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28 Oct 2009 : Column 454W—continued
| Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 2003-04 to 2008-09 | |||
| £000 | |||
| Managers and s enior m anagers | Nursing, m idwifery and h ealth v isiting s taff | Admin and c lerical | |
| Source: Financial Returns 2002-03 to 2008-09 | |||
Communities and Local Government
Building Regulations: Energy
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to amend building regulations to encourage a reduction in energy consumption through heating and lighting controls. [293822]
Mr. Ian Austin: Part L of the Building Regulations, 'Conservation of fuel and power', sets minimum energy efficiency standards for buildings and fixed building services, including heating and lighting controls. My Department has recently consulted on proposed amendments to Part L that would strengthen these standards and that are planned to come into effect in October 2010 (see
Buildings: Standards
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what guidance his Department has issued to local planning authorities in relation to the provisions of (a) building controls and (b) planning regulations in respect of the minimum number of (i) male and (ii) female lavatories to be provided in new premises with a use class of (A) A1, (B) A3, (C) A4, (D) C1, (E) D2 and (F) sui generis; [292693]
(2) pursuant to the answer to Baroness Greengross of 21 July 2009, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 305-6WA, on building regulations, what minimum levels of provision of (a) male and (b) female toilets are required in (i) new licensed premises and (ii) other new non-domestic premises. [293230]
Mr. Ian Austin: No guidance regarding the number of lavatories to be provided in new buildings has been issued specifically to local planning authorities and planning regulations do not cover this area. However, current Building Regulations, in Part G (Hygiene), require that "adequate sanitary conveniences" are provided in new buildings. The accompanying guidance contained in Approved Document G draws attention to the fact that the number of appliances may be subject to other legislation, for example, on workplaces, but that British Standard 6465, Part 1: 1984 also provides a basis for showing compliance with the requirement.
Changes to Part G of the Building Regulations will come into force on 6 April 2010 and draft guidance has been issued. The revised guidance, in reference to buildings other than dwellings, states that the minimum number of sanitary conveniences for staff in workplaces, including separate provision for men and women, should be in accord with the Approved Code of Practice that supports the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The Approved Document also refers to the alternative guidance set out in BS 6465:2006 for those building types not covered by the Approved Code of Practice or in workplaces where the applicant wishes to provide more than that minimum level.
Our Strategic Guide on "Improving Public Access to Better Quality Toilets" (March 2008) provided general guidance to local authorities for managing and improving public toilets. Local authorities have powers under Section 20 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to require toilets to be provided and maintained for public use in any place providing entertainment, exhibitions or sporting events, and places serving food and drink for consumption on the premises, but it is for each authority to determine how these powers should be applied according to the circumstances of each case.
Central Manchester Development Corporation: Archives
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to answer to the hon. Member for Vauxhall of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 809W, on the Central Manchester Development Corporation: archives, who authorised the secure disposal of the records of the Central Manchester Development Corporation; and whether any consideration was given to donating the records to (a) the municipal records office, (b) the National Archives or (c) an educational institution. [294532]
Barbara Follett: Further to the answer given on 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 809W, the Government Office for the North West records about the Central Manchester Development Corporation were destroyed in accordance with the disposal agreement approved by the departmental records officer. These records were not considered appropriate for transfer to the National Archives or presentation to another place of deposit under the terms of the Public Records Act 1958.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to answer to the hon. Member for Vauxhall of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 809W, on the Central Manchester Development Corporation: archives, what his Department's policy is on the disposal of (a) records and (b) other archived material of each development corporation. [294533]
Barbara Follett: The Department's policy for the management of all public records follows the responsibilities set out in the Public Records Act 1958 and subsequent guidance and advice from the National Archives. As non departmental public bodies development corporations have responsibility for their own records management policy.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Vauxhall of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 809W, on the Central Manchester Development Corporation: archives, what arrangements there are for archiving historic records of the (a) London Thames Gateway, (b) Thurrock Thames Gateway and (c) West Northamptonshire Development Corporation; and what disposal authorities are in place for the records of each body. [294534]
Barbara Follett: The Development Corporations will have arrangements for the records they hold. All records in the Department, including those relating to the London Thames Gateway, Thurrock Thames Gateway and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporations, are managed in accordance with existing policies and procedures.
There are appropriate arrangements in place for retention and disposal.
Community Infrastructure Levy
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the likely effect of the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy on (a) the cumulative burden of regulation on developers and (b) the quantity and quality of new development. [294524]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Government have made an assessment of the impact of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) upon landowners and developers, in preparing its impact assessments on CIL, which have accompanied the different legislative stages of the passage of the Planning Act 2008 and the ongoing development of CIL regulations.
The most recent assessment was published on 30 July and can be found at:
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the revenue generated by the Community Infrastructure Levy in each of the first three years of its operation; and whether such revenue will be classified as tax revenue for the purposes of the National Accounting rules. [294526]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Government published their estimates of anticipated revenues from CIL, within the impact assessments that have accompanied the different legislative stages of the Planning Act 2008 and the ongoing development of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations. The latest assessment was published on 30 July to accompany the publication of the draft CIL regulations. The assessment is available at:
Once the Government's proposals for CIL have been finalised the Office for National Statistics will classify the levy for National Accounts purposes.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether new (a) nuclear power stations and (b) wind turbines are liable for community infrastructure levy. [294661]
Mr. Ian Austin: The draft community infrastructure levy (CIL) regulations, published on 30 July 2009 and available on the CLG website, propose (at Regulation 5(3)) that CIL should not be levied on buildings into which people do not normally go; or on buildings into which people go only intermittently for the purpose of inspecting or maintaining fixed plant or machinery.
Council Housing: East of England
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants there were in (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) the East of England in each year since 1997. [295368]
Mr. Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 310W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn).
Council Housing: Lone Parents
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what additional funding his Department plans to provide to implement the policy of placing teenage single mothers in supervised residential accommodation; how many places will be provided each year; what role local authorities will play in the scheme; and what the timetable is for its implementation. [292998]
Mr. Ian Austin: My Department has provided £30 million capital funding over three years (2009-10; 2010-11; 2011-12) to provide new places in Foyers and other specialist supported accommodation through the National Affordable Housing Programme. Housing Associations and other affordable housing providers will be invited to bid in a process to be administered by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Council Tax: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the E-BAR/Valuebill interface for council tax reports established by
the Valuation Office Agency includes the transfer of personal data. [293371]
Barbara Follett: A Billing Authority (BA) council tax report can contain contact details including name, address (if different from the property address), telephone number and email address. The electronic BA reports data transfer takes place through a secure password restricted website with 128 bit encryption.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) the Valuation Tribunal Service takes of increased levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in a specific locality when assessing material changes for the purpose of council tax revaluations. [294901]
Barbara Follett: There is no council tax revaluation taking place. However, in the event of any future revaluation, the banding of properties by the Valuation Office Agency would be based on the open market value as it was on the relevant date. The Valuation Tribunal Service would have no direct role in compiling lists in any such future revaluation.
Departmental Billing
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to page 17 of his Department's Resource Accounts for 2008-09, HC 449, for what reasons 13 per cent. of invoices submitted to his Department were not paid on time. [294664]
Barbara Follett: Until July 2008, the Department operated a decentralised payment processing model, with business areas processing supplier invoices independently of each other and the "centre". This arrangement was inherently inefficient, allowing delays and errors in the processing of payments, which in turn contributed to a low performance against Whitehall prompt payment targets.
In July 2008 the Department introduced centralised processing of invoices, resulting in a more effective and efficient means of handling, authorising and paying supplier accounts rendered. This change in approach had an immediate positive impact on performance, which improved steadily through the reporting year. Clearance of an inherited backlog of unpaid invoices had an impact on payment performance. The introduction across Whitehall of a 10 day prompt payment policy in December 2008 provided a further impetus for improvement, and processes were further automated and streamlined to meet the new challenges.
In the current financial year these process enhancements have continued and the further exploitation of technology continues to generate improvements against the Whitehall 10 day prompt payment target, raising current performance to above 90 per cent. of valid invoices being paid within 10 days of receipt. The comparable figure for the resource account in the current financial year is above 95 per cent.
Departmental Data Protection
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to page 30 of his Department's Resource Accounts for 2008-09, HC 449, for what reason the sensitive documents on housing were carried on a flight from Heathrow to Copenhagen. [294656]
Barbara Follett: The documents were carried by an official whilst on an authorised business trip in order to make productive use of the time spent travelling.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to page 76 of his Department's Resource Accounts for 2008-09, HC 449, whether the stolen unencrypted laptop was stolen from the premises of the Government Office for the North West. [294659]
Barbara Follett: There is a reference on page 29 of the Department for Communities and Local Government's Resource Accounts that identifies an unencrypted laptop was stolen from the premises of the Government Office for the North West.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons policy advisers are recruited on terms and conditions different from those of other civil servants. [294596]
Barbara Follett: Policy advisers are civil servants and as such are recruited under the same terms and conditions. These can include fixed term appointments where appropriate.
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