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16 Jun 2010 : Column 452W—continued
Information at constituency level could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Housing and Planning Delivery Grant: Wigan
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been allocated from the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant to Wigan Metropolitan borough council to date. [2854]
Andrew Stunell: Housing and Planning Delivery Grant commenced in 2008-09 and Wigan Metropolitan borough council received the following awards:
| HPDG Award (£) | |
Local Government Finance: Sheffield
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total funding reduction for the city of Sheffield will be consequent on the reduction in grants to local authorities announced on 10 June 2010, taking into account reductions in UK and EU matched spending through the local enterprise government initiative; and if he will make a statement. [2670]
Robert Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State laid in the House on Thursday 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 15-17WS. Local government are free to make their own decisions about where savings are found. We have ensured that councils have the flexibility to take decisions locally on how to deliver the savings needed.
Local Government: Compulsory Purchase
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the legislation relating to compulsory purchase orders for local authorities. [2276]
Robert Neill: My Department has no plans to amend the enabling legislation for local authorities' powers to acquire land by compulsion.
Non-domestic Rates: Ports
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many port companies which had been separately rated have (a) paid their new assessments, (b) paid a contribution under the scheme to allow retrospective demands to be paid off over eight years, (c) have not been reassessed under the fast track reassessment programme and (d) became insolvent following retrospective demands. [734]
Robert Neill: As at 8 October 2009, informal inquiries to local authorities suggest that ratepayers occupying 221 properties within ports had fully discharged their backdated liability and ratepayers occupying a further 200 business properties within ports had been granted a schedule of payments. The Government do not have information on how many payments, or of what amount, the 200 properties with schedule of payments agreements have made.
In view of concerns over the impact of retrospective demands upon businesses the Government, in accordance with our coalition agreement, implemented a freeze in respect of the collection of certain backdated business rates liabilities including businesses in ports. Under its fast track arrangements for ratepayers with backdated bills, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has pledged to give an initial response to points raised in a proposal within 10 working days and a final decision within two months in all but the most complex cases. The VOA report that they have met the fast-track time scales with respect to new assessments on 97% of ports proposals. All those who have subsequently appealed against the VOA's final decision on their proposal to the independent Valuation Tribunal have been offered early hearings, although in practice few have taken up this offer.
However, a number of concerns have been raised with Ministers by interested parties concerning the practical operation of the process which we will wish to examine further.
No information is held centrally on how many port companies which had been separately rated have become insolvent following retrospective demands.
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to freeze the back-rating of business rates in respect of port businesses. [2498]
Robert Neill: Legislation to implement a freeze in respect of certain backdated business rates liabilities came into force on 3 June 2010. Ratepayers that meet the criteria, including those based in ports, can benefit from this measure.
A copy of the legislation can be found at:
Planning: Public Consultation
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on open source planning. [2754]
Robert Neill: The coalition agreement states that
"the Government will return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils and reform the planning system in the longer term to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication 'Open Source Planning' ".
We have already made a start by giving local authorities greater control over garden grabbing and density targets. The Queen's speech included a localism Bill where the planning reform agenda will be taken forward.
Public Houses
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will introduce legislative proposals to enable members of the public in local communities to have the right to buy public houses when they are put up for sale; and if he will make a statement. [2512]
Andrew Stunell: The Government's commitment to introduce powers to help communities save local facilities threatened with closure, which could include public houses of importance to particular communities, is set out in the "The Coalition: our programme for Government". Options for achieving this objective most effectively are under consideration, and we will be discussing this further with all those with an interest across the sectors. We intend that any legislative provisions which result from this consideration will be published in the Decentralisation and Localism Bill in the autumn.
Working Neighbourhoods Fund: Hartlepool
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2010, on local government savings package, how much has been provided to Hartlepool constituency from the Working Neighbourhood Fund in each year that it has been in operation. [2569]
Robert Neill: Information is not available for individual constituencies. The Working Neighbourhood Fund allocation to Hartlepool local authority was:
| Hartlepool | |
| £000 | |
Working Neighbourhoods Fund: Wigan
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010, Official Report, columns 15-17WS, on the local government savings package, how much has been provided to Wigan constituency from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund in each year of its operation. [2752]
Andrew Stunell: Information is not available for individual constituencies.
The Woking Neighbourhood Fund allocation to Wigan local authority was as follows:
| Wigan | £000 |
Business, Innovation and Skills
Departmental NDPBs
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which non-departmental public bodies report to his Department; and what (a) remuneration is given to the chair and to members of each body and (b) rate of expenses is paid to members, broken down by categories of expenses claimable. [2970]
Mr Davey: A list of the Department's NDPBs can be found at the link as follows, under BERR's and DIUS's public bodies directories 2009, which also includes the remuneration given to chairs:
We do not hold information on NDPBs Board members' remuneration centrally but this can be found in each of the organisations' published annual report and accounts.
Rates of expenses paid to members of NDPBs are not held centrally and could only be collated at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Official Cars
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) make, (b) model and (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his Department. [1474]
Mr Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has inherited seven cars which its Ministers are using until pre-existing contracts expire. There is a Jaguar XJ TDVi Sovereign, a Jaguar X type SE.2.d manufactured in the UK, two Toyota Prius T3 and three Honda Civic ES Hybrids which were all manufactured in Japan.
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the use by Ministers in his Department of cars allocated from (a) his Department's pool and (b) the Government car pool which are manufactured in the UK; whether Ministers in his Department are entitled to request the use of a car manufactured in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [2414]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer he received from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 290W.
Departmental Public Appointments
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) political appointments and (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse. [380]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 8 June 2010, Official Report, column 6WS.
Environment Protection
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on implementation of the Doha Declaration paragraph 31 commitment to reduce or eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on environmental goods and services. [2332]
Mr Davey: Concluding the Doha Round is a high priority for the UK Government, and we are working with the EU to secure an ambitious deal as soon as possible. The liberalisation of environmentally friendly goods and services is an important part of the negotiations. The World Trade Organisation's Committee on Trade and Environment is mandated to take forward these negotiations, and all parties, including the EU, have reaffirmed their commitment to the negotiations. However, progress has been slow, primarily due to difficulties with defining environmental goods.
Fossil Fuels: Export Credit Guarantees
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which fossil fuel energy projects the Export Credits Guarantee Department is supporting; in which country each projected is situated; which UK companies are in receipt of support; which type of plant is being supported in each case; what the (a) start and (b) completion date is for each project; and how much is being provided to each. [2330]
Mr Davey: The following table lists the relevant cases where ECGD has a contingent liability arising from the support it is providing in respect of exports to fossil fuel projects.
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