| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Household Projections
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the latest projections for additional households each year in England; over what period forecasts have been made; and how this compares with the previous Projections of Households in England in 2021, published in 2000. [HL102]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The 2002-based interim household projections are the Government's latest projections and have updated the 1996-based household projections.
The 2002-based Interim Household Projections show that 189,000 additional households are projected to form annually between 2001 and 2021 in England. This projection assumes recent population trends continue and trends in household formation remain as estimated for the 1996-based household projections. They do not take account of future housing supply.
The 1996-based Household Projections showed that 150,000 dwellings were projected to form annually in the same time period.
8 Dec 2004 : Column WA39
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many additional households in England each year can be attributed to the projected levels of net international migration in current and previous projections. [HL104]
Lord Rooker: It is estimated that, in the 2002-based interim household projections for England, about 59,000 additional households per year are attributable to net international migration out of a total of 189,000 additional households per year between 2001 and 2021.
It was estimated that, in the 1996-based household projections for England, about 38,000 additional households per year would have been attributable to net international migration out of a total of 150,000 additional households per year between 2001 and 2021.
Archive Services
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What support is given by central government to ensure that a complete network of adequately resourced local records centres is available across England and Wales in addition to any local authority settlement. [HL152]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The network of local archive service services that have been approved as places of deposit for public records by The National Archives extends throughout England and Wales. Experienced TNA staff periodically visit local archive services in order to check that nationally agreed standards are being maintained. Since 1997 TNA has part-funded an advisory service that has assisted local authorities to obtain grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other grant-awarding bodies for new archive buildings and improved access facilities.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the level of support given by central government to ensure a complete network of adequately resourced local records centres has changed since the extra requirements for information arising from various relevant European Union directives have come into force, and if so, by what percentage. [HL153]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Compliance with all new information legislation crucially depends on public authorities' ability to manage their record effectively. The National Archives (TNA) has provided a wide range of guidance to local authorities on records management to help them to meet their obligations under new legislation. In 2003 it formed a new Records Management Advisory Service with the specific remit of promoting better records management throughout the public sector, especially in local government. Since this work is essentially
8 Dec 2004 : Column WA40
advisory and qualitative, it is not possible to express TNA's increased activity in terms of a single percentage figure.
Northern Ireland: Judicial Reviews
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will keep records of the annual numbers, outcomes and costs of judicial reviews taken in respect of public authorities in Northern Ireland. [HL218]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Northern Ireland Court Service maintains a central register of judicial reviews recording the number of applications for leave to apply for judicial review.
The Court Service is currently developing its systems to enable the outcome of cases to be held on the register.
The costs associated with judicial reviews are a matter for the parties concerned and are not recorded centrally.
Pensioner Benefits
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the estimated cost in 2004–05 of (a) the winter fuel payment; (b) free TV licences to those aged over 75; (c) the age-related payment to help meet council tax bills; (d) the pension credit for savings; and (e) the pension credit for income; and whether they will estimate by how much the basic full state pension would have increased on a weekly and annual basis if this sum had been spent on state pensions. [HL121]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The information is provided in the table below:
Source: 2004 DWP forecasts.
It is estimated that if the total amount was spent on the basic state pension the weekly basic state pension would increase by £17.15 and the annual basic state pension would increase by £892. However, it is estimated that over 1.6 million pensioner benefit households who are currently on pension credit would lose out, as the reduction in their pension credit entitlement is worth more than the gain from the increase in the basic State Pension.
1. Figures are for GB in 2004–05 price terms, rounded to the nearest £1 million. Based on DWP forecasts for the 2004 Budget.
8 Dec 2004 : Column WA41
2. Figures do not include reductions in expenditure on other income-related benefits or changes in tax revenue.
Rural Strategy 2004: RDA Single Programme
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether sponsor departments other than the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will contribute to the "RDA single Pot" as set out in the Rural Strategy 2004; if so, how much will come from each department and when; and whether such contributions are included in the spending figures of £72 million in 2005–06, £73 million in 2006–07 and £74 million in 2007–08. [HL150]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Six government departments contribute to the RDA Single Programme (the "Single Pot"). Responsibility for sponsorship of the RDAs rests with DTI.
Following the Spending Review 2004 the planned contributions are:
1 Totals do not sum due to rounding
Source:—HM Treasury—July 2004
Defra's baseline contribution (rising to £50.5 million in 2005–06) is to be increased by £21.3 million from 2005. This increase is in recognition of the larger role RDAs will play in delivering Defra policies, as detailed in the Rural Strategy 2004.
8 Dec 2004 : Column WA42
Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies: Boundary Commission Report
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland received from the Boundary Commission for Scotland on 30 November its fifth periodical report on parliamentary constituency boundaries in Scotland. On that day he announced that, once he had considered the commission's recommendations, which he expected to do shortly, he would lay the report, together with a draft Order in Council giving effect to its recommendations, before Parliament and that assuming the approval of both Houses, it was hoped it would be in force in February 2005.
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the number of Scottish constituencies represented in the House of Commons will be reduced from 72 to 59 by 1 January 2006; and, if not, by what month and year the reduction stipulated in Section 86 of the Scotland Act 1998 will be finalised. [HL159]
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland received from the Boundary Commission for Scotland on 30 November its fifth periodical report on parliamentary constituency boundaries in Scotland, the recommendations in which would reduce the number of Scottish constituencies from 72 to 59. On that day he announced that, under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, once he had considered the commission's recommendations, which he expected to do shortly, he would lay the report, together with a draft Order in Council giving effect to its recommendations, before Parliament.
Assuming that the order gets the approval of both Houses, it is hoped that it will be in force in February 2005.
8 Dec 2004 : Column WA41
| Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |