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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 13 October 2009
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 13 October 2009
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 13 October of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 13 October of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Tuesday 13 October see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 1
| Lorely Burt (Solihull): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of progress towards achieving the Government's target for asset sales from the Shareholder Executive in each of the last four years. | | (292716) | 2
| Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funding support for the (a) Train to Gain and (b) Skills for Life programme (i) was provided in 2008-09 and (ii) is to be provided in 2009-10 to each receiving college in the North East. | | (292801) | 3
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service has made of the effect of no-win no-fee lawyers in employment tribunals. | | (292602) | 4
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the protocol on how the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service responds to the intervention of no-win no-fee lawyers in employment tribunals. | | (292603) | 5
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what percentage of school leavers from each London borough went on to begin a university course in each of the last five academic years; and if he will make a statement. | | (293047) | 6
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what percentage of university students had not received payments due to them from Student Finance England before the start of the academic year 2009-10; what average length of time is which elapsed from the start of the academic year until receipt of payments for such students; and if he will make a statement. | | (293048) | 7
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what duties the new Chief Construction Officer will have. | | (292969) | 8
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons the accounts of Guaranteed Export Finance Corporation plc do not meet the individual criteria for consolidation in the Government Financial Reporting Manual, as referred to in note 37 of the resource accounts of the Export Credits Guarantee Department for 2008-09. | | (292970) | 9
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the implications are for the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) of the ownership of Guaranteed Export Finance Corporation plc by two charitable trust companies, as referred to in note 37 to the resource accounts of the ECGD for 2008-09. | | (292971) | 10
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to note 37 to the Export Credits Guarantee Department resource accounts for 2008-09, the annual accounts for First Securitisation Company Limited, published in June 2009, and the most recent annual returns of Guaranteed Export Finance Corporation plc and First Securitisation Company Limited, what the ownership structure is of Guaranteed Export Finance Corporation plc. | | (292972) | 11
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to facilitate the tendering of public sector contracts for construction works. | | (292973) | 12
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many contracts for construction works his Department has put out to tender and then withdrawn in each of the last three years. | | (292974) | 13
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which applicants have received funding from the Technology Strategy Board's £72 million spending on innovative research and development announced in October 2008. | | (293029) | 14
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which applications for funding from the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform had been successful on the latest date for which information is available. | | (293033) | 15
| Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, on which projects the Technology Strategy Board has spent the £50 million allocated to it in Budget 2009. | | (293034) | 16
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, what grants his Department and its predecessors made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292653) | Questions to the Minister for the Cabinet Office 17
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what changes in practice have been implemented by Government departments following publication of the final report of the Power of Information Taskforce on 2 March 2009. | | (292790) | 18
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance she has issued to Government departments on the implementation of the fee recommendations of the final report of the the Power of Information Taskforce published on 2 March 2009. | | (292791) | 19
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what mechanism is in place to track progress made by Government departments in implementing the recommendations of the final report of the Power of Information Taskforce, published on 2 March 2009. | | (292792) | 20
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what policy applies to the appointment of policy advisers who are not special advisers to assist Ministers on 12 month contracts; and what recent guidance the Cabinet Secretary has issued on the subject. | | (292596) | 21
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what declaration of political activity has been made by each (a) Commissioner and (b) Executive Director of the Charity Commission. | | (292597) | 22
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total annual monetary remuneration of each commissioner of the Charity Commission is, including (a) expenses and (b) monies paid to compensate for tax liability. | | (292598) | 23
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on call charges by Government departments for hon. Members for use of a telephone hotline on behalf of their constituents; and if she will make a statement. | | (292831) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 24
| Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance he has given to Government departments on the fair valuation of risk and risk transfer in the evaluation of bids under the private finance initiative where (a) RBS and (b) Lloyds Banking Group are partners in such bids. | | (292799) | 25
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many local authorities in (a) Norfolk and (b) England have current loans from the Public Works Loan Board; when each loan was taken out; what interest rates are being charged on each; what the term of each loan is; and how much interest has been paid on each to date. | | (292688) | 26
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what records the Valuation Office Agency holds on the number of empty non-domestic properties on the Rating List. | | (292709) | 27
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data sources the Valuation Office Agency uses to determine the plot size when gathering data on a dwelling. | | (292736) | 28
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what aerial photography the Valuation Office Agency has obtained for its new Geographical Information System; and whether this information was obtained (a) through the Pan-Government Agreement, (b) directly from Ordnance Survey or (c) by another means. | | (292751) | 29
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292658) | 30
| Sarah Teather (Brent East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of (a) halving and (b) abolishing the entry charge to become a Real Estate Investment Trust. | | (292900) | 31
| Sarah Teather (Brent East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of only levying stamp duty on the individual dwellings in a bulk rental purchase. | | (292901) | 32
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the job specification and terms of reference for members of his Department's Council of Economic Advisers who have the status of special advisers. | | (292600) | 33
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether lump sum arrears of basic state pension paid under the reinstatement of deficiency notices project are taxable; and if he will make a statement. | | (292837) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 34
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much each London borough has received in capital funding under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (293045) | 35
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the per pupil funding for (a) primary and (b) secondary school children in each London borough was in each of the last five years. | | (293046) | 36
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the pupil to teacher ratio in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each London borough in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (293062) | 37
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps he has taken in response to the Ofsted July Joint Area Review of Haringey Council's Children's Services; and if he will make a statement. | | (293063) | 38
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what conditions have been imposed by his Department on spending of the funding provided in 2009-10 to the London Borough of Haringey for its children's services; and if he will make a statement. | | (293064) | 39
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many additional Sure Start centres are planned to be opened in (a) Staffordshire and (b) the West Midlands in the next three years. | | (292561) | 40
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what grants his Department and its predecessors made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292652) | 41
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many incidents of alcohol abuse on school grounds involving minors were reported in (a) England, (b) Essex and (c) Castle Point constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (292669) | 42
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many members of the teachers' pension scheme are expected to reach scheme pension age in each of the next 10 years. | | (292838) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 43
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discretion local authorities have in determining the fees payable by applicants seeking to extend existing planning consents for up to three years from 1 October 2009. | | (293036) | 44
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what statutory level of fees is payable by applicants seeking to extend existing planning consents by up to three years from 1 October 2009. | | (293037) | 45
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the merits of setting at £500 the fee charged by local authorities applying for an extension to existing planning permissions for up to three years from 1 October 2009. | | (293038) | 46
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people in each London borough have (a) applied for and (b) been granted assistance under the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme in each quarter since the scheme's inception; and if he will make a statement. | | (293049) | 47
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2009, Official Report, columns 118-9WS, on the Tackling Race Inequalities Fund, when he expects funding to be allocated to each organisation listed. | | (293051) | 48
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase public awareness of measures to assist homeowners with mortgage repayments. | | (292560) | 49
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have passed (a) delivery of and (b) ownership of services in respect of their duty to involve to social enterprises; and whether any such transfer has also involved a transfer of premises. | | (292646) | 50
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to assess the effectiveness of (a) local authorities and (b) other public agencies in discharging their obligations in respect of their (i) duty to promote democracy and (ii) duty to involve. | | (292647) | 51
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) local authorities and other public bodies and (b) other organisations in respect of their (i) duty to involve and (ii) duty to promote democracy obligations over the next three years. | | (292648) | 52
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on those local authorities which have not yet put in place mechanisms in respect of their duty to (a) involve and (b) promote democracy obligations; and if he will make a statement. | | (292649) | 53
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on whether local authorities and other public agencies are engaging representatives of vulnerable persons as required under the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. | | (292650) | 54
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has issued to those of its agencies which are subject to section 138 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 in respect of a duty to involve. | | (292651) | 55
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many of his Department's agencies required to introduce a duty to involve under section 138 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 have established a mechanism for doing so. | | (292715) | 56
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007; and if he will make a statement. | | (292718) | 57
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) research his Department has undertaken on and (b) resources his Department has committed to assist the preparedness of the house construction industry to meet new environmental energy-saving targets for new homes in the last 12 months. | | (292783) | 58
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the construction industry on its preparedness for new environmental and energy-saving targets. | | (292784) | 59
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) research his Department has undertaken on and (b) resources his Department has committed in the last 12 months to the various trades in the construction industry on ensuring existing homes meet the new environmental and energy-saving standards. | | (292785) | 60
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the name and address is of each regional planning body in England; and what the timetable is for regional development agencies to become the regional planning bodies. | | (292544) | 61
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what outturn total Band D council tax bill was levied in each billing authority in Surrey in 2009-10 following the capping of Surrey Police Authority. | | (292545) | 62
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether section 51 of Planning Policy Statement 3 on parking overrides the maximum parking standards for residential development contained in the 2001 edition of Planning Policy Guidance 13 on Transport. | | (292546) | 63
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): 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) | 64
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans there are to increase access by (a) public sector bodies, (b) delivery bodies and (c) industry groups to the Energy Performance Certificate database; and whether a privacy impact assessment was prepared in relation to extending access to the Energy Saving Trust. | | (292548) | 65
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether (a) a local authority with a below-average council tax collection rate is compensated in the local government finance settlement formula for the reduced revenue from council tax and (b) a local authority with an above-average council tax collection rate has its additional revenue equalised away. | | (292549) | 66
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether an assessment has been made of the effect on local authorities of the ruling of the European Court of Justice on allowing workers to claim sick leave whilst away on holiday leave; and if he will make a statement. | | (292550) | 67
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the housing and property industry on the extent to which energy performance is reflected in the value of a property. | | (292551) | 68
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Valuation Office Agency takes into account the potential for planning permission, where such permission has not been explicitly granted, when its district valuer arm values homes for right to buy purposes. | | (292552) | 69
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much the Homes and Communities Agency will spend on property and regeneration in each of the next three years; and how much English Partnerships and associated bodies which were incorporated into the Agency spent on such matters, in each of the last three years. | | (292553) | 70
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what obligations local authorities have to (a) undertake a private sector housing condition survey and (b) provide resulting information to his Department. | | (292554) | 71
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been given to local authorities on the hiring of public affairs consultants; and whether the communications activities of such consultants are covered by the Code of Conduct on Local Authority Publicity. | | (292555) | 72
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the effect of increasing the personal search fee for the local land charges register on the cost of a home information pack. | | (292556) | 73
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department and its agencies have spent on each budgetary heading related to communications, marketing, public relations, design and media on eco-towns. | | (292557) | 74
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what companies and individuals were on the English Partnership Public Relations Panel in each year since the Panel was set up; and what expenditure has been incurred on each (a) corporate and (b) individual member of the Panel to date. | | (292558) | 75
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much in central Government grants, including (a) specific and (b) special grants, was given to local authorities for (i) waste collection and (ii) waste disposal in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available. | | (292572) | 76
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has issued to fire and rescue authorities on the re-configuration of fire services in terms of the location of fire stations and fire appliances. | | (292573) | 77
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received on the effect of retrospective business rates on ports in Southampton. | | (292574) | 78
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities offer Social Homebuy. | | (292575) | 79
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many completed Social Homebuy transactions there have been since the introduction of the scheme. | | (292576) | 80
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of planning appeals relating to Traveller sites were (a) granted and (b) dismissed in the two years prior to the introduction of Circular 01/06. | | (292577) | 81
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to make further revisions to Planning Policy Statement. | | (292578) | 82
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department is providing to the Community Development Foundation in 2009-10; and what the (a) function and (b) purpose of the foundation is. | | (292579) | 83
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department is providing to the English Regions Network in 2009-10. | | (292580) | 84
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the revision of the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy in relation to undertaking strategic environment assessments of the proposals to remove green belt protection and introduce urban extensions. | | (292581) | 85
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the abolition of Firebuy Ltd and the creation of a successor body. | | (292582) | 86
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): 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) | 87
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the policy of the Homes and Communities Agency is on allowing brownfield land it owns or controls to be used for (a) commercial or industrial and (b) mixed used development. | | (292584) | 88
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in which locations proposed eco-town developments are being considered. | | (292585) | 89
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what financial obligations will apply to local authorities in relation to plans for a National Care Service and free personal care for the elderly. | | (292587) | 90
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff in each division of his Department received bonus payments in the last year for which figures are available. | | (292588) | 91
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much net revenue has been raised from the new regime of empty property business rates in each year since their introduction. | | (292589) | 92
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce anti-avoidance measures following the lowering of the threshold on empty property business rates in April 2010. | | (292590) | 93
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department has allocated for the establishment of the Fire Research Academy. | | (292591) | 94
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the monetary cost of employers' contributions to fire service pensions was (a) in cash terms and (b) as a proportion of the total expenditure of fire and rescue authorities in (i) the most recent year for which figures are available and (ii) in 1997-98. | | (292592) | 95
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much programme expenditure was paid via the Government Office for London in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; and what the administrative cost of the Government Office for London was during that period. | | (292593) | 96
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost of the Standards Board for England was for the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. | | (292594) | 97
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in which local authorities proposals have been made for green belt reviews in each of the most recent regional spatial strategies. | | (292595) | 98
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the objectives are of the Home and Community Agency's Single Conversation process. | | (292615) | 99
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what role the Homes and Communities Agency has in the regional planning process. | | (292616) | 100
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's guidance and methodology for valuing wind turbines; and what criteria apply to the inclusion of power generation in the (a) national and (b) local rating list. | | (292617) | 101
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund after 2010-11. | | (292618) | 102
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much English Partnerships spent on redundancy payments when it was dissolved; and how many people received such payments. | | (292619) | 103
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what framework agreements for the (a) Homes and Communities Agency and (b) Tenants Services Authority are in the process of establishing. | | (292620) | 104
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes his Department and its predecessors have made to (a) minimum and (b) maximum parking standards in planning guidance since 2001. | | (292621) | 105
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has issued on the design of waste collection services and facilities in new housing. | | (292622) | 106
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's most recent estimate is of the level of average annual carbon dioxide emissions for a domestic dwelling from heat loss. | | (292623) | 107
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the recent survey by the Tenant Services Authority on attitudes to (a) home ownership and (b) renting. | | (292624) | 108
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the terms of reference of the Tenant Services Authority's new advisory group on investigating new forms of tenancy and part-ownership are. | | (292625) | 109
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to fire and rescue authorities in the last 24 months on the European Working Time Directive and retained fire fighters. | | (292626) | 110
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what best practice guidance his Department has issued on high quality architecture and design for retail premises. | | (292627) | 111
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have responded to his Department's information-gathering exercise on empty property business rates. | | (292628) | 112
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): 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) | 113
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will undertake a privacy impact assessment of the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model and associated council tax databases in light of the amounts of digital property data being stored by that Agency. | | (292630) | 114
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment was made of the merits of using employment legislation to prohibit industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union on public safety grounds during the Iraq conflict in 2003. | | (292631) | 115
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of (a) marketing, (b) public relations, (c) advertising and (d) communications expenditure in relation to home information packs to date. | | (292632) | 116
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the re-cast Article 4 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will require minimum energy performance standards for existing (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic buildings which are not otherwise laid out in the specified exemptions. | | (292633) | 117
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to publish guidance on the use of (a) business rate supplements (BRS) and (b) BRS business improvement district levies. | | (292634) | 118
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the central Government expenditure on housing was in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms in each year since 1996-97. | | (292635) | 119
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department and its predecessor have received from civil liberties groups on empty dwelling management orders. | | (292637) | 120
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) permits, (b) risk assessments and (c) licences required from local authorities in order to operate a fete. | | (292639) | 121
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the provision of televisions showing Sky programmes by licensed premises is deemed to be a material condition that increases the premises's rateable value in respect of the Valuation Office Agency's 2010 rates revaluation. | | (292640) | 122
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to repeal the legislation that allows him to initiate a council tax revaluation in England by statutory instrument. | | (292641) | 123
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local partnerships will be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. | | (292642) | 124
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people made redundant by English Partnerships have subsequently been hired as employees, contractors or consultants by the Homes and Communities Agency. | | (292643) | 125
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what financial adjustments were made to the land assets of English Partnerships when they were transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency. | | (292644) | 126
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Valuation Office Agency takes into account car boot sales that take place on a premises when rating a property for the 2010 rates revaluation. | | (292645) | 127
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department provides funding to the Met Office. | | (292663) | 128
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the proposed changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme will have implications for compensation schemes in (a) local government and (b) non-departmental public bodies overseen by his Department. | | (292664) | 129
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many hereditaments on the Rating List in England had a SCAT Code of 442 according to records held by the Valuation Office Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (292690) | 130
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Minister in his Department has responsibility for architectural policy. | | (292691) | 131
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has set any targets to reduce car ownership through the application of planning policy. | | (292692) | 132
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, 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) | 133
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many residential new build planning applications were granted in each of the last five years; and what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of residential new build sites with planning permission which have not been developed. | | (292694) | 134
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the expenditure of each local authority in England was raised from council tax in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (292695) | 135
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will initiate an independent review of the use of empty dwelling management order powers by local authorities. | | (292696) | 136
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what planning applications the Planning Inspectorate has allowed at appeal in the last 12 months where a condition of granting the application included a requirement that the garage accommodation which formed part of the application be kept available for the parking of vehicles at all times. | | (292697) | 137
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued any recent guidance to local authorities on (a) religious segregation in municipal facilities and (b) compulsory dress codes in swimming pools. | | (292698) | 138
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued any recent guidance to local planning authorities on the grant of planning permission for the construction of new garages for purposes other than the storage of vehicles. | | (292699) | 139
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason the Open Market Homebuy scheme has been closed. | | (292700) | 140
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on the (a) advertising, (b) marketing and (c) publicising of Open Market Homebuy since the scheme's inception. | | (292701) | 141
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate his Department has made of the average age of a first-time buyer of a domestic property. | | (292702) | 142
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research projects his Department has commissioned in the last 24 months. | | (292703) | 143
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research projects have been commissioned by his Department's (a) Analytical Services Research Programme and (b) Communications Directorate in the last 24 months. | | (292704) | 144
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received from the Energy Saving Trust on (a) levels of council tax on homes with an energy efficiency rating of F or G and (b) the sale and rent of homes with an energy efficiency rating of F or G. | | (292705) | 145
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what obligations local authorities have to provide sufficient allotment sites to meet demand. | | (292706) | 146
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance and advice notes his Department has issued in relation to (a) integrated fire risk management plans and (b) the national fire services framework. | | (292707) | 147
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has given to billing authorities on (a) the categories of duty which a minister of religion should be able to demonstrate in order to be eligible for a Class E or Class H council tax exemption, (b) the definition of a minister of religion and (c) the religions which are recognised for the purpose of this exemption. | | (292708) | 148
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) individuals and (b) organisations have responded to his Department's consultation on modernising empty property relief. | | (292710) | 149
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has issued to fire and rescue authorities on (a) the reconfiguration of fire services, (b) the use of retained firefighters by fire services and (c) fire station closures. | | (292711) | 150
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues to (a) councillors and (b) local planning authorities on consideration to be given to issues of (i) predisposition and (ii) predetermination in determining the outcome of planning applications. | | (292712) | 151
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the notification of the provisions of section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 following the entry into force of the community infrastructure levy provisions of the Planning Act 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (292713) | 152
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model has been used to assist in the amendment of council tax bandings; and whether the model is connected to his Department's council tax banding support tool. | | (292714) | 153
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what payments the Audit Commission has made to Consolidated PR in the last three years. | | (292723) | 154
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the budget of (a) the Standards Board for England and (b) the Adjudication Panel was in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. | | (292725) | 155
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether power showers are permitted to be installed in homes which meet the requirements of level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. | | (292726) | 156
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on the FlexSpace initiative in his Department; and how much has been spent on consultancy services associated with the initiative. | | (292727) | 157
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the outcome against objectives of the operation of the FlexSpace initiative in his Department's accommodation. | | (292728) | 158
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent guidance produced by the Audit Commission for local authorities on the frequency of household waste collections. | | (292729) | 159
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average waiting time for an applicant to secure a local authority allotment. | | (292730) | 160
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned the notification code CL26 by the Valuation Office Agency in each year since 2006-07. | | (292731) | 161
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding from the public purse has been given to the (a) Property Codes Compliance Board and (b) Property Ombudsman in the last 12 months. | | (292732) | 162
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether an impact assessment has been prepared in relation to the housing policies announced in the draft legislative programme. | | (292733) | 163
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Tenant Services Authority against its objectives since its inception. | | (292734) | 164
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in which locations the draft regional spatial stategies submitted to his Department recommend a review of green belt protection. | | (292735) | 165
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on their implemention of Financial Reporting Standard 12. | | (292737) | 166
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the operation of their financial reserves. | | (292738) | 167
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent from the public purse to date on (a) the 2007 council tax revaluation and (b) computer databases and data gathering associated with that revaluation. | | (292739) | 168
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what accreditation schemes for (a) home information packs and (b) home condition reports have been notified to his Department. | | (292740) | 169
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what procedures are used to verify the accuracy of energy performance certificates for existing residential dwellings; and what accreditation schemes are in place. | | (292742) | 170
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement between his Department and the Energy Saving Trust on the use of Energy Performance Certificate data. | | (292743) | 171
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many hereditaments were on the Rating List with special category code (a) 227, (b) 226 and (c) 303 in each of the last five years, according to records held by the Valuation Office Agency. | | (292744) | 172
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many first-time house buyers there have been in each year since 1996. | | (292745) | 173
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what statistics (a) his Department and (b) the Valuation Office Agency are compiling on the level of take-up of deferred business rates under his Department's scheme to allow partial deferral of 2009-10 increases. | | (292746) | 174
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have received funding from his Department's empty shop revival fund. | | (292747) | 175
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which fire authorities in Wales have entered into contracts with private sector companies to provide fire cover in the event of industrial action. | | (292748) | 176
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many speech writers his Department employs on (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term contracts. | | (292749) | 177
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) information and (b) datasets held on the Places Database (i) are not accessible to the public via the Places internet interface and (ii) are only accessible from within his Department. | | (292750) | 178
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which organisations have subscribed to the new Pan-Government Agreement on geographical information. | | (292752) | 179
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which public sector organisations have purchased data from the colour infra-red product through the new Pan-Government Agreement. | | (292753) | 180
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which datasets are contained on his Department's Places Database. | | (292754) | 181
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines given to staff of his Department on the flexi-desk environment in operation in his Department. | | (292755) | 182
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in each Government Office Region have received financial support from the Preventing Repossession Fund since its inception. | | (292756) | 183
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether operators of mobile food vending vans are liable for the payment of business rates. | | (292757) | 184
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to undertake new strategic environmental assessments on the South East Regional Spatial Strategy. | | (292802) | 185
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the policy of (a) his Department and (b) the Government Office for the South West is on requiring local authorities to adopt the proposals of the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy; and what effect his Department's decision to undertake new strategic environmental assessments will have on adoption of the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy. | | (292803) | 186
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the treatment of (a) local authority collection of garden waste and (b) home composting of garden waste for the purposes of assessing progress towards local authority recycling targets. | | (292804) | 187
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what targets for numbers of additional Traveller pitches have been proposed in the most recent version of each regional spatial strategy; and what period of time is proposed for meeting this target in each such strategy. | | (292805) | 188
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Dewsbury, travelled to Pakistan in an official capacity in August 2009 to meet the President and Prime Minister of that country. | | (292806) | 189
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has given to fire and rescue authorities on their Service Improvement Plans. | | (292807) | 190
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether an impact assessment was produced to accompany (a) the 2000 edition of PPG3 and (b) the 2001 edition of PPG13. | | (292808) | 191
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes to permitted development rights which have restricted the rights of property owners to extend a dwelling have been made in the last 36 months. | | (292809) | 192
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty dwelling management orders each local authority has issued since their inception. | | (292810) | 193
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is the lead Government department for policy formulation on commercial (a) energy performance certificates and (b) display energy certificates. | | (292811) | 194
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the North East Regional Assembly and its successor body has provided to the North East Economic Forum. | | (292812) | 195
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) research and (b) reports have been commissioned from Oxford Economic Forecasting by his Department and its agencies in the last 36 months. | | (292813) | 196
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): 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) | 197
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on the home information pack programme since its inception. | | (292815) | 198
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in which regions regional housing executives have been established. | | (292816) | 199
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether (a) yacht clubs and (b) fishing companies located within the curtilages of ports are liable to pay business rates on a retrospective basis following the Valuation Office Agency's review of port valuations. | | (292817) | 200
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what conditions small firms will be required to meet in order to be eligible for small business rate relief from April 2010. | | (292818) | 201
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the budget of the Government Offices Regional Coordination Unit is for 2009-10; how many staff it employs; and what its function is. | | (292819) | 202
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which (a) organisations and (b) individuals have submitted responses to the Audit Commission's call for evidence on severance settlements for senior council staff and have not requested that their submissions be treated in confidence. | | (292820) | 203
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much programme expenditure was managed by the Government Office for each region in the latest 12 months for which figures are available. | | (292821) | 204
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what timetable his Department has set for the (a) consideration and (b) approval of local authority proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. | | (292822) | 205
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to publicise the council tax reduction available to those who care for a disabled person. | | (292823) | 206
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to amend planning policy guidance to abolish maximum parking standards. | | (292824) | 207
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has issued to fire authorities on Community Risk Management. | | (292825) | 208
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether officials of his Department have met representatives of Atherton Associates in the last 18 months. | | (292826) | 209
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's guidance on the rating of (a) microgeneration wind turbines, (b) solar voltaic cells and (c) ground source heat pumps for the 2010 business rates revaluation. | | (292827) | 210
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release of 14 September 2009 on apprenticeships and new housing, whether the apprenticeships with the projects' developers will be open to (a) EEA nationals, (b) A2 nationals and (c) A8 nationals. | | (292839) | 211
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 41 of his Department's publication on the Recast of the energy performance of buildings directive, by what mechanism his Department verifies that at least two per cent. of all energy performance certificates are checked and verified for accuracy by the accreditation bodies. | | (292840) | 212
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, if he will publish the job specification of the (a) Policy Adviser - Local Government Restructuring, (b) Policy Adviser - Strategy and Performance and (c) Project Adviser - Local Analysis and Delivery Unit; and whether each is assigned to work primarily for a particular Minister. | | (292841) | 213
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, which posts filled by his Department in the nine months up to the end of May 2009 were not advertised on either his Department's public website or on the public part of the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway; and what the job title and remit was of each such vacancy. | | (292842) | 214
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, what additional expertise and capacity was required for the two Policy Adviser roles that could not be delivered through (a) offering the job to existing departmental staff and (b) advertising the job publicly. | | (292843) | 215
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, whether the two policy adviser roles were open to applications from existing civil servants. | | (292844) | 216
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, which individuals were employed in the positions of (a) Policy Adviser - Local Government Restructuring and (b) Policy Adviser - Strategy and Performance. | | (292845) | 217
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, for what reasons the position of (a) Policy Adviser - Local Government Restructuring and (b) Policy Adviser - Strategy and Performance, was not publicly advertised. | | (292846) | 218
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which recommendations of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's 2002 report, Social tenants' access to home working opportunities, commissioned by the Housing Corporation's Innovation and Good Practice programme, have been adopted by the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation to date. | | (292847) | 219
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's consultation document, Amending the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 (S.I., 2003, No. 533) to improve the transparency of reporting of remuneration of senior officials in public bodies, which (a) organisations and (b) individuals to the consultation, excluding those who requested confidentiality. | | (292848) | 220
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 3 June 2009, Official Report, column 589W, on non-domestic rates: microgeneration, whether the 2010 rates revaluation will result in an increase in rateable values on properties in which microgeneration equipment was installed between 2008 and April 2010. | | (292849) | 221
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 3 June 2009, Official Report, column 590W, on non-domestic rates: Greater London, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's document, Review of sub-location codes. | | (292850) | 222
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 3 June 2009, Official Report, column 591W, on regeneration: finance, which independent audit authority will carry out the programme of audits of expenditure through the lifetime of the European Regional Development Fund programmes. | | (292851) | 223
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 3 June 2009, Official Report, column 591W, on regeneration: finance, if he will place in the Library a copy of the independent scrutiny report commissioned into explaining the management and financial control systems used by the regional development agencies and by his Department. | | (292852) | 224
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2009, Official Report, column 190W, on council tax, how many dwellings in England have been assigned the value significant code of OS (patio) in each local authority area, or in each equivalent local administrative area that the Valuation Office Agency's database uses, in the most recent period for which figures are available. | | (292853) | 225
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 5 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1435-6W, on national policy statements, what the latest timetable is for the (a) draft publication of, (b) consultation on and (c) designation of the first tranche of National Policy Statements. | | (292854) | 226
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 11 March 2009, Official Report, columns 488-9W, on legal opinion, what the nature of the legal opinion and the associated issue of law was that was obtained in relation to the (a) FiReControl Project, (b) Firelink Project, (c) Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant Project and (d) Home Information Pack Register Project. | | (292855) | 227
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 11 March 2009, Official Report, columns 487-8W, on land: databases, what aerial and satellite photography members of the Pan-Government Agreement will have access to; and what associated photography products are provided by (a) Ordnance Survey, (b) Landmark and (c) Dotted Eyes. | | (292856) | 228
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 495W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, how many sub-locations have been classified in each local billing authority or similar administrative area used by the Valuation Office Agency. | | (292857) | 229
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 497W, on planning permission: fees and charges, if he will review the mineral extraction rate fees levied on the construction of fishing lakes. | | (292858) | 230
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 24 April 2009, Official Report, column 912W, on departmental public relations, for what reasons the Housing Corporation hired an external public affairs consultancy; which firms were hired; and what brief and remit was given to the public affairs company. | | (292859) | 231
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2009, Official Report, column 398W, on regional assemblies, what the estimated total revenue cost is of the Regional Assemblies and their successor bodies, including local authority funding. | | (292860) | 232
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 2007W, on departmental manpower, what the (a) job titles and (b) divisions are of each of the 59.5 full-time equivalent staff on fixed term contracts. | | (292861) | 233
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 190-1W, on departmental visits abroad, which divisions of his Department sent civil servants to represent his Department and to provide expert advice on policy and subject issues in (a) North America, (b) Australia and (c) Asia in the 12 months to 31 March 2009. | | (292863) | 234
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 203W, on official hospitality, if he will place in the Library a copy of each page of his Department's staff handbook relating to guidance on the declaration of gifts, hospitality and financial interests. | | (292865) | 235
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 2 June 2009, Official Report, column 454W, on green belt: South East, whether a sustainability appraisal was undertaken in relation to the specific proposals in the South East Plan to review green belt protection in named locations. | | (292866) | 236
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 2 June 2009, Official Report, columns 463-4W, on local government: influenza, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the Local Resilience Forum plans that have undergone validation by each of the Government Offices for the Regions. | | (292867) | 237
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Minister in his Department approved payments from his Department to Shelter for the production of publications about the housing situation in and around potential eco-town locations. | | (292868) | 238
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what terms of reference were given to the Audit Commission in its investigation of the regulation of financial agreements between local authorities and chief executives who leave before the end of the term of their contract. | | (292869) | 239
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's publication, Code for Sustainable Homes: a step-change in sustainable home building practice, what guidelines his Department has issued on the minimum volume of space required for (a) residential waste storage and (b) recycling; and what assumptions are made in the guidelines on the size and number of household wheeled refuse containers that could fit into that space. | | (292870) | 240
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much expenditure his Department has incurred on (a) exhibitions and (b) road shows to promote eco-towns. | | (292871) | 241
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what 39 data items are recorded for an average property on the National Register of Social Housing. | | (292872) | 242
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which conferences held outside member states of the European Union have been attended by representatives of his Department in the last 12 months. | | (292873) | 243
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to review the costs to local authorities of making early repayments to the Public Works Loan Board. | | (292874) | 244
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many assessments of individual hereditaments there have been by the Valuation Office Agency to date in relation to the new regime of business rates on ports; and how many of these have subsequently been corrected or subjected to an appeal. | | (292875) | 245
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has allocated for achievement of the decent homes standard in each of the next three years. | | (292876) | 246
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Valuation Office Agency on access by the agency to access property data held on the (a) Home Condition Report and (b) Energy Performance Certificates registers. | | (292877) | 247
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the completion of the latest round of private sector housing condition surveys. | | (292878) | 248
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech, presentation and handouts made by the representative of the Valuation Tribunal Service at the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation Wales Conference held in Bournemouth on 30 September 2009. | | (292879) | 249
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the Fire Brigades Union in the last 12 months; on what date each meeting was held; and whether the FireGuard project was discussed. | | (292880) | 250
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on the precautionary principle in relation to planning policy. | | (292881) | 251
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on sending a written acknowledgement, including a case reference number, on receipt of a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. | | (292882) | 252
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has provided to the London Borough of Barnet to test behavioural economics to date. | | (292883) | 253
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to reduce average business rate bills in April 2010 if retail price index inflation is negative in September 2009. | | (292884) | 254
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent representations his Department has received on the merits of levying charges to park at supermarkets. | | (292885) | 255
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): 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) | 256
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has provided to local community groups from the Communitybuilders fund to date. | | (292887) | 257
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's Communications Annual Report 2008-09, if he will place in the Library a copy of the evaluation report for (a) the Home buying and Home selling communications campaign, (b) the eco-towns campaign and (c) the promoting take-up of online council services on waste and recycling campaign. | | (292888) | 258
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the responsibilities and remit are of (a) the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, (b) the Homes and Communities Agency's Design and Sustainable Development Team, (c) the Homes and Communities Agency's Advisory Team for Large Applications, (d) the Homes and Communities Agency's National Consultancy Unit and (e) the Homes and Communities Agency's Urban Design Compendium. | | (292889) | 259
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the amount of housing debt in each local authority. | | (292890) | 260
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his most recent estimate is of the revenue raised by local authorities from reducing their council tax discount on empty homes; and whether this revenue will (a) continue to be kept by local authorities after the 2011-12 settlement and (b) be taken into account in the calculation of their tax-base for the purposes of allocating central government grant. | | (292891) | 261
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his most recent estimate is of the increase in rents in (a) council housing and (b) housing association social housing predicted over each of the next three years as part of his Department's Target Rent Scheme. | | (292892) | 262
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the FireGuard project. | | (292893) | 263
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Valuation Office Agency's Zone of Shops Valuation Handbook was last updated. | | (292894) | 264
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department is making available to Shelter as part of the money advice partnership scheme. | | (292895) | 265
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason Tribal Consulting has been employed by his Department to oversee the Total Place initiative; what Tribal's remit is; and what the cost is of the contract. | | (292896) | 266
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of the re-branding of the Standards Board for England as Standards for England. | | (292897) | 267
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research his Department has commissioned into (a) gazundering and (b) gazumping in the last 12 months. | | (292898) | 268
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what types of planning application were not considered by local planning authorities, prior to the establishment of the Infrastructure Planning Commission. | | (292899) | 269
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2009, Official Report, columns 309-11W, on councillors, what mechanisms he uses to assess the implementation by political parties of the recommendations of the Councillors Commission report. | | (292975) | 270
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2009, Official Report, columns 308-9W, on council tax: appeals, what information his Department holds on the (a) number of council tax appeals decided and (b) decisions relating to each such case in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | | (292976) | 271
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 6 July 2009, Official Report, column 547W, on diplomatic missions, if he will allow local authorities to withdraw services from diplomatic missions which do not pay the national non-domestic rates billed to them. | | (292977) | 272
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 8 July 2009, Official Report, column 901W, on departmental public expenditure, when he expects his Department's impact assessments to be published. | | (292978) | 273
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 813W, on housing, what information his Department holds on the number of newspapers which printed the article by the Minister for Housing and Planning. | | (292983) | 274
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 21 July 2009, Official Report, column 1353W, on public expenditure, from which of his Department's capital programmes funds will be transferred as part of the £340 million anticipated capital underspends transfer. | | (292984) | 275
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment, what processes are used to hire staff through limited competition on a time-limited basis; and how this recruitment process differs from usual practice. | | (292985) | 276
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 237W, on fire services: industrial disputes, for what reason (a) his Department and (b) Government Offices for the Regions do not hold copies of contingency plans prepared by fire and rescue authorities in relation to industrial action in the fire service; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the resilience and effectiveness of the fire service in the event of national industrial action by firefighters. | | (292986) | 277
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 234W, on departmental furniture, which (a) offices and (b) individuals received each (i) Dean and (ii) Hay model of the Herman Miller chair. | | (292987) | 278
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 234W, on departmental furniture, how many Herman Miller chairs were ordered by the Department in 2008-09; and what the (a) model and (b) cost, including value added tax, was of each. | | (292988) | 279
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 230W, on conveyancing: fees and charges, if he will publish the data which his Department has collected on CON29 search fees charged by local authorities. | | (292989) | 280
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, columns 249-50W, for what reasons media monitoring services were contracted by or on behalf of each Government Office for the Regions which used them in each of the three years; and which companies provided the services used by each such office in each of the three years. | | (292990) | 281
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 304W, on departmental procurement, what the purpose was of the payments made to Financial Dynamics; and what subsequent payments have been made to the company. | | (292991) | 282
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, columns 246-7W, on the Local Government Information Unit, if he will place in the Library a copy of the completed project report produced by the Local Government Information Unit for his Department. | | (292992) | 283
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 247W, on the Local Government Information Unit, which official was seconded by the Local Government Information Unit to the office of the then Secretary of State; for what reason that secondment was terminated; and when that secondment (a) began and (b) ended. | | (292993) | 284
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 247W, on the Local Government Information Unit, for what reasons the Local Government Information Unit incurred legal costs in relation to the termination of a secondment to the office of the then Secretary of State; for what reasons his Department paid those costs; and whether compensation payments were made to any individual in relation to the termination of the secondment. | | (292994) | 285
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of planning appeals relating to Traveller sites have been (a) granted and (b) dismissed since the introduction of Circular 01/06. | | (292995) | 286
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his latest estimate is of the percentage change in rateable values between (a) the 2005 and (b) the 2010 draft rating list for each special category code, according to records held by the Valuation Office Agency. | | (292996) | 287
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local authority councillors who simultaneously hold posts in both tiers of local government in areas where a two-tier system operates. | | (292997) | 288
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): 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) | 289
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which recommendations of the Quirk Review have (a) been and (b) not been implemented. | | (292999) | 290
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many council homes he expects to be built in each year under the Local Authority New Build programme. | | (293000) | 291
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason the post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspectorate of Fire Services has been renamed as Chief Fire Adviser; and if he will make a statement. | | (293001) | 292
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what functions and responsibilities in relation to housing are undertaken by the Government Office for London. | | (293002) | 293
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent guidance his Department has issued to its (a) special advisers, (b) civil servants and (c) policy advisers on 12 month contracts on meetings with lobbyists; and whether central records are kept of any such meetings. | | (293003) | 294
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in respect of which local plans in which Government Office regions he and his predecessors have made a direction under paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 8 to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 not to retain a local plan policy to protect agricultural land. | | (293004) | 295
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what records the Homes and Communities Agency holds of levels of remuneration awarded to members of housing association boards. | | (293005) | 296
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his planned changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme will include changes to the Firefighters' Pension Scheme. | | (293010) | 297
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2009, Official Report, column 25W, on council tax: valuation, for what reasons the automated valuation model (AVM) is not being used for council tax valuations and revaluations; what use is being made of the AVM database; and whether the database is being updated with property attribute information. | | (293015) | 298
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release of 8 September 2009, on support for homeowners, what forms of advertising were used; and what the cost was of that advertising. | | (293020) | 299
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release of 8 September 2009 on support for homeowners, what criteria were used to select the 22 hotspot areas; and what account was taken of mortgage repossession figures held by the Ministry of Justice in that selection. | | (293021) | 300
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release of 13 August 2009, on the empty shops revival fund, whether local authorities are required to specify how they will spend their allocation before they receive a grant from the fund. | | (293022) | 301
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release of 29 September 2009, on council efficiency, which local authorities reported efficiency savings in relation to (a) adopting alternate weekly refuse collections and (b) introducing wheeled refuse containers. | | (293023) | 302
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 26 June 2007, Official Report, on housing: valuation, what method the Valuation Office Agency uses to establish how much a permanent greenhouse is worth. | | (293024) | 303
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 21 May 2009, Official Report, column 1510W, on national insurance contributions: local authorities, whether the planned additional cost of national insurance contributions for local authorities will be treated as a new burden for the purposes of determining local authority grant. | | (293025) | 304
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons a privacy impact assessment has not been undertaken in relation to the 2010 business rates revaluation. | | (293026) | 305
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 13 May 2009, Official Report, column 838W, on the Equality Bill, whether local authorities will be compensated under the new burdens principle for the costs to them of implementating the provisions of the Equality Bill. | | (293027) | 306
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2009, Official Report, column 714W, on departmental procurement, what the cost was of procuring aerial photographs from Infoterra for the digital mapping project; and which public sector bodies are parties to the Pan-Government Agreement. | | (293028) | 307
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ludlow of 16 September 2009, Official Report, column 2288W, on the Valuation Office Agency: publications, whether an advertising station which is not let out, not reserved and not displaying any image is eligible for empty property rate relief if its rateable value is under the empty property rate relief threshold. | | (293031) | 308
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 16 September 2009, Official Report, column 2209W, on conservatories, how many conservatories in England are recorded on the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model. | | (293032) | 309
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release of 17 July 2009, on housing, how much funding will be transferred from (a) the Growth Fund, (b) the Decent Homes Arms Length Management Organisation Programme, (c) the Private Sector Renewal programme and (d) each of the Homes and Communities Agency programmes to contribute to the £1.5 billion of funding announced in the Building Britain's Future. | | (293035) | 310
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 2007W, on departmental finance, what the breakdown by budgetary subheading is of his Department's other current spending for 2008-09. | | (293044) | 311
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292654) | 312
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of families required to move home by a local authority following the expiry of the right to statutory succession to a local authority property in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (292668) | 313
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 648W, on Departmental ministerial policy advisers, how many specialist staff are employed by his Department on a fixed-term contract to provide policy advice; and what the (a) title and (b) policy specialism is of each such member of staff. | | (292979) | 314
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the job vacancies for three departmental advisers on faith and community issues, advertised by his Department in August 2009, for what reasons the vacanices (a) are for 12-month fixed-term contracts and (b) were not advertised through the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway or departmental website. | | (292980) | 315
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 656W, on Tony Clements, whether Mr Clements was appointed to the post as Policy Adviser through a process of open competition; whether the job vacancy filled by Mr Clements was advertised on the public part of the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway; and whether his position is subject to standard Civil Service terms and conditions. | | (292981) | 316
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's advertisement for a job vacancy published in August 2009, for a policy adviser to the Secretary of State on Faith and Community, and pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 16 July 2009, Official Report, column 655W, on Tony Clements, how many staff in his Department who are not special advisers have the job title (a) Policy and (b) Departmental adviser. | | (292982) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 317
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the (a) accuracy and (b) completeness of the most recent sports survey undertaken by Sport England in relation to cricket. | | (292567) | 318
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the start-up cost of Sport England's Active Places website was; and what its running costs were in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. | | (292570) | 319
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding the Government has provided for the translation and production of Braille editions of books in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (293055) | 320
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of books published in the UK which were (a) available in Braille and (b) produced as audio books in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (293056) | 321
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department provides to public libraries on the proportion of books which should be made available for people with visual impairments; and if he will make a statement. | | (293057) | 322
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292662) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 323
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292661) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 324
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions there have been between officials of his Department, the Wales Office and the Welsh Assemby Government on the devolution to the Welsh Assembly of energy consents above 50MW. | | (292833) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 325
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions the monitoring of (a) fish stocks and (b) other marine wildlife has been instigated following the loss of a harmful cargo into the sea since 1 May 2007; what the results of such monitoring was; and what the (i) nature of the harmful cargo, (ii) location and (iii) period of monitoring was in each case. | | (292782) | 326
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292655) | 327
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the environment of the operation of lorries weighing over 44 tonnes; and if he will make a statement. | | (292665) | 328
| Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the farming industry on the identification of areas where the requirements placed on farmers to comply with nitrates legislation exceed the minimum requirements of the Nitrates Directive. | | (292717) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 329
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the EU has provided to the Kenyan government to improve its naval capacity in relation to the suppression of piracy off the coast of Somalia. | | (292667) | 330
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to address the problems faced by Christians in Orissa state, India. | | (292760) | 331
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to projects overseas to tackle domestic violence and sexual abuse in each year since 2001. | | (292777) | 332
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the largest sum allocated by his Department to an overseas project to tackle domestic violence, specifying amounts, organisations and outcomes, was in each year since 2001. | | (292778) | 333
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has for future spending on projects to tackle domestic violence overseas. | | (292779) | 334
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will instruct HM Ambassador in Rabat to investigate the abduction and torture by Moroccan security agents on 27 August 2009 of Ms Hassawina Nguyia, a 19 year-old Sahrawi woman who had previously been prevented from travelling to London to participate in the programme, Youths talk together about Western Sahara. | | (292829) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 335
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that GPs make information on rheumatoid arthritis available to the public. | | (292724) | 336
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of variations in levels of (a) access to and (b) quality of (i) specialist multi-disciplinary care services for rheumatoid arthritis patients and (ii) other care services for such patients. | | (292764) | 337
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of services for the continuing (a) monitoring and (b) management of rheumatoid arthritis patients. | | (292769) | 338
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that rheumatoid arthritis patients receive (a) information on and (b) support for their condition. | | (292770) | 339
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment has been made of the quality and consistency of (a) ongoing and (b) specialist care for rheumatoid arthritis patients in (i) Nottingham North constituency and (ii) England. | | (292771) | 340
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that GPs have greater awareness of rheumatoid arthritis to enable earlier identification of the disease. | | (292772) | 341
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of average waiting times for rheumatoid arthritis patients for follow-up consultations with a rheumatology specialist in (a) Nottingham North constituency and (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (292773) | 342
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of regional variations in the availability of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. | | (292774) | 343
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implementation of clinical guideline 79 issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for rheumatoid arthritis in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust. | | (292775) | 344
N | Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the percentage change in (a) NHS real terms expenditure and (b) finished consultant episodes has been since 1997. | | (292249) | 345
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average size of the electorate of a foundation hospital governing board; and what the average number of votes cast in elections to such bodies has been. | | (292564) | 346
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people serve on the governing council of a foundation hospital; and by what method they are selected. | | (292565) | 347
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what process is followed to (a) select and (b) remove (i) the chairman, (ii) the chief executive and (iii) directors of a foundation hospital. | | (292566) | 348
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which geographical areas the 2011-12 Quality and Outcomes Framework pilot indicator studies will take place. | | (292798) | 349
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the list of 13 new indicators for inclusion in the Quality and Outcomes Framework to be published. | | (292828) | 350
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria were used to select (a) the disease areas and (b) the geographical areas for inclusion in the pilot indicator studies for the 2011-12 Quality and Outcomes Framework. | | (292903) | 351
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of social care and support in Tamworth constituency. | | (292559) | 352
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to raise awareness amongst employers of the needs of people with endometriosis. | | (292562) | 353
| Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to review his policy on the provision of state financial aid for people affected adversely by thalidomide; and if he will make a statement. | | (292797) | 354
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many student midwives were in receipt of a bursary in each of the last five years; what the average bursary paid to a student midwife was in each such year in (a) cash and (b) real terms; how much was paid out to student midwives in bursaries in each such year, expressed in (i) cash and (ii) real terms; what the cost was of all bursaries paid to student midwives; and by how much in real terms the bursary changed in each of those years. | | (292666) | 355
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) maternity wards and (b) maternity ward beds there were in (i) England, (ii) each strategic health authority and (iii) each NHS trust in each of the last three years. | | (292670) | 356
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on maternity services in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each NHS trust in each of the last three years. | | (292671) | 357
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have enrolled on the Midwifery Return to Practice course in each of the last two years. | | (292672) | 358
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many training places were available for midwifery in each of the last five years. | | (292673) | 359
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of women preparing for birth in the NHS who received support from the same midwife throughout pregnancy in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (292674) | 360
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of women giving birth in the NHS who were offered a choice of (a) location of birth, (b) birth method and (c) method of pain relief during birth in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (292675) | 361
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much each strategic health authority has spent on (a) three-year and (b) 18-month midwifery courses in each of the last five years. | | (292676) | 362
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the attrition rate from (a) three-year and (b) 18-month midwifery courses in each strategic health authority was in each of the last five years. | | (292677) | 363
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the midwife to birth ratio was in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority area and (c) each primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (292678) | 364
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding his Department has allocated to increase numbers of NHS midwives in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. | | (292679) | 365
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many midwifery vacancies in the NHS there are; and what the (a) three-month vacancy rate and (b) total vacancy rate for NHS midwives was in each of the last five years. | | (292680) | 366
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many agency midwives were employed by each primary care trust (PCT) in each of the last five years; and how much each PCT spent on the employment of agency midwives in each such year. | | (292681) | 367
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent maternity support workers were in post in (a) the NHS, (b) each primary care trust and (c) each acute trust in each of the last five years. | | (292682) | 368
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent paediatricians were in post in each strategic health authority in each of the last five years. | | (292683) | 369
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent obstetrics and gynaecology consultants were in post in (a) the NHS and (b) each acute trust in each of the last five years. | | (292684) | 370
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent health visitors were in post in (a) the NHS and (b) each primary care trust in each of the last five years. | | (292685) | 371
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent midwives were in post in (a) the NHS, (b) each primary care trust and (c) each acute trust in each of the last five years. | | (292686) | 372
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which initiatives of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have been advertised in each of the last five years; how much was spent in each case; and which initiatives were advertised via the Central Office of Information. | | (292687) | 373
| Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trusts are borrowing money from his Department; what interest rates are being charged on each loan; what the term of each loan is; and how much interest has been paid on each to date. | | (292689) | 374
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government and (b) local authorities will be expected to provide towards the proposed new regime of free care for the elderly. | | (292741) | 375
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292660) | 376
| Sarah Teather (Brent East): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Tamiflu for dispensing on private prescriptions; and whether the increase in the NHS stockpile of Tamiflu affects this availability. | | (292902) | 377
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of the NHS pension scheme are expected to reach scheme pension age in each of the next 10 years. | | (292836) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 378
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of (a) asylum applications and (b) applications for leave to remain were successful in each of the last five years; what percentage of applications of each type which were refused were then granted following an appeal in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. | | (293060) | 379
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time for processing (a) asylum applications and (b) applications for leave to remain was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (293061) | 380
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what budget his Department has allocated to tackle the spread of extremism on the web. | | (292787) | 381
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what organisations his Department is working with to prevent the spread of extremism on the web; and if he will make a statement. | | (292788) | 382
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with which industry partners he has had discussions on preventing the spread of extremism on the web. | | (292789) | 383
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Sentencing Guidelines Council on the length of sentences for murder committed by members of gangs. | | (292793) | 384
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what investigations his Department has made into the Accreditation Service for International Colleges; and if he will make a statement. | | (292794) | 385
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the last six months on the number of bogus colleges in operation. | | (292795) | 386
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many students from colleges not on the Register of Education and Training Providers have applied for permanent residence in the UK in each of the last five years. | | (292796) | 387
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292656) | 388
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's policy is on call charge rates for hon. Members for use of a telephone hotline on behalf of their constituents; and if he will make a statement. | | (292832) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 389
| Mr Brian Jenkins (Tamworth): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps he has taken to help developing countries to reduce their debt. | | (292563) | 390
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which country received the largest allocation of funding support from his Department in 2009; which country is expected to receive the largest such allocation in 2010; and for what specific purposes in each case. | | (292776) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 391
| Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what services will be available for trafficked women under the POPPY project in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. | | (292800) | 392
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether there was any discrepancy between the number of drugs received into prison pharmacies in England and Wales and the number prescribed in these prisons in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; and what arrangements are in place for regular auditing to verify such information. | | (292604) | 393
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the documentation relating to Adapted C & R piloted in Feltham and Cookham Wood Young Offender Institutions in May 2006 and as referred to in paragraph 8.30 of the 2008 Independent Review of Restraint in Juvenile Secure Settings. | | (292605) | 394
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Prison Service review into the case for extending the use of the baton to young people's estates, as referred to in paragraph 8.39 of the 2008 Independent Review of Restraint in Juvenile Secure Settings. | | (292606) | 395
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the maximum capacity is of each (a) secure children's home, (b) secure training centre and (c) young offender institution; what the occupancy rate of each is; and if he will make a statement. | | (292607) | 396
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress has been made in relation to the proposal in the Youth Crime Action plan to delegate the budget for court-ordered secure remands to local authorities; and if he will make a statement. | | (292608) | 397
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for vulnerable young people of delegating the budget for court-ordered secure remands to local authorities; and if he will make a statement. | | (292609) | 398
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of those serving in HM Armed Forces are not eligible to vote; and for what reasons. | | (292610) | 399
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of those serving in HM Armed Forces in Afghanistan will not be eligible to vote in the next general election; and for what reasons. | | (292611) | 400
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what preparations have been made to ensure that those serving in HM Armed Forces in Afghanistan are able to vote in the next UK general election. | | (292612) | 401
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to tackle radicalisation in prisons; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such measures. | | (292613) | 402
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of radicalisation in prisons; and what evidence was used in making such assessments. | | (292614) | 403
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will ask each of the three participating political parties if they will consent to place all background papers and minutes from the inter-party talks on the funding of political parties in the public domain; and if he will place in the Library a copy of those papers. | | (292599) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 404
| Mark Durkan (Foyle): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the National Framework Agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals within the criminal justice system applies to Northern Ireland. | | (292834) | 405
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many successful applications under the Criminal Damages (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) 1997 Order in each of the last five years were made by (a) the Loyal Orange Order and (b) the Gaelic Athletic Association. | | (292758) | 406
| Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications for compensation under the Criminal Damages (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) 1977 Order have been made in each of the last five years; and how many such applications were certified by the Chief Constable. | | (292759) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Transport 407
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, how many incidences of (a) marine, (b) oil and (c) other pollution have been recorded in UK waters in each year since 1990 from shipping registered in (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other countries; what steps were taken to clean up in each case; what costs were incurred and what fines were levied in each case; by whom these were paid; and if he will make a statement. | | (292780) | 408
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the merits of the introduction of mandatory free companion passes for those who accompany blind or partially-sighted people on bus journeys. | | (292781) | 409
| Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, how many mobility scooter accidents involving (a) children and (b) adults have been recorded in each of the last five years. | | (292835) | 410
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, how many crimes of each type were recorded as having taken place (a) on trains and (b) at railway stations in each London borough in each of the last four years. | | (293052) | 411
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effects on passenger safety of the closure of railway station ticket offices on the First Connect line through Hornsey and Wood Green; and if he will make a statement. | | (293058) | 412
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of time spent by vehicles waiting to cross the Dartford Crossing; and if he will make a statement. | | (292761) | 413
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the average time taken by a vehicle to cross the Dartford Crossing; and if he will make a statement. | | (292762) | 414
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, what recent representations he has received on waiting times for vehicles at the Dartford Crossing. | | (292763) | 415
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292657) | Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality 416
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, how much the Government has spent to support Braille literacy courses in each of the last four years; and if she will make a statement. | | (293053) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 417
| Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of jobseeker's allowance claimants in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland had previously applied unsuccessfully for employment support allowance. | | (293039) | 418
| Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the lower levels of jobseeker's allowance for people who are (a) single and under the age of 24 and (b) lone parents under the age of 18. | | (293040) | 419
| Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what procedures are in place to ensure consistency in work capability assessments. | | (293041) | 420
| Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of applicants in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland (i) failed and (ii) failed with no points the work capability assessment in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many of those in each category had their employment support allowance re-instated after appeal. | | (293042) | 421
| Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding has been allocated to the Tribunals Service to process employment support allowance appeals in 2009-10; and how much has been spent for this purpose in that year. | | (293043) | 422
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in each London borough have (a) applied for and (b) been granted assistance under the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme in each quarter since the scheme's inception; and if she will make a statement. | | (293050) | 423
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effects of Braille literacy on the employment prospects of people who are visually impaired; and if she will make a statement. | | (293054) | 424
| John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of claimants for industrial disease claims for coalminers beat knee and osteoarthritis were refused a claim in the first three months of eligibility of claim for medical assessment. | | (292765) | 425
| John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the incidence of coactivity in claimants when assessing industrial disease claims for coalminers beat knee and osteoarthritis. | | (292766) | 426
| John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what health assessment process her Department uses to assess industrial disease claims for coalminers beat knee and osteoarthritis. | | (292767) | 427
| John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what use her Department makes of the WOMAC index questionnaire in assessing industrial disease claims for coalminers' beat knee and osteroarthritis. | | (292768) | 428
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs she expects to be created under the Future Jobs Fund in (a) Luton, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) the East of England in the next 12 months; and what types of job she expects to be created. | | (292719) | 429
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding her Department has allocated to date to (a) Luton, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) the East of England under the Future Jobs Fund; and how much funding she expects to allocate in the next 12 months. | | (292720) | 430
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will estimate the average cost of a job created under the Future Jobs Fund to date. | | (292721) | 431
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people she estimates will be involved in the Community Task Force programme in Luton in the next 12 months. | | (292722) | 432
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what grants her Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. | | (292659) | 433
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on call charges for hon. Members for use of a telephone hotline on behalf of their constituents; and if she will make a statement. | | (292830) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 434
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a gateway review was undertaken in relation to the Valuation Office Agency's Geographical Information System. | | [Transferred] (292636) | 435
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 775W, on council tax, if he will take steps to ensure the Valuation Office Agency's council tax banding support tool is used to identify and correct errors in the council tax banding list. | | [Transferred] (292862) | 436
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, columns 194-6W, on housing: construction, which local authorities in the North East have provided details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface was used in each case. | | [Transferred] (292864) | 437
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 194W, on housing: construction, whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface is used in each case for each of the local authorities listed. | | [Transferred] (293016) | 438
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 194W, on housing: construction, which local authorities in the North West provide details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface is used in each case. | | [Transferred] (293018) | 439
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 June 2009, Official Report, column 194W, on housing: construction, which local authorities in the South West provide details of (a) building control commencement lists and (b) building control completion notices to the Valuation Office Agency; and whether the Valuebill/e-BAR interface is used in each case. | | [Transferred] (293019) | 440
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2009, Official Report, column 2287W, on the Valuation Office Agency, on what date the Valuation Office Agency published its guidance on council tax bands and self-contained units. | | [Transferred] (293030) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 441
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of state schools are linked to a cricket club. | | [Transferred] (292568) | 442
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of state schools include organised games of cricket in the sports curriculum. | | [Transferred] (292569) | 443
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the cost to the public purse of undertaking the most recent Schools Sport Surveys was. | | [Transferred] (292571) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 444
| Margaret Moran (Luton South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) identified and (b) prosecuted for spreading extremism on the web in the last 12 months. | | [Transferred] (292786) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 445
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many clients have been represented by no-win no-fee solicitors in employment tribunals in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. | | [Transferred] (292601) | 446
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on whether councillors are required to register individually under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. | | [Transferred] (292638) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Transport 447
| Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, whether revenue raised by local authorities from (a) on-street parking charges and (b) parking fines is ring-fenced. | | [Transferred] (292586) |
|
