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6 May 2009 : Column 228W—continued

Communities and Local Government

62 South Eaton Place

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department owns the property at 62 South Eaton Place, London for the purposes of the Land Registry. [253890]

Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.

My Department holds this property by way of a leasehold interest although as is normal legal title is vested in the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as the property forms part of the Government's civil estate.

Angling: Planning Permission

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 17 March 2009, Official Report, column 1096W, on angling, if she will ensure that the review of planning application fees takes into account the effect on the construction of fishing lakes by commercial enterprises of changes in the levels of (a) planning fees and (b) mineral extraction charges. [273472]

Mr. Iain Wright: The Government are currently conducting a review of planning application fees and as part of that review, we are assessing the effect of recent increases on the construction of fishing lakes.

Audit Commission: Public Relations

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 12 March 2009, Official Report, column 752W, on publicity, what projects were undertaken by each of the public relations companies hired by the Audit Commission; and for what reason the Commission did not use its own staff in each case. [272332]


6 May 2009 : Column 229W

Mr. Khan: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to respond to the hon. Member direct.

Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 6 May 2009:

Community Development: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many community projects formerly funded by her Department have had their funding from her Department discontinued in the last 12 months; [272869]

(2) how many community projects funded by her Department have started in the last 12 months. [272870]

Mr. Khan: The Department provides funding to local authorities and national or regional third sector organisations for a range of projects and initiatives designed to support communities. However most community projects are funded locally and so information about the total number of projects started in the last 12 months or those which are no longer funded is not held centrally.

Community Relations

Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many groups receiving funding from local authorities in support of work to prevent violent extremism use subcontractors; what measures are in place to monitor the work of such subcontractors; and if she will make a statement. [271516]


6 May 2009 : Column 230W

Mr. Khan: As the hon. Member will know, funding in support of the preventing violent extremism agenda is provided through Area Based Grant to local authorities. Area Based Grant is a mechanism for providing non-ring fenced funding to local authorities to enable them to deliver their area priorities. Local authorities are responsible for monitoring the use and performance of subcontractors and have their own mechanisms in place for doing so.

Community Relations: Religion

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 4 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1644-5W, on community relations: religion, which organisations each of the regional faith forums has funded to date. [272150]

Mr. Khan: Funding is provided to the forums by Communities and Local Government for them to take forward the regional strand of the inter faith framework, “Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side”. The regional faith forums are not grant making bodies. However we are aware that in some circumstances they may fund third party organisations to support the wider regional implementation of the inter faith framework. We do not routinely collect this information but believe this to amount to no more than £10,000.00 nationally during 2008-09.

Conveyancing: Fees and Charges

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on (a) the property search fees levied by each local authority and (b) variance between local authorities in property search fees. [272341]

Margaret Beckett: The Department holds information on those local authorities who made available information on the fees charged for local inquiries (CON29) search of 1 April 2007, which showed that the average fee charged for a CON29 search was £114 and ranged from £28 to £244. We are currently collecting data on the fees charged by local authorities as of 1 April 2009 following the implementation of the Local Authorities (England)(Charges for Property Searches) Regulations 2008.

Council Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing units were held by (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords in each region in each year since 1997. [273347]

Mr. Iain Wright: The following table shows the total number of dwellings owned by local authorities and registered social landlords in each region in each year from 1997.


6 May 2009 : Column 231W

6 May 2009 : Column 232W
Thousands of dwellings

North East North West Yorkshire & Humber East Midlands West Midlands East London South East South West

Rented from local authorities

1997

298

523

441

293

410

302

621

288

224

1998

292

509

434

289

402

295

596

278

214

1999

286

485

427

280

381

290

575

268

184

2000

276

445

419

265

354

277

553

252

170

2001

233

416

397

257

316

273

530

235

156

2002

227

405

386

242

301

251

516

226

153

2003

207

326

344

226

257

231

500

221

146

2004

190

308

326

218

238

226

483

206

140

2005

170

267

273

214

232

206

468

199

136

2006

163

241

265

211

222

196

457

202

129

2007

154

207

248

209

218

188

451

193

120

Rented from Registered Social Landlords

1997

47

153

66

48

101

97

204

186

84

1998

48

159

69

50

114

100

219

196

85

1999

49

178

73

58

126

105

239

205

114

2000

53

212

75

69

150

114

250

217

133

2001

90

225

89

74

179

117

271

234

146

2002

89

237

92

84

187

132

279

243

148

2003

99

300

118

94

216

142

287

246

150

2004

106

299

121

94

221

153

291

258

158

2005

116

322

161

94

220

171

296

261

161

2006

114

337

162

94

225

181

300

262

167

2007

118

355

174

92

222

188

295

269

173

Sources:
1. Census 2001;
2. Housing Flows Reconciliation and joint returns by local authorities;
3. Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities;
4. Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to the Housing Corporation by registered social landlords

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