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23 Mar 2010 : Column 266W—continued
Departmental Publications
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the dates of publication of any regular statistics or reports by his Department have been affected by planning for the forthcoming general election. [323464]
Barbara Follett: On the announcement of a general election, the Cabinet Secretary issues guidance to Departments on their activities during the pre-election period. This will be published on the Cabinet Office website.
Regular statistical releases and reports will continue to be issued and published during the election period on dates which have been pre-announced.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of each issue of his Department's in-house staff magazine distributed in the last 12 months. [323983]
Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006. Copies of every issue of the staff magazine produced up until early December 2007 were placed in the Library of the House in response to a question from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 4 December 2007, Official Report, column 1152W. Copies of the Department's staff magazine have since been placed in the Library on a regular basis. I can confirm that the most recent edition is now available.
Departmental Senior Civil Servants
John McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many senior civil servants of each grade in his Department were (a) given early retirement, (b) given severance and (c) received payment for the early termination of a
fixed-term appointment in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such departure. [322709]
Barbara Follett: The following table shows the numbers of senior civil servants given early retirement in each year since 2005.
| Scheme | Grade SCSI | Cost SCSI (£) | Grade SCS2 | Cost SCS2 (£) | Grade SCS3 | Cost SCS3 (£) | Total cost (£) | |
The following table shows the numbers of senior civil servants given severance in each year since 2005.
| Scheme | Grade SCSI | Cost SCSI (£) | Grade SCS2 | Cost SCS2 (£) | Grade SCS3 | Cost SCS3 (£) | Total cost (£) | |
The figures for the current year 2009-10 have not been provided as the year end totals are not yet available.
There is no documentation to show that any senior civil servant has received payment for the early termination of a fixed term appointment.
Departmental Surveys
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the benchmark results of the Civil Service People Survey for his Department and its agencies. [322569]
Barbara Follett: I will arrange for a copy of the results of the Civil Service People Survey for this Department and the relevant agencies to be placed in the Library of the House in due course.
Departmental Theft
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to deter theft from within the Department. [322642]
Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government operates a robust access control system, supported by internal and external CCTV cameras.
CLG facilities operate a pass-wearing policy for all staff and visitors while on Communities and Local Government premises. The system is regularly promoted and staff are encouraged to challenge anyone seen not wearing the appropriate pass. There are also regular security awareness campaigns to remind staff of their security responsibilities.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology his Department used to determine whether answers to Questions in the formulation "if he will set out with statistical information related as directly as possible to the tabling hon. Members' constituency the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997" could be provided without incurring disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement. [323859]
Barbara Follett: The answers provided refer to publicly available data sources. This information was provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any reduction in expenditure arising from a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service would qualify as an efficiency saving that can be reported on the efficiency return of a local authority's council tax bill. [323301]
Barbara Follett: An efficiency gain is generated when a council restructures service provision to provide a more efficient service to the same client group in a way that maintains overall output and service quality. A reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service could qualify as a valid efficiency if the net costs of waste collection fall while service quality is maintained.
Local authorities have been required to include efficiency information on council tax bills and leaflets since the 2009-10 billing round. Regulations require them to
publish efficiency gains calculated in accordance with the guidance published on the Department's website at:
The guidance requires local authorities to report the net total of current cash-releasing value for money gains that have impacted since the start of the 2008-09 financial period. They are not required to report efficiency gains broken down by individual service sectors.
Empty Dwelling Management Orders
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2010, Official Report, column 365W, on Empty Dwelling Management Orders, if he will place in the Library a copy of each presentation and handout delivered at the seminar of 23 April 2009. [323190]
Mr. Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Wright) on the 2 June 2009, Official Report, column 453W.
Energy Performance Certificates
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 212W, on energy performance certificates, whether quality assurance procedures identified errors relating to the formula used to determine energy ratings for the energy performance certificate register during the period 18 September 2008 to June 2009; and if he will make a statement. [322353]
Mr. Ian Austin [holding answer 15 March 2010]: CLG validates and approves all software for producing energy performance certificates (EPCs). There were no errors in our approved software between 18 September 2008 and June 2009.
Fire Services: Greater London
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest go-live date is for the regional fire control room in London. [322374]
Mr. Malik [holding answer 15 March 2010]: Under current planning assumptions the regional fire control centre for London is due to become operational during September 2011. In view of the proximity of this date to the Olympic Games, I have written to the Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to ask if they wish to move this date back until after the Olympics. I have also offered to explore the possibility of moving their current control into the Regional Control Centre so that London can benefit from the facilities and enhanced resilience the new building offers during the Olympics.
Government Offices for the Regions
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which Government Office regions have regional European Strategy Boards been established. [323086]
Ms Rosie Winterton: European Strategy Boards have been established in the Government Office regions for North-East England, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. Similar groups have been established in and the Government Office regions for the North- West and East of England.
Government Offices for the Regions: Finance
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2010, Official Report, column 485W, on Government Offices for the Regions: finance, what the aggregate programme expenditure was of Government Offices for the Regions in each year since 1997-98. [323099]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Aggregate programme expenditure administered by the Government Office Network for 2008-09 and the projections for 2009-10 are provided in my response to questions 323101/323145.
We do not hold figures for earlier years. In these years the Government Office Network had delegated authority to spend against sponsor Departments programmes and these figures are recorded in the accounts of the respective Departments. The Government Office Network currently has 12 sponsor Departments:
Department of Communities and Local Government
Business Innovation and Skills
Department of Transport
Department for Children, Families and Schools
Department of Work and Pensions
Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Home Office
Ministry of Justice
Department of Energy and Climate Change
Department of Culture, Media and Sport
Cabinet Office
Department of Health
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of his Department's programme budgets were administered by Government Offices for the Regions in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [323102]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The programme budgets administered by the Government Office Network on behalf of Communities and Local Government for both 2008-09 and 2009-10 are listed as follows. There is one exception; Public Service Agreement 16 Challenge Fund began being administered by the Government Office Network in 2009-10.
Regional Assembly Grant
Regional Housing Pot
Regional Chambers Fund
Disabled Facilities Grant
European Regional Development Fund-Objectives 1 and 2 (defrayed expenditure in respect of 2000-06)
New Deal for Communities
Preventing Violent Extremism
Local Area Agreements
Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant
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