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30 Jun 2009 : Column 195W—continued
It is not possible to disaggregate the figures for the investment arm of the Housing Corporation without incurring disproportionate costs. Figures for the Housing Corporation can be found in its annual report and accounts.
Housing: Low Incomes
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many affordable homes have been built in Tamworth constituency since 2005; [282757]
(2) how many social rented homes have been built in Tamworth since 2005. [282758]
Mr. Ian Austin: Information on new homes built for social rent and affordable housing is not available by constituency. The following table shows the number of social rent and affordable homes built in Tamworth local authority, from 2005-06.
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
| Source: Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG. | |||
Not all social rented or affordable housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. For example, an additional 10 affordable homes were acquired in Tamworth in 2005-06; these are not included in the table. The social rent figures differ from the number of affordable homes provided,
because the affordable housing figures also include intermediate rent and low cost home ownership, as well as social rent.
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties had been sold under the HomeBuy Direct Scheme in (a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster at the latest date for which figures are available. [282789]
John Healey: There have been four properties sold under HomeBuy Direct in Barnsley and one in Doncaster.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed Social Homebuy transactions there have been in each local authority area in each year since the scheme’s inception. [282870]
Mr. Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on 7 May 2009, Official Report, columns 390-92W.
Local Authority Challenge Fund
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria apply to local authorities for them to be eligible for assistance under the Local Authority Challenge Fund. [282421]
Mr. Ian Austin: The £100 million funding for the scheme announced in the Budget to build new social housing is available for all local authorities provided they are building on their own land to at least Sustainable Building Code Level 3, though higher code levels will be encouraged. Schemes must also offer value for money. Authorities must have submitted their bids either by the end of July or the end of October this year and completed schemes by March 2011.
Local Government
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the implications for the use of wellbeing powers by local councils of the ruling of the Court of Appeal in the case of Risk Management Partners Limited v. Council of the London Borough of Brent and others; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals for a general power of competence for local councils. [282517]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We are still considering what steps, if any, may be appropriate in the light of this judgment.
Local Government Finance: East Midlands
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Specified Capital Grant has been provided to each local authority in the East Midlands in each year since 2001; what bids each authority has made to meet its obligation to provide disabled facilities grant in each such year; and if he will make a statement. [282634]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Government regard the Disabled Facilities Grant programme as an important means to help disabled and older people continue to live as independently as possible by having their homes adapted. That is why the Government have more than doubled the funds available for the programme from £57 million in 1997 to £158 million in 2008. In February 2008 the Government announced the removal of the 60:40 match funding requirement, therefore the 2008-09 planned expenditure table represents central Government’s contribution towards Disabled Facilities Grant.
Local authorities in England report information on the expenditure for Disabled Facilities Grants planned for the next financial year through the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns. Expenditure data are available for mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants. Usually expenditure data for discretionary Disabled Facilities Grants has been recorded with other grants and loans and there is no breakdown available.
Expenditure data for mandatory and discretionary Disabled Facilities Grants were reported together for 2001-02. These planned figures are recorded on the HSSA returns for the following financial year. Planned expenditure figures include any payment planned to be paid as an instalment in that financial year.
Specified Capital Grant also includes Private Sector Renewal and Regeneration grant. Allocations of Private Sector Renewal and Regeneration grant can only be provided for the period since 2006. Prior to 2006-07, local authorities were provided with Supported Capital Expenditure allowances for the renewal of private sector housing combined with that for their own stock. Private sector renewal expenditure totals cannot be disaggregated until 2006-07.
A table with this information for the East Midlands has been deposited in the House Library.
Local Government Finance: ICT
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will ensure that the information contained in local spending reports is published in a format suitable for (a) syndication and (b) mashing via XML feed. [282747]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Local spending reports are available on the Communities and Local Government website, and there are no plans to amend the way information in existing reports is made available. A consultation, which ended on 15 May 2009, considered how the reports should develop. The Government will consider all the representations submitted and we will publish our response later this year.
Local Government Services: Complaints
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to collect figures for the number of complaints received by local authorities on the standards of their services. [282814]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is for each local authority to ensure it has in place its own robust systems for handling complaints, including recording data about complaints, as recommended in the guidance on running a complaints system issued by the local government ombudsman.
Local Government: Pensions
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of (a) employee and (b) employer contribution to the Local Government Pension Scheme, as a percentage of the employee’s salary is, for each of the different options within the scheme. [282750]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The rate of contributions paid by employees who are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme is prescribed in Regulation 3 of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Benefits, Membership and Contributions) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 No 1166, as amended).
The rate of contribution paid by employers who participate in the Scheme is determined at each triennial valuation, the last being in March 2007. Details of contribution levels for each individual employer are not held centrally but a summary of recent triennial valuation exercises undertaken by the Society of County Treasurers can be found at:
Individual Scheme administering authorities can provide details of contribution levels.
Markets
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the role of street markets in local economies. [282763]
Mr. Ian Austin: The information is as follows:
“Planning Policy Statement 6—Town Centres” acknowledges the role of street markets:
“Street and covered markets (including farmers' markets) can make a valuable contribution to local choice and diversity in shopping as well as the vitality of town centres and to the rural economy”.
Draft “PPS4—Planning for Prosperous Economies”, underlines this.
In March 2009 CLG and DEFRA issued a joint statement to the Select Committee on Retail Markets:
“The Government recognises the valuable contribution that street, covered and farmers' markets can make to local choice and diversity in shopping, as well as to the vitality of town centres and the wider rural economy.”
The 2009 CLG report “Looking After Our Town Centres” refers to the contribution street markets can play in vibrant town centres.
In May 2009 the then the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (Mr. Wright) met with the National Association of British Market Authorities to hear about the role markets play in local economies.
National Skills Academies: Thurrock
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the establishment of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock. [282470]
Mr. Malik [holding answer 29 June 2009]: The Thames Gateway Skills Envoy, Sir David Melville, who reports jointly to Communities and Local Government and Business, Innovation and Skills Ministers, recently met Geoff Russell, Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council, to discuss investment in skills in the Thames Gateway. Sir David emphasised to Mr. Russell the important contribution investment in skills in the Thames Gateway makes to the Government’s objectives for the area, in particular holistic regeneration in places such as Thurrock.
The National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills has submitted a proposal to the Learning and Skills Council seeking capital grant support for a proposed new training centre. The proposal is now subject to a prioritisation exercise being conducted by the council. An announcement about this is expected shortly.
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
Mr. Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effect on biodiversity of the implementation of the provisions of section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006; and whether his Department has issued recent guidance to local authorities in respect of applications to create (a) byways open to all traffic and (b) restricted byways. [283010]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
My Department has commissioned a study to review the impact of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act section 40 biodiversity duty.
This study, by Entec, will comprise a large scale survey of public bodies this summer, follow-up interviews with a smaller sample of bodies and views from other stakeholders. It is expected to report in November this year. The steering group includes representatives from DEFRA, Natural England, Devolved Administrations, local authorities and non-governmental organisations.
A publication called “Making the Best of Byways”, published by DEFRA in 2005, provides advice on managing the different sorts of traffic on byways. In addition, DEFRA published guidance entitled “Regulating the Use of Motor Vehicles on Rights of Way and Off Road”, which was sent to all local highway authorities. We believe this is the first step in providing information to local authorities, the police and Community Safety Partnerships on getting the most out of existing legislation, and to encourage the formation of local partnerships.
Non-Domestic Rates
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much is expected to be raised in gross revenue from business rates in (a) England and (b) each local billing authority in England in 2009-10. [282951]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Local authorities reported that they expect the gross revenue (before deductions for reliefs and collection costs) to be raised from non-domestic rates in 2009-10 in England to be £22.473 billion.
A table giving details of the gross revenue to be raised from non-domestic rates in 2009-10 by each of the 326 billing authorities in England has been placed in the Library of the House.
Non-Domestic Rates: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many businesses in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point receive small business rate relief; [282846]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of businesses in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point which qualify for small business rate relief but do not claim it. [282847]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Castle Point borough council reported that the number of businesses receiving small business rate relief was 625 at 31 December 2006, the latest date for which data are available. At the same date, the number of businesses in Essex receiving small business rate relief was 11,426, excluding figures for Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.
We have not made an estimate of the number of businesses in Castle Point or Essex which qualify for small business rate relief but do not claim it.
Ordnance Survey: Public Relations
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Ordnance Survey spent on external public relations in each of the last three years; and how much it will pay (a) 3 Monkeys Communications and (b) Target under its contracts with them. [282391]
Mr. Ian Austin: Expenditure by Ordnance Survey with external public relations organisations in the last three years was:
| £ | |
3 Monkeys Communications and Target have recently pre-qualified to provide consumer sector public relations services under call-off arrangements. Payments to these companies under these arrangements will depend upon the nature and quantity of work commissioned from each company during the duration of these arrangements.
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