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15 Oct 2009 : Column 1066W—continued
Empty Property
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty dwellings were owned by (a) local authorities, (b) registered social landlords and (c) others in each of the last three years. [292814]
Barbara Follett: The following table shows estimates of the number of empty dwellings owned by local authorities, registered social landlords and in the private sector in England in each of the last three years.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Sources: Total vacants: Council Taxbase and Council Taxbase Supplementary (CTB1 and CTB1S) returns from local authorities for October 2006-2008. Local authority: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities for1 April 2006-2008; RSL: Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to the Housing Corporation by registered social landlords for31 March 2006-2008. | |||
Total vacant dwellings reported by local authorities through Council Taxbase returns include long term and short term empty dwellings.
Figures for Registered Social Landlords are for self-contained general needs units only.
Vacant private enterprise dwellings are estimated by subtracting RSL and local authority vacant dwellings from the total number of vacant dwellings.
SpaceFlex
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on the SpaceFlex initiative in his Department; and how much has been spent on consultancy services associated with the initiative. [292727]
Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government has spent £4,685,000 on the SpaceFlex initiative, of which £1,045,000 has been spent on consultancy services.
The SpaceFlex initiative moves Communities and Local Government staff from two buildings into one, enabling savings of £4.5 million per annum on reduced operating costs.
Housing: Carbon Monoxide
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce the outcome of his review of part J of the Building Regulations in respect of the provision of carbon monoxide detectors. [291938]
Mr. Ian Austin: The part J consultation commenced on 3 September and is due to close on 26 November. The provision of carbon monoxide detectors is just one aspect being considered as part of this consultation. We expect to announce the outcome of this review in April 2010, six months before coming into effect.
Housing: Finance
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much housing revenue has been transferred from each local housing authority to central government in each of the last three years; and what methodology his Department uses to redistribute such funds to local authorities. [292918]
Mr. Ian Austin [holding answer 14 October 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 2006W.
The methodology employed for establishing subsidy payments to, and receipts due, from local authorities is set out in detail within the HRA Manual, which is available on the Communities and Local Government website, and annual Determinations issued by the Department. Each local authority's guideline rental income and estimated need to spend on their properties are calculated on the basis of data supplied by the authorities. The results of these calculations are published by the Department annually in the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Determination. Payments to or from the Exchequer are made in 10 instalments through the year.
Housing: Standards
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment of the Government's commitment to build all publicly-funded homes to the Lifetime Homes Standard from 2011. [292455]
Mr. Ian Austin: In June 2007 the Department published a consultation on Making a Rating Mandatory within the Code for Sustainable Homes. This included an impact assessment which took account of the public sector commitment to build to Lifetime Homes Standards from 2011. The document can be downloaded at:
We will be consulting on proposed changes to the code for Sustainable Homes in due course, and this will include our proposal to make Lifetime Homes Standards mandatory at Code Level 4. The consultation will be supported by a full impact assessment.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the requirements for compliance with the Lifetime Homes Standard are. [292462]
Mr. Ian Austin: Some elements of the Lifetime Homes Standard are already included in Part M (Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations, including features such as level or gently sloping approach to the property, level entrance threshold, accessible heights for switches and controls, and accessible requirements for common areas of communal dwellings. Compliance with these elements is assessed through Local Authority Building Control or Government Approved Inspectors.
The Lifetime Homes Standard is also included within the Health and Wellbeing category of the Code for Sustainable Homes where it is mandatory for properties at Code Level 6 (though not currently at lower code levels). Since May 2008 all new homes are required to be rated under the code, though a developer may choose to sign a free 'nil rated' certificate if they wish only to build to current Building Regulations rather than higher levels of the code.
We will be consulting later this year on our proposals to make Lifetime Homes Standards Mandatory at Code level 4 from 2010. Assessing compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes is undertaken by registered Code Assessors.
In some instances local planning authorities also require new housing to deliver varying levels of compliance with the Lifetime Homes Standard through the planning system.
Housing: Valuation
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 9 September 2009, Official Report, columns 1924-7W, to the hon. Member for Ludlow of 14 September 2009, Official Report, columns 2131-2W, and to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 September 2009, Official Report, columns 2212-4W, on housing valuation, how many properties are recorded with each individual (a) dwellinghouse code and (b) value significant code, including each individual (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of floors, (v) floor level, (vi) parking, (vii) garaging, (viii) conservatory type, (ix) age, (x) outbuilding and (xi) modernisation code in the local authority area of Basingstoke, according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency. [292321]
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 9 September 2009, Official Report, columns 1924-7W, to the hon. Member for Ludlow of 14 September 2009, Official Report, columns 2131-2W, and to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 September 2009, Official Report, columns 2212-4W, on housing valuation, how many properties in each London borough are recorded with each individual (a) dwellinghouse code and (b) value significant code, including each individual (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency; and if he will make a statement. [292320]
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in Huntingdonshire district are recorded with each individual (a) dwellinghouse code and (b) value significant code, including each individual (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency. [292179]
Barbara Follett: The number of properties with each individual dwellinghouse code and each value significant code, for all local authority areas in England, will be placed in the Library of the House.
Land Use: South East
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount of undeveloped land appropriate for housing owned by those local authorities in the South East which have indicated they have insufficient housing supply. [292532]
Mr. Ian Austin: Approximately 3,238 hectares of public land exists in the South East, based on a September 2009 estimate. This consists of a mixture of projects under construction and land that will come forward at different times. It will not all be suitable for housing. The figure is for all public sector bodies generally-not just local planning authorities.
Looking After Our Town Centres
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the Independent Retailers' Association's submission to his Department's review, Looking after our town centres. [292886]
Barbara Follett: "Looking after our Town Centres" was a joint CLG/DCMS guide which sets out ways in which local authorities can promote alternative uses for vacant shops in town centres, and other ideas for boosting high streets. It brings together existing guidance; highlights practical approaches and explains additional steps the Government are taking to help town centres. We did not invite submissions when preparing the guide, and the Independent Retailers' Association have not contacted us about it. However, we continue to discuss issues affecting town centres with a wide range of stakeholders.
National Housing and Planning Advice Unit
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what remuneration each of the board members of the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit received in each of the last three years. [292353]
Mr. Ian Austin: The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit's Board were appointed in November 2006 to oversee and steer the unit's work programme, and help deliver its objective to provide an evidence base for advice on improving housing supply and affordability. They bring an independent and expert view to the housing supply debate, based on their wide range of expertise in housing and economics. This shapes the unit's work and outputs, such as its advice on housing supply numbers to be tested in the planning process, and its research programme.
Board members are entitled to claim the following remuneration for their NHPAU activities:
Chair: £468.00 per day up to a maximum of 2.5 days per month;
Other Board members (x 5): £350 per day up to a maximum of 2.5 days per month.
However, the total remuneration amounts paid to Board members over each of the three years was considerably less than their entitlement:
November 2006 to March 2007: £9,047
Each Board member claimed between £0 and £2,450 during this period
April 2007 to March 2008:: £26,972
Each Board member claimed between £0 and £7,722 during this period
April 2008 to March 2009: £30,991
Each Board member claimed between £2800 and £8,750 during this period
April 2009 to July 2009: £8,701
Each Board member has claimed between £0 and £3,276 during this period.
Non-Domestic Rates
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reference number format is used by the Valuation Office Agency to describe different sub-locations for non-domestic rates purposes. [292629]
Barbara Follett: A simple unique alpha-numeric code, which acts as a label for a particular category of property having similar characteristics.
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what directions have been issued to date by the Secretary of State, pursuant to Part 1 section 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, in re-designating the regional planning bodies in each Government Office region outside London; and what the (a) old and (b) new designated organisations are in each case. [292547]
Mr. Ian Austin: The table shows the directions that have been made in respect of the designation of recent regional planning bodies.
| Previous regional planning body name | New regional planning body name | Date direction came into effect |
| (1 )Revised due to change in membership 20 July 2009 | ||
Positive Futures Programme
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the aim of the Positive Futures Programme is; how much funding was (a) distributed to local authorities via the Programme by (i) his Department and (ii) each other contributing partner and (b) subsequently spent by local authorities by local authority in each year since the Programme began; and what estimate he has made of the amount of such funding to be provided in the next two years. [292413]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
The Positive Futures programme aims to prevent young people from becoming involved in substance misuse, crime and antisocial behaviour by engaging them in activities and support them in accessing education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities.
Total Home Office expenditure on the Positive Futures programmes is as follows:
| Expenditure | £ | |
| Source: Home Office Accounting System | ||
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