Petitions
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Presented Petitions
Petition s presented to the House on Monday 11 January 2010 but not read on the Floor
Badman Report (Sheffield, Heeley)
The Petition of persons resident in the Sheffield, Heeley parliamentary constituency,
Declares that they are concerned about the recommendations of the Badman Report, which suggests closer monitoring of home educators, including a compulsory annual registration scheme and right of access to people's homes for local authority officials; further declares that the Petitioners believe the recommendations are based on a review that was extremely rushed, failed to give due consideration to the evidence, failed to ensure that the data it collected were sufficiently robust, and failed to take proper account of the existing legislative framework.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families either not to bring forward, or to withdraw, proposed legislative measures providing for tighter registration and monitoring of children educated at home in the absence of a thorough independent inquiry into the condition and future of elective home education in England; but instead to take the steps necessary to ensure that the existing Elective Home Education Guidelines for Local Authorities are properly implemented, learning from current best practice, in all local authorities in England.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Badman Report (Runnymede and Weybridge)
The Petition of persons resident in the Runnymede and Weybridge parliamentary constituency,
Declares that they are concerned about the recommendations of the Badman Report, which suggests closer monitoring of home educators, including a compulsory annual registration scheme and right of access to people's homes for local authority officials; further declares that the Petitioners believe the recommendations are based on a review that was extremely rushed, failed to give due consideration to the evidence, failed to ensure that the data it collected were sufficiently robust, and failed to take proper account of the existing legislative framework.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families either not to bring forward, or to withdraw, proposed legislative measures providing for tighter registration and monitoring of children educated at home in the absence of a thorough independent inquiry into the condition and future of elective home education in England; but instead to take the steps necessary to ensure that the existing Elective Home
Education Guidelines for Local Authorities are properly implemented, learning from current best practice, in all local authorities in England.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Petition presented to the House on Tuesday 12 January 2010 but not read on the Floor
Sheltered Housing (Sidcup)
The Petition of persons resident in the Old Bexley and Sidcup parliamentary constituency,
Declares that they are concerned for the future of Heron Court, a sheltered housing scheme in Sidcup, with provision for elderly residents and operated by London and Quadrant Housing Trust to which nominations are made by the London Borough of Bexley.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State responsible for Local Government to ensure that their local authority considers the six hundred persons upon their sheltered accommodation waiting list whilst empty places are retained in appropriate schemes within the Borough.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Observations
Communities and Local Government
Council Housing (Portsmouth)
The Humble Petition of Portsmouth City council Tenants, and others,
Sheweth that the Government have taken £8.7 million including £4.6 million this financial year from the rents of Portsmouth City council tenants for general Government expenditure; and declares that this will continue for the next 30 years at an estimated cost of £500 million,
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House will urge the Government to revise this trend so that the rent from Portsmouth City council tenants is spent directly for their benefit,
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c. -[Presented by Mr. Mike Hancock , Official Report, 2 March 2009; Vol. 488, c. 700 .]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
Under the current Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy system, the Local Authority's assumed housing income is compared with the assumed cost of managing and maintaining its housing stock. Where the income is greater than the cost, the difference is recycled by the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system to support those Authorities whose income is not enough to meet their costs.
When the subsidy provided by those Authorities that contribute to the system has not been enough to provide the subsidy needed by the Authorities with a shortfall, the Government have provided the additional funding
needed to balance the system. When the national system has generated a surplus, that surplus has been taken into account in setting the level of spending on public sector housing provision.
The Department for Communities and Local Government and Her Majesty's Treasury have undertaken a review of the system for financing council housing. This involved extensive consultation with a wide range of organisations and individuals representing all of those with an interest in how council housing finance works.
The Review made clear that many people are not content with the methodology, by which assumed rental surpluses are re-distributed, with some Authorities contributing to the costs of others with assumed deficits..
In July, the Minister for Housing and Planning, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (John
Healey), set out proposals for a clearer, more transparent system that puts councils in control and gives them flexibility to respond to the needs of their tenants. He made clear that he proposed to dismantle the current HRA subsidy system and give local government real control over a major area of spending and decision-making.
The Government's consultation on these proposals closed at the end of October. Work is now going ahead with local government and with experts and practitioners in the professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy ( CIPFA), to work through the financial, accounting, technical and practical aspects of a local authority self-financing system. Communities and Local Government aim to go back to the local government sector with a detailed offer on self-financing early next year.
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