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16 Dec 2009 : Column 1301W—continued
North East Economic Forum
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding (a) his Department, (b) the Government Office for the North East and (c) the North East Assembly has provided to the North East Economic Forum in each year since 2005. [305924]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department for Communities and Local Government, Government Office for the North East and the North East Assembly (and its successor body) have not made any payments to the North East Economic Forum.
Ordnance Survey
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will limit the free release of Ordnance Survey data to that in respect of which the Government is a monopoly supplier. [307755]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Prime Minister proposed on 17 November to release for free and for reuse, including commercially, some Ordnance Survey data relating to administrative and electoral boundaries, mid-scale mapping and postcode areas. The purpose of the forthcoming consultation is to set out the proposal in greater detail and to hear feedback, including on the impact on the wider market in which Ordnance Survey operates.
Planning
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written statement of 24 November 2009, Official Report, column 38WS, on departmental expenditure limit (2009-10), what the unfunded legal challenges on planning that have required the £400,000 of funding were; and for what reasons each such challenge was made. [307215]
Mr. Ian Austin: In 2008 appeals were submitted against non-determination of three planning applications for sustainable urban extensions in Daventry. Funding was provided to enable West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) to be represented at the inquiry. Further details of the appeals are published on the WNDC website:
Property Development: Floods
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress is being made on the revision of building regulations to ensure that new or refurbished buildings in high flood-risk areas are flood resistant and resilient. [305074]
Mr. Ian Austin: We continue to take forward policy development, including on flood resilience and resistance, in preparation for a wider public consultation on Parts A (Structure) and C (Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture) as set out in the "Future of Building Control-Implementation Plan".
In advance of this, we will also be consulting in the spring of 2010 on issues that might be reflected in future flood performance standards for new buildings and repairs and how they might be incorporated in the Building Regulations. This consultation will also inform decisions on any legislative changes that may be needed in advance of those planned in the "Future of Building Control".
Public Bodies: Pay
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's publication Amending the accounts and audit regulations 2003 (SI 2003 No. 533) to improve the transparency of reporting of remuneration of senior officials in public bodies: Summary of responses and Government response, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full response from the (a) Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors, (b) Association of Local Authority Chief Executives, (c) Association of Principal Fire Officers, (d) Audit Commission, (e) Broads Authority, (f) Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, (g) Fire Officers' Association, (h) GMB-Britain's General Union, (i) Greater Manchester Pension Fund, (j) Information Commissioner's Office Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, (k) Local Government Employers, (l) Merseyside Pension Fund, (m) National Association of Local Councils and
Somerset Association of Local Councils, (n) North Yorkshire Pension Fund Committee, (o) Police Authority Treasurers' Society, (p) Society of County Treasurers, (q) Society of District Council Treasurers, (r) Society of Local Authority Chief Executives Enterprises and (s) UNISON. [306437]
Barbara Follett: The responses on the consultation to amend the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 (SI 2003 No. 533) in order to improve the transparency of reporting of remuneration of senior officials in public bodies were published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website on 30 November this year at the following link:
Public Houses: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public houses of special category codes 226 and 227 and primary description code CL were on the Valuation Office Agency's Rating List in each local authority area in (a) 1997 and (b) 2009. [306556]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
Special category codes 226 and 227 did not refer to Public Houses in the 1995 Rating Lists. However, I have deposited a table in the Library of the House which includes the number of public houses in the Rating Lists for each local authority in England, with primary description code CL, at April 1997 and primary description code CL and special category codes 226 and 227 at April 2009.
Regional Government
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Dorset of 26 November 2009, Official Report, column 314W, on regional government: South West, what the successor body to each regional assembly is; how much funding is being allocated in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11 to each such body; and what structure and powers each such body will have that regional assemblies do not. [307213]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Regional assemblies were designated as regional planning body with responsibility for drafting the regional spatial strategy. Following the commencement of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act the single regional strategy will be jointly prepared by local authority leaders' boards and regional development agencies.
The funding allocated to regional assemblies or local authority leaders' boards in 2009-10 was:
| Funding (£) | |
Allocations for 2010-11 have yet to be made however regional assemblies or local authority leaders' boards have been told that overall resources need to be reduced by 10 per cent.
The structure of local authority leaders' boards is a matter for each region. Local authorities in a region are required to consult with stakeholders and submit a scheme establishing the structure to the Secretary of State for approval. Local authority leaders' boards do not have additional powers beyond those in respect of the single regional strategy.
Regional Planning and Development
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 14 October 2009, Official Report, column 1070W, on the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, what the timetable is for the other regional assemblies to be redesignated as new regional planning bodies. [306542]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act provides for participating authorities to make a scheme for the establishment and operation of Local Authority Leader's Boards. The Regional Development Agencies and the Leader's Boards will become the Responsible Regional Authority in each region who will be responsible for the future revision of their Regional Strategy.
On the 25 November 2009 the Commencement Orders implementing provisions establishing Leader's Boards came into effect. Following consultation with stakeholders the participating local authorities will submit schemes for establishing Local Authority Leader's Boards to the Secretary of State for approval.
There is no fixed timetable but the Regional Strategy elements of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act will commence on the 1(st) April 2010 at which point the designated Regional Planning Body role ceases to exist. We would hope that Leaders Board schemes would be received and approved by then.
Repossession Orders
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in (a) City of York constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber region and (c) the UK were repossessed in each year since 1979. [307387]
Mr. Ian Austin: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). However, both are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders latest press release on repossessions is on their website at:
The Financial Services Authority data is available on their website at:
Shared Ownership Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to encourage the development of shared ownership housing schemes in (a) Leeds and (b) West Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement. [306933]
John Healey: We support people's aspirations to sustainable home ownership and have introduced a number of measures for first time buyers in response to current market conditions. The Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) principal product for shared ownership is Newbuild Homebuy. This is shared ownership with a housing association or partner available to households on annual income of £60,000 or less.
In this financial year, so far Yorkshire and the Humber has delivered 211 units of low cost home ownership principally through the National Affordable Housing Programme. Of these 117 are in West Yorkshire, 20 in Leeds. The outturn figures for 2008-09 show 723 units of low cost home ownership across Yorkshire and the Humber, 313 in West Yorkshire, 110 in Leeds.
Provision of low cost home ownership is a valuable tool in providing a mix of tenures in sustainable communities. HCA works closely with local authorities and partners to determine the most appropriate and sustainable mix of tenures in any given location.
Sheltered Housing
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the provisions of the Decent Homes Standard apply to residents of almshouses who are not in properties managed by registered social landlords. [303518]
Mr. Ian Austin: The decent homes standard only applies to social housing providers registered with the Tenant Services Authority. The standard does not apply to charitable organisations but the Almshouses Association can provide advice about accessing funding for improvements.
In order to tackle the worst housing conditions, in April 2006, we introduced the housing health and safety rating system. This is a new way of assessing properties to make homes safer and applies to all residential properties. If a local authority considers that there is a serious (Category 1) hazard, it has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This can include serving an "improvement notice" on the landlord to remove the Category 1 hazard within a reasonable period of time. It is believed that responsible landlords will need, and want to be able to identify those factors that may cause hazards and carry out improvements accordingly.
Sleeping Rough and Homelessness
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what data his Department holds on the age profile of (a) rough sleepers and (b) homeless households; and if he will make a statement. [307211]
Mr. Ian Austin: The annual headline figure for rough sleeping published by the Department, based on local authority street counts, does not include information on age profile.
Some information on the age profile of rough sleepers, covering London only, is available from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) database which records information about rough sleepers and contacts made by outreach services with rough sleepers.
Data from the CHAIN database show that of the rough sleepers contacted by outreach services during 2008-09, 8 per cent. are 18-25 years; 26 per cent. are 26-35 years; 35 per cent. are 36-45 years, 20 per cent. are 46-55 years and 11 per cent. are over 55 years.
For part (b) of the question above, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 December 2009, Official Report, column 991W.
Social Rented Housing: Finance
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many funding streams to local authorities and social landlords for housing there are (a) in total and (b) managed by the Homes and Communities Agency. [306410]
John Healey: Information on Communities and Local Government and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) programme funding streams on housing are set out in the Department's published annual report 2009, and for the HCA in its published annual report and financial statement for 2008-09 and its published corporate plan for 2009-10.
The CLG annual report can be found at:
The HCA report can be found at:
Social Rented Housing: Standards
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of homes which have not reached the decent homes standard referred to in the Green Paper on Housing published by his Department's predecessor in 2000 by 2010. [306750]
Mr. Ian Austin: The HCA have estimated using the latest landlord statistics that we expect 304,700 (8 per cent.) of social homes to be classed as non-decent by the end of 2010.
Swimming Pools: Valuation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority swimming pools were on the Valuation Office Agency's rating list in England in (a) 1997 and (b) 2009. [306390]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency data did not differentiate between local authority and private swimming pools in the 1995 Rating Lists. As at 1 April 1997 a total of 710 swimming pools were included in the rating lists for England, against special category code (SCAT 282).
A special category code (SCAT 272), specific to local authority swimming pools exists in the current Rating Lists. As at 1 April 2009 there were 490 swimming pools recorded against this SCAT code.
Local authority swimming pools may also be included in hereditaments listed under other special category codes, such as that for local authority sports and leisure centres. Information on the number of pools within hereditaments listed under other special category codes could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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