Planning Permission: Appeals
Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what total cost has been incurred by local authorities in presenting a defence in planning appeals which have resulted in their initial decisions being overturned by the planning inspector since 2010. [170702]
Nick Boles: This information is not collected centrally.
Mr Nigel Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning appeals have resulted in local authority decisions being overturned by the planning inspector in
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(a)
Ribble Valley constituency,
(b)
Lancashire and
(c)
the UK since 2010. [170703]
Nick Boles:
The following table shows the percentage of planning appeals (ie S78 and HAS) that were allowed
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for each fiscal year from April 2010. For the current year only figures for the first quarter are available.
| Ribble Valley | Lancashire | England | |||||||
| Period | Decided | Allowed | % allowed | Decided | Allowed | % allowed | Decided | Allowed | % allowed |
I would add that these figures refute the suggestion that the National Planning Policy Framework would lead to planning by appeal.
Cabinet Office
Average Earnings: Wales
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average real wage level in Wales was in each month since May 2010. [170607]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Caron Walker, dated October 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average real wage level in Wales was in each month since May 2010. (170607)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Weekly levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose earnings for the survey pay period were not affected by absence. Figures are available only for the month of April in each of the years from 2010.
The table shows estimates of median gross weekly earnings in Wales from 2010 to 2012, the latest period for which results are available, at cash prices and re-valued at 2012 prices by using the Consumer Prices Index as a price deflator, Figures are provided for part-time employees, full-time employees and all employees.
| Median gross weekly earnings for employees1 in Wales between April 2010 and April 2012, at cash prices and at constant prices | ||||||
| Cash prices (£) | Constant (2012) prices (£) | |||||
| Year (April) | Part-time | Full-time | All | Part-time | Full-time | All |
| 1 Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. 2 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2000. 3 2011 results based on Standard Occupational Classification 2010. Guide to quality: The coefficient of variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure; the smaller the CV value, the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. The cash price earnings estimates in the table all have coefficients of variation which are between 0% and 5%. It has not been possible to calculate the coefficients of variation for the constant price earnings estimates. The Consumer Prices Index has been used to deflate the ASHE earnings estimates. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics | ||||||
Civil Service Quarterly
Andrew Percy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many copies of the July 2013 edition of Civil Service Quarterly were printed; and how much this edition cost the public purse to produce. [170887]
(2) what assessment he has made of the annual cost of Civil Service Quarterly. [170890]
Mr Maude: Civil Service Quarterly is primarily an online publication, and can be found at:
https://quarterly.blog.gov.uk
The cost of producing the first issue of Civil Service Quarterly, including printing costs, was £5,990. Future editions will likely cost around the same.
Employment: Wrexham
Ian Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people employed in Wrexham were employed in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector in each of the last five years for which records are available. [170957]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Joe Grice, dated October 2013:
In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many people employed in Wrexham were employed in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector in each of the last five years for which records are available.
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Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
Table 1 shows the number of people aged 16 years and over, who were employed in the public or private sectors resident in Wrexham constituency. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period July 2012 to June 2013, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2008 to 2012.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Number of people aged 16 and over employed in the public and private sectors1, resident in Wrexham constituency | ||
| Thousand | ||
| 12 months ending: | Public | Private |
| — = not available 1 Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. 2 People who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors. 3 Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey | ||
Performance Appraisal
Mrs Lewell-Buck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13. [170470]
Mr Maude: The overall ratings for Cabinet Office staff are set out in the following tables. Disability declaration rates are too low to be statistically significant and thus are not included. The distribution of those that have declared is broadly in line with the overall distribution.
| Rating | Overall distribution for staff below SCS (%) |
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| Rating | SCS distribution (%) |
Voting Rights: Commonwealth
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable the right to vote in UK elections to be removed from citizens of specified Commonwealth countries. [170851]
Greg Clark: The franchise for UK elections is set out in the Representation of People Act 1983. Under the Act, British, Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens are entitled to register to vote in UK parliamentary elections, local elections, and European elections assuming that all other registration criteria are also met. For the purposes of registering to vote, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen is an individual who either does not need leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, or who does need such leave and has it.
The right of resident Commonwealth citizens to vote in UK elections reflects our close and valued historical ties with the Commonwealth countries. The Government have no current plans to remove the voting rights of Commonwealth citizens.
Deputy Prime Minister
City Deal
7. Lorely Burt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implementation of the City Deal for Greater Birmingham and Solihull. [900476]
Greg Clark: The implementation of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull City Deal is proceeding well, with the Government and local civic and business leaders working effectively to ensure that commitments are carried out.
These include over 1,300 new apprenticeships now available and a boost to life sciences through the Institute of Translational Medicine at Birmingham university.
10. Simon Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made on a City Deal for Norwich. [900480]
Greg Clark: Following the signature of the Preston and Lancashire City Deal last month I am working with a number of other cities to negotiate City Deals to devolve powers to create jobs and economic success.
I am meeting with Norwich Civic and business leaders on Thursday as part of that negotiation.
Electoral Register
Mr Crausby: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have submitted bids for funding to assist with the implementation of individual electoral registration; and how much funding each authority has received. [170449]
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Greg Clark: The Government have been clear that they will fully fund the transition to individual electoral registration.
This April the Government made payments to all relevant authorities across the country to cover the cost of the transition in this financial year (2013-14). The total sum paid was £2,992,186.
A number of local authorities have submitted requests for additional funding for 2013-14. These bids are currently being assessed, and following ministerial approval, LAs should be notified whether they have been successful shortly.
Initial allocations for 2014-15 will be set out in a letter to electoral registration offices/chief executives shortly.
Lord Heseltine Review
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Heseltine Review in (a) England, (b) the East Midlands and (c) Northamptonshire. [170892]
Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
The Government published their response to ‘No Stone Unturned’ by Lord Heseltine in March 2013. That response accepted in full or in part 81 out of Lord Heseltine's 89 recommendations.
Central to the Government's response was a commitment to create a Local Growth Fund (LGF) in England from 2015, including over £2 billion of budgets from skills, housing and transport for 2015-16. Funds will be allocated from the LGF as part of Growth Deals, which are being negotiated with every Local Economic Partnership (LEP), including those in the East Midlands. As part of this, LEPs are currently developing Strategic Economic Plans and will share their first drafts with Government in December.
The Government continue to take forward the wide-ranging recommendations as part of the usual policy process, to ensure we rise to the challenge to
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significantly advance the process of decentralisation, unleash the potential of local economies, strengthen partnerships with industry and foster economic growth.
Royal Charters
Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the last occasion was on which a royal charter was issued without being preceded by a petition from the body requesting a royal charter. [170849]
The Deputy Prime Minister: The last state sponsored charter was in 2007 (The Institute of Educational Assessors). In the case of state sponsored charters, a petition is not required as the royal charter is usually the mechanism for creating or establishing the new body.
Voting Rights: Commonwealth
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the most recent UK legislation on Commonwealth voting rights is; and what plans the Government have to bring forward proposals to amend that legislation. [170841]
Greg Clark: The franchise for UK elections is set out in the Representation of People Act 1983. Under the Act, British, Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens are entitled to register to vote in UK parliamentary elections, local elections, and European elections assuming that all other registration criteria are also met. For the purposes of registering to vote, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen is an individual who either does not need leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, or who does need such leave and has it.
The right of resident Commonwealth citizens to vote in UK elections reflects our close and valued historical ties with the Commonwealth countries. The Government have no current plans to remove the voting rights of Commonwealth citizens.