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12 Dec 2006 : Column 974W—continued
The Department’s annual report 2006 also gives some background to spending in Communities and Local Government.
Public Toilets
Mrs. Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information she holds on the provision of public toilets in (a) Gateshead, East and Washington, West, (b) the North East and (c) England; and if she will make a statement. [108238]
Mr. Woolas:
The provision and maintenance of toilets in public places is at the discretion of local authorities who have, under section 87 of the Public Health Act 1936, a power to provide public conveniences, but no duty to do so. For this reason, the information requested is not held centrally. Figures
from the Valuation Office Agency indicate the number of public conveniences open to the public between 2000 and 2004 and are set out as follows. Valuation Office Agency figures do not include information at constituency level:
| Number of public conveniences open to the public( 1) | ||
| Government office region | North East | England |
| (1) VGA totals given in the table show conveniences that are open to the public. They will include stand alone conveniences, and also those located in (for example) car parks and shopping malls. | ||
Regional Fire Control
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the expected dates are for (a) commencement and (b) completion of the operational assessment tests of the new regional fire control centre proposed for the East Midlands. [105090]
Angela E. Smith: The precise dates depend on which prime contractor is chosen in the infrastructure services procurement for the FiReControl project which is being run under EU procurement rules. In addition, dates will depend on Communities and Local Government validating with the fire and rescue services, post-contract award, the time needed and their ability to meet readiness requirements to ensure plans are realistic and achievable.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the expected date is by which fire emergency control rooms in the East Midlands will have completed the transition to the proposed new regional fire control centre; and if she will make a statement. [105091]
Angela E. Smith: The precise dates depend on which prime contractor is chosen in the infrastructure services procurement for the FiReControl project which is being run under EU procurement rules. An updated timetable is expected to be published early in the new year once a contract has been awarded. In addition, dates will depend on validating with the fire and rescue service, post-contract award, on the time needed and ability to meet readiness requirements to ensure plans are realistic and achievable.
Sustainable Communities Summit
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister in her Department took the decision to cancel the Sustainable Communities Summit 2007. [103943]
Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government took the decision on 25 May 2006 on the advice given by officials.
Thames Gateway Bridge
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to announce her decision on the proposal for the Thames Gateway Bridge. [105077]
Meg Munn: The Secretary of State received the Inspector’s report following the public inquiry into the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge on 17 November. We have no firm date for issuing the decision, but we will aim to do so as quickly as possible.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many parliamentary written questions her Department received in each parliamentary session since 2001; and how many of these questions (a) were not answered because of disproportionate cost, (b) were not answered, (c) received answers referring back to a previous answer (i) asked by the hon. Member and (ii) asked by another hon. Member and (d) were grouped together for answer. [107450]
Angela E. Smith: The number of written parliamentary questions received in each parliamentary session by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and its predecessor Department the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is tabled as follows:
| Session | Total number of written parliamentary questions from all hon. Members | Written parliamentary questions from the hon. Member for Yeovil |
| (1) Figures provided are since the ODPM was formed on 29 May 2002. (2) Figures provided include the ODPM prior to 5 May 2006 and the DCLG and the Minister for Women and Equality since 5 May 2006. (3) Figures provided are for the period 15 November to 30 November 2006 for the DCLG and the Minister for Women and Equality. | ||
The other information requested in the hon. Member’s question is not held centrally by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Treasury
Consultants
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which 10 consultancy fees charged to his Department since May 1997 were the most expensive. [107170]
John Healey: For the Treasury's total spending on consultants I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 29 November 2006, Official Report, columns 720-21W. An analysis of consultancy spending by individual supplier to identify the 10 most expensive fees since 1997 could be completed only at disproportionate cost.
Demographics
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecast he has made of the population of Peterborough city council area in (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years time. [107089]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 December 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question regarding the projected population of Peterborough City Council in (a) five, (b) ten and (c) fifteen years. (107089)
The table below provides the projected population in Peterborough City Council for 2011, 2016 and 2021. These projections are based on mid-2004 population estimates and are the latest projections available. They assume that local trends in fertility, mortality and migration over the reference period 2000 to 2004 will continue into the future.
| Table 1: Projected population of Peterborough city council area in 5,10 and 15 years time | |
| Projected population (Thousand) | |
| Source: Office for National Statistics, 2004-based subnational population projections | |
Economic Statistics: City of York
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross domestic product per head of resident population was in City of York (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) council area in each year since 1992. [106677]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 December 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on annual per capita GDP for the City of York by parliamentary constituency and council area in each year since 1992. (106677)
Information on per capita GDP by parliamentary constituency and council area is not available.
However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) do produce estimates of regional Gross Value Added(1) (GVA) using Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (NUTS) areas. City of York is a NUTS Level 3 area (generally groups of unitary authorities or districts, also known as local areas), and data was published in December 2005 for the period 1995 to 2003. Data consistent with these estimates does not exist prior to 1995. Information is shown in the table below.
(1 )GVA is GDP less taxes plus subsidies on products.
| Gross value added per head, York NUTS Level 3,1995-2003 | |
| GVA per head, York (£) | |
Gershon Review
Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the achievement of economic targets in Objective One areas of Wales relating to the Gershon Review. [108569]
Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy analysis, development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.
HMRC: Wales
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation his Department has carried out with (a) employees, (b) the accountancy profession and (c) taxpayers on the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Wales. [104939]
John Healey: On 16 November HM Revenue and Customs announced a regional review programme of all its offices to bring its accommodation back into line with operational requirements. The Programme will include a consultation exercise with staff, unions and external stakeholders.
No offices have yet been proposed for closure in Wales or any other part of the UK and nor will they be until each Regional Review has been completed.
HMRC: Boat Sector
Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of uncanalised yacht and pleasure craft entering UK waters in each of the last five years (a) nationally and (b) along the south coast. [105087]
John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs do not record of the number of yachts and pleasure craft entering UK waters.
HMRC: Mobile Detection Teams
Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total (a) travel and (b) subsistence expenditure incurred by HM Revenue and Customs on the deployment of mobile detection teams was in each of the past five years. [105083]
John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs reimburse officers for travel costs they incur while undertaking all of their official activities.
Their records do not allow the reimbursement of travel costs incurred on the deployment of mobile detection teams to be distinguished from those incurred on other official activities.
Household Costs
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of annual household costs accounted for by (a) housing costs, (b) utility costs and (c) food costs for households in each income decile. [104945]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 December 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the latest estimate is of the proportion of household costs accounted for by (a) housing
costs, (b) utility costs and (c) food costs for households in each income decile for the latest year for which information is available. (104945)
Estimates of expenditure on housing, utilities and food, are based on the Expenditure and Food Survey (EPS), an annual survey of approximately 7,000 households in the UK. Further information on the EPS is available in the annual publication ‘Family Spending’ which can be found on the National Statistics website
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=361&Pos=1&ColRank=1&Rank=272.
The table below shows average expenditure on housing, utilities and food expressed as a percentage of total expenditure, for households in each gross income decile for 2004-05. These figures have been taken from Table A8 of Family Spending.
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