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27 Jan 2009 : Column 342W—continued

Further information on the number of households on the local authority housing waiting lists for England, can be found in the statistical release “Local Authority Housing Statistics England: 2007-08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA)” This was published on 22 January 2009 on the Communities and Local Government website at:

Additionally, information on the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists broken down by Government office region and for every local authority, including the percentage of households this represents, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600 at:

Copies of the statistical release and live table have been deposited in the Library.

Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual housing strategy statistical appendix returns. 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—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time. 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.

Council Housing: South West

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on the (a) Bath and North East Somerset Council, (b) North Somerset Council, (c) Bristol City Council and (d) South Gloucestershire Council housing register at 1 April in each of the last 10 years. [250820]

Mr. Iain Wright: The number of households on the local authority housing waiting lists in (a) Bath and North East Somerset Council, (b) North Somerset Council, (c) Bristol City Council and (d) South Gloucestershire Council at 1 April for the past 10 years is given in the following table:

Number of households on the waiting list (excludes households looking for transfers)

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Bath and North East Somerset UA

2,430

3,320

3,520

2,380

2,640

3,290

3,180

5,460

5,940

5,440

North Somerset UA

3,700

2,620

4,000

2,880

2,960

3,730

3,950

4,470

4,900

5,800

City of Bristol, UA

11,300

12,280

11,850

11,380

12,940

11,630

11,810

12,930

14,450

10,110

South Gloucestershire

3,540

4,520

5,530

3,510

5,210

4,960

4,050

4,610

3,840

4,870

Note:
As reported by local authorities. As at 1 April.
Source:
Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA)

Further information on the number of households on the local authority housing waiting lists for England, can be found in the statistical release “Local Authority Housing Statistics England: 2007-08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA)” This was published on 22 January 2009 on the Communities and Local Government website at:

Additionally, information on the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists broken down by Government Office Region and for every local authority, including the percentage of households this represents, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600 at:

Copies of the statistical release and live table have been deposited in the Library.

Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. 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
27 Jan 2009 : Column 343W
housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time. 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.

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many members of staff in her Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended and (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) mobile telephones belonging to her Department in each year since its inception. [248245]

Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 December 2008, Official Report, columns 786-87W.

Departmental Furniture

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much expenditure her Department incurred under general ledger account number 10006 (furniture and fittings at cost) in the last year for which audited figures are available. [251788]

Mr. Khan: Expenditure of £462,000 is shown in Note 13 (on page 56) of the audited Departmental Resource Accounts for 2007-08 (HC 791) published on 21 July 2008.

Departmental Standards

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what projects sponsored by (a) her Department and (b) the Government Office for London, were subject to gateway reviews in each of the last four years; what status each project was assigned under such reviews; how much her Department spent on gateway reviews in each such year; and if she will make a statement. [250889]

Mr. Khan [holding answer 26 January 2009]: The projects sponsored by Communities and Local Government which have undergone gateway reviews over the last four years are listed as follows. There have been no gateway reviews relating to Government Office for London projects.


27 Jan 2009 : Column 344W

Gateway reviews are conducted on a confidential basis for the senior responsible owner (SRO) of the project. The final report including its associated RAG (red, amber or green) status is confidential to the SRO. This approach promotes an open and honest exchange between the project and review teams during the review and ensures the review delivers maximum added value.

The cost to the Department for conducting reviews in 2007-08 was £28,000 (excluding value added tax). Prior to that, costs for reviews were met centrally by the Office of Government Commerce.

Departmental Working Hours

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the policy of her Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working (a) in lunch breaks, (b) in evenings and (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if she will make a statement. [252039]


27 Jan 2009 : Column 345W

Mr. Khan: Staff working outside their normal working pattern can agree with their line manager a suitable alternative time to take off any accumulated hours subject to the work flows and reasonable demands of the office.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available. [252040]

Mr. Khan: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Services

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what efficiency savings have been made by the fire and rescue service in England in each region since 2003; and what such savings have been made by each fire and rescue authority over the same period. [250702]

Mr. Khan: The Government did not set an efficiency target for the English fire and rescue service prior to 2004.

The fire and rescue service was set a national target to achieve £105 million in cash-releasing efficiency savings across the period 2004-08. They exceeded the target and achieved approximately £197 million. The efficiency savings achieved by each fire and rescue authority are listed in the following table.


27 Jan 2009 : Column 346W
Fire and rescue authority Total (£)

Avon

5,460,000

Bedfordshire

1,170,000

Buckinghamshire

1,187,000

Cambridgeshire

863,000

Cheshire

2,576,000

Cleveland

5,106,000

Cornwall

1,710,000

Cumbria

1,714,000

Derbyshire

2,481,000

Devon And Somerset(1)

3,508,000

Dorset

1,332,000

Durham and Darlington

1,779,000

East Sussex

1,883,000

Essex

4,396,000

Gloucestershire

785,000

Greater Manchester

29,414,000

Hampshire

4,958,000

Hereford and Worcestershire

2,245,000

Hertfordshire

1,256,000

Humberside

2,715,000

Isle of Wight

1,197,000

Isles of Scilly

4,511

Kent and Medway

5,285,000

Lancashire

5,732,000

Leicestershire

2,342,000

Lincolnshire

1,593,000

LFEPA

33,457,000

Merseyside

15,140,000

Norfolk

2,582,000

North Yorkshire

1,305,000

Northamptonshire

2,023,000

Northumberland

3,374,000

Nottinghamshire

3,652,000

Oxfordshire

950,000

Royal Berkshire

1,319,000

Shropshire

940,000

South Yorkshire

5,518,000

Stoke and Staffordshire

2,254,000

Suffolk

1,181,000

Surrey

4,641,000

Tyne and Wear

5,125,000

Warwickshire

594,000

West Midlands

7,734,000

West Sussex

1,849,000

West Yorkshire

10,347,000

Wiltshire

843,000

(1) Devon and Somerset fire and rescue authorities were merged in April 2007 therefore reported individually on efficiency savings achieved prior to this date.

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