Lords Hansard text for 4 Nov 200804 Nov 2008 (pt 0003)

Planning

Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:

What target was set for housing growth in 2008; how many homes have so far been built in 2008; and how many are expected to have been built by the end of the year. [HL6014]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): Detailed housing targets are not directly set by government, but are set out in regional and local plans which are developed through regional and local planning processes.

The Government set the overall strategy for housing supply in England. The housing Green Paper, Homes for the Future: More Affordable, More Sustainable (Cm 7191), published in July 2007, set out a target to increase housing supply to 240,000 additional homes per annum by 2016.

4 Nov 2008 : Column WA38

In 2006-07 199,200 additional homes were delivered. Finalised figures for net additional homes in 2007-08 will be published in early 2009.

The Government do not publish forecasts for private housebuilding. Housing starts in 2007-08 were 10 per cent lower than in 2006-07 and this is likely to be reflected in lower levels of housing completions during 2008-09.

Planning: Inquiries

Lord Burnett asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many planning public inquiries are waiting to be heard; and [HL5960]

How many planning public inquiries were waiting to be heard on 29 October 2007; and [HL5961]

What is the current average time between a planning appeal being received by the planning inspectorate and a public inquiry being held. [HL5962]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The number of planning appeals, made to the Planning Inspectorate, that were waiting to be heard at a public inquiry on 29 October 2007 were 514 and the number that were waiting to be heard at a public inquiry on 29 October 2008 were 448.

Based on planning appeals received by the inspectorate for the first half of the financial year 2008-09, the current average time between the appeal being received and the public inquiry being opened, or a date for the inquiry being arranged, was 26 weeks.

Planning: Websites

Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will, in the next six months and subject to the necessary consultations, amend the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 (SI 1995/419) to allow local planning authorities to advertise planning applications on their websites instead of in local newspapers if they so desire. [HL5952]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): This is an issue on which the Killian Pretty review of the planning application process has sought views (in its Call for Solutions paper published in June 2008). The Government will consider the issue further after the Killian Pretty review has reported later this year.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Morrow asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many police stations throughout each district command unit in Northern Ireland will remain operational; and [HL5914]

4 Nov 2008 : Column WA39

What steps will be taken to ensure that Northern Ireland is not left underresourced as a consequence of any police station closure; and [HL5915]

What consideration has been given to maintaining the full-time reserves, and maximising police resources, in response to increased dissident republican activity. [HL5916]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: That is an operational matter for the chief constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the noble Lord, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House and the Official Report.

Lord Morrow asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many police officers serve in each district command unit in Northern Ireland, including full-time reserves, by rank; and [HL5927]

How many police officers have been moved, and from where, through the special purchase of evacuated dwelling scheme during the past 12 months. [HL5928]

Post Offices

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will introduce a moratorium on post office closures after the present round has been completed. [HL5794]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): Some 97 per cent of post offices are privately owned and operated so the Government can never introduce an absolute moratorium on post office closures. However the Government's funding package for the post office network, announced in May 2007, includes provision for a subsidy of up to £150 million a year to 2011 to support the social network of non-commercial offices. The Government's funding package and Post Office Ltd's business case are both based on the network, after the present Network Change programme, being sustained at around 11,500 outlets to 2011. The Government continue to view such a network as necessary to provide an appropriate level of national coverage and have no plans for a further closure programme.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

In current and foreseeable circumstances, how many post offices they envisage in the network. [HL5795]

4 Nov 2008 : Column WA40

Baroness Vadera: The Government's current funding package for the post office network provides for a network of around 11,500 offices to 2011.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which new services they will commission or encourage the Post Office to provide via local post offices. [HL5796]

Baroness Vadera: The Government support Post Office Ltd's commitment to maintaining and further developing the range of public and private sector products and services offered through post offices.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will provide extra resources to local authorities or other local bodies to enable them to take over or support local post offices under threat of closure. [HL5797]

Baroness Vadera: The Government are providing, and have secured state aid clearance for, £150 million a year to support the post office network of around 11,500 outlets which will remain after the Network Change programme. There is no financial provision to provide additional funding for a network which is larger than this.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

What value they attach to local post offices serving communities other than through the provision of traditional post office services; and to what extent this value is taken into account when the Post Office reviews the post office network in each area. [HL5798]

Baroness Vadera: The Government fully recognise that the important social and economic role of post offices in the communities they serve can, according to individual circumstances, extend beyond the provision of post office services to the range of associated retail facilities which may be offered alongside post office services. Accordingly in developing its Network Change programme proposals for local consultation, Post Office Ltd has considered a range of socio-economic factors including the impact of a proposal on the local economy.

Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they plan to privatise the Post Office, in view of the current economic circumstances. [HL5825]

Baroness Vadera: Royal Mail is facing significant challenges as mail volumes continue to fall due to people and businesses switching to digital media to meet their communication needs. In addition, mail volumes have historically tracked GDP so, as businesses cut their costs, the advertising market is vulnerable to a downturn leading to further volume reductions in mail.

4 Nov 2008 : Column WA41

The Independent Review of the Postal Sector led by Richard Hooper will be reporting to Ministers later this year and will provide advice on how best to maintain the universal postal service. The review's initial response to evidence in May stated that the status quo was untenable. Ministers look forward to receiving the review's report but will not speculate on what the independent panel's recommendations might be.

Prisons: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals they have to reduce the number of people in prison in Northern Ireland for non-payment of debts. [HL5842]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Measures to assist those dealing with personal debt, as well as matters relating to corporate insolvency in Northern Ireland, are the responsibility of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

Details on proposals relating to the enforcement of fines, including those fine defaults which lead to prison sentences, are available in Fine Default in Northern Ireland—A Consultation, which was published in July this year by the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins) along with the Minister of State for the Ministry of Justice (David Hanson).

The document is available from the following link at www.nio.gov.uk/fine_default_in_northern_ireland _a_consultation.pdf.

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 21 October (WA 99) concerning the nationalities of prisoners in Northern Ireland, why the Answer did not include Irish nationals; and whether they will provide this information. [HL5844]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: In categorising those prisoners that are not British citizens, prisoners who have declared themselves of Irish nationality are not included, as the Belfast agreement explicitly recognises the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose and therefore it is not possible to state definitively how many prisoners have Irish nationality.

Although not required to do so, as of 23 October, 154 prisoners had self-declared themselves to be of Irish nationality. This figure includes five females and 28 male young offenders—a total of 10 per cent of the population.

Questions for Written Answer: Late Answers

Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has taken to ensure that Ministers answer Questions for Written Answer within the two-week target; and

4 Nov 2008 : Column WA42

why the department had 19 late unanswered Questions on 7 October of which nine were between 12 and 16 weeks late. [HL5491]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in the process of introducing an improved system for the processing of Parliamentary Questions, which will help ensure we provide a reply within the two-week target.

A number of Answers to Parliamentary Questions have been delayed recently due to administrative error, and will be given shortly.

I apologise for the delay.

Questions for Written Answer: Unanswered Questions

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Since 1 January 2008 what percentage of Questions for Written Answer in the House of Lords to the Northern Ireland Office were answered in the required 14 days. [HL5888]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Of the 445 Questions received by the Northern Ireland Office since 1 January, 243 have been answered within 14 days. This represents 55 per cent of the total.

These figures cover Questions tabled up to and including 15 October.