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27 Apr 2009 : Column 1100W—continued
v: Finance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much funding the Cabinet Office has provided for the charity v to date. [269910]
Kevin Brennan: v were allocated and spent £25.643 million in 2006-07, £47.175 million in 2007-08. Figures for 2008-09 will be available in the Cabinet Office Annual Report 2008-09 which will be published before summer recess.
Water Charges: Consumers
Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the number of households which spent more than 3 per cent. of their disposable income on water bills in each year since 1997. [270446]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 23 April 2009]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the number of households which spent more than three per cent of their disposable income on water bills in each year since 1997. (270446)
The table below shows the number of UK households that spent more than three per cent of their disposable income on water bills in each of the years from 2000/01 to 2006/07. These estimates are based on data collected through the Expenditure and Food Survey, and its predecessor the Family Expenditure Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 7,000 households in the UK. Comparable figures prior to 2000/01 are not available.
These estimates, as with any involving sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Households with water bills greater than 3 per cent. of disposable income( 1,2,3,4 ) United Kingdom | |
| Number of households ( m illion) | |
| Notes:(1) Figures for 2000-01 are based on the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). (2) Figures from 2001-02 and onwards are based on the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS). (3) Data taken from the FES include water and sewerage charges, whereas data from the EFS also contain water charges of a second home. (4) Disposable income is all income from: wages, self-employment income, occupational pensions, investment income, imputed income from benefits in kind, and state benefits after the deduction of income tax, employees' national insurance contributions and council tax. Source: Office for National Statistics. | |
Communities and Local Government
Community Infrastructure Levy
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what her Department's timetable is for (a) further consultation
on the community infrastructure levy and (b) the full commencement of the levy; [270115]
(2) what assessment has been made of the effect of the community infrastructure levy on levels of development (a) during and (b) outside a period of recession; [270116]
(3) what recent discussions there have been between her Department and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on the community infrastructure levy. [270261]
Mr. Iain Wright: As the Government announced in the Budget, the community infrastructure levy (CIL) will be introduced on 6 April 2010. A full 12-week consultation will be held in advance of final regulations being made.
CIL is a voluntary instrument, so it will be for local authorities to decide whether the circumstances in their area make the introduction of CIL appropriate and at what level to set the charge. CIL charges will need to reflect local economic circumstances and be subject to consultation with both developers and communities, and testing by an independent examiner so as to ensure that charges do not put development at risk.
An initial impact assessment was published when the Planning Act received Royal Assent last November and will be updated as CIL regulations are consulted upon and made.
Communities and Local Government works closely with other Government Departments in developing CIL.
Community Relations
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 477W, on community relations: finance, what national projects aimed at preventing violent extremism are under way. [270461]
Mr. Khan: National projects aimed at preventing violent extremism fall into three broad areas of work as follows:
Supporting Faith Capacity and Leadership;
Community Capacity and Leadership;
Local Leadership and delivery;
Specific projects underway are listed as follows:
Contextualising Islam in Britain;
Islam and Citizenship Education (this is CLG’s contribution. DCSF have also contributed jointly); Radical Middle Way;
Charity Commission’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit;
Piloting of the minimum standards for Muslim chaplains engaged by public institutions;
Faith Community Development Qualification for faith leaders;
Improvement and Development Agency (for Local Authorities);
Creative Partnerships to promote positive alternative activities for young people.
In addition, research and communications work also support the workstreams and projects listed above. The Community Leadership Fund also funds specific projects on preventing violent extremism.
For further detail I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 April 2009, Official Report, columns 872-78W.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 477W, on community relations: finance, how many national Prevent-related projects were delivered by subcontractors; and how the performance of those subcontractors was monitored. [270462]
Mr. Khan: One national Prevent-related project is part delivered through a sub-contracting arrangement. Three national Prevent-related projects have sub-contracted the evaluation of their delivery. It is the responsibility of the contractor to monitor the sub-contractor.
For information regarding the Community Leadership Fund I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given him today to PQ 270568 and for information on the Young Muslims Advisory Group I refer him to the answer I have given him to PQ 270416.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent progress has been made by the locally led and managed demonstration projects to test and capture learning on a mixed communities approach, referred to on page 37 of her Department's Annual Report 2008; and if she will make a statement. [271527]
Mr. Khan: CLG published the first phase of the evaluation of Mixed Communities demonstration projects report on 26 March 2009 and is planning to publish the final report in summer 2009. The report can be found at:
Responsibility for support of the demonstration projects was transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) on December 1 2008. Currently, the HCA is exploring how future support to the demonstration projects can be provided.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 477, on community relations, if she will publish (a) a breakdown by project of the £8.5 million spent on Prevent-related projects in the financial year 2008-09 and (b) a breakdown by year of funding allocated by the Community Leadership Fund. [270588]
Mr. Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 April 2009, Official Report, columns 872-78W.
Community Relations: Islam
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009, Official Report, columns 234-6W, on community relations: Islam, how many of the organisations which receive funding from the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund are using subcontractors to deliver projects; and what mechanisms are in place to monitor the performance of such subcontractors. [270568]
Mr. Khan: 21 organisations receiving funding from the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund are using subcontractors to deliver elements of their projects. The grant recipients are responsible for monitoring the performance of subcontractors and have their own mechanisms in place for doing so. As part of their funding agreement with us, grant recipients are obliged to report on the progress of their projects on a six monthly basis.
Council Housing
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009, Official Report, columns 976-7W, on local government finance, when she expects her Department to conclude its consultation on changes to housing finance rules which would allow local authorities to keep the full income and capital returns on investments in new council housing; and how many responses have been received to date. [270596]
Mr. Iain Wright: The consultation on excluding new council housing from housing revenue account subsidy and pooling closed on 17 April 2009. We have received 98 written responses. These will be considered and taken into account before decisions are made on how to implement the proposals.
Departmental Air Conditioning
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by her Department on carrying out inspections of air conditioning systems within departmental buildings in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007. [270613]
Mr. Khan: Inspections of air conditioning systems, in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, have cost Communities and Local Government £3,744 since January 2009.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in her Department are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the reasons are for each such suspension. [270526]
Mr. Khan: CLG do not currently have any members of staff who are currently suspended.
Departmental Finance
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions the approval of her Department has been sought for spending by one of its non-departmental public bodies in excess of £10 million in the last five years; how many such projects also required approval from the Treasury; and which projects were concerned. [270643]
Mr. Khan: Over the last five years, the approval of this Department has been sought for spending by its non-departmental public bodies in excess of £10 million on 116 occasions; 56 of these projects also required approval from the Treasury. A list of the projects is tabled as follows.
| NDPBs cases to CPRG/Treasury 2004-09 | |
| Approval sought from Treasury | |
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