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24 Nov 2008 : Column 1132W—continued
Housing: Low Incomes
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing tenants applying for a housing transfer did so on medical grounds in each of the last five years. [237260]
Mr. Iain Wright: This information is not available in the format requested.
Housing: Planning
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms are in place to assess housing demand when considering housing targets in Planning Policy Statement 3. [238565]
Mr. Iain Wright: ‘Planning Policy Statement 3; Housing’ requires that strategic housing market assessments be completed to establish the housing need and demand in an area. This evidence should be used to inform housing targets set in regional spatial strategies and local development documents.
Local Government: Procurement
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to promote the use of whole-life costing in local government procurement. [236825]
John Healey: Subject to their legal duties local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions. Existing guidance from Communities and Local Government states that for most best value contracts, awarding on the basis of ‘lowest price’ is unlikely to be satisfactory. The best value option will involve other factors such as whole life cost, quality and service delivery.
Local Government: Telephone Services
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local councils operate free financial advice helplines. [237265]
Mr. Khan: The information requested is not held by Communities and Local Government.
National Clearing House Scheme
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in each (a) region and (b) local authority area have been brought under the National Clearing House scheme. [238704]
Mr. Iain Wright: In May, the Government announced a plan to take advantage of market opportunities to bring private sector developer stock into the affordable housing sector by providing £200 million of funding through the Housing Corporation’s national Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) for the purchase of homes from house builders.
To help facilitate this, the Housing Corporation set up the National Clearing House to streamline initial assessment of national packages of at least 250 units from private sector house builders. Housing Corporation investment partners, mainly registered social landlords, wishing to buy smaller number of units from developers could bid for funding directly to the Corporation in the normal way.
A table showing the distribution of units purchased, and the grant allocated as at the beginning of November by the Corporation for the purchase, by local authority area and region has been deposited in the Library.
Non-domestic Rates: Ports
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the Valuation Office has increased the business rates in UK ports by (a) 50 per cent., (b) 75 per cent. and (c) 100 per cent. over the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [238153]
John Healey:
Valuation officers are required to maintain accurate rating lists. When they become aware a change is needed through amendment of an existing entry or
insertion of a new entry, they must make the alteration and specify the date from which the change is effective. They are not responsible for calculating actual rate liabilities or collecting amounts due, which are the responsibility of local (billing) authorities.
There are seven ports in England and Wales where proposed changes to the rating lists have been actioned and result in net increases in the aggregate rateable values for port operators and occupiers of 50 per cent. or more. Of these, one would increase by more than 75 per cent. and two by more than 100 per cent. Under rating legislation, operators and occupiers have rights of appeal against the respective valuation officers’ proposals and so the final outcomes may vary.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what change there has been in levels of business rates in the last 12 months; and what assessment she has made of the effect of that change on small and medium sized businesses based in ports. [238279]
John Healey: An assessment cannot be made of the impact on individual businesses as there are too many variables relating to business eligibility for rate relief, and any successful appeals to valuations.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what the (a) Government grant and (b) budget for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service has been in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in the last 20 years; and how much it is in 2008-09; [236562]
(2) what the percentage increase each year and cumulatively in the (a) Government grant and (b) overall budget of (i) North Yorkshire fire and rescue service and (ii) all fire and rescue services in England in (A) cash and (B) real terms was in each of the last 20 years; and what it was in 2008-09. [236563]
Mr. Khan [holding answer 17 November 2008]: The net current expenditure on fire and rescue services for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service and England in cash and real terms since the establishment of North Yorkshire fire and rescue service in April 1996 are tabled as follows.
Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.
Information for North Yorkshire fire and rescue service prior to 1996-97 is not available as this authority did not exist prior to April 1996.
| England | ||||
| Net current expenditure on all fire and rescue services (non FRS17) | Government grant | |||
| £000 | Year on year change (percentage) | Change from 1996-97 (percentage) | £000 | |
(B) Real terms (2007-08 prices):
| North Yorkshire fire and rescue service | ||||||
| Net current expenditure (non-FRS17) | Government grant | |||||
| £000 | Year on year change (percentage) | Change from 1996-97 (percentage) | £000 | Year on year change (percentage) | Change from 2004-05 (percentage) | |
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