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5 Feb 2009 : Column 1426W—continued
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the letters of 4 December and 30 December from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on the fees levied by local authorities in respect of discharge of planning conditions, reference FD5970. [254528]
Mr. Iain Wright: I replied to the hon. Member's correspondence on 2 February 2009.
Departmental Databases
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 300W, on departmental databases, how ACORN data are used in relation to (a) her Department’s House Price Index, (b) local authority formula grant distribution and (c) the citizenship survey; and how MOSAIC data are used in relation to the Neighbourhood Renewal Evaluation. [252176]
Mr. Khan: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The CLG monthly house price index is a hedonic mix-adjusted index. The mix-adjustment weights are updated on an annual basis using a variety of variables. One of the variables is type of neighbourhood. This is produced by linking the house price dataset to Acorn data via the postcode.
(b) The distribution of formula grant takes into account the relative needs and relative resources of an authority relative to all other authorities providing the same service. There is also a central allocation and floor damping mechanism. The formulae used in the distribution system cover a wide range of socio-economic and demographic indicators
For the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 settlement, Acorn data have been used for indicators that are used within the Police Relative Needs Formula (RNF) and the Fire and Rescue RNF.
Annex D of the Local Government Finance Report (England) 2008-09 (HC 262) contains the description of each of the indicators used in the calculation of the allocation of formula grant.
(c) Recent analysis of the Citizenship Survey has not used Acorn data. Analysis using Acorn was last carried out using 2003 and 2005 data as reported in the annual reports. More recently, data are analysed using classifications such as the new Index of Multiple Deprivation, urban/rural, and social class. However, we provide Acorn in the publicly available Citizenship Survey dataset as we recognise that local area characteristics can play an important role in cohesion and data users may wish to use this.
The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal Evaluation requires the identification and analysis of socio-economic trends at small spatial scales (i.e. Lower Level Super Output Areas—LSOA) which is why the Department’s contractors, Amion Consulting, have used Mosaic group data provided by Experian as it provides a typology of areas. It was initially used as part of the modelling analysis but was ultimately set aside due to extensive correlation with other socio-economic variables and consequential statistical problems.
The Mosaic typology is based on a series of datasets assembled by Experian. Two of these datasets have also been used in the Evaluation:
The ethnic origins dataset—which was also set aside in preference to Census data but is being used to identify areas with high concentrations of particular ethnic groups for subsequent analysis; and
the length of residence dataset—which was employed as part of the transition-modelling process as it provides an indicative measure of population churn (identified as an important factor in influencing area change).
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether special advisers in her Department may claim overtime payments. [251795]
Mr. Khan: Special advisers may not claim overtime payments, as set out in the Department's staff handbook and the Model Contract for Special Advisers.
Derelict Land: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of recent levels of brownfield development in (a) the City of Southampton, (b) Test Valley borough and (c) Eastleigh borough. [254015]
Mr. Iain Wright: In the period 2003 to 2006,
(a) 94 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in Southampton was previously-developed.
(b) 71 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in Test Valley was previously-developed.
(c) 71 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in Eastleigh was previously-developed.
“Brownfield” development has been interpreted as all development on previously- developed land, not just residential development. Information on residential development can be found on the CLG website at
Disadvantaged
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which electoral wards make up the 10 per cent. most deprived in England and Wales. [253340]
John Healey: The English Indices of Deprivation have, since 2004, been produced at Lower Level Super Output Area (LSOA). These are smaller than wards and are designed to remain consistent in size, and over time, to allow more detailed identification of pockets of deprivation. This also overcomes difficulties in producing statistics for electoral wards associated with frequent boundary changes. There are 32,482 LSOAs in England with an average population of 1,500 people.
I have placed a table of the 10 per cent. most deprived LSOAs from the English Indices of Deprivation 2007 in the Libraries of the House.
The Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland administrations produce separate deprivation indices.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the Communities and Local Government Euro Changeover Plan 2007. [252186]
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's most recent Euro Changeover Plan; and on what date the plan was last updated. [254849]
Mr. Khan: The Communities and Local Government Euro Changeover Plan was placed in the Library in February 2006.
There has been no change of note to Communities and Local Government, its agencies and NDPB's Euro Changeover Plans since then.
The Department has therefore not produced a further version of such plans.
Economic Situation
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions her Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within her Department's responsibility. [254051]
Mr. Khan: Communities and Local Government has frequent discussions with a very wide range of external stakeholders across the full breadth of our responsibilities, covering numerous issues including reducing the impact of the recession.
Economic Situation: Hertfordshire
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what briefing notes the Minister for the East of England has received on the business environment in Hertfordshire since 1 August 2008. [254222]
Mr. Khan: The Regional Minister receives regular briefing on a range of issues which impact on the business and economic environment across the region and within Hertfordshire.
Empty Property
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, columns 1201-2W, on empty property, if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent list of vacant domestic dwellings, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) ward. [252163]
Mr. Iain Wright: The most recent statistics on vacant dwellings at local authority level are for October 2008 and these have been placed in the Library. The latest statistics on vacant dwellings published at ward level are for April 2005. These are on the Office for National Statistics’ Neighbourhood Statistics website at:
http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/datasetList.do?JSAllowed=true&;Function=%24ph=60&CurrentPageld =60&step=l&CurrentTreeIndex=1&searchString=&datasetFamilyId= 1618&Next.x=11&Next.y=16
Statistics for 2006, 2007 and 2008 are due for publication later this year.
Fines
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what administrative financial penalties may be levied by her Department and its agencies. [253599]
Mr. Khan: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its agencies have no powers to levy administrative financial penalties.
Fire Services: Crimes of Violence
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters required medical treatment as a result of assaults in each of the last three years, broken down by fire and rescue service area. [254214]
Mr. Khan: This information is not held centrally.
Fire Services: Defibrillators
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of operational fire appliances carry defibrillators. [254858]
Mr. Khan: Information on which front-line appliances carry a defibrillator is not centrally held. However, recent research on co-responding indicated that, as at the end of 2007, over one-third of fire appliances had a defibrillator on board.
Fire Services: Finance
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons new burdens funding will not be provided in relation to Project Fireguard. [254008]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 29 January 2009, Official Report, column 771W.
Government Office for the Regions
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Local Authority Leaders' Boards will be based in the Government office regions. [254771]
Mr. Iain Wright: Yes, the intention is that Local Authority Leaders' Boards would be set up to cover the same regions as covered by Government offices and regional development agencies.
Government Office for the Regions: EU Grants and Loans
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding for 2000-2006 was unspent (a) in each Government Office region and (b) in each EDRF programme; and if she will make a statement. [254620]
John Healey: The 2000 to 2006 ERDF programmes have so far recorded spend of over €5 billion. There are over 2,900 ERDF grant claims being processed in our systems and more are expected as projects make their final claims for grant. Until these claims are all paid we will not have a final spend position but expect it to show successful take up of the available funds—at least equal to previous rounds of ERDF.
Housing
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local housing authorities under section 226 of the Housing Act 2004; and when such guidance was last issued or revised. [254854]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Government issued guidance to local housing authorities on Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessments under section 226 of the Housing Act 2004 in October 2007.
Housing: Construction
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of (a) all newly constructed dwellings were constructed on previously-developed land, (b) all
dwellings on previously-developed land were newly constructed dwellings on previous residential land and (c) all newly-constructed dwellings were new dwellings on previously-residential land in each (i) region, (ii) county and (iii) local authority area in each of the last three years. [253940]
Mr. Iain Wright: In 2007, on a provisional estimate, 77 per cent. of all new dwellings (including conversions) were built on previously-developed land, compared to 76 per cent. in 2006. Land Use Change Statistics Live Table 212 gives a regional breakdown of the percentage of all new dwellings that were built on previously-developed land. Land Use Change Statistics Live Table 213 gives a local authority level breakdown of the percentage of all new dwellings that were built on previously-developed land. Both tables can be found at:
Tables have been deposited in the Library providing county level estimates of (a) all newly constructed dwellings that were constructed on previously-developed land, and regional, county and local authority level estimates of (b) all dwellings on previously-developed land were newly constructed dwellings on previous residential land and (c) all newly-constructed dwellings were new dwellings on previously-residential land. Estimates at a local authority and county level are provided as multi-year averages because of the unrobust and volatile nature of the data at spatial levels lower than Government office region.
Housing: Learning Disability
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to increase the number of houses available in the West Suffolk area to enable people with learning difficulties to live independently. [253122]
Mr. Iain Wright: Local authorities are responsible for assessing the housing needs in their particular locality in order to deliver the most appropriate housing solutions for their residents including those with specific needs.
In the East of England, based on recommendations within the Regional Housing Board investment plan, the Homes and Communities Agency has available £78.21 million from the National Affordable Housing Programme over the three years 2008-11 to fund Supported Housing Projects, which includes specialist provision for people with learning disabilities. Allocations of these funds are dependent on suitable schemes being submitted to the HCA for approval and, where necessary, supporting people funding being available through the local authority.
People with learning disabilities may also benefit from our standard HomeBuy products and through our specialist Home Ownership for People with long term disabilities (HOLD) product. HOLD enables purchasers with disabilities to select a home on the open market, in the location of their choice that is suitable for their needs and then buy it on shared ownership terms with a housing association. Interested applicants may apply through HomeBuy Agents in the usual way and will be referred to a specialist housing association provider, as necessary.
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