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20 May 2009 : Column 1407W—continued
Olympics
Departmental Furniture
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much the Olympic Delivery Authority spent on furniture in each of the last five years. [273744]
Tessa Jowell: As a new organisation established in 2006, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) purchased furniture for its offices in Canary Wharf and Stratford at a total cost of £1.7 million. The breakdown by year is: 2006 £0.9 million, 2007 £0.7 million and 2008 £0.1 million.
To secure better value for money, a cost sharing agreement is in place with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic games and Paralympic games who will use this furniture as their staffing increases in the build-up to the games and the role of the ODA diminishes.
Communities and Local Government
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts have been let by the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in each of the last five years; what the monetary value of each such contract was; and what services were supplied under each such contract. [276538]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies have not let any contracts to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in the last five years.
The Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies have however, worked on a number of joint projects and programmes with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment to which the respective organisations have contributed appropriately under the Government's guidance for joint working between public bodies.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment on tendering for contracts from the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years. [276539]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has not spent anything on tendering for contracts from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) or its predecessor bodies in each of the last three years. CABE is a statutory non-departmental public body. It has worked in partnership with the HCA and its predecessor bodies, the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships, on a number of joint projects. In these circumstances, each organisation contributes appropriately, in accordance with Government guidance for joint working between public bodies. This is to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure that each brings to the project the benefit of its distinct capabilities and separate and different statutory functions.
Council Tax: Valuation
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2009, Official Report, column 879W, on council tax, how many homes were revalued for council tax purposes at the point of sale following property improvements in each region in each year since 1997; and how many such homes were revalued to (a) a higher, (b) a lower and (c) the same council tax band. [276551]
John Healey: The Valuation Office Agency is required to review council tax bands at the point of sale when a property has previously been improved. This review will result in either a band increase or the band remaining unaltered. The number of properties reviewed and the outcome of this review, for each year since 1997, broken down into Government regions for England, are as follows:
| South East | South West | West Midlands | Yorkshire and The Humber | |||||
| 31 March to 1 April | Band increased | Band unaltered | Band increased | Band unaltered | Band increased | Band unaltered | Band increased | Band unaltered |
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