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22 Jun 2010 : Column 157W—continued
Council Housing: Harlow
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount received in rental income by Harlow District Council in respect of properties in Harlow constituency which was subsequently paid to his Department's housing revenue account in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [3150]
Grant Shapps: The following table sets out the housing revenue account (HRA) negative subsidy payments made to the Department by Harlow council since 2004-05, with provisional figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11. Payment of negative HRA subsidy to central Government was brought in by the Local Government Act 2003.
| Harlow council | HRA negative subsidy payments (£) |
| (1) Provisional figures | |
The HRA subsidy system is currently under review. I will be considering all the responses to the document "Council housing: a real future" after consultation closes on 6 July.
Departmental Pay
Mr Watson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2010, Official Report, column 127W,
on departmental manpower, what the salary range is of staff members employed at each payband in each ministerial private office in his Department. [3241]
Robert Neill: The salary range for each pay band is:
Pay band 2: £23,218 to £25,847
Pay band 3: £24,951 to £30,162
Pay band 4 has two scales: £28,668 to £34,655 and £27,000 to £35,000. The latter is for fast streamers only.
Pay band 6: £44,494 to £57,110
Senior civil servant pay band 1: £58,200 to £117,750
Departmental Postal Services
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on postage in 2009. [3339]
Robert Neill: Communities spent £42,391 with Royal Mail in 2009.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to analyse the distributional effect of the options for reductions in his Department's expenditure. [2863]
Robert Neill: The Government set out in their document 'Spending Review Framework' that they will "look closely at the effects of its decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off, and on different regions." (2.4, page 7). Further information will be available at the spending review.
The importance of protecting frontline services has already underpinned decisions on the Local Government contribution to the £6.2 billion cross-Government savings in 2010-11. Where revenue grants to local authorities have been reduced, no local authority will face a reduction of more than 2% overall. Local government will be 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 by removing ring-fences around central Government grants to local government. This will enable local authorities to redirect funds to protect the delivery of the essential frontline services that matter most to their local communities.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much his Department's capital underspend was in each of the last five financial years; [3755]
(2) what end of year flexibility his Department has had in each of the last five financial years. [3760]
Robert Neill: The following tables set out the amount of accumulated End of Year Flexibility (EYF) for this Department over the last five years together with its capital underspend in each of those years. The figures have been split between the Department's Main programme and the Local Government Expenditure and also between Resource and Capital Expenditure. These figures are published by HM Treasury in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper
It is not possible to track easily underspends and EYF carry forward because of other material adjustments that take place.
Main Programme-Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL)
| Resource | ||
| £ million | ||
| Financial year | Accumulated EYF at start of the year | Drawn down in year |
| Capital | |||
| £ million | |||
| Financial year | Accumulated EYF at start of the year | Drawn down in year | Capital underspend in year |
| (1 )The capital underspend for 2009-10 are estimated figures. | |||
Local Government Expenditure Limits
| Resource | ||
| £ million | ||
| Financial year | Accumulated EYF at start of the year | Drawn down in year |
| Capital | |||
| £ million | |||
| Financial year | Accumulated EYF at start of the year | Drawn down in year | Capital underspend in year |
| (1) The capital underspend for 2009-10 are estimated figures. | |||
Departmental Reviews
Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2010, Official Report, column 137W, on Government departments: reviews, what reviews his Department is undertaking; and what the (a) purpose and (b) timescale of each is. [2584]
Robert Neill: The Coalition Agreement sets out in detail the Government's future plans, including the key reviews they will be undertaking. My Department will bring forward detailed information about these reviews in due course.
Fire Services
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the cost of delays to the FiReControl project; and what his latest estimate is of the (a) date of completion and (b) total cost of the project. [2774]
Robert Neill [holding answer 17 June 2010]: The previous Government's FiReControl project has been subject to delays and increasing costs. The costs of these are set out in detail in the FiReControl Business Case.
We are looking closely at this project to establish what we can do to improve the situation. We are committed to ensuring value-for-money for the taxpayer, improving resilience and stopping the forced regionalisation of the fire service.
The estimated date of the network going live is May 2011 and the total cost of the project is currently forecast to be £423 million.
Homelessness
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to improve the provision of housing for homeless individuals and families. [3323]
Grant Shapps: The £80 million Places of Change programme is investing in hostels and homeless services to help homeless people continue their journey away from the streets and enable them to move into independent living or more appropriate supported accommodation in England. The newly formed cross-government ministerial taskforce will ensure that the needs of single homeless people are being met.
We recognise that there is a continued need for affordable housing, to meet the needs of homeless families, and we remain committed to the provision of affordable housing.
Housing: Construction
Mr Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to issue further guidance to local authorities on the methodology and timetable for locally-agreed housing targets. [3136]
Robert Neill: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the Leader of each local authority in England on 27 May to reaffirm our commitment to abolish regional strategies and return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils. Decisions on housing supply will rest with local planning authorities without the framework of regional numbers and plans. The Government will make a formal announcement on this matter in due course.
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on minimum and maximum dwelling densities in new housing developments. [3440]
Robert Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for decentralisation on 9 June 2010, Official Report, column 9WS.
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the inclusion of (a) household projections and (b) binding housing targets in regional spatial strategies into existing structural plans. [3573]
Robert Neill: We are absolutely committed to abolishing regional strategies, including regional housing targets. This will return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils. It will be for local planning authorities to establish the right level of housing provision in their local development plans.
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs (a) created and (b) supported for each £1 million of expenditure on new build housing in the latest period for which figures are available. [3756]
Grant Shapps: The Department has estimated that, in 2009, every £1 million of expenditure in new build housing supported 11 net jobs for a year. This figure takes account of direct jobs supported in the house building industry and indirect (supply chain) jobs. It also takes account of displacement effects, where increased spending on housing building takes investment (and associated jobs) away from other parts of the economy.
Local Government
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for devolution of greater power to local communities. [3359]
Greg Clark: The Department for Communities and Local Government is drawing up plans for implementing a number of commitments contained in the coalition programme for Government, and in the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister's announcement on 'Building the Big Society', which will lead to the devolution of greater power to local communities. These include: radical reform of the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live; and the introduction of new powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and give communities the right to take over local state-run services. The forthcoming 'localism bill' will include new powers for communities, including greater financial autonomy to community groups, and the creation of new trusts that would make it simpler for communities to provide homes for local people.
In addition, we will be working closely with other Departments on the implementation of a wide set of proposals aimed at meeting the Government's ambitions to bring about a fundamental shift of power from Westminster to the people, to encourage social responsibility, and to make it easier for people to come together to improve their communities and help one another, as set out in the coalition agreement.
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