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21 Oct 2008 : Column 228W—continued
Fire Services: Hotels
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to collect data on the number of fires in bed and breakfast establishments as a separate category from all existing accommodation premises; and if she will make a statement. [228454]
Mr. Khan: The new Incident Recording System, to which all Fire and Rescue Services will be submitting data from 2009-10, includes a category of building of ‘Boarding House/Bed and Breakfast’.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to review the implementation by fire and rescue authorities of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, in respect of its operation regarding bed and breakfast establishments. [228455]
Mr. Khan: We are at present carrying out an interim evaluation of the impact that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has had on the enforcers, responsible persons and the fire safety industry since it took effect in October 2006. This will gather qualitative information from a range of responsible persons within the business sector, including from small accommodation providers.
We will publish the evaluation report when it becomes available.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (b) fire and rescue authorities and (c) representatives of tourism organisations in England on the implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; and if she will make a statement. [228459]
Mr. Khan: My predecessor met with the Minister for Tourism and representatives from VisitBritain on 21 July to discuss issues around implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
My officials have also worked closely with officials in the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, representatives of tourism organisations in England and with the Chief Fire Officers Association to produce tailored information on the Order specifically for responsible persons in the small, independent accommodation sector. We aim to publish this information shortly.
Fire Services: Manpower
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters there were per 100,000 residents in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available. [226377]
Mr. Khan: Information on the number of firefighters per 100,000 population in Northamptonshire and England is as follows.
| Firefighters per 100,000 population | ||
| Northamptonshire | England | |
| Source: Annual returns to Communities and Local Government | ||
Home Information Packs
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 6 April 2008, Official Report, column 322W, on home information packs, how many penalty charge notices have been issued for breaches of home information pack duties; and how many of these resulted in further legal action. [227378]
Mr. Iain Wright: There is no requirement for the Department to be informed when a penalty charge notice is issued. Section 175 of the Housing Act 2004 requires enforcement authorities to notify the Office of Fair Trading where a penalty charge notice for a breach of the home information pack duties has been issued.
Housing
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the capital value of (a) housing association and (b) council housing stock in each year since 1997. [228878]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 June 2008, Official Report, columns 29-31W.
Latest 2007 figures for local authorities from the capital outturn returns have been published since the original answer was provided. The latest figure for fixed assets is supplied in the following table.
| Value of local authority fixed assets as at 31 March 2007 | |
| £ million | |
| Notes: 1. LA stock valued at Existing Use Value: Social Housing (EUV-SH), a statutory requirement as at 1 April 2000. 2. 1998 laid down in the Library of the House of Commons. Not available on the web. Source: Communities and Local Government, Local Government Financial Statistics England: Capital Outturn Return (COR) returns. | |
Figures on local authority fixed assets are published via the Department’s website at:
Housing: Bournemouth
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new affordable homes were made available in Bournemouth in each of the last five years. [228888]
Mr. Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of new affordable homes provided in Bournemouth each year from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
| Number | |
The figures show the number of new affordable homes provided in Bournemouth district council. Funding for some of these homes was provided by other local authorities. Bournemouth district council also funded affordable homes outside of its administrative boundary during this period.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for the introduction of new targets for housing provision in Bournemouth; and when she expects these plans to be brought forward. [228892]
Mr. Khan: The targets for housing provision in Bournemouth are set out in the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the South West Regional Spatial Strategy, which is subject to public consultation until 24 October 2008. Following consideration of comments and views arising from this latest consultation period, the Secretary of State will publish the final regional spatial strategy.
Housing: Low Incomes
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes for rent or sale to local people were built in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. [227978]
Mr. Iain Wright: There were 35,940 new affordable homes built in 2006-07. Figures for 2007-08 are not yet available.
Not all affordable housing is through new build completions. Supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. In 2006-07, an additional 8,390 affordable homes were supplied through acquisitions which are not included in the figure above.
Affordable housing new build figures are from the Housing Corporation Investment Management System (IMS), and HSSA returns and P2 returns submitted to CLG by local authorities.
We do not have any information on whether affordable homes are let or sold to local people.
Inspections
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many inspectors were employed by her Department in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 1997-98. [228090]
Mr. Khan: During the financial year 2007-08 the Planning Inspectorate, an Executive Agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government, employed a total of 293 (full-time equivalent) inspectors. For the financial year 1997-98 it employed a total of 198 (full-time equivalent) inspectors.
Local Government Services: Torbay
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on providing services of each type in Torbay in each of the last five years. [228267]
Mr. Khan: The information requested is not held centrally in the form requested. The following information is available however. Grants paid by Communities and Local Government, and predecessor Departments to Torbay borough council since 2003-04 were as follows:
| £ million | ||||||
| Programme | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | Total |
|
Private Finance Initiative—Westland and Homelands School (Phases 1 and 2) | ||||||
| (1) (a) Formula Grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, redistributed business rates, principal formula Police Grant, SSA Reduction Grant (SSA Review), SSA Reduction Grant (Police Funding Review) and Central Support Protection Grant where appropriate. (b) Prior to 2006-07 support for schools was paid through formula grant. In 2006-07 funding for schools transferred to the Dedicated Schools Grant paid by DCFS. (c) The amount of formula grant refers to the amount under the respective amending reports for those years. Further information on formula grant for Torbay can be found at http://www.localcommunities.gov.uk/finance/0809/head0809s.xls. | ||||||
Maps: Licensing
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether plans are in place to simplify the re-use of licences for Ordnance Survey mapping data. [228401]
Mr. Iain Wright:
In common with other Trading Funds, Ordnance Survey is currently subject to an Assessment by The Shareholder Executive on behalf of Government. Once the Trading Funds Assessment is concluded and has reported to Government, Ministers will consider, if necessary consult, and then make decisions
based upon the recommendations made by the assessment. Ordnance Survey will then develop and implement any necessary changes to its licences in line with these decisions.
Mentally Ill Staff
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within (a) her Department and (b) the public sector bodies for whom she has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information. [228543]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Communities and Local Government is an equal opportunities employer. The Department collects data volunteered by staff on whether or not they consider themselves to have a disability. The Department does not collect data as to the nature of the disability.
The Department supports and develops staff who declare disabilities. Our staff counsellors are trained to offer support on a number of mental health issues. We also offer reasonable adjustments to help staff enter and remain in the workplace, whether a disability is physical or mental in nature. In line with Civil Service policy, our recruitment campaigns make clear that we welcome applicants who consider themselves to have a disability.
Guidance on managing staff with mental health issues is also available to all line managers and, as part of the Department's Equalities Month in November, we are running a workshop on this issue in conjunction with City and Hackney MIND.
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