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25 Jan 2008 : Column 2334W—continued
Housing: Waiting Lists
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on waiting lists for housing in each London borough in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [180906]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) on 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 116W.
Local Authorities: Grants
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2007, Official Report, columns 667-68W, on local authorities: grants, what the grant per capita to each local authority was in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; and what the average grant per capita to (i) district councils, (ii) unitary councils, (iii) county councils, (iv) metropolitan councils and (v) London boroughs was in (A) 2006-07 and (B) 2007-08. [180197]
John Healey: I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the information on central Government grant per capita for each local authority in 2006-07 and budget estimates for 2007-08.
The average central Government grant per capita by class of authority in 2006-07 and budget estimates for 2007-08 is in the following table.
| £ per head | ||
| Class of authority | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) 2006-07 returns and Revenue Account (RA) 2007-08 budget estimates returns. | ||
Central Government grant is defined here as the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant, police grant, general GLA grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for councils’ core services.
Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party; for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
Per capita figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are based on Office for National Statistics' (ONS) 2006 Mid-Year Population estimates. 2007 Mid-Year Population estimates are not published yet.
Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities.
Local Government Finance: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007, Official Report, column 148W, on local government finance: disabled, when she expects to make an announcement on funding for the disabled facilities grant. [177236]
Mr. Iain Wright: Further to the announcement on 6 December of the national funding for Disabled Facilities Grant programme of £146 million for 2008-09, individual local authority allocations are currently being calculated. Government offices are due to submit their recommendations for ministerial approval shortly. Additionally the Government announced an extra £11.5 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant programme for 2007-08 on 14 January, individual local authority allocations for 2007-08 can be viewed on the following link:
Minister for the South East
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the work undertaken by the Regional Minister for the South East since his appointment; and what towns he has visited since appointment. [182071]
Mr. Dhanda: My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Jonathan Shaw), in his role as Regional Minister for the South East, has acted as a champion for the region, with particular focus on housing and skills issues and on taking forward the sub-national review of economic development and regeneration in the best way for the region. My hon. Friend has held meetings with and visited key stakeholders to encourage coordination between different areas of government policy and discuss the unique requirements of the South East region. During the recent floods and animal health crises, my hon. Friend visited farms in affected areas across the region.
My hon. Friend has visited the following towns in the South East in his capacity as Regional Minister: Newhaven, Hastings, Reading, Newbury, Thatcham, Cranbrook, Winslow, Guildford, Portsmouth, Aylesbury, East Mailing, Lymington, Winchester, Leatherhead, Folkestone, Ramsgate, Dover, Elstead, Icklesham and Hungerford.
Out of Town Shopping Centres: Carbon Emissions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her review of Policy Planning Statement 6 on planning for town centres will include an assessment of (a) the effect on levels of carbon emissions and (b) the effect on small shops of permitting out-of-town retail development. [182219]
Mr. Iain Wright: We will shortly conduct a 12-week consultation on our proposals to review Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6). As explained in the Planning White Paper, “Planning for a Sustainable Future”, our objectives for this review include the continued support for the Government's environmental goals, and the promotion of competition and improvement of consumer choice. The consultation will invite views on our proposals, including these two issues.
The Planning White Paper also made clear that planning has an important role to play in meeting the challenges of climate change. That is why, at the end of 2007, we published a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS): Planning and Climate Change, which makes cutting carbon emissions a key Government priority for the planning system in England. The PPS sets out how planning can help secure enduring progress against the UK's emissions targets, by direct influence on energy use and emissions, and in bringing together and encouraging action by others. As part of this contribution, planning authorities are expected to prepare and manage the delivery of spatial strategies that help secure the fullest possible use of sustainable transport and make the most of existing and planned opportunities for decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy. This document should be read alongside our forthcoming consultation on revisions to PPS6.
Planning Permission
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister authorised the choice of pilot planning delivery agreement projects to be undertaken by the Planning Advisory Service and the advisory team on large applications. [182578]
Mr. Iain Wright: Ministers were not involved in the selection of Pilots for Planning Delivery Agreements (PDAs, which have since been renamed to Planning Performance Agreements). The Pilot programme was managed by the Planning Advisory Service and all nominations put forward by local authorities and developers were accepted on to the programme. The Planning Advisory Service is part of the Improvement and Development Agency.
Planning Permission: Appeals
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals to the planning inspectorate led to the local planning authority paying costs in each region in England in each of the last five years; and what costs were paid in each case. [181862]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 24 January 2008]: Over the last 5 years 1,663 appeals led to local planning authorities being liable to pay costs, following awards made against them by inspectors and the Secretary of State.
The breakdown by financial year is:
| Number | |
No further detail of authorities by regions is readily available.
The actual amount to be paid is not determined by a costs award. This is for the parties to settle by negotiation initially in accordance with longstanding Government guidance contained in DOE Circular 8/93. Accordingly, no records are available of costs paid in each case.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning inspectorate site visits had not taken place 12 months after the date an appeal was lodged in each of the last five years. [181863]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 24 January 2008]: The following table shows the numbers of planning appeals lodged (received) in England and determined by the Planning Inspectorate for the five-year period 2002 to 2006, where a site visit was carried out, together with the number of appeals where a site visit had not taken place 12 months after the appeal was lodged.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals were (a) lodged with the planning inspectorate and (b) successful in each region of England in each of the last five years. [181864]
Mr. Iain Wright [holding answer 24 January 2008]: The following table provides the information requested.
| Received | Decided | Allowed | |
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