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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Northern Ireland
Anti-Semitism
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had since May 2010 with (a) the First Minister and (b) the Deputy First Minister on steps taken by the Northern Ireland Executive to combat anti-Semitism in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [47685]
Mr Swire: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and I have not had any such discussions as these are devolved matters.
The Office of the First and Deputy First Minister’s vision for racial equality and good relations is set out at:
http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/index/equality/race.htm
Bill of Rights
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress he has made on the establishment of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [47728]
Mr Swire: The lack of consensus in Northern Ireland on the issue of a Bill of Rights remains a considerable barrier to further progress. Northern Ireland Office Ministers and officials will continue to have discussions with interested parties and consider how best to take matters forward in the coming months.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Lighting
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has installed motion-sensitive energy-saving lighting in its estate; and what plans he has for the installation of such lighting. [48330]
Gregory Barker: Motion-sensitive lighting was installed as part of the refurbishment of 3 Whitehall Place in 2004-05. Since occupying the building, the Department has enhanced the lighting system, and continues to do so.
The Department also occupies a portion of Atholl House in Aberdeen, where motion-sensitive lighting is installed in some parts of the building but not in the general office areas. The Department does not manage the building but is working with the managing agents to improve its energy efficiency.
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Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from the abolition of three public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility. [48148]
Gregory Barker [holding answer 21 March 2011]: On 16 March 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) issued a Written Ministerial Statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimated that cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion would flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
I anticipate net overall administrative savings for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) of £70,000 per year over the spending review period as a result of the abolition of three of our public bodies. Overall administrative reductions across DECC and its departmental public bodies will be £167 million over the spending review period. Final decisions on where the reductions will fall have not yet been taken by Ministers.
Departmental Theft
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what items with a value of over £100 have been taken without authorisation from his Department since his appointment; and what steps have been taken to recover such items. [48444]
Gregory Barker: No items over £100 have been taken from DECC departmental premises without authorisation. Two laptops and five blackberry devices have been stolen from DECC staff outside departmental premises. In all instances, the police were notified.
Electricity Generation
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had to discuss electricity market reform proposals with UK electricity supply companies which are not one of the six major UK electricity suppliers; and if he will make a statement. [46356]
Charles Hendry: Ministers regularly meet with independent electricity supply companies to discuss energy issues, including electricity market reform.
Concerted efforts are made by all Ministers and officials in the Department to engage all stakeholders with an interest in electricity market reform, including UK electricity supply companies, by attending meetings and speaking at events all over the UK.
Ministers and officials generally have meetings with interested stakeholders on a weekly basis.
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Nuclear Power Stations
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will extend his Department's review of the implications of the situation concerning nuclear power stations in Japan to include consideration of the (a) costs and (b) timetable for new nuclear build in the UK. [48018]
Charles Hendry [holding answer 21 March 2011]: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) has asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
He has asked for an interim report by mid May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be shared widely and made public.
The detailed scope of Dr Weightman's report will be confirmed as information from Japan becomes clearer. The report will be conducted in close cooperation with the International nuclear community including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Japanese authorities and other regulators to carefully establish the lessons to be learned and will include existing nuclear installations in the UK and the proposed new reactor programme.
Nuclear Power Stations: Emergencies
Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the plans of the UK’s nuclear industry to respond to a natural disaster. [48512]
Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend, has asked the Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
He has asked for an interim report by mid May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be shared widely and made public.
The detailed scope of Dr Weightman’s report will be confirmed as information from Japan becomes clearer. The report will be conducted in close co-operation with the International nuclear community including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Japanese authorities and other regulators to carefully establish the lessons to be learned and will include existing nuclear installations in the UK and the proposed new reactor programme.
Oil: Industry
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) senior officials in his Department have had with the staff, agents or representatives of (i) Shell, (ii) BP, (iii) Anglo Siberian Oil Company, (iv) Gazprom Neft/Sibneft Oil Group, (v) Chevron Texaco, (vi) Esso/Exxon, (vii) Total, (viii) Gulf Oil and (ix) Mobil since his appointment; and on what date each such meeting took place. [48331]
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Charles Hendry: Ministers and officials at the Department of Energy and Climate have regular discussions with stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
Details of external meetings held by DECC Ministers and its permanent secretary are published on the DECC website at
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx
Details of meetings senior officials have had with staff, agents or representatives of these companies is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Renewable Energy
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of electricity generation came from (a) renewable sources and (b) offshore wind in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of electricity that will be generated from each such source in 2020. [48105]
Charles Hendry: In 2009, renewable sources provided 6.7% of electricity generation in the UK, while offshore wind provided 0.5%. In 2010 quarter 3, renewable sources provided 8.5% of electricity generation, while offshore wind provided 1.0%.
The UK National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), published in July 2010:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/ored/ukaction_plan/uk_action_plan.aspx
estimates that around 30% of the UK's electricity could come from renewable sources in 2020. It also estimates that 12% of the UK's electricity could come from offshore wind. However, the actual generation from any renewable technology will depend on how the market responds to the incentives that we put in place.
Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 242W, on solar power: feed-in tariffs, whether his Department's decision to cap uptake under the feed-in tariff scheme was taken in consultation with the solar photovoltaic industry; and if he will make a statement. [46444]
Gregory Barker: There has been no decision to cap uptake under the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs). On 7 February the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) announced that the comprehensive review of the FITs scheme had commenced. He also announced that, alongside the comprehensive review there will be fast-track considerations for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations over 50kW and a short study on farm-scale anaerobic digestion (AD). On 18 March we published the fast-track consultation which will close on 6 May 2011. We are proposing to amend the tariff rates paid for solar PV above 50kW and for farm scale AD up to 500kW.
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Any changes proposed will be subject to consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny as set out in the Energy Act 2008.
Wind Power
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of megawatts of offshore wind development required to meet (a) UK and (b) EU targets for renewable energy. [48062]
Charles Hendry: The UK National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), published in July 2010 estimates that around 13 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind will be required to help meet the UK’s target for renewable energy in 2020:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/ored/uk_action_plan/ukaction_plan.aspx
The Government do not set targets for individual energy generation technologies but takes a market-based approach to energy generation. The actual generation from any renewable technology will depend on how the market responds to the incentives that we put in place.
DECC does not estimate the amount of renewable energy required across the EU, but a summary of EU renewable energy action plans can be found at
http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2010/e10069_summary.pdf
This suggests that 41 GW of offshore wind is planned across the EU to meet the EU target for renewable energy.
Electoral Commission Committee
Work-based Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what arrangements are in place in the Electoral Commission to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress. [48196]
Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has a work-related stress policy and procedure and runs stress management and awareness programmes for staff.
Any staff diagnosed with stress are supported via the employee assistance programme, which provides face to face and telephone counselling sessions and online resources on stress management. Staff may also be referred to the Commission's occupational health service following which any recommendations to assist the employee are implemented.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years. [48282]
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Mr Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that during the last five years it has provided funds for 19 charities as part of its ‘partnership grants’ programme. Grants were made to these charities under Section 13 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), to help them run programmes to increase voter registration and democratic engagement.
The commission closed the partnership grants programme in March 2010 but the amounts awarded to each charity for the four years prior to that are displayed in the following table.
The Electoral Commission does not plan to fund any charity over the next five years.
| £ | |||||
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2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | Total |
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Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO) Scotland |
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Cabinet Office
Cabinet Committees: Sustainable Development
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Cabinet committees and sub-committees have had responsibility for sustainable development since 6 May 2010; and for what periods. [47870]
Mr Maude [holding answer 18 March 2011]: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has lead responsibility for sustainable development and sits on the Economic Affairs and Home Affairs Committees to enforce the Government’s commitment to mainstreaming sustainability across all Departments.
Census
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account the Office for National Statistics took of the proportion of the population who do not follow a religion in preparing the forms for the (a) 2001 and (b) 2011 Census. [47621]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
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Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 22 March 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what account he took of the proportion of the population who do not follow a religion in preparing the forms for the (a) 2001 and (b) 2011 Census. (47621)
A question on religion was included in the Census in England and Wales for the first time in 2001 following the Census (Amendment) Act 2000. Responses to the question helped provide information which supplemented the output from the ethnicity question by identifying ethnic minority sub-groups, particularly those originating from the Indian sub-continent, in terms of their religion. The wording and design of the question and response categories were determined after extensive consultation with users and other key stakeholders and a programme of question testing. Information from the religion question is used to supplement ethnicity data to gain a general understanding of society; to inform service provision and resource allocations; and for fulfilling legal obligations to monitor inequalities.
Consultations in 2005 and 2007 revealed again a high demand for the inclusion of a question on religion in the 2011 Census. The majority of users responding to the 2007 consultation indicated a requirement for comparability between the 2001 and 2011 Censuses.
ONS recognised that no single religion question could meet all user needs and after a programme of research and testing, ONS decided that religious affiliation - the number of people who identify with a religion irrespective of the extent of their religious belief or practice—was again the most appropriate concept to measure. Affiliation is a socially significant indicator in its own right that relates to a person’s cultural background and values.
Consequently, the UK Statistics Authority proposed in the White Paper ‘Helping to shape tomorrow’ (published in December 2008) to repeat the 2001 question as one of a suite of census questions that would allow individual respondents to indicate their identity in the way they consider most appropriate. As was the case in 2001, and in accordance with the provisions of the Census Act, the question is—unlike all other questions in the Census—voluntary.
The question wording takes account of the fact that a significant number of people are likely to choose to respond by indicating that they have no religion. Thus to make the facility for making such a response explicitly clear, the ‘None’ tick box has been placed first in the list of optional responses.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what occasions his Department has had discussions with the devolved Administrations in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on (i) the company chosen to carry out the 2011 Census and (ii) the operation of the census in those regions. [47801]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 22 March 2001:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking on what occasions discussions have been had with the devolved administrations in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on (i) the company chosen to carry out the 2011 Census and (ii) the operation of the census in those regions. (47801)
ONS, as the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, is carrying out the 2011 Census in England and Wales. The statutory responsibility for the administration and conduct of the census is not a matter that has been fully devolved in Wales, although the Welsh Ministers played a formal role in determining the conduct and content of the census in Wales. The Registrars General of Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively are responsible for carrying out the census in Scotland and Northern Ireland where the census is a fully devolved matter, and this includes the awarding of contracts.
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The National Statistician and the Registrar General of Scotland, and the Registrar General of Northern Ireland meet regularly to discuss census matters and the harmonising of approaches. Such discussions included the approach to outsourcing some services for the 2011 Census.
Although the operation of the 2011 Censuses in the UK is the responsibility of the different census offices, there is close co-operation; for example the date of the census was agreed jointly. A formal agreement between the National Statistician and the Registrars General is reviewed regularly by the UK Census Committee. A copy of the agreement and updates are published on the website at
http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/index.html
The co-ordination of the census across the UK permits harmonisation of the 2011 Census results.
Charities Act 2006
Mr Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date each section of the Charities Act 2006 currently in force was brought into force; how many sections have not yet been brought into force; and if he will make a statement. [47702]
Mr Hurd: Various provisions of the Charities Act 2006 (“the Act”) have been brought into force either on enactment, or by commencement orders. Section 79 of the Act lists the sections that came into force on enactment on 8 November 2006. The other sections of the Act that are in force were commenced on various dates as listed in the following commencement orders, which are available in the House Library:
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No 1, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007 No. 309)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No 2, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007 No. 3286)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008 No. 751)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008 No. 945)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008 No. 3267)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional Provisions and Savings) (Amendment) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009 No. 841)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No.6 and Commencement No.5, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings (Amendment)) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009 No. 2648)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No.7, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No. 503)
The Charities Act 2006 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional and Transitory Provisions and Savings) (Amendment) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No. 1942)
The main provisions of the Act yet to be implemented are:
Provisions relating to the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) (section 34 and schedule 7). These are due to be implemented later this year.
Provisions relating to licensing and regulation of public charitable collections (Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Act). There no immediate plans to implement these provisions.
Mr Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to bring sections 45 to 66 of the Charities Act 2006 into force; what recent representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [47703]
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Mr Hurd: There are no immediate plans to commence Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Charities Act 2006. Instead, the future licensing and regulation of public charitable collections will be considered as part of the review of the Charities Act 2006, due to begin later this year. In the current economic climate implementation of the Charities Act 2006 licensing provisions has to be weighed against other priorities. Affordability and value for money are likely to be determining factors in whether the new licensing regime is implemented. Whatever the outcome of the review, we want to make it easier for legitimate charities to fundraise responsibly, while deterring bogus collectors and preventing nuisance for members of the public.
I have received several written representations from interested parties about the future regulation of public charitable collections, but as it will be considered by the review of the Act, I do not intend to make a statement at this time.
Departmental Assets
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether receipts from the sale of assets owned by regional development agencies are reflected in the spending plans of his Department for (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14. [47412]
Mr Maude: My Department’s spending plans reflect the Cabinet Office and its NDPBs. The regional development agencies are not part of the Cabinet Office.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date. [46585]
Mr Maude: The Government publish on a quarterly basis the names of special advisers by Department, including each special adviser’s pay band, and actual salary where this is £58,200 or higher, together with the details of the special advisers’ pay ranges.
The latest list, which includes an estimate of the total pay bill including pension costs, was published on the Cabinet Office website on 10 March 2011 at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Departmental Secondment
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff from organisations outside Government are on secondment to his Department; from which organisation each has been seconded; and what the period is of each secondment. [47261]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office central staff database shows 10 staff seconded from organisations outside the civil service. The organisations from which staff are seconded are:
Equality and Human Rights Commission, Environment Agency, Metropolitan Police Service, Big Lottery Fund, Volunteer England, Royal Navy, Price Waterhouse Coopers, House of Lords (3).
The period of the secondment varies from between four months and three years.
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EU Law: Parliamentary Scrutiny
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many statutory instruments relating to the implementation of EU legislation laid before Parliament have not been approved by Parliament in each year since 2001. [47620]
Mr Maude: Since the beginning of the 2000-01 Session of Parliament, a total of 381 statutory instruments subject to affirmative procedure have been laid before the House of Commons but not approved by Parliament. This includes instruments which were withdrawn by the Government but not instruments which are currently awaiting approval. I have placed a complete list of these instruments in the Library.
Information about whether each of these instruments related to the implementation of EU legislation could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Government Departments: ICT
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made on the proposed G-Cloud computing strategy; and when he plans to publish it. [46215]
Mr Maude: The Government have published eight documents on their work to date on the G-Cloud programme.
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/g-cloud-programme-phase-2
The following reports are included:
1. G-Cloud Vision
2. G-Cloud Commercial Strategy
3. G-Cloud Strategic Outline Business Case
4. G-Cloud Implementation Strategy
5. G-Cloud Service Management, Organisational Structure and Governance
6. G-Cloud Service Specification
7. G-Cloud Technical Architecture
8. G-Cloud Foundation Principles
The G-Cloud programme is continuing to develop the forward looking Cloud Strategy and Implementation Plan.
Higher Education: Finance
Robert Halfon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has (a) had any discussions with and (b) provided any assistance to British universities in securing (i) contracts and (ii) financial support from Libya in the last 10 years. [46073]
Mr Maude: Since the appointment of the coalition Government, the Cabinet Office has had no discussions, nor provided any assistance, to British universities interested in trading with Libya. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided by the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk) on 15 March 2011, Official Report, column 306W.
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Ministerial Policy Advisers: Pay
Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special advisers receive a salary of more than £64,000. [48033]
Mr Maude: Special advisers with a salary of more than £64,000 are listed in the table of special advisers published on 10 March 2011 which can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
Public Sector: Property
Julian Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on the review of public property undertaken by the Government Property Unit. [40733]
Mr Maude: The Government have introduced a new system of national property controls across the central civil and operational estate. In addition, the Government believe there could be substantial gains to be made from a more co-ordinated approach to property asset management in the public sector and will set up property vehicles for the central London and Bristol office estate from 2011-12.
To date, the lease moratorium, introduced in May 2010, has saved around £50 million and has strengthened discipline in the management of the public estate.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether funds allocated and not spent on the National Citizen Service by the end of March 2011 can be carried over into the following financial year. [48259]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office does not expect an under-spend relating to funds allocated to the National Citizen Service. Decisions concerning the carry forward of funds from one financial year to the next are made by HM Treasury.
Culture, Media and Sport
Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Board
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the membership is of his Department’s Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Board; and when that board last met. [48453]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Implementation group, formed under the last Government, no longer meets. However Ministers from my Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have recently met senior representatives from across the creative industries, and have agreed to ensure there is co-ordinated action on barriers to growth.
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Arts Council England
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England allocated per head of population in (a) Walsall North, (b) Walsall South and (c) Aldridge Brownhills in the last year for which figures are available. [47322]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England estimates spend in 2009-10 at 50p per head in Walsall North, £10.87 per head in Walsall South and 50p per head in Aldridge Brownhills.
Additionally, a number of organisations funded by the Arts Council tour their work in the constituency, though their funding is not represented in the figures above.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Arts Council England has put in place arrangements to (a) assess and (b) publish an assessment of the effects on arts and cultural organisations of (i) local government, (ii) regional development agency and (iii) higher education spending reductions. [48451]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: Arts Council England (ACE) actively monitors the situation regarding local government future support for the arts, particularly how this may impact on the decisions relating to their new National Portfolio which will be announced on 30 March. The Regularly Funded Organisations annual survey, including details of local government income, will be published in January 2012. Additionally, ACE is supporting the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers (NALGAO) which undertakes a national survey of local government support for the arts which is expected to be published in May 2011.
ACE does not collect data on regional development agency or higher education expenditure on the arts.
Arts Council England: Expenditure
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he last met the (a) chair and (b) chief executive of Arts Council England to discuss their future funding decisions. [48452]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I regularly meet with the chair and chief executive of Arts Council England (ACE) to discuss a range of issues. Funding decisions on the new National Portfolio will be made by ACE at arm’s length from Government and announced on 30 March.
Arts Council England: Flowers
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on (a) flowers and (b) receptions and entertainment in 2009-10. [47785]
Mr Vaizey: Arts Council England spent approximately £435 on flowers and £55,300 on entertainment and hospitality in 2009-10.
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BBC
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the commitments imposed on the BBC relating to local news content; and if he will make a statement. [47623]
Mr Vaizey: The BBC’s commitments to particular forms of content will be reviewed as part of the next BBC Charter review, which will take place before the end of 2016.
BBC Radio
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on the funding of BBC local radio; and if he will make a statement. [47510]
Mr Vaizey: No recent discussions have been held with the BBC Trust on the future of BBC local radio. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport will not be making a statement.
British Sky Broadcasting
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations have made representations to his Department on the proposed merger between News Corporation and BSkyB since the date on which he assumed policy responsibility for the matter. [47574]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: My Department launched a public consultation on 3 March seeking views as to whether the undertakings in lieu offered by News Corporation are sufficient to remedy, mitigate or prevent the public interest concerns in relation to media plurality raised by this merger.
We have said throughout that we do not propose to give a running commentary on the process but a summary and analysis of the representations will be published shortly after the end of the consultation process.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects of his decision on the News Corporation bid for BSkyB on news websites provided by newspapers other than those owned by News Corporation. [47787]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The European Commission looked at the competition effects of the proposed merger. In respect of online news, the EU reported that the vast majority of newspapers' online editions—apart from News Corp titles—as well as other sources are currently free of charge and they found no evidence that this will dramatically change in the foreseeable future. For these reasons, the Commission conclude that competition concerns in the newspaper publishing sector would arise from the proposed merger. Details of the European Commission decision can be found at the following link:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1767&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&gui Language=en
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More generally, Ofcom's public interest test report of 31 December includes a discussion of the role of websites in relation to media plurality. A copy Ofcom's report can be found at the following link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/OfcomPITReport_NewsCorp-BSkyB_31DEC2010.pdf
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has any plans to meet representatives of other media organisations before reaching a final decision on NewsCorp’s proposed acquisition of BSkyB. [48458]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I will consider all requests for meetings from representatives of other media organisations before reaching a final decision on News Corporation’s proposed acquisition of BSkyB.
Broadband
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what definition of high speed for the purposes of broadband provision he uses. [47321]
Mr Vaizey: Government are developing a scorecard to measure themselves against the target of having the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015. The first iteration of the scorecard was published in “Britain’s Superfast Broadband Future” on 6 December 2010. Further work on the precise set of parameters to be included in the scorecard is continuing in consultation with industry but will include a group of measures of broadband speed taken from established published sources.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of local authority areas in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland with access to high-speed broadband by the end of (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013, (iv) 2014 and (v) 2015. [47327]
Mr Vaizey: The Government have not made an estimate of the number of local authorities in the UK that will have access to high-speed broadband by the end of the years specified in the question. Published private sector plans will deliver superfast broadband access to approximately 50% of the country by 2012 and at least 66% of the country by 2015. The Government have made universal broadband a high priority and have allocated funding of £530 million over the lifetime of this Parliament to stimulate private sector investment to deliver the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.
Fibre Networks
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the cost of installing fibre networks to reach every household in the UK. [48117]
Mr Vaizey: A 2008 study by Analysys Mason for the Broadband Stakeholder Group put the cost of universally available Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) at up to £29 billion and Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) at up to £5 billion.
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Olympic Games 2012
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on implementation of the Olympic Truce. [48083]
Hugh Robertson: The UK will introduce a UN resolution in support of the Olympic Truce this autumn. My Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are currently preparing a draft text for negotiation with other UN member states which I will share with the Mayor, and the other Olympic Board members, shortly.
Public Bodies Reform Programme
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of 11 public bodies within his Department’s area of responsibility, (b) the merger of eight such bodies and (c) the change in function of three such bodies. [48145]
Mr Jeremy Hunt [holding answer 21 March 2011]:The decision to reform our public bodies was taken in order to achieve the aims of the Government’s public bodies reform programme to deliver greater accountability, reduce the number and overall cost of public bodies and streamline the public bodies landscape.
On 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period. DCMS’s share of this is estimated at £206 million.
We expect our public body reforms to generate further administrative savings and will monitor this closely as the reforms are implemented.
Squatting
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many buildings on his Department's estate were occupied by squatters in each year between 2006 and 2010; and on how many occasions his Department sought interim possession orders to remove squatters from such buildings in each of those years. [47617]
John Penrose: None of the Department's buildings were occupied by squatters between 2006 and 2010.
Theatre
Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward plans to increase the accessibility of theatre in (a) Ipswich and the surrounding region and (b) England. [47330]
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Mr Vaizey: Responsibility for increasing the accessibility of the arts in England lies with Arts Council England.
Arts Council funding for theatre in Ipswich and the surrounding region was £1,111,844 from grants for the arts in 2009-10 and £3,445,390 for regularly funded organisations (inclusive of Ipswich constituency).
The Arts Council currently invests a total of £105,970,891 in theatre through grant in aid across England. In 2009-10 they awarded £13,811,298 in grants for the arts to theatre in England.
Tourism
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what consideration he gave to including proposals for changes to daylight saving hours in the Government’s tourism strategy. [47311]
John Penrose: The tourism strategy is a policy document that outlines what the Government plan to do to support the tourism industry. The Government are willing to listen to arguments both for and against daylight saving proposals, but it is a rather wider issue than purely tourism, which is why it does not form part of the tourism policy on its own.
Video Games: Children
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the marketing of computer games to children. [47515]
Mr Vaizey: The advertising of computer games is controlled through the UK Advertising Codes, which are robustly administered by the independent Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The codes require that all video games advertising should be socially responsible and that ads for games carrying a Pan European Games Information (PEGI) rating of 15+ are not targeted at audiences below the age of 16. Should the ASA find that an advertiser has breached the Advertising Codes, they will not hesitate to take action.
Video Relay Service
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK economy of introducing a universal video relay service. [47537]
Mr Vaizey: No Government assessment has yet been made of any contribution to the economy of introducing a universal video relay service.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently considering responses to its consultation on proposals to implement the revised EU Electronic Communications Framework. Many of these provide useful contributions to the impact assessments we are undertaking in relation to implementing the revised framework, including those provisions aimed at providing services for deaf and disabled end-users.
In addition, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision for hearing- and speech-impaired users of electronic
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communications. A consultation document will be published in the spring which will include Ofcom's analysis on the costs and benefits associated with video relay services and an impact assessment.
A research report which will help inform that review was published on 4 February 2011 and can be read at:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/telecoms-research/ofcom-relay-services/
This report seeks to quantify the value to deaf people of the various options for relay services.
Leader of the House
e-Petitions
Stephen Mosley: To ask the Leader of the House when he expects the transfer of e-petitions to the Direct.gov portal to be completed. [48067]
Sir George Young: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller) on 21 March 2011, Official Report, column 845W.
The Government have announced their intention to transfer the online petition system to the Direct.gov portal by the summer. Officials within the Cabinet Office are working on an effective verification system to ensure that petitions become a useful and mature tool for engaging with politics.
Attorney-General
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate: Finance
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what the (a) resource and (b) capital budget of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate is (i) in 2010-11 and (ii) in each financial year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period; [46226]
(2) what the (a) resource and (b) capital budget of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (i) is in 2010-11 and (ii) will be in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period; [46231]
(3) under what budget headings expenditure reductions will be made by HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate following the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review; and by how much expenditure will be reduced under each heading. [46280]
The Attorney-General: HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate agreed resource budgets over the spending review period are shown in the following table. There is no capital expenditure budget.
| Resource and Capital budgets | ||
|
|
Resource (£) | Capital (£) |
22 Mar 2011 : Column 906W
The principal budget headings under which spending will be reduced across the CSR period are:
|
|
£000 |
Prime Minister
Departmental Hospitality
Luciana Berger: To ask the Prime Minister how much 10 Downing Street has spent on the contents of his drinks cabinets since 11 May 2010. [48399]
The Prime Minister: Details of the cost of entertainment and hospitality in Downing street and Chequers are published annually.
British Sky Broadcasting and News Corporation
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Prime Minister how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations have made representations to 10 Downing Street on the proposed merger between News Corporation and BSkyB since his appointment. [47575]
The Prime Minister: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is consulting on the proposed response and any representations should be made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
USA
Mr Douglas Alexander: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates he has spoken directly with the President of the United States since his appointment. [48269]
The Prime Minister: I speak to President Obama regularly, most recently on the evening of 17 March 2011.
Scotland
Departmental Hospitality
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on the contents of ministerial drinks cabinets since 12 May 2010. [48469]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not have a ministerial drinks cabinet.
Departmental Plants
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment. [48416]
David Mundell: Since 30 May 2010, the Scotland Office has spent £37 on indoor and outdoor plants and trees.
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Departmental Theft
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what items with a value of over £100 have been taken without authorisation from his Department since his appointment; and what steps have been taken to recover such items. [48435]
David Mundell: Since 30 May 2010, no items with a value of over £100 have been reported as being taken without authorisation from the Scotland Office.
Work-Based Stress
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are in place in his Department to (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress. [48198]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office follows Ministry of Justice policies concerning work-based stress.
Managers and staff share responsibility for assessing and managing stress at work. Detailed guidance is provided on how these actions should be carried out and the arrangements which should be followed.
Third Sector
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how
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much he has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years. [48281]
David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not currently fund any charities. However, in 2005-06, the Scotland Office, in conjunction with the Wales Office and Ministry of Justice, funded a series of reports on devolution from University College, London, which is an exempt charity in accordance with the Charities Act 2006. The Scotland Office agreed to contribute £25,000 over three years to fund the work.
Communities and Local Government
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that (i) was on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and (ii) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date. [45026]
Robert Neill: The Department has used the following proportions of seafood in the last two financial years:
| Item | Sourced | On the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid | Included in Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat | 2009-10 value (£) | 2009-10 proportion (%) | 2010-11 value (£) | 2010-11 proportion (%) |
The Department's agencies figures are as follows:
| Planning Inspectorate | |||||||
| Item | Sourced | On the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid | Included in Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat | 2009-10 value (£) | 2009-10 proportion (%) | 2010-11 value (£) | 2010-11 proportion (%) |
22 Mar 2011 : Column 909W
22 Mar 2011 : Column 910W
| Fire Service College | |||||||
| Item | Sourced | On the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid | Included in Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat | 2009-10 value (£) | 2009-10 proportion (%) | 2010-11 value (£) | 2010-11 proportion (%) |
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
The QEII Conference Centre has confirmed that it is not using any seafood on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid but could supply a full break-down only at disproportionate cost.
Details of seafood procured by non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on (a) salaries and (b) pension entitlements for special advisers in the financial year 2010-11 to date. [46583]
Robert Neill: For the purpose of clarity, I have separated out information for the pre and post-election periods for 2010-11.
Pre-election, in 2010-11, the Department spent £6,173.31 on salaries for special advisers and £1,443.43 on pension contributions—£7,616.74 in total. Special advisers also received £3,966.67 in lieu of annual leave not taken and £54,300.03 in severance payments. This gives a total amount received of £65,883.44.
Post-election, in 2010-11, the Department has spent £101,778.21 on salaries and £11,226.11 on pension contributions to date—£113,004.32 in total.
By way of comparison, in 2009-10, the Department spent £209,253.98 on salaries and £40,716.97 on pension contributions—£249,970.95 in total. Special advisers also received £2,393.19 in lieu of annual leave not taken and £44.288.53 in severance payments. This gives a total amount received of £296.652.67.
As part of the new Government's transparency agenda, the individual salaries of special advisers in the current Administration are published on the Cabinet Office website; the pension arrangements are as laid out in the Cabinet Office's model contract for special advisers.
Further to the answer of 29 March 2010, Official Report, column 838W, I would note that the total wage bill of special advisers in this Department has been cut by 40% compared to the last Administration.
Departmental Hospitality
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much Ministers in his Department spent on meals in restaurants in the course of their official duties in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and in which restaurants; [43778]
(2) pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) of 26 January 2011, Official Report, column 302W, on departmental official hospitality, what the (a) cost and (b) venue was of each meal taken outside the Department at events involving its Ministers in the final two years of the previous administration. [43861]
Robert Neill: In line with established convention, present Ministers are not accountable to Parliament for events which took place under a previous Administration. This is outlined in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (volume II page 11)—copies of the guidance are available in the Library of the House.
Departmental Public Appointments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) have been and (b) are to be closed, merged or reorganised following his appointment; and how many (i) women and (ii) men who are public appointees at each body will no longer hold such an appointment in consequence. [47095]
Robert Neill: Following the coalition Government’s commitment to cut the number of quangos, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit closed in June 2010 and the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate, the Local Innovation Award Scheme and National Tenant Voice closed in July 2010. Five women and 16 men relinquished their positions. Individual figures for each body are as follows:
|
|
Female | Male |
22 Mar 2011 : Column 911W
A further 12 bodies are due to close or transfer to the private or voluntary sector by 2012. For each, the exact numbers of public appointees who will relinquish their positions will not be known until closer to the time of reform.
Regulation
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many regulations sponsored by his Department have been (a) introduced and (b) revoked since 24 November 2010. [44362]
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what regulations his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked between 9 and 28 February 2011. [47147]
Robert Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government is committed to removing bureaucracy and unnecessary burdens contained within existing secondary legislation and other forms of regulation.
In this context, I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr Redwood) of 24 November 2010, Official Report, column 304W, illustrating how the core programme of the Department is deregulatory.
1. We have scrapped planning rules which forced up parking charges and imposed artificial caps on parking spaces in new homes.
2. We have made changes to the regulations governing homes in multiple occupation to allow areas experiencing problems with homes in multiple occupation to put in place local solutions without imposing unnecessary burdens on the whole of the country.
3. We have cut red tape to make it easier for communities to hold street parties for the Royal Wedding.
4. The Localism Bill has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill seeks to achieve a substantial and lasting shift in power away from central Government and towards local people. Reducing bureaucracy is one of the key aims of this Bill and we have committed to a number of bold and transformative measures in order to achieve this aim.
5. We have also carried out an extensive review to identify the changes that are needed to building regulations and are working up detailed proposals for consultation towards the end of this year, taking forward the spending review 2010 commitment to reduce the overall regulatory burden on house builders.
6. We are also working to remove bureaucratic barriers that hold back local action, and have opened up a ‘barrier busting’ website for communities to identify them.
All future regulations will be developed in full compliance with the Government’s One, In—One, Out rules—meaning that new regulatory burdens we impose on businesses will be given full consideration to ensure that the costs being imposed are offset by reductions in the overall cost of regulation imposed by the Department.
In the period since 24 November 2010, we have introduced 19 new statutory instruments. Most of them
22 Mar 2011 : Column 912W
relate to minor technical revisions. Having reviewed them, I can confirm that none of these statutory instruments impose new net additional costs on business or the voluntary sector (compared to the policy status quo). Four of them are effectively deregulatory, as they serve to reduce regulatory and administrative costs on local government or business relative to the status quo. In this context, I would maintain that over this period there has been a net reduction in four sets of ‘regulations’, as a result of these changes to statutory instruments. A table with details of the statutory instruments that have been introduced has been placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Security
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons persons not employed by Government Departments or agencies are issued with passes entitling them to enter his Department’s premises. [43209]
Robert Neill: Passes may be issued to individuals who have valid business reasons for making frequent visits to specific Government sites (e.g. contractors), subject to the usual security checks.
Disabled Facilities Grants
Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department distributed in disabled facilities grants in each year since 1995. [47986]
Andrew Stunell: Disabled facilities grants were introduced by the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. The following table shows the allocations for disabled facilities grant.
|
|
Disabled facilities grant funding (£ million) |
Family Breakdown
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to reduce the incidence of family breakdown since his appointment. [48122]
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Andrew Stunell [holding answer 21 March 2011]: We have committed £6.5 billion of funding over a four-year period for Supporting People, which provides housing related support to vulnerable individuals. This includes homeless families.
Homelessness can be a driver and an outcome of family breakdown. We have allocated £400 million to local authorities and the voluntary and community sector over the course of the spending review to support them with their work in tackling and preventing homelessness.
We are working with lenders, the debt advice sector and local authorities to prevent repossessions and have made over £200 million available for the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, to help keep vulnerable households at risk of repossession in their homes.
In addition, from April 2011, the first Community Budgets focused on families with multiple problems, will be in place in 16 areas, enabling a more flexible, integrated and cost-effective approach to delivering the help these families need. We intend to develop Community Budgets further and have them available nationally from 2013-14.
Fire Services
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on arrangements to improve liaison between fire services and other blue-light responders; what assessment he has made of the preparedness of fire services to handle major incidents; and if he will make a statement. [48151]
Robert Neill: The strategic defence and security review records Ministers agreed intention to improve resilient telecommunications and the ability of the emergency services to work together during emergencies.
I recently met the Minister of State, Department of Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr Burns), to discuss the collaborative work between the fire and rescue service and ambulance services.
In addition considerable work is being undertaken by police, fire and ambulance personnel and departmental officials. This includes, implementation of procedures to enable the emergency services and other responders to make best use of the Airwave radio network during major incidents and the development and refinement of operational plans for dealing with a range of different types of incident. The recent Exercise Watermark is just one example of our work to improve the preparedness of the emergency services to handle major incidents.
Housing: Construction
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will work in partnership with (a) the Community Self Build Agency and (b) other community organisations to assist those in housing need to build homes. [47609]
Grant Shapps: Self-builders form an important part of the Government’s strong commitment to increasing the supply of affordable and sustainable homes and promoting economic growth.
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We are already working with the Community Self Build Agency and a wide range of community organisations and other industry experts on a Government-industry working group, which will prepare an action plan setting out the concrete steps needed to make it easier for people to build their own homes.
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what information his Department holds on the number of plots of land available for self-build projects; [47610]
(2) how many planning applications for self-build homes were approved in (a) Brighton and Hove, (b) Sussex and (c) England in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010; [47893]
(3) how many planning applications for self-build homes were submitted in (a) Brighton and Hove, (b) Sussex and (c) England in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010. [47897]
Grant Shapps: This information is not held centrally.
Housing: Finance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that funding for the housing market renewal pathfinder initiative from New Homes Bonus funding does not take account of demolition in the pathfinder areas. [47512]
Grant Shapps: Councils will be rewarded under the New Homes Bonus for an increase in effective housing stock—either building new homes or bringing long-term empty properties back into use. This empty homes incentive will thus encourage refurbishment of empty properties, which will deliver social and environmental benefits.
Notwithstanding, councils will not be financially penalised for demolishing long-term empty properties. If such a demolition is replaced with a new build property, the New Homes Bonus will still be paid on the new property.
Where an authority demolishes more homes than it builds in a given year, as in regeneration areas, the negative will not be carried forward. The authority will start from a zero base in the subsequent year.
Judicial Review
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many concluded judicial reviews of his Department’s actions were brought in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; what the name was of the applicant in each case; and what the outcome of each case was. [36936]
Robert Neill: The following six judicial reviews were concluded between April 2008 and March 2010:
Slough Borough Council and others v. SSCLG [2008] (SSCLG won)
Michael v. SSCLG, Salford CC [2008] (SSCLG won)
The Bard Campaign, David Bliss v. SSCLG and Weston Front [2009] (SSCLG won)
Pascoe v. SSCLG [2009] (SSCLG won)
Mellor v. SSCLG [2009] (SSCLG lost)
Hayes v. SSCLG [2009] (SSCLG won)
22 Mar 2011 : Column 915W
There were 34 judicial reviews in 2008-09 and 33 in 2009-10 respectively. The above list of cases relates to substantive judicial reviews of the Department’s actions concluded by way of hearing between FY 2008-09 and 2009-10 and do not include those claims for judicial review that were commenced but not concluded, either because permission to proceed was not granted, or the matter was withdrawn by consent order or otherwise, before a court hearing. The list does not include those reviews which are made pursuant to statutory provisions such as those under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and judicial reviews in which the Department intervened as an interested party.
Judicial Review: Legal Costs
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on legal costs associated with judicial reviews in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [36894]
Robert Neill: The Department spent £1,433,000 in 2008-09 on 257 challenges of which 34 were judicial reviews and £1,035,000 in 2009-10 on 230 challenges and of which 33 were judicial reviews. A further breakdown of legal costs associated with judicial reviews can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Local Government Finance
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Local Government Resource Review will be concluded. [48217]
Robert Neill: The Local Government Resource Review will deliver proposals in relation to business rate retention and Tax Increment Financing by July 2011.
Local Government Finance: Islington
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from the London borough of Islington on its level of central Government support for 2011-12; what assessment he has made of the effects of the settlement; and if he will make a statement. [48454]
Robert Neill: The London borough of Islington responded to the consultation on the provisional Local Government Finance settlement for 2011-12 on 9 December 2010. The Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), also met the chief executive, leader of the council and others to discuss the provisional settlement on 11 January 2011.
The funding settlement shows that the Government will not shy away from the decisions needed to tackle the public sector deficit that we inherited from the last Administration. It is a progressive, fair and sustainable settlement that helps restore real responsibility and authority to councils.
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Local Government Resource Review
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what remit he has set for the Local Government Resource Review; and if he will make a statement; [44537]
(2) when his Department expects to (a) begin and (b) publish its Local Government Resource Review. [44538]
Robert Neill [holding answer 7 March 2011]: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 17 March 2011, Official Report, columns 19-21WS, on the Local Government Resource Review. The review will deliver proposals by July 2011.
Local Government: Translation Services
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he intends to update his Department's guidance to local authorities on the translation of documents; and if he will make a statement. [47876]
Andrew Stunell [holding answer 21 March 2011]: At present, I have no intention of updating or issuing new guidance to local authorities on the translation of documents. Local authorities have the freedom and the responsibility to determine what translation is necessary in their area.
In 2007, DCLG issued guidance on translation to local authorities, which currently remains on the DCLG website:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/580274.pdf
This guidance reaffirmed the importance of the English language and concluded that:
“In short, we would encourage local authorities to consider whether translation is necessary, for which documents it is appropriate, whether it should be available on demand, and whether it can be done in a way that helps people learn English.”
Non-domestic Rates
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the amount each local authority will collect in national non-domestic rates in each year from 2010-11 to 2013-14; [47727]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2010, Official Report, column 57W, on non-domestic rates, how much each local authority in England has collected in national non-domestic rates in 2010-11 to date; how much each such authority received in (a) redistributed non-domestic rates, (b) revenue support grant and (c) other grants in that period; and what the net income from such transactions was for each local authority in that period. [47819]
Robert Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table which shows the amount of national non-domestic rates each local authority in England estimates it will collect in the financial year 2010-11. The table also includes the amount each local authority had budgeted to receive in (a) redistributed non-domestic rates, (b) revenue support grant and (c) other grants for the financial year 2010-11.
22 Mar 2011 : Column 917W
The contribution to the pool from local lists expected to be collected in the financial year 2011-12, for England, is estimated to be £20,845 million. This figure is available only at national level.
No estimates have been made at either a national or local level on the amount of national non-domestic rates expected to be collected in the financial years 2012-13 or 2013-14.
Non-domestic Rates: Third Sector
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) charities and (b) community amateur sports clubs in each local authority area received mandatory rate relief on national non-domestic rates in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what the cost to the public purse of such relief was in each such year. [47586]
Robert Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House two tables containing details, at local authority level, of (a) the number of hereditaments that were in receipt of either mandatory charity or discretionary community and amateur sports clubs rate relief on their national non-domestic rates as at 31 December 2007, 2008 and 2009 and (b) the amount of mandatory charity or discretionary community and amateur sports club relief granted in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
These data are as supplied annually by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government on national non-domestic rates returns.
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) charities and (b) community amateur sports clubs received discretionary rate relief on national non-domestic rates in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what the cost to local authorities of such relief was in each such year. [47587]
Robert Neill: Details of the number of hereditaments that were in receipt of either discretionary charity or discretionary community and amateur sports clubs rate relief on their national non-domestic rates as at 31 December 2007-09 are shown in the following table. It is not possible to determine how many individual charities or clubs were in receipt of the reliefs.
| As at 31 December each year | |||
|
|
2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
These figures are also available in table 5 of the statistical release “National non-domestic rates collected by local authorities in England 2009-10 (Revised)” that was published on 25 January 2011 and which is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/nondomesticrates/outturn/
22 Mar 2011 : Column 918W
Discretionary relief is part funded by the national non-domestic rates pool and part by the local authority itself. For both charity relief and community and amateur sports clubs relief, the central pool funds 25% of any discretionary relief granted and the local authority funds the remaining 75% of the relief. The following table shows the amount of discretionary relief local authorities reported the pool contributed towards i.e. this figure is 25% of the total amount of discretionary relief granted. We do not collect information on the amount of discretionary relief funded by local authorities.
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2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 |
These figures are as reported by local authorities on their annual national non-domestic rate (NNDR) returns and can relate both to the year in question and previous years.