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15 Mar 2010 : Column 670W—continued
Multiple Occupation
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what effect the conversion of a house in multiple occupation to a single dwelling has on the calculation of the number of housing units under the criteria used to assess housing levels (a) nationally and (b) under the housing target in the London Plan. [321349]
Mr. Ian Austin: The conversion of a house in multiple occupation to a single dwelling would have no effect on the estimate of dwelling numbers nationally. This is because a house in multiple occupation is counted as one dwelling.
The housing numbers in the Mayor's London Plan include "non self-contained" accommodation. In London, therefore, conversion of a house in multiple occupation would result in a reduction in "non self-contained" accommodation.
Non-Domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2010, Official Report, columns 1153-54W, on non-domestic rates: ports, for what reason the Valuation Office Agency decided (a) in 2002 that Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprise should not be separately rated and (b) in 2009 that it should be separately rated. [322225]
Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
The Valuation Office Agency determined that Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises should not form a separate assessment in 2002 on the back of information they were provided at the time. However the facts now show the fish market should be separately assessed for business rates.
Where a change has been made to alter the rating lists this has been as a consequence of new information that alters the overall balance in terms of the decision on paramount occupation. The decision as to who is in paramount control, and therefore who should be rated, rests on the facts of each case.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance was provided to the Valuation Office Agency on steps to ensure that the assessment and rating of port businesses consequent on the end of prescription rating were separate processes. [322290]
Barbara Follett: The assessment of rateable value and the maintenance of rating lists is the responsibility of the Valuation Office Agency and not this Department. We do not provide guidance to the Valuation Office Agency on professional valuation issues.
Sleeping Rough: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of rough sleepers in York in the (a) summer and (b) winter of (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. [322090]
Mr. Ian Austin: Since 1998 an annual figure for rough sleeping has been published. There were 12 rough sleepers found on a street count in York in 1998 and good progress has been made with only two found in 2009.
The total number of rough sleepers has fallen to 464 in 2009 based on local authority street counts compared to the 1998 baseline of 1,850.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many open access beds for rough sleepers there are in York and how many such beds were provided in 1997. [322091]
Mr. Ian Austin: This Department does not collect information on the number of open access beds for rough sleepers. Under our £90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme we have invested over £2 million on the new Arclight hostel for rough sleepers in York to replace the poor quality night shelter.
Tackling Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 210W, on antisocial behaviour, how many copies of the leaflet on tackling antisocial behaviour were delivered to each local authority listed. [322303]
Barbara Follett: A report has been deposited in the Library of the House which sets out the number of copies of the Tackling Antisocial Behaviour leaflet that were delivered to each local authority.
Tenancy Deposit Schemes
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2001, Official Report, column 216W, on tenancy deposit schemes; if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and each tenancy deposit scheme provider. [322327]
Mr. Ian Austin: The contracts between Communities and Local Government and the tenancy deposit protection scheme providers contain, commercially confidential information. I am therefore unable to place copies in the Library.
Grant Shapps:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column
216W, on tenancy deposit schemes, what mechanisms are in place to ensure the financial viability of tenancy deposit schemes. [322355]
Mr. Ian Austin: The contracts under which the tenancy deposit schemes operate are designed to ensure that they continue to be financially viable. Those contracts are commercially sensitive. But I can confirm that the mechanisms which they contain in order to safeguard financial viability include restrictions on investments and agreed method statements based on the schemes' initial business planning assumptions. All these measures are kept under close review.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 216W, on tenancy deposit schemes, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the self-financing aspect of the business models of the private companies under contract to his Department. [322356]
Mr. Ian Austin: We closely monitor the three tenancy deposit scheme providers with contracts with Communities and Local Government and hold regular contract governance meetings with them. We are satisfied that their business models are adequate to facilitate the ongoing financing of their schemes.
Scotland
Defence
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who authorised the issue of his Department's background paper, entitled Scotland and Defence published on 8 March 2010; when the paper was commissioned; who was consulted as part of the preparation of the paper; what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) producing and (b) printing the paper; and what steps his Department took to publicise the paper upon publication. [321967]
Ann McKechin: The paper was produced by the Scotland Office to provide a factual analysis of the position to help inform debate. It was prepared over the last few months and a number of Ministry of Defence officials were consulted during its drafting to check facts and figures. The paper was agreed to, and the final draft approved by, Defence Ministers.
As the paper was part of the ongoing work of the Scotland Office, there were no additional, costs involved in its production or printing. It was subsequently made available on the Scotland Office website.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether special advisers in his Department were involved in the drafting of the background paper, entitled Scotland and Defence. [321968]
Ann McKechin: Special advisers in the Scotland Office, work with the Permanent Civil Service, and provide advice and assistance to Ministers across the range of their activities in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which defence establishments in Scotland he has visited since (a) taking office in October 2008 and (b) commissioning the background paper, entitled Scotland and Defence. [321969]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have visited a wide range of defence-related establishments throughout Scotland since taking office, including RAF Kinloss, Rosyth dockyard, the shipbuilding yards at Govan and the missile ranges at Uist, where I announced the ranges would remain open for business.
I also visited the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards at their base in Fallingbostel in Germany as well as welcoming the Black Watch back to Edinburgh following the end of their most recent tour in Afghanistan. I have also been actively involved in visits to defence-related organisations such Erskine and the Army Benevolent Fund and attended Armed Forces Day in Glasgow last year.
In addition, have visited a number of defence manufacturers including:
Babcock International Group plc
BVT
QinetiQ
SELEX Galileo
Thales Optronics UK
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department's paper entitled Scotland and Defence has been discussed at Cabinet. [321970]
Ann McKechin: Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice and the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many designs for its (a) internal website and (b) intranet his Department has commissioned since 2005; and what the cost was of each such design. [321980]
Ann McKechin: There have been no design changes to the Scotland Office intranet since 2005.
Departmental Lost Property
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what property has been recorded as (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property. [322082]
Ann McKechin: In the last 12 months one item of property has been recorded as lost. The Scotland Office incurred no cost as it was not replaced. No property has been reported stolen in the last 12 months.
Treasury
Banks: Pay
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to place a cap on bankers' bonuses. [321385]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 9 March 2010]: The Government are clear that remuneration policies must be based on long-term sustainable performance in the interests of all shareholders, taking proper account of risk. Therefore, there must be an end to the short-term bonus culture in the banking sector.
However, the Government also recognise that performance related pay is an important part of rewarding valuable contributions as long as it rewards long-term success and takes an appropriate account of risk. The idea of a bonus cap was rejected by the G20 and the Government do not plan to bring forward proposals to place a cap on banking bonuses.
Child Trust Fund: York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in the City of York local authority area have received child trust fund payments (a) since the scheme's inception and (b) in the last 12 months. [322108]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Each child trust fund account that is opened receives a payment of £250 from the Government, with an additional payment of £250 to children in lower-income families. Statistics showing the level of child trust fund accounts opened in each local authority area is available at:
This data shows that 10,760 child trust fund accounts had been opened in the York Unitary Authority for children born by 5 April 2008.
Council Tax: Valuation
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 2 November 2009, Official Report, column 758W, on council tax: Bromley, if he will place in the Library a table showing the most recent figures for the number of properties with each individual (a) dwelling house code and (b) value significant code, including codes for (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) number of floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code, for all local authority areas in England; and what figures the Valuation Office Agency holds for such properties in Wales. [319184]
Ian Pearson:
The tables of dwelling house codes and value significant codes for each billing authority have not been updated since publication in October 2009 under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. A copy of the tables was subsequently placed in the Library. The VOA intends to update these tables on an annual basis
and will publish revised tables later in 2010 so that publication can conform to the National Statistics code of practice.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many designs for its (a) internal website and (b) intranet his Department has commissioned since 2005; and what the cost was of each such design. [321978]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2008 the HM Treasury intranet underwent a redevelopment. The design costs associated with this were £38,634.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed by his Department to assist special advisers. [321125]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of full-time equivalent staff employed by HM Treasury to assist the special advisers and Council of Economic Advisers is 4.5, comprising of 2 full-time range Ds, 1 part-time range C and 2 full-time range Bs.
EU Budget
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the percentage change in the UK's net contribution to the EU budget between 2008-09 and 2010-11. [322305]
Ian Pearson: The latest estimate of UK net contributions to the EU Budget are £4.2 billion in 2007-08, £3.0 billion in 2008-09, £4.8 billion in 2009-10 and £6.0 billion in 2010-11, as given in footnote 3 of Table B15 of the December 2009 pre-Budget report.
Greater Manchester
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department policies since 1997. [322137]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
The Government have put in place a broad programme of reform since 1997. Over the decade to 2007, the economic performance of all parts of the UK has improved considerably.
The global recession has had a negative impact on economic activity in all areas of the UK. However, the economy was starting from a position of strength and is actively supported by policies implemented by the Government, including the fiscal stimulus and a significant package of support for those out of work.
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