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5 Nov 2009 : Column 1122W—continued
Departmental Staffing
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2009, Official Report, columns 460-62W, on departmental staffing, what each project was on which expenditure was incurred as set out in Table B; and how much was spent on each such project. [297829]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to him today, (PQs 297831 and 297832).
A further detailed breakdown could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fire Services
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the FiReControl project and its funding; and if he will make a statement. [296931]
Mr. Malik: The Department receives regular representations from fire and rescue authorities about the level of funding and support available for work carried out locally on the FiReControl project. Most recently, representations have been received from Dorset FRA, Cumbria FRA and the South West Regional Management Board.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the criteria are for participation in the fire and rescue service high potential development programme; and if he will make a statement. [297839]
Mr. Malik: There are no set criteria for participation by fire and rescue services in the pilot High Potential Leadership Programme. 13 fire and rescue services are participating in the pilot and are doing so on a voluntary basis.
Specific background experience, academic or vocational qualifications will not be required for eligibility to apply for the pilot programme either for existing operational and non-operational staff or for new entrants to the participating fire and rescue services.
Fire Services: Finance
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much is planned to be spent on the fire and rescue service in the next three years. [295737]
Mr. Malik: Spending on fire is a devolved matter. The amount spent on fire and rescue authorities in England is a decision taken by individual authorities. The Government do not hold this information centrally.
In most cases, fire and rescue services are delivered by single-purpose authorities (combined and metropolitan county fire and rescue authorities). Formula Grant of £796.9 million was allocated to be spent on fire and rescue by these authorities in the provisional local government finance settlement for 2010-11, which the Government published at the same time as the 2009-10 settlement. The final 2010-11 settlement will be published according to the usual timetable.
In addition, £119 million of specific grants are anticipated to be made to fire and rescue authorities in 2010-11.
Decisions about Government funding from 2011-12 will be taken as part of the next spending review.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much funding was provided to the fire and rescue service per resident in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Shropshire in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007; [295995]
(2) how much funding (a) in total and (b) per resident was given to the fire and rescue service in (i) England, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) Shropshire in 2008; [296000]
(3) how much funding was given to the fire and rescue service in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Shropshire in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007. [296001]
Mr. Malik: It is not possible to provide figures for Government funding for the fire and rescue service in England as a whole, as it is provided principally through Formula Grant, an unhypothecated block grant. In some areas, fire and rescue is the responsibility of the county council, which receives Formula Grant in respect of its services as a whole. However, figures are available for the West Midlands and Shropshire, which are both single-purpose fire and rescue authorities.
The Formula Grant distribution system takes into account the relative needs of each local authority and the relative potential income that can be provided through council tax for each local authority, relative to all other authorities providing the same services. There is also a central allocation and the floor damping mechanism.
The following includes funding from Formula Grant and specific grants:
| Funding per head of population | |||
| £ | |||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
| Total funding | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
Homes and Communities Agency: Consultants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what projects the Homes and Communities Agency Academy has employed external consultants. [297831]
John Healey: The Homes and Communities Academy has employed external consultants for the following projects:
New products and programmes
Brownfield Skills
Accelerating roll out of current programmes
National and Regional Delivery Structure
Skills Action Plan
Leadership of Place
Leaders' Network
Endorsement Framework
Benchmark and Tool Kit
Practical knowledge to support delivery
High Profile Events
Programme Staff Costs.
Housing: Prices
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the average selling price of (a) a four-bedroom detached house, (b) a three-bedroom detached house, (c) a three- bedroom semi-detached house, (d) a two-bedroom terraced house and (e) a one-bedroom flat in Yate, South Gloucestershire in (i) April 1991 and (ii) the latest month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [295018]
Mr. Ian Austin: Average house prices by property type and location are available from HM Land Registry. HM Land Registry data is not available for 1991 or by town or by bedroom.
Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recommendations the west midlands regional spatial strategy planning inspectors panel made on reviewing the green belt. [292583]
Mr. Malik: The independent panel report identifies a number of districts where green belt adjustments may be required. The references to green belt are numerous and propose detailed changes to the wording of the submitted draft RSS; most of the references can be found in Chapter 8 of the report. The Secretary of State is considering the recommendations in preparing his proposed changes to the RSS.
Tenants Rights
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department is undertaking into the security of tenure of residents of privately-rented accommodation; and whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend security of tenure provisions in relation to such residents. [297227]
Mr. Ian Austin: The English Housing Survey (which is a unified successor to the English Housing Condition Survey and the Survey of English Housing) contains questions directed at private tenants about their length of tenure and reasons for ending a tenancy. Further questions will be directed to landlords as part of the related Landlords Survey. Drawing on this research Julie Rugg's independent review of the private rented sector found that, in spite of the standard assured shorthold tenancy only having a minimum fixed period of six months, the majority of tenancies last considerably longer. The review found that 55 per cent. of tenants had been at their current address for over one year and over 21 per cent. for over five years and that only 6 per cent. of tenancies are ended early by landlords mostly because of non-payment of rent. So this research and the status of the sector as a flexible form of tenure for both tenants and landlords, would suggest there does not appear to be the need to change the legislation governing the security of tenure in the private rented sector.
International Development
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many helplines his Department operates; how much it has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years; if he will consider the merits of securing the accreditation of such helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement. [298396]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not operate any helplines.
Rwanda: Overseas Aid
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria are used to determine the level of direct humanitarian aid distributed to individual states; and to what extent Rwanda meets those criteria. [296890]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development's (DFID) support for humanitarian action is based on an assessment of need, without regard to political or other considerations and is targeted where the threat to life is most severe, where the extent and depth of suffering is greatest and the response capacities of host communities and authorities are most limited.
In recent years Rwanda has not met these criteria to an extent that would necessitate humanitarian aid. DFID supports Rwanda through a £50 million (2009-10) aid programme which is focused on improving education, health, governance and economic growth.
Energy and Climate Change
International Co-operation
9. Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress towards agreement has been made in international negotiations on climate change. [297756]
Joan Ruddock: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins) earlier today.
21. Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps his Department has taken to secure an international agreement on climate change; and if he will make a statement. [297771]
Joan Ruddock: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins) earlier today.
Gas Storage
16. Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of levels of gas storage in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [297766]
Mr. Kidney: National Grid's published figures show that, this week, our storage capacity was around 99 per cent. full.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
17. Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in reducing the UK's carbon dioxide emissions over the last five years. [297767]
Joan Ruddock: The UK's carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2), or 0.4 per cent., between 2002 and 2007, the latest year for which we have final figures. On the basis of the provisional figure for 2008, UK CO2 emissions were reduced by 24.4 MtCO2, or 4.4 per cent., between 2003 and 2008.
Electricity Generation
18. Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the contribution of onshore wind to the UK's electricity generation capacity; and if he will make a statement. [297768]
Mr. Kidney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly receives representations from stakeholders and members of the public regarding the contribution of onshore wind to the UK's electricity generation capacity.
In 2008, the installed capacity of onshore wind in the UK was 2,820 MWe, the most of any renewable energy technology and enough to power 1.4 million homes. This represents more than a doubling since 2005.
Nuclear Power
19. Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the Government's policy on future use of nuclear power; and if he will make a statement. [297769]
Mr. Kidney: Ministers and officials regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders including industry, environmental groups and the unions. Nuclear has an important role to play in the energy mix and the Government are committed to working with industry to enable new nuclear power stations to be built. The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) aims to enable investment in the UK from the earliest possible date and with no cap on the amount of new build. It aims to build and maintain the UK as the best market in the world for companies to invest in nuclear.
Global Temperature
20. Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will discuss with the Met Office Hadley Centre and the university of East Anglia Climate Research Unit the publication of near-surface temperature data used to calculate changes to average global temperature. [297770]
Joan Ruddock: The Met Office Hadley Centre and Climate Research Unit deliver near-surface temperature series going back to the mid-19(th) century. These temperature series are almost identical to two other similar data series generated by climate centres in the U.S. and all are robust in representing global and regional temperature changes over this period.
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