ministers
Mr. Prisk:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of the (a) private offices, (b) salaries, (c) administration
costs and (d) travel expenses, broken down by (i) first class rail, (ii) standard class rail, (iii) first class air travel, (iv) economy class air travel and (v) taxis of Regional Ministers since their appointment has been; and if she will make a statement. [226753]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 22 May 2008, Official Report, column 448W. There have been some slight amendments to the figures collected in May as follows:
Regional Ministers do not receive a salary for carrying out their duties over and above that given to them as Departmental Ministers.
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
CLG incurred costs of £4,324.78 for driver services for Regional Ministers’ travel in the region. As all other travel expenses were covered by their home Departments, this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Rented Housing: Private Sector
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government is taking to protect tenants who are faced with the possibility of eviction when their buy-to-let landlord becomes insolvent. [225929]
Mr. Iain Wright: We believe it is good practice where possible for the lender to let the tenancy run and use the rental payments to cover the mortgage repayments until the end of the tenancy or where the tenancy has become a periodic tenancy to give the statutory two month notice period as a minimum.
We have commissioned an independent review of the private rented sector, from Julie Rugg and David Rhodes, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York. It will report on 23 October and we will consider any recommendations the report makes in relation to landlord insolvency.
Taxis
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from (a) her Department and (b) its Executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if she will make a statement. [227046]
Mr. Khan: Total amounts claimed in taxi expenses by officials in this Department and its direct predecessors are as follows:
| £ | ||
| Core d epartment | Government offices | |
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