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10 Mar 2009 : Column 314W—continued
Council Housing: Overcrowding
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to announce additional funding to assist local housing authorities to deal with severe over-crowding. [259937]
Mr. Iain Wright: We have allocated an additional £5 million of resource grant funding for 2009-10 to support a strategic and proactive approach to tackling overcrowding in the worst affected local authority areas. We have asked all pathfinders to focus on tackling severe overcrowding in the social stock. My officials wrote to relevant local authorities to inform them of their individual grant allocations on 24 and 25 February.
Council Housing: Rents
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated average rise in council housing rents will be from April 2009. [262626]
Mr. Iain Wright: This information is not yet available.
The Minister for Housing announced on 6 March that Communities and Local Government will shortly be consulting local authorities on a reduced national average guideline rent increase of 3.1 per cent. for 2009-10. This halves the existing national increase of 6.2 per cent. in recognition of the current difficult economic times. Authorities that reduce their rent increases in response to our offer will be compensated by central Government through the subsidy system.
We have also already committed to looking again at the 2010-11 national guideline rent increase in the light of circumstances closer to the start of that financial year.
Council Housing: Waiting Lists
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on local authority housing waiting lists in (a) England and (b) each local authority area at the latest date for which figures are available. [262098]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the noble Lord Ouseley, on 27 January 2009, Official Report, House of Lords, columns WA37-38. The number of households registered on local authority housing waiting lists in each local authority, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The latest available data are at April 2008. The link for this table is:
A copy of the table has been deposited in the Library.
Council Tax: Discounts
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities offer a local council tax discount to pensioners. [261999]
John Healey: As at 6 October 2008, five authorities—Bury metropolitan borough council, Kirklees council, Lincoln city council, the London borough of Hillingdon and the metropolitan borough council of Wirral—reported that they offer local council tax discounts for pensioners.
Departmental Furniture
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 343W, on departmental furniture, which suppliers provided furniture and fitting services to her Department in 2007-08. [262151]
Mr. Khan: The firms who supplied furniture and fittings to the Department were Herman Miller, Steelcase Solutions and Office Storage Solutions Ltd.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments for (a) polling and (b) other services her Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if she will make a statement. [261061]
Mr. Khan: No payments have been made to Deborah Mattinson and only one payment has been made to Opinion Leader Research since 31 December 2007. The payment to Opinion Leader Research was £55,210. This was in connection with a contract to carry out research to develop the evidence base for the PSA 16 settled accommodation indicators.
EC Grants and Loans
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the total financial correction likely to be imposed on the UK by the European Commission in respect of irregularities in management of European funds. [261992]
John Healey: The Department made provision of £33 million in respect of a decision expected from the European Commission in respect of the closure of the 1997-1999 round of structural funds programmes, although we now expect the final figure to be less than this.
Empty Property
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of empty homes which have been brought back into use in each of the last five years. [260821]
Mr. Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.
Fire Prevention
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department’s Fire and Resilience Research Programme for 2008, whether she plans to commission a longitudinal study of the effects of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; and if she will make a statement. [261738]
Mr. Khan: An initial evaluation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 will be published shortly. This will provide a basis for a future, longer-term evaluation planned and serve as a baseline against which to consider the impact and effectiveness of the order over time.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department’s Fire and Resilience Research Programme for 2008, what progress has been made on research into the optimal size of a fire and rescue service; and if she will make a statement. [261739]
Mr. Khan: Research into the optimal size of the fire and rescue service was not taken forward.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many buildings which were exempt from the regulatory requirements of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 are subject to the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. [261815]
Mr. Khan: We do not hold data on the number of premises covered by the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. It applies to all non-domestic premises, including the common or shared parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
Neither do we hold data on the number of premises designated by the Secretary of State under the 1971 Fire Precautions Act which were required to apply for and hold a fire certificate. Premises designated under the 1971 Act were:
(i) hotels and boarding houses providing accommodation for more than six people (whether employees or guests) or providing sleeping accommodation elsewhere than on the ground or first floors of the premises;
(ii) factories, offices and shops where more than 20 people worked at anyone time or more than 10 worked at any one time elsewhere than on the ground floor; and
(iii) smaller factories where significant quantities of highly flammable substances were stored.
Fire Services
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire and rescue authorities are contracted to support the FiReControl project; and whether there are break clauses in each of those contracts. [262042]
Mr. Khan: None. The IT contract for FiReControl is between my Department and EADS Defence and Security. This contract was signed in March 2007 and the first break point is March 2015.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 724W, on New Dimension Programme, if she will place in the Library a copy of the report by NERA UK Ltd on the New Dimension Programme. [262543]
Mr. Khan: The report will be placed in the Library of the House when completed, which is expected to be April 2009.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009, Official Report, columns 634-5W, on fire services, if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the Fireguard project board that are held by Firebuy. [262674]
Mr. Khan: The minutes of the meeting of the Fireguard project board were produced by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association. It is for them to decide if copies can be made publicly available.
Fire Services: East of England
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the new fire control centre for the east of England to be (a) completed and (b) fully operational. [262719]
Mr. Khan: The East of England Regional Control Centre building was completed on 1 October 2008. The current expectation is that the emergency calls of the first fire and rescue services using the East of England Regional Control Centre (Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire) will cut over in October 2011, with all East of England FRSs using the services by December 2011.
Fire Services: Industrial Disputes
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has made for fire cover in the event of (a) a local and (b) a national fire strike pending full take-up of the Fireguard programme. [262594]
Mr. Khan: The planning for the provision of emergency fire cover during industrial disputes is the responsibility of Fire and Rescue Authorities. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 lays down duties for specified “Category 1 responders”, including fire and rescue authorities, to assess, plan and advise in relation to emergencies. For a fire and rescue authority, an emergency includes a period of industrial action.
Fire Services: Influenza
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the preparedness of (a) fire and rescue authorities and (b) local authorities for an influenza pandemic. [262593]
Mr. Khan: The Government make no detailed assessment of preparedness for this purpose as it is for local authorities and the Fire and Rescue Service to decide how to meet their legal obligations to plan for an influenza pandemic under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. As members of Local Resilience Forums they are also required to work with other local emergency responders to co-ordinate their planning against such a contingency. Also, these “flu plans” are regularly tested and validated during both national and local exercises.
Fire Services: Medals
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 29 January 2009, Official Report, column 770W, on fire services, if she will make it her policy to make staff in regional fire control rooms eligible for the Fire Brigade's Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. [262273]
Mr. Khan: Staff in the new regional control centres controlled by local authority owned companies will not be in fire brigade employment and will not therefore be eligible for the Fire Brigade Long Service and Good Conduct Medal under the terms of the Royal Warrant. There is currently no proposal to change the Royal Warrant.
Firebuy
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 631W, on the departmental expenditure limit, if she will set out what the nature, parties and status was of the legal dispute over Firebuy and the Integrated Clothing Project procurement. [262672]
Mr. Khan: The legal dispute concerned the procurement process for the Integrated Clothing Project and was brought by Lion Apparel Systems Ltd against Firebuy Ltd. An agreement has now been reached between the parties to settle the dispute and all claims against Firebuy have been withdrawn.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 631W, on the departmental expenditure limit, for what purposes the remaining £1.9 million of public funds was transferred to Firebuy. [262673]
Mr. Khan: CLG has provided £1.9 million in 2008-09 to cover the forecast running costs of Firebuy Ltd.
Housing: EC Action
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 29 January 2009, Official Report, column 775W, on housing: EC action, what timetable has been set for conducting the impact assessment of the EU proposal; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the completed assessment. [262263]
Mr. Iain Wright: The impact assessment is currently being prepared and we are aiming for it to be completed by the end of this month. A copy of the completed assessment will be placed in the Library of the House.
Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government: Finance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what projects the Improvement and Development Agency receives funding from her Department. [262043]
John Healey: In 2008-09, the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) received £25,335,000 revenue support grant (RSG) funding from my Department, to provide core services for local government improvement. In addition, £3,395,000 of additional departmental funding was added to the top slice the IDeA received to enable them to provide services which the Department wished to see supported, the details of which are as follows:
| Project | £ |
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