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11 Mar 2009 : Column 488W—continued

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are on local authorities to complete strategic housing land availability assessments; and what the timetable for their completion is in each Government Office region. [262665]

Mr. Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3) says that Local Development Documents and Regional Spatial Strategies should be informed by a robust, shared evidence base including a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). The table has been deposited in the Library showing the latest information we have on when local authorities completed or expect to complete their SHLAA. This information was provided by local authorities in April 2008 to inform payments of the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant. The South East, South West and North West regions updated their information in February 2009. We will be updating all our information on the completion of SHLAAs within the next few months to inform the next round of the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant.

Affordable Housing

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department has allocated for affordable housing in West Lancashire constituency in the next three years. [261971]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Homes and Communities Agency has made allocations in the 2008-11 affordable housing programme of £3.016 million in West Lancashire. In addition £0.618 million has been allocated for Homebuy Direct.


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Land: Databases

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public bodies will have access to (a) Ordnance Survey, (b) Landmark and (c) Dotted Eyes geographic data under the Pan-Government Agreement. [262690]

Mr. Khan: All members of the Pan-Government Agreement for geographic data will have access to products provided by both Ordnance Survey and the Landmark-Dotted Eyes consortium from 1 April 2009.

The 96 members will be:


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Legal Opinion

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 29 January 2009, Official Report, column 641W, on legal opinion, on what topics external legal advice was commissioned in 2007-08. [262588]


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Mr. Khan: External legal advice has been commissioned on the following topics;

A detailed breakdown of this list could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Licensed Premises: Planning Permission

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the recent Planning Inspectorate ruling in relation to Brighton and Hove Council and patio heaters outside licensed premises. [262664]

Mr. Iain Wright: A copy of the Inspector’s decision has been placed in the Library. It is also publicly available through the Planning Portal website:

decision reference 2081980.

Local Government

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts provided for the Strategy Unit seminar of 26 January 2009 by the chairman of the Tenant Services Authority on the subject “Where next for local government?” [262102]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Strategy Unit seminar “Where next for local government?” is being rescheduled and new dates are yet to be confirmed. As the event is yet to be scheduled, the TSA have not prepared any materials for circulation. Further information about the Strategy Unit and their programme of seminars can be found on the Strategy Unit website at:

Local Government Finance

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish the consultation document on local spending reports under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. [262093]

John Healey: The consultation document on local spending reports was published on 20 February 2009. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.


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Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued on the interest rate to be used when local authorities repay overpaid (a) fees, (b) charges and (c) taxes. [262517]

John Healey: The basis for repayments of amounts overpaid in relation to fees and charges and to council tax is not set out in guidance issued by the Department.

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have met the Government's target to pay invoices within 10 days. [262659]

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire (Mr. Knight) on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 242W.

Local Government: Bank Services

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will seek information from local authorities on advice they received from Butlers in relation to the depositing of funds in Icelandic banks. [261631]

John Healey: Decisions on investment policy are a matter for individual authorities who must have regard to investment guidance issued by my Department.

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood (Mr. Pickles) and Ongar of 17 October 2008, Official Report, column 1577W, on local government: bank services, what information (a) her Department and (b) the Audit Commission received from (i) the Financial Services Authority, (ii) the Bank of England and (iii) HM Treasury on the level of risk associated with investment in Icelandic banks before October 2008. [261989]

John Healey: On part (a), my Department did not receive, nor would we expect to have received, information from any source on the Icelandic banks. As the Department’s investment guidance, published in 2004, makes very clear investment decisions are a matter for the local authorities concerned,

On part (b) the Audit Commission has confirmed that it did not receive, nor would expect to receive, information from the sources named in the question regarding investments in Icelandic banks.


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