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16 Sep 2009 : Column 2208W—continued
Ministers: Visits Abroad
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons (a) paragraph 10.7 and (b) paragraph 10.8 of the 2005 Ministerial Code, on overseas visits, were removed when the Ministerial Code was revised in 2007. [291056]
Tessa Jowell: The Ministerial Code published in July 2007 focuses on the key principles that should govern Ministerial conduct so that Ministers and others can be clear about the standards required.
Polly Toynbee
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments Ms Polly Toynbee has received from her Department in the last five years; and for what purposes. [291215]
Angela E. Smith: There is no record in the Department's accounting system of any payments made to Ms Toynbee over the last five years.
Origin Marking: Israel
Martin Linton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if her Department will publish the voluntary guidance issued by her Department on the labelling of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. [291395]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have been exploring the possibility of improving the clarity of labelling of produce from the West Bank. Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office held a meeting with a group of interested parties to discuss the possibility of introducing some voluntary guidance, so that consumers could better understand which products came from occupied Palestinian territories. The Government are carefully considering the next steps following that discussion.
Communities and Local Government
Conservatories
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings in England have a conservatory. [291274]
John Healey: The latest data available is from the 2006 English House Condition Survey, which estimates there are 3.4 million dwellings (16 per cent. of the total stock) in England with a conservatory.
To count as a conservatory in the survey, the roof must be at least 75 per cent. glass or plastic and the walls must be at least 50 per cent. glass or plastic.
Council Housing: Fire Prevention
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance has been provided to local authorities for expenditure on fire safety measures in council housing following the Lakanal House fire in Camberwell. [291159]
John Healey: The resources local authorities receive for management and maintenance and major repairs should enable them to implement necessary fire safety measures in council housing.
Council Housing: Waiting Lists
Mr. Soames:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of people on local authority
housing waiting lists had been born outside the UK in each year since 1994. [291207]
John Healey: This information is not collected centrally.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under what circumstances the Valuation Office Agency classifies a garden shed as an outbuilding for the purposes of its value significant and dwellinghouse coding system for council tax valuations. [291052]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 14 September 2009]: The Valuation Office Agency does not classify a garden shed as an outbuilding for the purposes of its value significant and dwellinghouse coding system.
Energy Performance Certificates
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2009, Official Report, columns 1837-8W, on housing: energy, how many energy performance certificates in respect of properties (a) of each tenure type and (b) in each region have been issued to date. [291114]
John Healey: The number of energy performance certificates (EPCs) registered for all homes in England and Wales up to and including 9 September 2009 (the latest date for which figures are available) and broken down by tenure type and region is as set out in the following table.
| Transaction type | Eastern region | East midlands | London | North-east | North-west | South-east | South-west | West midlands | Yorkshire and Humber | Wales |
| Note: These figures exclude a small number of homes for which no postcode information was included at the time that the EPC was lodged on the register. | ||||||||||
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to page 41 of his Department's proposed recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, how many individual energy performance certificates have been checked and verified for accuracy to date; and how many and what proportion of such checks identified an inaccuracy in the certificate. [291152]
John Healey: Accreditation schemes are responsible for conducting quality audits of the energy performance certificates (EPCs) produced by the energy assessors (EAs) they accredit in accordance with CLG requirements-we recommend that a minimum sample of 2 per cent. of all EPCs should be assessed. Accreditation schemes are required to report on the outcome of their quality audit procedures in the annual reports they submit to CLG and which can be viewed online at the following address:
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraph 64 on page 41 of his Department's publication on Recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, what procedures are used to verify the accuracy of energy performance certificates. [291266]
John Healey: Accreditation Schemes are responsible for conducting quality audits of the energy performance certificates (EPCs) produced by the energy assessors (EAs) they accredit in accordance with CLG requirements as set out in the guidance document which can be viewed online at:
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the response sent by the Energy Saving Trust to his Department's consultation The Next Steps: EPCs and the establishment of the Green Homes Service. [291273]
John Healey: A copy of the Energy Savings Trust's response to the Consultation Paper "The Next Steps: EPCs and the establishment of the Green Homes Service" has been placed in the Library of the House.
Energy Performance Certificates: East Midlands
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many energy performance certificates have been issued in relation to buildings in the East Midlands; how many accredited energy assessors there are in the East Midlands; and how many properties in the East Midlands do not meet required energy performance standards. [291051]
John Healey: Up to and including 9 September, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of:
Energy performance certificates (EPCs) lodged in relation to buildings in the east midlands region is 250,707; and
Accredited energy assessors whose primary postcode information is listed on the EPC Register as being in the east midlands region is 1,214.
The Government have not set minimum energy performance standards other than for new buildings, all of which are required to meet the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations.
Housing: Disabled People
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of newly-built, disability-adapted properties; and if he will make a statement. [291373]
John Healey: The National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society last year stated that all new publicly funded homes will be built to Lifetime Homes Standards from 2011. We will be reviewing the take-up of accessible housing standards, such as Lifetime Homes Standards, across all sectors in 2010. We will decide at that time whether further measures may be required to increase the supply of accessible and adaptable properties in new build housing. In the meantime, we continue to promote the Lifetime Homes Standards as a part of the Code for Sustainable Homes where they are currently mandatory at Code level 6.
Housing: Low Incomes
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homebuyers have received assistance under the HomeBuy Direct Scheme. [291235]
John Healey: Provisional estimates put completed sales under the HomeBuy direct scheme at over 600 sales.
Housing: Public Participation
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the hon. Member for Meriden of 21 July 2009, Official Report, column 1662W, on LLM Communications, in which (a) regions and (b) localities the regional housing debates were held. [291272]
John Healey: The regional housing debates were held in the following regions and locations:
An East of England debate took place in Cambridge on 26 October 2006;
A South East of England debate took place in Reading on 22 February 2007;
A South West of England debate took place in Bristol on 29 March 2007;
And the final debate took place in London on 24 July 2007.
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