Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 3 December 2009
Communities and Local Government
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residential properties his Department owns; and how many (a) are occupied and (b) have been empty for more than six months. [303994]
Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government do not own any residential properties. The Fire Service College, an agency of the Department, currently owns 40 residential properties. 32 are currently occupied. One property has been vacant for more than six months.
English Partnerships: Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments English Partnerships has made to Fleishman-Hillard in the last 12 months; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the contracts under which such payments have been made. [302206]
John Healey: No payments were made by the Homes and Communities Agency (as the successor body to English Partnerships) to Fleishman-Hilliard, in the last 12 months.
Floods: Cumbria
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the implications of the application of Bellwin formula for the recovery operations following the recent floods in Cumbria. [302146]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to supporting the local authorities and other local agencies who are doing such an excellent job to help those affected by these terrible events. We have quickly activated the Bellwin scheme, to provide emergency financial assistance to local authorities in the immediate aftermath of the floods. In recognition of the exceptional nature of the floods, the Bellwin scheme grant rate has been increased to 100 per cent. above threshold-instead of the usual 85 per cent.- scheme.
Non-Domestic Rates
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria the Valuation Office Agency uses to determine whether facilities which are appurtenant exclusively to individual dwellings but which are separate hereditaments should be eligible for non-domestic rating. [303564]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
Facilities which are appurtenant exclusively to individual dwellings cannot be separate hereditaments. To be appurtenant a facility must be within the curtilage of a dwelling. Therefore, if it is appurtenant and exclusive to the dwelling it will form part of the same hereditament.
Property Development: Floods
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes there are in (a) designated development sites in each region, (b) such sites situated on floodplains and (c) such sites in areas of significant flood risk. [303295]
Mr. Ian Austin: Information on the numbers of homes in designated development sites in each region, in such sites situated in floodplains and in such sites in significant flood risk areas is not available centrally.
Regeneration: Kent
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what central Government funding is available for regeneration projects and community building initiatives in (a) Thanet and (b) Dover district council area in 2009-10. [302135]
Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
(i) Thanet district council (DC) area for 2009-10:
Within CLG's Area Based Grant, Thanet district council (DC) receive £132,647 for community cohesion, £258,000 for safer, stronger communities, and £1,598,807 from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund.
From the joint CLG/DCSF Empty Shops Initiative, Thanet receive £50,000.
From the joint DWP/CLG Future Jobs Fund, Thanet receive £773,500.
Within the Thanet DC area, the Margate Dreamland project has been awarded £3.7 million (up to 2011) from the DCSF Sea Change programme and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £548,000.
Thanet is a neighbourhood crime and justice pioneer area and receives Home Office funding of £75,000.
Kent county recently received an additional £64,000 for tackling antisocial behaviour. Thanet as a priority area for ASB are likely to benefit from this funding.
SEEDA: The figures provided are forecast expenditure by SEEDA for 2009-10 for Thanet-£1,584,000 total.
Turner Contemporary Art Gallery-£1,275,000.
Margate renewal delivery team (this provides support for the Margate Renewal Partnership)-£90,000
Eurokent Business Park, Broadstairs-£219,000.
(ii) For Dover DC Area for 2009-10
Within Area Based Grant, Dover DC receive £90,588 for community cohesion.
Within the Dover DC area, the Dover Castle refurbishment project has been awarded £3.85 million (up to 2011) from the DCSF Sea Change programme.
SEEDA-The figures provided are forecast expenditure by SEEDA for 2009-10 for Dover-£444,000 total
Dover Waterfront-£444,000.
(iii) Thanet and Dover will also benefit in regeneration and sustainable community terms from investment spent outside the boroughs in East Kent and beyond, such as the £40,000 SEEDA is investing in the Dover Rail Reconnection transport project.
Sheltered Housing
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many almshouse residents are not in properties managed by registered social landlords; [303517]
(2) whether the rights of residents of almshouses which are not managed by registered social landlords differ from those resident in properties managed by registered social landlords. [303519]
Mr. Ian Austin: The National Association of Almshouses produces guidance for its members. The National Standards of Almshouse Management apply to all almshouses, regardless of whether they are properties of registered social landlords (RSLs). All RSLs in England are regulated by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and must comply with the TSA's regulatory code.
The number of almshouse residents who are not in properties managed by RSLs is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Tenant Services Authority
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff have worked for the Tenant Services Authority on secondment from other organisations since its establishment; from which organisations the employees were seconded; and what the cost to the public purse of each secondment has been. [302806]
John Healey: Eight members of staff have worked for the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) on secondment from other organisations since its establishment. Three of these secondments are currently with the TSA. The organisations concerned are as follows:
Government Office for West Midlands
East Thames Housing
Homes and Communities Agency
LHA ASRA
Pinnacle PSG
Communities and Local Government
Financial Services Management Development Ltd.
Audit Commission
Given the number of secondments, publishing the cost to the public purse of each one could result in the identification of individual salary levels.
Vacant Land
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has issued to borough councils on preservation of green space when undertaking new developments. [303179]
Mr. Ian Austin: Guidance to local planning authorities on the provision and protection of open space is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation (PPG 17) and in the companion guide Assessing needs and opportunities: A companion guide to PPG17.
Culture, Media and Sport
Athletics: East of England
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many publicly maintained athletic tracks there are in each (a) district and (b) unitary council area in the east of England. [303639]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
| Local authority | Number of tracks |
This information is supplied by Sport England with data from the Active Places website.
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