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16 Sep 2009 : Column 2217W—continued
For both (a) and (b) above, where a value of '<5 is displayed', this is to prevent individual properties being identified.
Of the dwellinghouse codes, only Group Type has been provided. Information about the number of domestic properties recorded against other dwellinghouse codes is commercially confidential.
London City Airport: Public Consultation
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will undertake an investigation into whether Newham Council followed appropriate procedures for consulting residents affected by proposals to increase the number of flights using London City Airport. [291367]
John Healey: It is for Newham council, as local planning authority, to decide the extent to which local residents are consulted about planning applications. This is set out in their Statement of Community Involvement.
Mortgages: Government Assistance
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households are participating in the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme; and how many households have used the scheme since 3 December 2008. [291224]
John Healey: Homeowners Mortgage Support was launched in April 2009 as part of the range of support available at every stage for households struggling with their mortgage. We aim to publish information on households who have been helped through Homeowners Mortgage Support later this year.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have received assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. [291234]
John Healey: The Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational across England since January 2009. As part of the monitoring arrangements for the scheme, headline data provided by local authorities operating the scheme and broken down by Government Office Region, are available on the Department's website. The figures can be assessed using the following link:
Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will undertake a cumulative impact assessment on business rates in 2010-11 of the 2010 rates revaluation in empty property rates threshold changes supplementary rates in respect of Crossrail with post-revaluation rateable values and deferred increases from 2009-10. [291086]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 14 September 2009]: There are no plans to undertake a cumulative impact assessment. Impact assessments relating to individual policy changes to the business rates system will be published alongside the implementing regulations.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish instructions given by Ministers to the Valuation Office Agency since 1999 on the separate business rating of port businesses; and in cases where separate rating was introduced, on what date (a) that separate rating took effect and (b) the existing system of paying business rates for those businesses was stopped. [291226]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 824W. Ministers at Communities and Local Government or its predecessor departments have not given any instructions to the Valuation Office Agency on the separate rating of properties within or outside of Ports.
The principles concerning separate rateability of properties where there is "exclusive occupation" and "paramount control" are long established and have not been recently introduced by the Government. The leading case on the subject is a House of Lords decision from 1936-Westminster Council v. Southern Railway Company and W.H. Smith and Son.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on retrospective payments of business rates by port businesses from (a) foreign governments, (b) ferry operators, (c) car importers, (d) port businesses, (e) hon. Members with ports in their constituencies and (f) local authorities with ports in their areas. [291227]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department for Communities and Local Government has received correspondence from:
(a) no foreign governments;
(b) no ferry operators;
(c) one car importer;
(d) four port businesses;
(e) 12 hon. Members; and
(f) no local authorities with ports in their areas,
concerning the issues arising from the rating review of ports since 1 July 2009.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been made by port businesses for a fast-track review of their new business rating assessments; how many reviews have (a) been begun and (b) completed; and what changes have been made as a result of each completed review. [291228]
Ms Rosie Winterton: As at 9 September 2009, the Valuation Office Agency has applied the fast track arrangements to 703 appeals made by port businesses, 355 of which relate to new business rating assessments with an effective date of 1 April 2005.
Of the 355 appeals, 154 have now been settled, 48 by agreement and 106 withdrawn. Where agreement has been reached this has resulted in a reduction in the rateable value. The outstanding appeals are in various stages of discussion depending on the facts of each case.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many port businesses have (a) made and (b) not made payments towards (i) their new rating assessments and (ii) their retrospective payments back to 2005; and how many in each case have applied to use the scheme for staging retrospective payments. [291229]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government do not hold information on individual payments of ongoing business rates liabilities. With regard to the backdated business rates liabilities for the port properties affected by the Valuation Office Agency review of rating, local authorities have reported that businesses occupying 209 properties within ports have fully paid their backdated liabilities and that businesses occupying a further 201 properties have been granted a schedule of payments.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to complete his review of retrospective payments of business rates from port businesses newly assessed for business rates. [291230]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No time frame has been set for completion of a review.
Public Expenditure
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what analysis of his Department's expenditure by parliamentary constituency has been commissioned in the last 12 months. [291151]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 14 September 2009]: No analysis of the Department's expenditure by parliamentary constituency has been commissioned in the last 12 months.
Culture, Media and Sport
Betting: Internet
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department takes to inform consumers of the jurisdiction in which individual betting websites are licensed. [291341]
Mr. Bradshaw: Remote gambling operators licensed by the Gambling Commission are subject to strict operating conditions, including the requirement to display on their website their licensed status, licence number and a link to the Gambling Commission's website. Operators are also required to clearly distinguish which parts of their website or link from their website are regulated by the Commission from those which are not.
The Secretary of State currently has limited power to require websites run by operators licensed overseas to state the jurisdiction in which they are licensed.
My Department is currently conducting a review of the existing system of remote gambling regulation in Great Britain, and the review's findings will be announced to Parliament before the end of the year.
English Folk Dance and Song Society
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions with the English Folk Dance and Song Society on inclusion of England's traditional folk dances as an option within the dance programme to be promoted by the recently-appointed Dance Tsar; and if he will make a statement. [291287]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
We have recently announced the establishment of the Dance Champions Group as set out in Physical Activity Plan, "Be active, be healthy" published earlier in the year. We are also planning to launch the group in the autumn.
The English Folk Dance and Song Society is represented by the Central Council for Physical and Recreational on the Dance Champions Group.
Horse Racing: Betting
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the effects on the Horserace Betting Levy Board 49th Levy scheme of the location by betting operators of parts of their operations overseas. [291240]
Mr. Bradshaw: No formal assessment has been made by my Department. The Levy Board's own assessment of the impact is in the region of a potential loss of £4.2 million to the 49th Levy scheme.
We support the Levy Board's aim of securing contributions from gambling operators to ensure the continued health of racing. The Department's Review of remote gaming, which is examining this issue along with many others, will report to Ministers by the end of the year who will report the findings to Parliament.
Swimming
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many local authorities are providing free swimming for over 60 year-olds; [291390]
(2) how many local authorities in England are seeking to introduce free swimming for under 16 year-olds. [291391]
Mr. Simon: 259 local authorities in England have opted into the Free Swimming programme for those aged 60 and over; 190 local authorities have agreed to take part in both the aged 60 and over and 16 and under elements of the Free Swimming programme.
Defence
Armed Forces: Training
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009, Official Report, column 743W, on armed forces: training, what the percentage shortfall of each type of armoured vehicle used for pre-deployment training was in the latest period for which figures are available. [289092]
Bill Rammell: Our priority is to get new equipment to the front line as quickly as possible for use by personnel facing the greatest danger. However, we look to ensure that whenever possible new equipment is also provided for troops during pre-deployment training so that they can use it safely and effectively on arrival in theatre. In practice, where shortfalls occur due to prioritising equipment to the front line, sufficient equipment is still made available for training to ensure personnel meet the minimum safety and operating standards. We have recently introduced measures to reinforce this, and all Urgent Operational Business cases now include a clear requirement that sufficient numbers of pre-deployment vehicles are procured and delivered for training before they are deployed operationally.
The last period for which figures are available was the Mission Rehearsal Exercise for 11 (Light) Brigade in July 2009. The availability of armoured vehicles for this period was as follows:
Snatch-Vixen: 100 per cent.
Ridgback: 34 per cent.
Mastiff: 54 per cent.
Vector: 53 per cent.
Warrior: 100 per cent.
Viking: 18 per cent.
CVR(T): 100 per cent.
Panther: 100 per cent.
Armed Forces: Uniforms
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures were used to establish the requirement for the future army dress; what the estimated cost of its introduction and procurement is; whether he has received any representations about the quality of tailoring of the dress; and if he will make a statement. [291412]
Bill Rammell:
In 2003, the Army Board directed that the Army's orders of dress were to be reviewed with a view to updating the current suite of uniforms which
had been designed in the 1960s. In 2005, the Army Board accepted the recommendations of the review and directed that the uniforms were to be produced.
Future Army Dress is funded from within the existing clothing budget and will cost approximately £9.7 million.
The uniform is produced in the UK, using modern manufacturing processes, and we have received no defect reports to date.
Guided Weapons: Testing
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times UK forces undertook missile firing tests in the Falkland Islands in each of the last 10 years; and what missiles were fired on each occasion. [291292]
Bill Rammell: The MOD does not test missiles in the Falkland Islands. However, training exercises are conducted which include firing live missiles against aerial targets.
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for deciding where missile testing is carried out. [291293]
Bill Rammell: Missile testing is conducted on behalf of individual project teams who have the opportunity to select the trial venue based on criteria such as suitability for the trial in questions, availability, and cost.
However, in order to secure value-for-money, projects are expected to use one of the facilities provided under the Long Term Partnering Agreement between MOD and QinetiQ and look elsewhere only if these are unable to meet their requirements.
NIDAR Radar System
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the NIDAR radar system on St. Kilda has been used in each of the last seven years. [290694]
Mr. Quentin Davies [holding answer 9 September 2009]: Details for NIDIR Radar usage on the island of St. Kilda during the past seven years are as follows:
| Date | NIDIR radar runs |
| (1) To date | |
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