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27 Mar 2009 : Column 787W—continued
Net changes in stock (table 1) may not be wholly consistent with the sum of stock disposals (table 2) due to different data sources and collection methods, and because net changes to stock also include additions.
Local Government: Elections
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid to electoral returning officers across the UK in respect of the elections held in May 2008; whether these payments were mandatory; and if she will make a statement. [266152]
John Healey: Payments to electoral returning officers for local government elections are a matter for local authorities. Under section 36(4) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, all expenditure properly incurred by a returning officer in relation to the holding of a local council election must be paid by that council. The information requested is therefore not held centrally.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in her Department have been assigned to work on the (a) implementation and (b) administration of the (i) Mortgage Rescue Scheme and (ii) Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme. [266314]
Margaret Beckett: Three members of the Department's staff are working on implementation and administration of the Mortgage Rescue scheme. Four members of the Department's staff are working on implementation of the Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme. Once the scheme is launched, administration will be delivered through an external delivery body in partnership with the core team.
Multiple Occupation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have (a) applied for, (b) been granted and (c) been refused (i) additional and (ii) selective houses in multiple occupation licensing powers. [266744]
Mr. Iain Wright: One local authority, Peterborough city council, has been granted approval to operate an additional licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation under the Housing Act 2004. The Department is currently considering applications for additional licensing schemes from Oxford city council, London borough of Hounslow and Breckland district council.
The following local authorities have been granted approval to operate selective licensing schemes for privately rented property under the Housing Act 2004:
Salford City Council
Middlesbrough Borough Council
Manchester City Council (Three Schemes)
Gateshead Borough Council
Sedgefield Borough Council
Burnley Borough Council
Bolton Borough Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (Two Schemes)
Easington District Council
Hartlepool Borough Council
The Department is currently considering further applications for selective licensing schemes from Salford city council and Manchester city council.
We invite local authorities to work with CLG officials in the development of their proposals so that the applications when submitted are consistent with published criteria. This has meant that the Secretary of State has not refused any applications.
Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the methodology for (a) calculation and (b) distribution of small business rate relief for the purposes of harmonising the mechanisms used in England and Wales. [266265]
John Healey: A business is eligible for small business rate relief if its sole or main property has a rateable value of less than £15,000 (or £21,500 in Greater London); and each additional property it occupies, if any, has a rateable value of no more than £2,200; and the total rateable value of all of its properties is less than £15,000 (£21,500 in Greater London).
The current eligibility criteria targets rate relief to small businesses and excludes low value properties occupied by larger concerns so that small business rate relief is targeted on businesses that most need it.
Private Rented Housing: Disadvantaged
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of vulnerable people in each vulnerability group lived in decent private sector homes in each year since 2002; and what estimate she has made of the proportion doing so in 2008-09. [264984]
Mr. Iain Wright: The English House Condition Survey has published estimates of the proportion of vulnerable households living in decent private sector homes since 2001. Available figures are provided in the following table. The Decent Homes standard was updated in 2006 when the introduction of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System replaced the Fitness Standard as the statutory tool for assessing housing conditions. Figures based on the updated definition from 2006 are not comparable with those based on the original definition. An estimate for 2008 will be published in 2010.
| Percentage of private sector vulnerable households living in decent homes | ||
| Decent homes standard: | ||
| Original definition | Updated definition | |
| Note: Vulnerable households are those in receipt of principal means tested and disability related benefits. There is no estimate for 2002. Source: English House Condition Survey | ||
Children, Schools and Families
Children In Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in care in 2008 had had more than (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10, (d) 20, (e) 30, (f) 40 and (g) 50 foster placements whilst in care. [258346]
Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of children who were in care in 2008 who had more than (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10, (d) 20, (e) 30, (f) 40 and (g) 50 foster placements while they were in care in England is shown in the following table.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children at each age of first being taken into care who left care in 2008 had had more than (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10, (d) 20, (e) 30, (f) 40 and (g) 50 foster placements whilst they were in care. [258651]
Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of children of each age of first being taken into care who left care in 2008 who had more than (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10, (d) 20, (e) 30, (f) 40 and (g) 50 foster placements while they were in care in England can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Appointments
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which former (a) hon. Members who left Parliament since 1997 and (b) Members of the House of Lords from each party have been appointed to positions on public bodies within his Department’s responsibility; and who made each appointment. [267541]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership and remuneration is published in individual bodies’ annual reports and accounts.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) capital funds and (b) resource funds his Department has brought forward from its (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11 budgets for use in (A) 2008-09 and (B) 2009-10; and what schemes this funding is being used to support. [267418]
Jim Knight: Department for Children Schools and Families have identified:
(a) Nil amounts to be brought forward to be spent in 2008-09.
(b) Up to £927.5 million to be brought forward from the 2010-11 financial year to the 2009-10 financial year as provided in the table:
| £ 000 | |||
| Programme | Capital a mount | Resource a mount | Total |
|
Targeted Capital—14-19 Diplomas and Special Educational Needs | |||
Education: Per Capita Costs
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much his Department and its predecessor spent per pupil in secondary education in (a) Castle Point and (b) Essex in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [267057]
(2) how much his Department and its predecessor spent per pupil in primary education in (a) Castle Point and (b) Essex in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [267058]
Jim Knight: The Department allocates education funding to Local authorities so the requested information for Castle Point constituency is not available. In addition it is for local authorities to determine how they spend their funds locally. The per pupil revenue funding figures for primary and secondary schools pupils for England and Essex local authority in 2004-05 and 2005-06 are as follows. These figures are in real terms:
| Real terms revenue funding per pupil—EFS plus grants | |||
| £ | |||
| England | Essex | ||
| Notes: 1. Price Base: Real terms at 2007-08 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 25 November 2008 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education formula spending (EFS) settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DFES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 3-15 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. 4. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations. 5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. 6. Status: Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. | |||
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