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Ofsted: Registration of Childminders
Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the target time within which Ofsted should complete the registration process for potential childminders; how many such applications Ofsted has received throughout the United Kingdom since it took over responsibility for the registration of childminders in September 2001; and how many of these were completed within the target time; and[HL2665]
In respect of applications for registration of childminders by Ofsted in the United Kingdom completed outside its target time, how many were delayed by three, six, nine and 12 months; and what were the principal reasons for such delays; and[HL2666]
How many applications for the registration of potential childminders Ofsted has received from the London Borough of Southwark since September 2001; and how many of these were completed within the target time; and[HL2667]
In respect of those applications for registration of potential childminders by Ofsted in Southwark completed outside its target time, how many were delayed by three, six, nine and 12 months; and what were the principal reasons for such delays; and[HL2668]
How many applications Ofsted has received from Southwark's postcode area SE17 since September 2001; and how many of these were completed within the target time: and [HL2669]
In respect of those applications Ofsted received from Southwark's postcode area SE17 since September 2001 completed outside its target time, how many were delayed by three, six, nine and 12 months; and what were the principal reasons for such delay.[HL2670]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): These are matters for the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). HM Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, will write to the noble Baroness and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.
Non-residential Property
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What the latest available figures are for (i) the resident population and (ii) the total rateable value for non-residential properties in each of the following wards:
| Local Authority | Ward | Local Authority | Ward |
| Camden | Holborn | Leicester | Wycliffe |
| Kings Cross | Northampton | Castle | |
| Regent's Park | Derby | Babington | |
| St Pancras | Litchurch | ||
| Somers Town | Birmingham | Ladywood | |
| Hammersmith & Fulham | White City & Shepherds Bush | Dudley | Brierley Hill |
| Hackney | Moorfields | Coventry | St Michaels |
| Islington | Bunhill | Wolverhampton | St Peters |
| Clerkenwell | Hull | Myton | |
| Lambeth | Bishops | Leeds | City & Holbeck |
| Southwark | Cathedral | Sheffield | Castle |
| Dockyard | Darnall | ||
| Riverside | Stoke-on-Trent | Shelton | |
| Tower Hamlets | Millwall | Darlington | Central |
| St Katherine's | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | West City | |
| Portsmouth | Charles Dickens | Sunderland | Central |
| Southampton | Bargate | Liverpool | Abercromby |
| Bristol | Ashley | Manchester | Central |
| Cabot | Preston | Central | |
| Plymouth | Sutton | ||
| Harlow | Hare St & Town Centre | Belfast | Shaftesbury |
| Ipswich | Town | Londonderry | The Diamond |
| King's Lynn | Central | ||
| Norwich | Mancroft | Newport (Gwent) | Stow Hill |
| Peterborough | Central | Swansea | Castle |
| Thurrock | West Thurrock |
- What were their estimates in calculating the annual cost to the Exchequer of the abolition of stamp duty on non-residential property purchases in disadvantaged areas, of—
(a) the total current capital value of non-residential property in the 2000 disadvantaged areas;
(b) the proportion of this total value which will be bought and sold each year; and
(c) the proportion of the annual cost to the Exchequer represented by the abolition of stamp duty on purchases of existing non-residential properties, as opposed to development of new non-residential properties; and[2612]
What the estimated cost to the Exchequer will be in the financial year 2004–05 of exempting the 2000 disadvantaged areas from stamp duty on the grant of new leases on non-residential property, at the rates proposed in the 2003 Budget.[HL2613]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Information on ward resident populations and rateable values is given in the following table.
The relief from stamp duty in disadvantaged areas has already benefited thousands of individuals and businesses, as well as the communities in which they are investing.
Estimates of the annual cost to the Exchequer of the abolition of stamp duty on non-residential property purchases in disadvantaged areas were based on previous yield transaction data. This did not involve specific estimates of the total current capital value of non-residential property or the rate of turnover. The estimate did not include a component for the development of new non-residential properties arising from the relief. As such transactions would not have gone ahead without the relief, there is no exchequer cost resulting from relief for such transactions.
The cost of exempting 2,000 disadvantaged areas from stamp duty on the grant of new leases on non-residential property is included in the overall estimate but is not separately identifiable.
| Local Authority | Ward | Resident Population mid 1998 | Total Rateable Value 1 April 2003 (£ million) |
| Camden | Holborn | 6,600 | 176.8 |
| Kings Cross | 7,800 | 18.2 | |
| Regent's Park | 9,600 | 51.1 | |
| St Pancras | 5,400 | 24.4 | |
| Somers Town | 7,300 | 47.9 | |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | White City and Shepherds Bush | 10,200 | 27.6 |
| Hackney | Moorfields | 6,100 | 100.7 |
| Islington | Bunhill | 6,900 | 119.5 |
| Clerkenwell | 11,600 | 60.2 | |
| Lambeth | Bishops | 10,800 | 3.3 |
| Southwark | Cathedral | 6,800 | 70.0 |
| Dockyard | 20,200 | 15.4 | |
| Riverside | 10,500 | 26.6 | |
| Tower Hamlets | Millwall | 18,100 | 47.7 |
| St Katherine's | 15,100 | 86.7 | |
| Portsmouth | Charles Dickens | 15,800 | 51.0 |
| Southampton | Bargate | 16,900 | 100.9 |
| Bristol | Ashley | 13,600 | 6.7 |
| Cabot | 13,900 | 103.6 | |
| Plymouth | Sutton | 11,600 | 53.0 |
| Harlow | Hare St and Town Centre | 3,600 | 22.3 |
| Ipswich | Town | 7,800 | 52.1 |
| King's Lynn | Central | 2,900 | 4.7 |
| Norwich | Mancroft | 7,800 | 78.2 |
| Peterborough | Central | 8,400 | 48.0 |
| Thurrock | West Thurrock | 8,700 | 117.1 |
| Leicester | Wycliffe | 12,600 | 28.0 |
| Northampton | Castle | 8,000 | 32.3 |
| Derby | Babington | 11,900 | 3.3 |
| Litchurch | 11,400 | 51.6 | |
| Birmingham | Ladywood | 27,100 | 231.6 |
| Dudley | Brierley Hill | 10,300 | 50.9 |
| Coventry | St Michaels | 16,000 | 57.1 |
| Wolverhampton | St Peters | 14,300 | 53.3 |
| Hull | Myton | 11,800 | 58.4 |
| Leeds | City and Holbeck | 21,300 | 249.2 |
| Sheffield | Castle | 14,700 | 21.1 |
| Darnall | 98.5 | ||
| Stoke-on-Trent | Shelton | 19,400 | 41.9 |
| Darlington | Central | 3,100 | 23.8 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | West City | 7,900 | 68.5 |
| Sunderland | Central | 12,700 | 34.7 |
| Liverpool | Abercromby | 12,900 | 45.2 |
| Manchester | Central | 10,500 | 294.4 |
| Preston | Central | 9,500 | 69.6 |
| Belfast | Shaftesbury | Not available | Not available |
| Londonderry | The Diamond | Not available | Not available |
| Newport (Gwent) | Stow Hill | Not available | 22.8 |
| Swansea | Castle | Not available | 45.1 |
Stamp Duty Exemption
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why they used local authority wards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but postcodes in
- Scotland when selecting the 2,000 disadvantaged areas for stamp duty exemption.[HL2614]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The qualifying areas for the exemption were identified by reference to the most recent national indices of deprivation at the time the original legislation was introduced. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the indices refer to electoral wards or divisions. In Scotland the index uses postcode areas. The regulations use wards and postcode areas accordingly.
Competition Law: Definition of "Market"
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will consider that communications via the electronic and print media constitute a market for the purpose of the application of European Union and United Kingdom competition rules.[HL2650]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The definition of "markets" for the purpose
of applying competition law is a matter for the relevant competition authorities to determine on a case-by-case basis when considering whether a competition problem may exist. Markets are defined on the basis of economic evidence available at a given point in time.Prescription-only Veterinary Medicines
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Department of Trade and Industry will be consulting the British Veterinary Association and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association about the Competition Commission's report on the supply of prescription-only veterinary medicines before any further action is taken on the report.[HL2568]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked the Office of Fair Trading to consult with interested parties about implementation of the Competition Commission's proposed remedies. These parties will include the British Veterinary Association and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
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