House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Apr 2001 (pt 17)

Local Government Finance

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the increase in (a) Standard Spending Assessment and (b) council tax between the previous and current financial years was for (i) Bournemouth, (ii) Brighton and (iii) Blackpool; and if he will make a statement. [158246]

Ms Beverley Hughes: Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) are a means of distributing a given total of grant which takes account of the demographic, physical and

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social characteristics of an area. Council tax levels are a matter for local authorities, which have to answer to their voters. SSA and council tax increases for 2001-02 are given in the table:

Borough council Standard Spending Assessment increase (percentage) Authority's own council tax increase (Band D) (percentage)

Bournemouth 3.4 10.0

Brighton and Hove 5.9 6.0

Blackpool 4.2 12.1

Borough council	Standard Spending Assessment increase (percentage)	Authority's own council tax increase (Band D) (percentage)
Bournemouth	3.4	10.0
Brighton and Hove	5.9	6.0
Blackpool	4.2	12.1

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Local Government Finance (Wiltshire)

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what funding his Department has provided to (a) Wiltshire county council and (b) Salisbury district council in the years 1997-98 to 2001-02, including grants and borrowing approvals for revenue and capital expenditure. [157791]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The principal funding that this Department has provided to Salisbury district council and Wiltshire county council in the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 are shown in the table (where available). These include grants and borrowing approvals for revenue and capital expenditure.

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£ million

Nature of funding 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02⁽³⁶⁾

Revenue Support Grant 3.266 2.473 2.336 2.064 2.273

⁽³⁵⁾8.309 ⁽³⁵⁾8.174 ⁽³⁵⁾8.348 ⁽³⁵⁾7.973 ⁽³⁵⁾8.939

Income from National Non-Domestic Rates 3.516 3.610 3.881 4.338 4.299

⁽³⁵⁾8.107 ⁽³⁵⁾8.524 ⁽³⁵⁾9.329 ⁽³⁵⁾10.641 ⁽³⁵⁾10.458

Housing Investment Programme⁽⁴⁴⁾ 1.196 0.728 0.965 2.608 ⁽³⁷⁾1.248

Housing Revenue Account Subsidy⁽⁴⁴⁾ 1.903 1.378 1.205 ⁽³⁸⁾1.684 ⁽⁴⁷⁾--

Capital Receipts Initiative⁽⁴⁴⁾ 0.480 1.138 1.010 n/a ⁽³⁹⁾n/a

Cash Incentive Scheme⁽⁴⁴⁾ 0.100 0.050 n/a n/a ⁽⁴⁰⁾n/a

Loan Charges Defective Housing⁽⁴⁴⁾ 79.646 ⁽⁴¹⁾79.646 ⁽⁴¹⁾79.646 ⁽⁴¹⁾79.646 ⁽⁴¹⁾79.646

Transport Supplementary Grant⁽⁴⁵⁾ ⁽³⁵⁾1.049 ⁽³⁵⁾0.858 ⁽³⁵⁾1.090 ⁽³⁵⁾nil ⁽³⁵⁾0.154

Transport Annual Capital Guideline⁽⁴⁵⁾ ⁽³⁵⁾1.049 ⁽³⁵⁾0.858 ⁽³⁵⁾1.090 ⁽³⁵⁾nil ⁽³⁵⁾nil

Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval⁽⁴⁵⁾ ⁽³⁵⁾0.270 ⁽³⁵⁾0.354 ⁽³⁵⁾0.716 ⁽³⁵⁾3.303 ⁽³⁵⁾12.69

Rural Bus Challenge Grant⁽⁴⁵⁾ ⁽³⁵⁾nil ⁽³⁵⁾0.786 ⁽³⁵⁾0.786 ⁽³⁵⁾0.786 ⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽⁴²⁾1.004

Rural Bus Subsidy Grant⁽⁴⁵⁾ ⁽³⁵⁾nil ⁽³⁵⁾0.463 ⁽³⁵⁾1.154 ⁽³⁵⁾0.213 ⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽⁴⁶⁾--

Supplementary Credit Approvals (Salisbury Transport package)⁽⁴³⁾ n/a n/a n/a n/a 3.58

Nature of funding	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02⁽³⁶⁾
Revenue Support Grant	3.266	2.473	2.336	2.064	2.273
	⁽³⁵⁾8.309	⁽³⁵⁾8.174	⁽³⁵⁾8.348	⁽³⁵⁾7.973	⁽³⁵⁾8.939
Income from National Non-Domestic Rates	3.516	3.610	3.881	4.338	4.299
	⁽³⁵⁾8.107	⁽³⁵⁾8.524	⁽³⁵⁾9.329	⁽³⁵⁾10.641	⁽³⁵⁾10.458
Housing Investment Programme⁽⁴⁴⁾	1.196	0.728	0.965	2.608	⁽³⁷⁾1.248
Housing Revenue Account Subsidy⁽⁴⁴⁾	1.903	1.378	1.205	⁽³⁸⁾1.684	⁽⁴⁷⁾--
Capital Receipts Initiative⁽⁴⁴⁾	0.480	1.138	1.010	n/a	⁽³⁹⁾n/a
Cash Incentive Scheme⁽⁴⁴⁾	0.100	0.050	n/a	n/a	⁽⁴⁰⁾n/a
Loan Charges Defective Housing⁽⁴⁴⁾	79.646	⁽⁴¹⁾79.646	⁽⁴¹⁾79.646	⁽⁴¹⁾79.646	⁽⁴¹⁾79.646
Transport Supplementary Grant⁽⁴⁵⁾	⁽³⁵⁾1.049	⁽³⁵⁾0.858	⁽³⁵⁾1.090	⁽³⁵⁾nil	⁽³⁵⁾0.154
Transport Annual Capital Guideline⁽⁴⁵⁾	⁽³⁵⁾1.049	⁽³⁵⁾0.858	⁽³⁵⁾1.090	⁽³⁵⁾nil	⁽³⁵⁾nil
Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval⁽⁴⁵⁾	⁽³⁵⁾0.270	⁽³⁵⁾0.354	⁽³⁵⁾0.716	⁽³⁵⁾3.303	⁽³⁵⁾12.69
Rural Bus Challenge Grant⁽⁴⁵⁾	⁽³⁵⁾nil	⁽³⁵⁾0.786	⁽³⁵⁾0.786	⁽³⁵⁾0.786	⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽⁴²⁾1.004
Rural Bus Subsidy Grant⁽⁴⁵⁾	⁽³⁵⁾nil	⁽³⁵⁾0.463	⁽³⁵⁾1.154	⁽³⁵⁾0.213	⁽³⁵⁾^,⁽⁴⁶⁾--
Supplementary Credit Approvals (Salisbury Transport package)⁽⁴³⁾	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	3.58

⁽³⁵⁾ Figures for Wiltshire

⁽³⁶⁾ Where known

⁽³⁷⁾ MRA is ring fenced from HIP resources and was allocated centrally to those local authorities who managed their own housing stock

⁽³⁸⁾ Provisional figure--subject to change

⁽³⁹⁾ CRI ceased as a programme after 1999-2000

⁽⁴⁰⁾ CIS still continues as a programme but without any DETR allocations

⁽⁴¹⁾ Figures are estimated

⁽⁴²⁾ Figures represent the award--actual spend can be over more than one year

⁽⁴³⁾ Funds are paid to Wiltshire County Council, but can only be spent on Salisbury

⁽⁴⁴⁾ Funding applies to district level only

⁽⁴⁵⁾ Funding applies to county level only

⁽⁴⁶⁾ Not known

⁽⁴⁷⁾ Figures not yet available

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High Hedges

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the terms of reference given to the Building Research Establishment and Tree Advice Trust are to develop an objective way of assessing the obstruction of light by hedges; when the report will be completed; and when it will be published. [158469]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Tree Advice Trust have been asked to produce guidance on the impact of evergreen hedges on daylight and sunlight to buildings, and loss of sunlight to gardens; and to devise a method for calculating what height a hedge needs to be in order to alleviate any obstruction of light.

Draft guidelines, including the proposed procedure for calculating hedge height, have recently been issued by BRE for limited consultation. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. These guidelines will be tested against a sample of problem hedges, and will be refined--

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as necessary--in the light of the results of these field tests and the consultation. The final report on this project is due to be submitted to my Department at the end of July 2001.

Rural Regeneration Partnerships

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the local rural regeneration partnerships operating in the south-west of England; and what the budget of each is for 2001-02. [158589]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The partnerships operating in the south-west of England are:

Cornwall--Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Rural Development Programme Committee

Devon--Devon Joint Rural Development Committee

Dorset--Committee for Rural Dorset

Somerset--Rural Somerset Committee

Gloucestershire--Forest Regeneration Partnership

Wiltshire--Rural Development Programme for Wiltshire.

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The partnerships do not have specific budgets but have equal access to the Rural Programme given to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) by DETR. The SW RDA's rural budget for 2001-02 is £9,388,000.

Park Homes Industry

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date research was commissioned into the economics of the park homes industry; when the research is due to be completed; and when it will be published. [158470]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: Research into the economics of the park homes industry was commissioned on 22 January 2001. Current plans are for the research to be completed by the end of September and a report to be published before the end of the year.

Highcliffe Castle

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when a decision

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will be taken on the application for alterations to Highcliffe castle to facilitate disabled access. [158468]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The application by Christchurch borough council for listed building consent to construct a temporary disabled ramp and associated works at Highcliffe castle was submitted to the Secretary of State on 15 February 2001. The Secretary of State is currently considering the issues and will ensure that the council is notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Housing (London)

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the allocations of capital housing expenditure for 2001-02 for each London borough broken down into (a) repairs to local authority property, (b) repairs to regulated social landlord property, (c) new local authority build and (d) new regulated social landlord property. [158584]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The table shows the three elements of the housing capital allocations through the Housing Investment Programme and the Major Repairs Allowance allocations to London authorities for 2001-02.

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£ million

Annual capital guideline Private sector renewal grant transitional payments Disabled facilities grant Major repairs allowance

Barking and Dagenham 4.419 0.002 0.412 15.220

Barnet 5.202 -- 0.585 8.536

Bexley 1.553 0.178 0.763 --

Brent 16.622 -- 0.879 8.013

Bromley 2.257 0.40 0.381 --

Camden 18.758 -- 0.068 22.184

City of London 0.241 -- 0.003 1.771

Croydon 5.870 -- 0.426 10.705

Ealing 11.200 0.285 1.141 11.419

Enfield 3.939 0.084 0.658 9.882

Greenwich 11.084 -- 0.503 20.320

Hackney 17.148 0.050 0.268 22.733

Hammersmith and Fulham 14.421 0.036 0.441 11.261

Haringey 18.697 -- 0.567 13.403

Harrow 3.540 0.045 0.689 4.133

Havering 2.255 -- 0.232 8.822

Hillingdon 5.115 0.037 0.838 8.137

Hounslow 3.620 0.460 0.584 10.867

Islington 12.651 -- 0.212 25.434

Kensington and Chelsea 12.810 0.045 0.055 5.817

Kingston upon Thames 1.958 -- 0.199 3.746

Lambeth 18.370 0.350 0.248 27.361

Lewisham 14.563 0.262 0.154 21.858

Merton 2.492 0.006 0.208 5.022

Newham 21.902 -- 0.448 17.178

Redbridge 3.260 -- 0.747 4.483

Richmond upon Thames 2.440 0.047 0.443 4.682

Southwark 13.979 0.198 0.285 38.459

Sutton 2.027 0.062 0.358 6.199

Tower Hamlets 14.809 0.099 0.275 22.855

Waltham Forest 14.378 0.120 0.478 9.937

Wandsworth 11.386 1.500 0.237 14.773

Westminster 17.107 -- 0.239 11.851

	Annual capital guideline	Private sector renewal grant transitional payments	Disabled facilities grant	Major repairs allowance
Barking and Dagenham	4.419	0.002	0.412	15.220
Barnet	5.202	--	0.585	8.536
Bexley	1.553	0.178	0.763	--
Brent	16.622	--	0.879	8.013
Bromley	2.257	0.40	0.381	--
Camden	18.758	--	0.068	22.184
City of London	0.241	--	0.003	1.771
Croydon	5.870	--	0.426	10.705
Ealing	11.200	0.285	1.141	11.419
Enfield	3.939	0.084	0.658	9.882
Greenwich	11.084	--	0.503	20.320
Hackney	17.148	0.050	0.268	22.733
Hammersmith and Fulham	14.421	0.036	0.441	11.261
Haringey	18.697	--	0.567	13.403
Harrow	3.540	0.045	0.689	4.133
Havering	2.255	--	0.232	8.822
Hillingdon	5.115	0.037	0.838	8.137
Hounslow	3.620	0.460	0.584	10.867
Islington	12.651	--	0.212	25.434
Kensington and Chelsea	12.810	0.045	0.055	5.817
Kingston upon Thames	1.958	--	0.199	3.746
Lambeth	18.370	0.350	0.248	27.361
Lewisham	14.563	0.262	0.154	21.858
Merton	2.492	0.006	0.208	5.022
Newham	21.902	--	0.448	17.178
Redbridge	3.260	--	0.747	4.483
Richmond upon Thames	2.440	0.047	0.443	4.682
Southwark	13.979	0.198	0.285	38.459
Sutton	2.027	0.062	0.358	6.199
Tower Hamlets	14.809	0.099	0.275	22.855
Waltham Forest	14.378	0.120	0.478	9.937
Wandsworth	11.386	1.500	0.237	14.773
Westminster	17.107	--	0.239	11.851

Note:

The Annual Capital Guideline (ACG) figures for Hammersmith and Fulham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest reflect small additional allocations made to those boroughs to fulfil ministerial commitments that authorities with housing stock would receive a combined 2001-02 housing ACG and Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) allocation that was at least 10 per cent. above their 2000-01 housing ACG. The adjustments were necessary as the final MRA allocations were not known until after the Housing Investment Programme allocations had been decided.

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Resources to enable local authorities to maintain their own housing stock are provided through the MRA allocations which are distributed through the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system. ACG allocations are not subdivided between repair and new building or between council and registered social landlord stock and local authorities have full discretion to use these resources to match local needs and priorities.

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for the latest available date for each London borough (a) the

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number of people on the housing waiting list, (b) the number of priority homeless and (c) the number of people accommodated in bed and breakfast accommodation under housing legislation. [158582]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The table shows the number of households on the housing register, the number of homeless households in priority need accepted by London authorities and the number of households accommodated in bed and breakfast accommodation by London authorities under the provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts.

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Households on the housing register (April 2000) Acceptances of homeless households in priority need (January -December 2000) Households in B&B accommodation (December 2000)

Barking and Dagenham 1,925 278 0

Barnet 5,489 293 (1) 159

Bexley 3,592 343 73

Brent 1,2603 1,169 477

Bromley 3,264 885 139

Camden 5,884 1,009 62

City of London 787 24 34

Croydon 6,265 1,668 401

Ealing 7,709 476 (3) 337

Enfield 6,001 912 252

Greenwich 5,473 1,233 0

Hackney 7,011 414 (2) 460

Hammersmith & Fulham 4,726 973 316

Haringey 9,510 1,137 (3) 222

Harrow 2,610 680 156

Havering 1,738 55 (1) 0

Hillingdon 3,656 858 407

Hounslow 5,017 1,085 180

Islington 1,1590 1,485 132

Kensington & Chelsea 8,206 612 591

Kingston upon Thames 3,113 288 (3) 16

Lambeth 16,220 1,008 111

Lewisham 9,774 891 0

Merton 3,920 178 32

Newham 11,107 1,353 562

Redbridge 3,555 430 277

Richmond upon Thames 4,992 255 (3) 71

Southwark 5,543 1,127 (3) 257

Sutton 2,154 432 46

Tower Hamlets 6,751 1,275 145

Waltham Forest 7,476 906 85

Wandsworth 2,441 628 (3) 240

Westminster 8,099 1,037 912

	Households on the housing register (April 2000)	Acceptances of homeless households in priority need (January -December 2000)	Households in B&B accommodation (December 2000)
Barking and Dagenham	1,925	278	0
Barnet	5,489	293 (1)	159
Bexley	3,592	343	73
Brent	1,2603	1,169	477
Bromley	3,264	885	139
Camden	5,884	1,009	62
City of London	787	24	34
Croydon	6,265	1,668	401
Ealing	7,709	476 (3)	337
Enfield	6,001	912	252
Greenwich	5,473	1,233	0
Hackney	7,011	414 (2)	460
Hammersmith & Fulham	4,726	973	316
Haringey	9,510	1,137 (3)	222
Harrow	2,610	680	156
Havering	1,738	55 (1)	0
Hillingdon	3,656	858	407
Hounslow	5,017	1,085	180
Islington	1,1590	1,485	132
Kensington & Chelsea	8,206	612	591
Kingston upon Thames	3,113	288 (3)	16
Lambeth	16,220	1,008	111
Lewisham	9,774	891	0
Merton	3,920	178	32
Newham	11,107	1,353	562
Redbridge	3,555	430	277
Richmond upon Thames	4,992	255 (3)	71
Southwark	5,543	1,127 (3)	257
Sutton	2,154	432	46
Tower Hamlets	6,751	1,275	145
Waltham Forest	7,476	906	85
Wandsworth	2,441	628 (3)	240
Westminster	8,099	1,037	912

Note:

Numbers in brackets after an entry indicate the number of quarters for which figures were reported.

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