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7 July 2009 : Column 698W—continued
Communities and Local Government
Local Government Finance
15. Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will enable local authorities to finance expenditure from their projected future efficiency savings. [284353]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Local authorities can already finance expenditure from projected future efficiency savings provided they are satisfied the expenditure falls within the terms of the Prudential system. This allows local authorities to borrow for any capital expenditure without Government consent, provided that they can afford the borrowing costs.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of the funding allocated to his Department was allocated to local authorities in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [283995]
Mr. Malik: The following tables give the amounts and proportions of my Department’s funding to local authorities in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
| Main programme , departmental expenditure limit (DEL) | |||
| All figures ( £ million ) | |||
| Financial years | Communities and local government DEL | O f which : funding to local authorities | P roportion of funding to local authorities (percentage) |
| Note: Figures exclude administration costs | |||
| Local government , departmental expenditure limit (DEL) | |||
| All figures ( £ million ) | |||
| Financial years | Local government DEL | O f which: funding to local authorities | P roportion of funding to local authorities (percentage) |
| Note: Proportion of funding allocated to local authorities in 2008-09 are outturn figures for both main and local government departmental expenditure limits. | |||
Supporting People Programme
16. Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects on local authority provision of support for vulnerable people of proposed changes to the Supporting People programme. [284354]
Mr. Ian Austin: During 2008, CLG worked with 15 local authorities, providers, service users, and stakeholders to gather evidence about the potential impact of removing the ring fence for Supporting People. During this period, there were no serious concerns raised and feedback from the 15 authorities has shown innovative jointly commissioned services can provide better outcomes for vulnerable people.
Business Rates: Ports
17. Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations his Department has received on the effect of the new system of retrospective business rates on companies within ports. [284356]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This Department has received a number of written representations directly from some port businesses, and also from some constituency MPs where there is a port.
Social Housing
18. Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to allow local authorities more discretion over criteria for allocation of social housing. [284357]
Mr. Ian Austin: We will bring forward proposals within the next few weeks.
19. John Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further steps his Department is taking to ensure that a greater
proportion of social housing meets the Decent Homes standard; and if he will make a statement. [284358]
Mr. Ian Austin: The day to day management of the Decent Homes Programme transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) on 1 December 2008. The HCA is working with the Tenant Services Authority and with local authorities and other social landlords through the Single Conversation process and other contact, in order to develop and support strategies for delivery.
Affordable Housing
20. Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the development of innovative financing schemes to support the purchase of affordable housing. [284359]
Mr. Denham: The Government’s HomeBuy scheme helps purchasers who cannot afford to buy a home on the open market. We have recently introduced two innovative products into the HomeBuy range in response to the current difficulties which potential buyers are experiencing as a result of the restrictions on the global supply of credit.
Our Rent to HomeBuy product allows households to rent a home from a housing association at below market rent for up to five years, enabling them to save for a deposit. The HomeBuy Direct scheme provides purchasers with an equity loan of up to 30 per cent. to purchase a newly built home from participating developers on specific sites. The loan is funded jointly by the developer and Government.
Commonhold and Leasehold Act 2002
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2009, Official Report, column 999W, on the Commonhold and Leasehold Act 2002, what informal discussions his Department has had with local authority officers on sections 152 and 153 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Act 2002 in the last two years; and if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s record of each such discussion. [284036]
Mr. Ian Austin: Officials attended the re-constituted London leasehold officers’ forum on 6 January where an update on section 152 was provided. A meeting has since taken place with a working group from the forum on 12 May to discuss concerns and clarify certain proposal for the regulations. Officials continue to work with the forum to ensure that the regulations will benefit local authority leaseholders but without creating unnecessary burdens and costs.
There was also the formal consultation exercise carried out in July 2007 to which some local authorities responded.
Conservation Areas
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on the use of Article 4 directions in relation to conservation areas. [283772]
Mr. Ian Austin: Guidance on the use of article 4 directions in relation to conservation areas is provided in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 15 (Planning and the Historic Environment) and in DoE Circular 9/95. A consultation document on a new Planning Policy Statement to replace PPG 15 will be issued shortly.
Council Housing Finance Review
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on his Department's review of the Housing Revenue Account; and if he will make a statement. [283912]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Minister for Housing announced his conclusions from the review of council housing finance in a written ministerial statement laid before Parliament on 30 June. A consultation document will be published before summer recess.
Council Housing: Waiting Lists
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of families on council housing waiting lists in each local authority in England. [284911]
Mr. Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) on 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 17W.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2009, Official Report, column 1039W, on council tax: valuation, what the equivalent figures are for 2008-09. [283632]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A copy of the information referred to has been placed in the Library.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 May 2009, Official Report, columns 1035-36W, on council tax: valuation, how many properties were identified by the Valuation Office Agency as potentially having consequentials prior to the discussion at the Programme Board. [283633]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No work was undertaken prior to the discussion at the programme board to identify the number of consequentials.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties had their council tax band changed as a result of a council tax appeal made by their residents or by residents of a property in the vicinity in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09. [283637]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Against approximately 22.7 million entries now in council tax valuation lists in England the numbers of valid proposals which were received by the VOA in each year and which, when settled, resulted in a band change to the subject property are as follows:
| Valid proposals received by VOA in each year, resulting in a band change to subject property | |
Information about re-bandings following a valid proposal made by residents of a property in the vicinity can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Press
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) newspapers and (b) periodicals are delivered to the private office of each Minister in his Department; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available. [279420]
Mr. Malik: All information is for the last financial year (April 2008 to March 2009).
(a) The then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Salford (Hazel Blears) received the following newspapers:
The Daily Mail
The Daily Mirror
The Guardian
The Times
The Sun
The Independent
The Daily Express
The Financial Times
The Daily Telegraph
The Evening Standard (West End Final Extra)
The Evening Standard (West End Final)
The Evening Standard (1( st) Edition)
The Eastern Eye
The Daily Jang
The Jewish Chronicle
The Voice
New Nation
International Herald Tribune
Muslim Weekly
The then Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Salford (Hazel Blears) received the following periodicals:
The Economist
The Spectator
The New Statesman
Prospect
The Municipal Journal
The Local Government Chronicle
The London Review of Books
Tribune
The Times Literary Supplement
The then Minister for Housing, the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) and her predecessor the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) received the following newspapers:
The Daily Mail
The Daily Mirror
The Guardian
The Times
The Sun
The Independent
The Daily Express
The Financial Times
The Daily Telegraph
The Evening Standard (West End Final)
Yorkshire Post
The then Minister for Housing, the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) and her predecessor the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) received the following periodicals
The Economist
The Spectator
The New Statesman
The then Minister for Local Government, the right hon. Member for Wentworth (John Healey) received the following newspapers:
The Daily Mail
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