| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 Jun 2010 : Column 134W—continued
Robert Neill: We are absolutely committed to abolishing Regional Strategies. We are keen to move in advance of legislation and are currently considering revoking Regional Strategies ahead of taking legislation through Parliament. We will make a statement in due course.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders and the Planning Inspectorate confirming the Government's intention and saying that he expects them to have regard to his letter as a material consideration in decisions on applications and local development frameworks. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date he expects regional spatial strategies to cease to be effective; and what function such strategies will have prior to that date. [992]
Robert Neill: We are absolutely committed to abolishing regional strategies, including regional housing targets. We are keen to move in advance of legislation and are currently considering revoking regional strategies ahead of taking legislation through Parliament. We will make a statement in due course.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders and the Planning Inspectorate confirming the Government's intention and saying that he expects them to have regard to his letter as a material consideration in decisions on applications and local development frameworks. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has planned for the abolition of regional spatial strategies and the return of decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils. [1027]
Robert Neill: We are absolutely committed to abolishing regional strategies, including regional housing targets and will introduce legislation in the first session to do so. We are keen to move in advance of legislation and are currently considering revoking regional strategies. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders and the Planning Inspectorate confirming the Government's intention and that letter can be used as a material consideration in planning decisions. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Social Rented Housing
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cooperative housing units are registered in each region. [1173]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 7 June 2010]: The number of housing units either owned or managed by cooperatives registered as a provider of social housing with the Tenant Services Authority at 31 March 2009 is as follows:
| Region | Stock owned by co-ops (number) | Percentage of total co-op owned stock |
Social leased housing and non-social housing owned by small associations (owning/managing fewer than 1,000 units/bed spaces) are not included in these stock totals. Figures for the year to 31 March 2010 are expected to be published in August.
Social Rented Housing: Finance
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the funding by his Department of programmes for houses for social rent. [1465]
Andrew Stunell: Protecting spending on social housing remains a Government priority. That is why, when we announced £6.2 billion of savings to tackle the deficit, we made available £170 million to safeguard delivery of around 4,000 otherwise unfunded social rented homes.
Social Rented Housing: Lambeth
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for capital allocations to the Decent Homes programme of (a) Lambeth Living and (b) United Residents Housing arm's length management organisation in 2011-12. [1091]
Andrew Stunell: Neither the Lambeth Living ALMO nor the United Residents Housing ALMO has yet received a high enough rating after inspection by the Audit Commission to access additional funding for its decent homes programme.
Funding for the Decent Homes programme will be decided in the context of the Government's spending review. Allocations to specific ALMOs will be decided once the outcome of the review is known.
Social Rented Housing: Standards
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of his Department's Decent Homes programme. [1090]
Andrew Stunell: Future funding for the Decent Homes programme will be decided in the context of the Government's spending review.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he plans to issue to planning inspectors in respect of the treatment of appeals against planning decisions regarding housing on traveller encampments taken in accordance with requirements of regional spatial strategies in the period prior to abolition of such strategies. [1260]
Robert Neill: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has now written to all local planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorate setting out our intention to abolish regional strategies and return decision-making powers on housing (including the provision of Travellers' sites) and planning to local councils. That letter will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and appeals and the development of plans for Traveller sites.
Leader of the House
Government Departments: Reviews
Andrew Miller: To ask the Leader of the House what reviews are being undertaken by the Government; for what purpose in each such case; and to what estimated timescale. [1374]
Sir George Young: The Coalition Agreement sets out in detail the Government's future plans, including the key reviews it will be undertaking. Individual Departments will bring forward detailed information about these reviews in due course.
Prime Minister
Crimes of Violence: Females
Jo Swinson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister with responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence to tackle violence against women overseas. [1362]
The Prime Minister: The Government are committed to tackling violence against women internationally, building on the work we are already doing bilaterally with partner countries, and with the United Nations. The machinery of government is kept under review.
Education
British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) savings to the Exchequer arising from the abolition of the British Education Communications and Technology Agency in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13. [1198]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 7 June 2010]: We expect that the closure of BECTA will save £10 million in 2010-11 after all costs have been met, and the savings in subsequent years will be £65 million per year.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the future of the Building Schools for the Future programme. [756]
Mr Gibb: The Department is reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that when we build schools for the future, we do so in a more cost-effective and efficient fashion.
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what his plans are for future funding of the Building Schools for the Future programme in (a) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency and (b) the North East; [906]
(2) how much funding he plans to allocate to the Building Schools for the Future project at Hetton School. [907]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 7 June 2010]: The Department is reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that when we build schools for the future, we do so in a more cost-effective and efficient fashion.
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Durham
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what his plans are for the future of Durham county council's Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement; [110]
(2) which private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible he expects to be cancelled consequent on the chief secretary to the Treasury's announcement of 24 May 2010. [233]
Mr Gibb: The Department is reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that when we build schools for the future, we do so in a more cost-effective and efficient fashion.
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Gateshead
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding from the Building Schools for the Future programme he plans to allocate to Gateshead. [880]
Mr Gibb: The Department is reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that when we build schools for the future, we do so in a more cost-effective and efficient fashion.
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Nottinghamshire
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what capital funding his Department has allocated to the rebuilding of Selby Park primary school in the next four years; [2]
(2) what funding his Department has allocated for (a) new school building and (b) school rebuilding projects in Nottinghamshire in each of the next four years. [34]
Mr Gibb: The Department is reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that when we build schools for the future, we do so in a more cost-effective and efficient fashion.
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Telford
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his plans are for funding of the school rebuilding programme relating to (a) Wrockwardine Wood, (b) Phoenix, (c) Lord Silkin and (d) Sutherland Secondary School in Telford; and if he will make a statement. [745]
Mr Gibb: The Department is reviewing the Building Schools for the Future programme to ensure that when we build schools for the future, we do so in a more cost-effective and efficient fashion.
Departmental Internet
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how much his Department has spent on the creation of the www.scienceandmaths.net website; [35]
(2) how much his Department has spent promoting the www.scienceandmaths.net website (a) on the radio, (b) on television, (c) on billboard posters, (d) online and (e) by other means. [263]
Michael Gove: The creation of the website originally cost £42,706.67 in 2007-08. Up to 31 March 2010, further production enhancements to the site, in response to young people and sector feedback, cost £137,000. In total, £179,706.67 has been spent on creating the website.
Table A outlines the media costs used to promote the value of science and maths qualifications as a whole, as well as www.scienceandmaths.net website.
There is no ongoing expenditure committed to promoting the website post-March 2010, there has been no spend on outdoor advertising and all costs are exclusive of VAT.
| Table A: Media costs | |||
| £ | |||
| Media | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |