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23 Feb 2009 : Column 116W—continued
Communitybuilders: is a £70 million investment fund, run jointly with the Office of the Third Sector, to strengthen the sustainability of multi-purpose inclusive community-led organisations operating at the neighbourhood level. We are currently in the process of tendering for a national partner organisation to deliver the fund on the Government’s behalf. The national partner will use their skills and expertise to identify and fund projects through an open and transparent process.
The national partner will be announced and the programme will become open to applications in spring 2009.
Empowerment Fund: The Government are seeking to create an ever stronger partnership with the third sector, both nationally and locally, in the design, development and delivery of policy making to help build cohesive, empowered and active communities. The “Empowerment Fund”, launched last year by Communities and Local Government, will strengthen national infrastructure and intermediary bodies, who can translate key proposals into practical action and support for frontline organisations.
The Empowerment Fund will provide £7.5 million to support organisations operating across the country assist local communities to take forward key themes of the White Paper. It will:
be open to partnership applications with an eligible lead;
have a more flexible allowance on the Department's financial contribution;
give added weight to those working with excluded groups across all themes.
The closing date for receiving applications was 6 January 2009. We have received 157 applications and are currently working through the evaluation process, aiming to announce the successful organisations in March.
The Fund will begin in April 2009 and will last until March 2012.
Youth Advis e rs: Young people are being placed at the heart of government policy formulation. A panel of nine young people—recruited from the national pool of young advisors—act as youth advisors to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, giving a young person’s perspective as policies are developed and implemented. These young advisors are the Secretary of State’s eyes and ears on issues that affect them the most, from the housing offer for young people and the impact of the economic downturn, to their role in community cohesion and the Olympics legacy.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government has taken to encourage participation in local democracy. [257707]
Mr. Khan: The Electoral Administration Act 2006 requires local electoral officers to take appropriate steps to increase participation in the electoral process, the costs of which may be reimbursed by the Secretary of State. The intention is to encourage electoral officers to pursue activities aimed at increasing awareness of and involvement in the democratic process.
The White Paper “Communities in Control” set out additional actions including a new duty on local councils to promote democracy. This has the aim of making citizens more aware of the democratic process including
who makes decisions about local services; how to influence and take part in making those decisions; and how to stand for civic roles, such as councillor, school governor or magistrate.
Government are also supporting a range of programmes to enable and encourage a wider range of people to become involved in local democracy, including the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce and the Take Part programme.
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority: Finance
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding has been allocated to the London Fire Brigade in 2008-09 to meet the costs of (a) resilience and (b) the threat of a terrorist attack on London; and if she will make a statement. [256697]
Mr. Khan: Details of funding allocated to the Greater London Authority in respect of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) for the period in question, relating to (a) resilience and (b) the heightened threat of a terrorist attack on London are given in the following table.
| Funding allocated to the Greater London authority in respect of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority relating to resilience and the heightened threat of terrorist attack in 2008-09 -position as at 9 February 2009 | |
| £ | |
| (1) Further allocation is planned for this year but amounts to individual authorities have not yet been determined. (2) Funding allocation is being discussed with LFEPA and no payments made to date. | |
Microgeneration
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to consult on the introduction of permitted development rights in respect of the installation of micro-generation units on non-domestic buildings; and if she will make a statement. [257654]
Mr. Khan: The Government are currently considering the scope for the introduction of permitted development rights for the installation of microgeneration units on non-domestic buildings. We aim to consult on the proposals in the summer.
Mortgage Interest Deferral Scheme
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2009, Official Report, columns 683-84W, on the Mortgage Interest Deferral Scheme, what estimate her Department has made of the cost and take-up of the scheme; when the scheme description commenced; when each remaining stage in devising the
scheme descriptors is expected to be completed; when she expects to publish the full impact assessment; and if she will make a statement. [254506]
Margaret Beckett: Our intention to set up a new Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme was announced by the Prime Minister on 3 December 2008. As part of a much wider package of real help for home owners, the scheme should enable ordinary hard-working households that experience a redundancy or significant loss of income to reduce their monthly payments to a more manageable level, by deferring a proportion of the interest payments on their mortgage for up to two years. The Government will guarantee the lender against a proportion of any loss incurred on the deferred interest payments in case the borrower defaults.
I wrote to all lenders on 18 December 2008, setting out the proposed scheme design and seeking their views by 14 January. The legal authority to pursue such a scheme was established when the Banking Act gained Royal Assent on 12 February 2009. We are now working closely with the lenders and debt advice agencies to finalise scheme design and agree plans for scheme implementation. Once discussions with the lenders to agree the scheme design have concluded, we will publish an Impact Assessment setting out the cost and anticipated take-up of the scheme. We currently expect the scheme to be up and running in the spring.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been made to the Homeowner Mortgage Protection Scheme. [256187]
Margaret Beckett: Following announcement of the proposed homeowners mortgage support scheme on 3 December 2008, we have been working urgently with a range of lenders and representatives from the money advice sector to finalise the detail of the scheme and ensure it delivers the right help to households in difficulty. The Government want to see this scheme help as many struggling homeowners as possible. We are working to open the scheme as soon as possible but as the hon. Member will be aware legislative authority to proceed had to be sought and was only received when the Banking Act received Royal Assent on 12 February 2009.
Non-Domestic Rates: Business
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of houses in each county were registered for business rates in each year since 1997. [256457]
John Healey: This information is not collected by Communities and Local Government.
Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of paying business rates on empty commercial properties to local government in 2009-10. [255741]
John Healey: An estimate of the cost to local government of providing empty property relief on non-domestic properties was published on the Communities and Local Government website at:
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty hereditaments were eligible to pay non-domestic rates in each region in each of the last five years. [258138]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden on 2 February 2009, Official Report, column 968W.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department required the Valuation Office Agency to take to assess port businesses for individual rating (a) before and (b) after the end of prescriptive rating. [256926]
John Healey: The legislative framework for non-domestic rating is set out in Part III of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (c.41). Property which is subject to non-domestic rating is valued every five years, and valuation is carried out by a valuation officer. He is appointed by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, and he has a duty to compile and maintain an accurate list of property subject to non-domestic rating (a ‘rating list’).
This Department does not instruct the Valuation Office Agency in tasks relating to that duty.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what date port businesses are required to make (a) the first payment of part of their annual assessment and (b) the first payment towards their arrears from 2005. [256927]
John Healey: Local authorities are responsible for the billing and collection of business rates.
The regulations covering the procedures to be followed (Non Domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement) (Local Lists) Regulations 1989)) are in the process of being amended to permit the payment of arrears in instalments over up to eight years where appropriate.
The Business Rates Information Letter (BRIL) 2009/02 providing guidance and information on the impact of the changes was issued 10 February to all English billing authorities. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many port businesses in which ports have not yet been assessed for their liability for non-domestic rates. [256928]
John Healey:
There are two port reviews, reflecting the circumstances at 1 April 2005, that are still outstanding. Only one, at Humber Sea Terminal, is in England. The port businesses affected in these reviews are in discussion
with the Valuation Office Agency and the delay in completing the reviews is at the request of the ratepayers affected.
There will be continuous amendments into and out of the port rating assessments as changes to and occupations of properties occur over time. Where a change is required, the Valuation Office Agency is consulting with the businesses affected prior to the rating lists being amended.
Non-Profit Making Associations
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will simplify and speed up her Department’s procurement procedures of in relation to social enterprise. [257061]
Mr. Khan: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 48W by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda).
All procurement is undertaken in line with the European Commission’s procurement regulations and to obtain value for money. Communities and Local Government is committed to working with and promoting the role of social enterprise and has set up a social enterprise unit to co-ordinate this activity.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to improve procurement procedures operated by local authorities in relation to social enterprise. [257062]
Mr. Khan: Social enterprises can play an important role in supporting local authority objectives by bringing dynamism and innovation to the design and delivery of public services. They can also help local authorities achieve more with their money, engage local communities and stimulate new markets.
In December 2006, Communities and Local Government, alongside other Government Departments, launched “Partnership in Public Services”, an action plan for social enterprise and wider third sector engagement with public bodies, including local authorities.
CLG also published statutory guidance to local government and its key partners earlier this year. “Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities” states local authorities should recognise and embrace diversity in the way services are provided, with the focus on desired outcomes and not whether the service is delivered by the public, private or third sectors.
On 9 February 2009, Communities and Local Government, alongside other Government Departments, launched “Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises”, an action plan to support the third sector and social enterprise during the economic downturn. This highlights measures to improve commissioning and procurement practice including the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning, which provides training to public sector commissioners to improve their in practices when working with the third sector, including social enterprise, and a national campaign among public sector finance professionals to raise awareness of the Government’s commitment to pay invoices within 10 days.
Parish Councils
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the new rules for parish councils on the procedures to be followed for the appointment of additional members will come into effect; and what guidance is available if these rules are not met. [255485]
John Healey: Provisions on the power to appoint additional councillors have been inserted into the Local Government Act 1972 by section 76 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. We are aiming to bring the regulations into effect in the spring, and will publish the supporting guidance at the same time.
Racial Harassment
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to reduce racial discrimination in the workplace. [253125]
Mr. Khan: The Department leads on the development and implementation of the cross-Government strategy for race equality and community cohesion Improving Opportunity Strengthening Society. We hope to announce shortly a further report on progress made in implementing the strategy, including in relation to the labour market.
The legislative and practical actions relating to discrimination, including in the workplace, are the responsibility of several Departments including the Government Equalities Office and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Regarding the employment position, the Department for Work and Pensions, whose Minister chairs the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, leads on public service agreement 8 (maximising employment opportunity for all) to close the ethnic minority employment rate gap. The labour force survey figures for quarter 4 2008, which were released on Wednesday, show that the gap between the ethnic minority employment rate and the overall British employment rate has narrowed to 12.9 percentage points, compared to 14.1 percentage points a year ago (Q4, 2007).
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