| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
3 Mar 2010 : Column 1240W—continued
The RSS defines the maximum parking standards for non-residential development as set out in PPG13 Transport; for these and for standards for residential development it is the LDF which interprets standards so as to reflect local circumstances.
The RSS states that local parking standards set out in LDFs for residential and non-residential development have to be line with PPG 13 Transport.
The maximum parking standards cover non-residential developments only.
London-Policies 3C.23 and C3.24
The London Plan does define the maximum parking standards for residential and non-residential development; the boroughs should interpret these standards so as to reflect local circumstances.
Regeneration
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the National Audit Office's report on English Coalfields, HC 84, which (a) local authority areas and (b) Government Office regions the coalfields programme covers. [319117]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency's National Coalfields Programme covers the following Government Office regions and local authorities:
| Government office region | Local authority area |
A map showing the Government Office Regions and projects can be found at:
Regional Government
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many regional assemblies have been abolished; and which assemblies have rebranded themselves. [319226]
Ms Rosie Winterton: No regional assemblies have been abolished. Pending the commencement of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act on 1 April, five regional assemblies have transferred some of their activities to newly established interim Leaders' Boards. These are (a) the Association of North East Councils; (b) Local Government Yorkshire and Humber (c) 4NW; (d) South East England Leaders' Board; and (e) South West Councils Strategic Leaders' Board.
Travelling People: Caravan Sites
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many unauthorised Traveller pitches there were in each local authority in England in (a) 2000 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. [319124]
Mr. Malik: The bi-annual count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans collects data on the number of caravans on unauthorised sites in England. It does not provide data on the number of pitches on unauthorised sites. Information on the number of caravans on unauthorised sites by local authority area in 2000 and 2009. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many vacant plots there are on local authority Gypsy sites. [319167]
Mr. Malik: The count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans carried out by local authorities on 16 July 2009 shows there were 250 vacant residential pitches and 76 vacant transit pitches on local authority sites in England.
Mr. Stewart Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's Progress Report on Gypsy and Traveller Policy of July 2009, what the evidential basis is for the analysis for Planning Inspectorate decisions referred to on page 12 of the Progress Report; if he will place in the Library a copy of the methodology and
dataset for the analysis referred to on page 12 of that report; and if he will update that analysis using the latest data. [319231]
Mr. Malik: The evidential basis for the analysis of Planning Inspectorate decisions referred to on page 12 of the Progress Report on Gypsy and Traveller Policy of July 2009 is a review of all 81 appeal decisions made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009. The Annual Report to Parliament refers to 178 appeals; this is a typographical error. This does not impact on the figure of 27 per cent. of appeals relating to Gypsy and Traveller developments receiving permission. I have arranged for a copy of the dataset to be placed in the House Library.
It is our intention to provide an update to this in our 2010 report to Parliament.
Waste Improvement Network: Finance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding (a) his Department and (b) the Regional Efficiency Improvement Partnership have given to the Waste Improvement Network in each year since its inception; and what the forecast level of funding by each is for (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [319314]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not provided funding directly to the Waste Improvement Network (WIN), nor has it any plans to do so in the future.
Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) report to the Department on the basis of outcomes achieved and objectives delivered; they are not required to report in detail about to whom they have given money. However, we are aware that WIN was established by the predecessor to the South East RIEP in 2006-07 with funding of £89,700, and that forecast investment by them is as follows:
2009-10: £15,000
2010-11: £15,000.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 316350, on offices of the Homes and Communities Agency, the Homes and Communities Agency Academy and the Tenant Services Authority, tabled on 3 February 2010. [320252]
Barbara Follett: The hon. Member's question was answered on 10 February although unfortunately it was not printed in the Official Report. This has now been done on 2 March 2010, Official Report, columns 1140-41W.
Rates and Rating: Historic Buildings
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many stately homes in England were on the Valuation Office Agency's Rating List in (a) 1997 and (b) 2010. [319222]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
For the number of properties on the list in 1997, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 232W.
For the number of property types on the list in 2010, I refer the hon. Member to the statistical release titled "Non-domestic rateable values: 2010 Local Ratings Lists - England and Wales" published on 18 December 2009. A copy of this statistical release is available at the following link:
Electoral Commission Committee
Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Syms: To ask the hon. Member for South-West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many staff the Electoral Commission has appointed who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants since 2005. [320439]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that there have been no staff appointed who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants since 2005.
Trade Unions
Mr. Syms: To ask the hon. Member for South-West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether any staff of the Electoral Commission are seconded to trade unions; how many days staff of the Electoral Commission spent on trade union activity in the latest year for which figures are available; and what recent estimate has been made of the annual cost to the public purse of such activity. [320673]
Mr. Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that there are no Electoral Commission staff seconded to trade unions. The Electoral Commission has internal staff representatives of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) trade union. During 2009 these representatives requested 11 hours of paid time to attend meetings and seven paid days to attend PCS training courses relating to staff representation. The estimated cost of paid time to undertake these activities was £1,400. In addition, internal staff representatives may provide ad hoc confidential advice to their members during working time, which is not recorded.
Justice
Youth Custody: Appeals
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of custodial sentences given to juveniles was appealed against in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those appeals was upheld. [319449]
Claire Ward: The information requested is not available. Data collected within the central IT systems do not currently hold sufficient detail to allow identification of the type of sentence which is the subject of each appeal against a sentence heard in the Crown court or Court of Appeal.
Annual statistics on all appeals dealt with in the Crown court against sentences given in the magistrates court are published by the Ministry of Justice in table 6.10 of the annual command paper "Judicial and Court Statistics". Annual statistics on all appeals in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) against sentences in the Crown court are also published in Table 1.6 of this report. The most recent edition, presenting statistics for 2004 to 2008, was published in September 2009.
Copies of "Judicial and Court Statistics" are available in the Library of the House and from the Ministry of Justice website at:
Closed Circuit Television: Local Government
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2010, Official Report, column 80W, on closed circuit television (CCTV): local government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by the Information Commissioner on the use of CCTV cameras with microphones; and what responsibilities the (a) Information Commissioner and (b) interim CCTV Regulator has in respect of the use of CCTV by local authorities.[319742]
Mr. Wills: Copies of the Information Commissioner's CCTV code of practice, which covers CCTV systems with microphones, have been placed in the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries.
The Information Commissioner has a responsibility to ensure that any CCTV systems that are used to process personal data comply with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998.
The Interim CCTV regulator is currently responsible for the development of policy on matters surrounding the use of CCTV in public places. His forward work programme will focus on scoping the need for and requirements of a possible regulatory framework, which could include standards, data retention, training, and a complaints process. He will work with local authorities and other key stakeholders to achieve this.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |