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2 Jun 2009 : Column 446W—continued
Teachers: Plymouth
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) teachers and (b) classroom assistants were employed in schools in Plymouth, Sutton (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which information is available. [276683]
Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teachers and teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and pupil referral units in Plymouth, Sutton constituency in January 1997 and 2008.
| Full-time equivalent teachers( 1) and teaching assistants( 2) in local authority maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and pupil referral units | ||
| Years: January 1997 and 2008, coverage: Sutton, Plymouth constituency | ||
| 1997 | 2008 | |
| (1) Includes qualified and unqualified teachers. (2) ‘Teaching assistants’ include teaching assistants, higher level teaching assistants (2008), special needs support staff and minority ethnic pupil support staff. Notes: 1. Excludes academies and city technology colleges. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census | ||
Teachers: Vetting
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons a teacher may not be required to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check; and if he will make a statement. [275452]
Beverley Hughes: Under the School Staffing (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 as amended, it is mandatory for CRB Enhanced Disclosures to be obtained on all newly appointed school staff. ‘Newly appointed’ is defined as meaning anyone who within the three months before his or her appointment has not worked in:
a school in England in a post which brought him or her into regular contact with children or any post they were appointed to since 12 May 2006; or
an FE college in England in a position which involved the provision of education and regularly caring for, training, supervising, or being in sole charge of children or young people under the age of 18.
Communities and Local Government
Regional Spatial Strategies
10. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for further reviews of regional spatial strategies; and if she will make a statement. [277608]
Margaret Beckett: Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) have been published for all regions with the exception of the south-west where we expect to publish shortly and the west midlands who are currently holding an examination in public.
All regional planning bodies have agreed timetables for further reviews and I have put details in the Library. (Once the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill receives Royal Assent and its provisions are commenced all existing Regional Spatial Strategies, together with Regional Economic Strategies, will become Regional Strategies.)
13. Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for future reviews of regional spatial strategies; and if she will make a statement. [277611]
Margaret Beckett: Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) have been published for all regions with the exception of the south-west where we expect to publish shortly and the west midlands who are currently holding an examination in public.
All regional planning bodies have agreed timetables for further reviews and I have put details in the Library.
21. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for further reviews of regional spatial strategies. [277620]
Margaret Beckett: Regional spatial strategies (RSS) have been published for all regions with the exception of the South West where we expect to publish shortly and the West Midlands who are currently holding an examination in public.
All regional planning bodies have agreed timetables for further reviews and I have put details in the Library.
Retail Park: Kirkby
14. Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to receive the planning inspectors' report on proposals for development of a retail park in Kirkby; and if she will make a statement. [277613]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Planning Inspector's report is due to be received early in July.
Home Information Packs
15. Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make an assessment of the effects of home information packs on the housing market since their implementation. [277614]
Mr. Iain Wright: Independent research into the impact of home information packs was undertaken by Europe Economics. The implementation of HIPs is being kept under review and an evaluation of the HIPs programme is currently planned for 2010 by updating ‘The HIPs Baseline Research Report'.
Business Rates
16. Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the change in liabilities on small firms arising from arrangements for transitional relief for business rates in (a) England and (b) Bromley in 2009-10. [277615]
John Healey: The impact of Revaluation on businesses is used to model an appropriate transitional relief scheme at each Revaluation. No formal consideration is made of the effect of the transitional relief scheme during each subsequent financial year.
However, the Government are aware of the impact that large increases in business rate bills can have on all businesses when transitional relief comes to an end. This is why we are allowing businesses to defer over two years 60 per cent. of the increase in their business rates bill for 2009-10 caused by the ending of transitional relief. That is in addition to allowing the deferral of 60 per cent. of the increase caused by the annual inflation adjustment.
Building Regulations: Water Efficiency and Scald Prevention
17. Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the provisions of part G of the building regulations relating to water efficiency and scald prevention to become operational. [277616]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department laid before the House on 13 May this year a statutory instrument that makes amendments to part G of the building regulations. This includes changes to reduce the risk of scalding from hot water and introduces a minimum water efficiency standard for new homes. The provisions come into force on 1 October.
Unitary Local Government: Devon
19. Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for the introduction of unitary local government in Devon. [277618]
John Healey: We have asked the boundary committee to provide advice by 15 July 2009 on whether there could be proposals for a single-tier of local government, and if so on what basis, for Exeter and the whole or part of the surrounding Devon county area, with existing, or if necessary changed, boundaries of Plymouth City or Torbay borough.
Under the statute, any decisions about implementing unitary proposals for Devon cannot be taken until six weeks after the 15 July deadline for receipt of the boundary committee’s advice.
Community-based Enterprises
20. Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues on the role of community-based enterprises in the future jobs fund. [277619]
23. Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the role of community-based enterprises in the future jobs fund. [277622]
John Healey: Social enterprises can tackle worklessness by creating sustainable jobs for people who find it difficult to enter the labour market and increasing enterprise levels among women, under-represented groups and young people.
On 13 May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State chaired a seminar attended by the Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Minister for the Cabinet Office and myself. Also attending were leading social entrepreneurs and social enterprise practitioners.
We challenged the community and social enterprise sector to take up the opportunities and the challenge that the Future Jobs Fund offers. We want to see social enterprises creating as many jobs as they can through
the Future Jobs Fund; perhaps up to 10 per cent. of the 150,000 envisaged through the fund.
On 12 May the Secretary of State attended a Social Enterprise summit at Coin Street Community Builders along with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; and the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
A summary of the discussion at the summit is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
Traveller Sites
22. Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations she has received from local authorities on the use of enforcement action at Travellers’ sites. [277621]
Mr. Khan: I have not received any recent representations from local authorities on the use of enforcement action at Travellers’ sites.
John Healey: Social Enterprises can tackle worklessness by creating sustainable jobs for people who find it difficult to enter the labour market and increasing enterprise levels among women, under-represented groups and young people.
On 13 May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State chaired a seminar attended by the Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Minister for the Cabinet Office and myself. Also attending were leading social entrepreneurs and social enterprise practitioners.
We challenged the community and social enterprise sector to take up the opportunities and the challenge that the Future Job Fund offers. We want to see social enterprises creating as many jobs as they can through the Future Jobs Fund; perhaps up to 10 per cent. of the 150,000 envisaged through the fund.
On 12 May the Secretary of State attended a Social Enterprise summit at Coin Street Community Builders along with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Regulatory Reform; and the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
A summary of the discussion at the summit is available on the Cabinet Office website:
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her Department’s consultation document on the right to enfranchise provisions of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislative proposals on leasehold and commonhold reform. [277032]
Mr. Iain Wright:
The Department is currently completing the programme of leasehold reform put in place by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (the Act). This consists of taking forward the proposals contained in the current consultation on the right to
enfranchise provisions published on 12 May, and the introduction of the provisions in the Act dealing with accounting for service charge monies.
Commonhold is the policy responsibility of the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, who has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals for reform in this area at present.
Community Infrastructure Levy
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role local strategic partnerships will have in (a) setting levels of new community infrastructure levy and (b) deciding how monies raised from the levy will be used. [277016]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Government will consult in the summer on its proposals for the procedures for setting the level of CIL through a charging schedule and applying CIL revenue to infrastructure. These will make proposals about how local authorities should engage and work with their strategic partners. Local strategic partnerships should already be involved in the infrastructure planning that will provide a basis for CIL charge setting.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answers to the hon. Member for Meriden of 27 April 2009, Official Report, columns 1101-2W and 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 629W, on the community infrastructure levy, who will appoint the independent examiner responsible for reviewing community infrastructure levy charges; and whether the examiners' office will be classified as a public body. [277116]
Mr. Iain Wright: The charging authority will appoint the independent examiner to review its draft community infrastructure levy (CIL) charging schedule. The status of the examiner is set out in section 212 of the Planning Act 2008. The Government’s August 2008 policy statement on CIL says (paragraph 3.43):
“It will be important that the independent person testing the draft charging schedule is seen to be independent and has the confidence of those participating in debate on its contents. The Government’s lead option is that the Planning Inspectorate should lead the examination of charging schedules with the assistance where necessary of expert assessors from, for example, the Valuation Office Agency.”
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answers to the hon. Member for Meriden of 27 April 2009, Official Report, columns 1101-2W and 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 629W, on the community infrastructure levy, whether the rate of the levy will be capped. [277117]
Mr. Iain Wright: Charging authorities will be responsible for setting the proposed rate of community infrastructure levy for their area subject to independent testing. Sections 205 to 225 of the Planning Act 2008 set out this framework.
Council Housing: Brighton and Hove
Grant Shapps:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) she,
(b) other Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have had any recent meetings with HM Treasury representatives at which the proposed funding structure for Brighton and Hove City Council’s local delivery vehicle has been discussed. [276635]
Mr. Iain Wright: No such meetings have taken place.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were in temporary accommodation in Brighton and Hove in each of the last three years. [276636]
Mr. Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities’ actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level.
Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
Information on the number of households housed in temporary accommodation is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. The figures include: those households which have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty; those for which inquiries are pending; those being accommodated for a limited period because they have been found intentionally homeless and in priority need; those being accommodated pending possible referral to another authority, and those being accommodated pending the outcome of a local authority review or county court appeal.
The number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by Brighton and Hove, as at the end of December for each of the last three years is shown in the following table.
| Number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by Brighton and Hove, as at 31 December 2006-08 | |
| Number | |
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