| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Resource Accounting
Mr. Tim Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress her Department is making with the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting; and in respect of which financial year she expects to publish the first set of resource accounts. [4988]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 21 November 1996]: The Department of National Heritage has this month introduced a new accounting system which will enable the concurrent production of cash and accruals based information. This new system will give the Department the ability to continue to produce the existing cash information required by Treasury, while at the same time develop the commercial style accounts required from 1998-99. The Department continues to discuss with Treasury the development of appropriate accounting policies, output and performance measures for the new resource accounts, as well as discuss how best to implement a resource based public expenditure survey. As set out in Cm 2929, the first published resource accounts for the Department will be in respect of 1999-2000.
Employment Contracts
Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many (a) full-time jobs, (b) part-time jobs, (c) full-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (d) part-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (e) temporary jobs and (f) jobs classified as casual there have been in (1) her Department and (2) executive agencies of her Department for each year since 1992. [5423]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 25 November 1996]: The numbers of full-time and part-time posts within the Department of National Heritage since 1992 are shown in the table:
| Permanent | Casuals | Fixed term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | Appointees |
| 1992-93 | 260 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993-94 | 312 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| 1994-95 | 334 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 16 |
| 1995-96 | 349 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| 1996-97 | 344 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
All fixed-term appointees are full time and on renewable contracts.
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 241
| Permanent | Casuals | Fixed Term | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time |
| 1992-93 | 308 | 14 | 69 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| 1993-94 | 349 | 19 | 70 | 30 | 45 | 0 |
| 1994-95 | 396 | 27 | 62 | 19 | 48 | 0 |
| 1995-96 | 300 | 11 | 41 | 18 | 90 | 10 |
| 1996-97 | 307 | 8 | 66 | 22 | 102 | 12 |
| Permanent | Casuals | Fixed term | RPC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time |
| 1993-94 | 81 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 186 |
| 1994-95 | 88 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 174 |
| 1995-96 | 91 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 168 |
| 1996-97 | 76 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | T164 |
A distinction between temporary and casual posts cannot be made. The Royal Parks, which includes the Royal Parks constabulary, is unable to provide details of staff in post figures for 1992-93 because it did not become an agency until 1993.
ENVIRONMENT
Private Lettings Agencies
Mrs. Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will commission research into the problems caused by the operation of private lettings agencies; [5876]
- (2) what plans he has to set up a system whereby private lettings agencies are required to register with local authorities; [5874]
(3) what plans he has to introduce measures to regulate the operation of private lettings agencies. [5875]
Mr. Clappison: We have no plans to regulate the operation of private letting agencies or to require them to register with local authorities. However, we are keen to encourage self-regulation. My right hon. Friend has now approved the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' code of practice for management of residential property, to be published next March 1997. This is aimed primarily at agents who offer a full management service but also contains much that lettings-only agents can draw on.
Research for the Department in 1995 suggests that, where an agent was used, 88 per cent. of landlords expressed themselves to be very or fairly satisfied with the service provided. We have no plans to commission further research.
Camberwell Jobcentre
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals there are to serve a Crown notice of improvement on the Employment Service, requiring a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks of violence to staff to be carried out at the Camberwell jobcentre; and if he will make a statement. [5888]
Sir Paul Beresford: Enforcement is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive. I am informed that a notice of intention to serve an improvement notice was given to the Employment Service on 16 September 1996, in accordance with HSE procedures.
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 242
The response to the notice of intention is still under discussion with the Employment Service and appointed safety representatives.
Planning Appeals
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans (a) to complete consultation and (b) to issue a final circular in respect of the role of public inquiries and informal hearings in determining planning appeals; and he will make a statement. [5877]
Sir Paul Beresford: Consultation on the draft circular on planning appeal procedures was completed at the end of April and the final document was published as DOE circular 15/96 on 20 September.
Household Drains (Repairs)
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the advantages of changing the rules which make householders responsible for repair of drains up to the junction with the main drain. [6322]
Mr. Clappison: This issue was addressed in a review of water and sewerage law in 1986. The view was taken that, if the responsibility for private drains and sewers was transferred to sewerage undertakers, the cost of maintaining and repairing them could be very high and this could have a significant effect on the charges which have to be met by sewerage undertakers' customers generally. This was not considered to be equitable.
Green Ministers
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how often the Green Ministers in each Whitehall Department have met collectively in each year. [6321]
Mr. Clappison: Since their inception in 1992, Green Ministers have met once in 1992, once in 1993, twice in 1994, once in 1995 and twice in 1996.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the basis of his calculations of the distributable amount of non-domestic rates for 1997-98. [6552]
Mr. Curry: The distributable amount of non-domestic rates in England for 1997-98 will be £12,027 million. This is based on a non-domestic rate multiplier of 0.458 and includes an allowance of £400 million for an Exchequer payment to the non-domestic rates pool, to compensate for the shortfall which would otherwise occur as a result of regulations under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.
| 1994-95 Final outturn | 1995-96 Provisional outturn | 1996-97 Provisional outturn | 1997-98 Estimated in year contribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Income from local lists | ||||
| Multiplier (p) | 42.3 | 43.2 | 44.9 | 45.8 |
| Gross Rate Yield | 12,254 | 12,834 | 13,346 | 13,617 |
| (i) Reliefs | ||||
| (a) Net Transitional Relief | -410 | -740 | -548 | -580 |
| (b) Empty properties | -1,150 | -1,056 | -1,158 | -1,151 |
| (c) Charitable | -418 | -447 | -470 | -479 |
| (d) Discretionary | -20 | -20 | -25 | -25 |
| Net Yields after reliefs | 10,255 | 10,566 | 11,146 | 11,382 |
| (ii) Collection costs/reductions to contributions | ||||
| (a) Costs of collection | -70 | -75 | -77 | -79 |
| (b) Loses on collection | -166 | -143 | -212 | -200 |
| (c) City of London offset | -7 | -7 | -7 | -7 |
| Total contribution in respect of year | 10,013 | 10,341 | 10,850 | 11,097 |
| (iii) Adjustments | ||||
| (a) Repayments/interest payments | -1,367 | -1,048 | -112 | -408 |
| (b) Revisions to contributions at outturn (1996-97 only) | 9 | |||
| Total adjustments | -1,367 | -1,048 | -103 | -408 |
| Net local yields | 8,646 | 9,293 | 10,747 | 10,689 |
| 2. Income from central list | ||||
| Net Central List Yield | 1,114 | 1,192 | 1,273 | 1,314 |
| 3. Income from Crown contributions in aid | ||||
| Net Crown Yield | 548 | 481 | 500 | 470 |
| Total NDR Yield | 10,307 | 10,966 | 12,520 | 12,473 |
| 4. Exchequer Contributions | ||||
| Total Exchequer contributions | 464 | 505 | 429 | 400 |
| Total NNDR pool payments (1+2+3+4) | 10,771 | 11,471 | 12,949 | 12,873 |
| 5. Adjustments | ||||
| Surplus brought forward | -1,262 | -1,176 | -1,059 | -845 |
| Combined total | 9,509 | 10,925 | 11,890 | 12,027 |
| Distributable amount | 10,685 | 11,354 | 12,736 | 12,027 |
| Surplus carried forward | -1,176 | -1,059 | -845 |
Notes:
1. Item 1: The gross calculated rate yield represents the total value of non-domestic hereditaments on local rating lists times the multiplier. For the years to 1995-96 the yield is the amount recorded in the post-end year (NNDR3) returns. For 1996-97 it is the amount underlying authorities' provisional contributions to the non-domestic rating pool including the prescribed amount for Enterprise Zones.
2. Item 1(i)(a): The Transactional decrease adjustment includes the estimated amount of rates that will not be recouped locally due to the revised transitional arrangements under the provisions of the Non-Domestic Rating Acts 1992, 1993 and 1994.
3. Item 1(i)(b): The empty property relief adjustments include avoids and partially occupied hereditaments. Figures up to 1996-97 are as reported by authorities. The 1997-98 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rates yield.
4. Item 1(i)(c): Charitable rate relief. As for empty property relief.
5. Item 1(i)(d): Discretionary relief granted to charities, non-profit making organisations and for other reasons. As for charitable rate relief.
6. Item 1(ii)(a) and (b): The allowances for the costs and losses incurred by local authorities in collecting non-domestic rates from ratepayers, including the latest estimates of additional billing and software costs arising from the Non-Domestic Rating Acts.
7. Item 1(ii)(c): City Offset--a preliminary estimate for 1997-98 (£6.5 million) of the amount which the City of London will not be required to pay into the non-domestic rating pool on account of the local rate in the City. It is the amount which will be retained by the authority to meet its own expenditure.
8. Item 1(iii)(a): Net adjustment in respect of appeals and other amendments to the rating list affecting liability for previous years rates settled in that year.
9. Item 1(iii)(b): The revisions to contributions line applies only to estimated outturn revisions to the provisional contributions for 1996-97. For earlier years all figures are already based upon the outturn contributions.
10. Item 2: The rateable value of non-domestic hereditaments on the central rating list times the multiplier, and adjusted for appeals and other changes in respect of previous year. The 1997-98 figure is calculated as the estimated Rateable Value times the multiplier, less the effect of the transitional arrangements.
11. Item 3: The 1997-98 figure for Crown properties includes an allowance for the effect of transition.
12. Item 4: The contribution from central Government to offset the amount of the Secretary of State's estimate of income forgone arising from the provisions of the Non-Domestic Rating Acts 1992, 1993 and 1994.
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 243
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 245
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |