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Traffic Calming
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he gives to local authorities on (a) installing road bumps on established roads, (b) painting speed limits in block form on roads and (c) other traffic calming measures. [21458]
Mr. Jamieson: The Department provides local authorities with guidance and advice on traffic calming, including road humps, through our Traffic Advisory Leaflets. We are also preparing a Local Transport Note on the design and effectiveness of traffic calming measures.
Unlike many other traffic calming measures, painted speed limits on the road (carriageway roundels) require authorisation from the Secretary of State. This is due to their limited effect on vehicle speeds. As such no specific guidance exists, although we offer advice where this is required.
Rough Sleepers
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what directions have been given to local authorities since May 1997 concerning the estimation of rough sleepers in their area. [22045]
Ms Keeble: Local authorities have been asked annually since 1996 to provide estimates of rough sleeping in their areas in statistical returns to my Department as part of the Housing Investment Programme (HIP).
Additionally, my Department encourages local authorities to work with voluntary sector homelessness agencies to conduct head counts of people sleeping rough in their areas. The Government's policy, set out in an answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, South (Margaret Moran) on 19 May 1999, Official Report, column 357W, is to encourage:
- at least two counts a year in areas with a substantial number of rough sleepers (20 or more on a single night);
at least one count a year in areas with between 10 and 19 rough sleepers on a single night; and
counts in a selection of areas estimating fewer than 10 rough sleepers on a single night to spot check the validity of those estimates.
Ms Keeble: My Department, through the Rough Sleepers Unit and the Housing Directorate's Housing Data and Statistics Division, monitors and seeks to improve information on the extent of rough sleeping in England by encouraging all local authorities to estimate the numbers of rough sleepers in their areas; by investigating claims by local agencies that they have evidence of a local problem that does not show up in local authorities' Housing Investment Programme (HIP) statistical returns to the Department; and by encouraging areas where there is a known rough sleeping problem to undertake street counts at appropriate intervals, depending on the size of the local rough sleeping problem.
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Agencies and local authorities working with the Rough Sleepers Unit collect a range of other information about rough sleepers.
The hon. Member will know that the Homelessness Bill, currently in the other place, will place a new duty on local authorities to conduct regular reviews of the levels, and likely future levels, of all forms of homelessness in their districts.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit have made to the methodology for counting rough sleepers since the guidance published in 1996. [22043]
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what requirements the Government have placed on local authorities to engage in street counts of rough sleepers. [22046]
Ms Keeble: My Department monitors the extent of rough sleeping in England by encouraging all local authorities to estimate the numbers of rough sleepers in their areas; by investigating claims by local agencies that they have evidence of a local problem that does not show up in local authorities' Housing Investment Programme (HIP) statistical returns to the Department; and by encouraging areas where there is a known rough sleeping problem to undertake street counts at appropriate intervals, depending on the size of the local rough sleeping problem.
In areas with a substantial number of rough sleepers (20 or more on a single night) at least two counts a year are encouraged.
In areas with between 10 and 19 rough sleepers on a single night, at least one count a year is encouraged.
In other areas with fewer than 10 rough sleepers on a single night, local authorities are asked to report estimates through their annual HIP returns. My Department ensures that street counts are undertaken in a selection of these areas to spot check the validity of estimates, especially in areas which have previously recorded a significant problem.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received over the last four years concerning the manner in which rough sleepers head counts are conducted. [22048]
Ms Keeble: The Government's Rough Sleepers Unit has received a number of oral and written inquiries and representations about the methodology for counting and estimating the number of people sleeping rough in England.
Head counts of people sleeping rough provide a useful 'snapshot' of the numbers of people sleeping rough. The methodology originated among voluntary sector agencies working with rough sleepers in London and was developed by my Department in partnership with the voluntary sector. Despite occasional criticism, independent evaluation has shown consistently that such counts are the most effective method for evaluating changes in the levels of rough sleeping.
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They are just one of the tools by which the effectiveness of the Government's strategy on rough sleeping may be gauged. Additional monitoring information provided by agencies providing services as part of local rough sleeping strategies is also useful in making sure rough sleepers are getting the help they need.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what communications his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit have had with (a) the Metropolitan and (b) the City of London police concerning the rough sleeping head counts in London over the last four years. [22047]
Ms Keeble: My Department's "Guidance on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping" states that the police should be consulted in advance of any rough sleepers count as one of the key local agencies in contact with rough sleepers. The police may also be involved in the count in some areas to ensure the safety of counters.
The Rough Sleepers Unit and the agencies which it funds have regular contact with police forces around the country—including the Metropolitan police and the City of London police—as part of the planning and carrying out of a head count. We also encourage Contact and Assessment Teams and other funded agencies to liaise with police throughout the year.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit have conducted into the movements of rough sleepers who are placed into (a) hostels and (b) other temporary accommodation; and if he will place a copy of the documents in the Library. [22049]
Ms Keeble: Research commissioned by the former Department of the Environment and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to evaluate the Rough Sleepers Initiative has looked at the use of hostel and other temporary accommodation by rough sleepers. I refer the hon. Member to the following reports, copies of which are available from the Libraries of the House:
- "The Rough Sleepers Initiative: An Evaluation", Department of the Environment, HMSO, 1993;
"From Street to Home—An evaluation of Phase 2 of the Rough Sleepers Initiative", Department of the Environment, The Stationery Office, 1996; and
"Homes for Street Homeless People—An evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative", Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
Planning Applications
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what are the new targets for 2002–03 in respect of local authorities handling planning applications; and what are the targets they replace. [22053]
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Ms Keeble: The new targets are: for major industrial, commercial and residential applications, 60 per cent. should be decided in 13 weeks; for minor industrial, commercial and residential applications, 65 per cent. should be decided in eight weeks; and 80 per cent. of all other applications should be decided in eight weeks. These will replace the current single target to decide 80 per cent. of all applications in eight weeks.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when his Department set a new Best Value indicator for local authorities in 2002–03 that 90 per cent. of all planning applications should be delegated; if this will be measured by (a) number, (b) size, (c) controversy and (d) value; and what other changes to Best Value he plans to propose. [22101]
Ms Keeble: The Government published their full proposals for changes to Best Value in a consultation paper "Best Value Performance Indicators 2002–03", published on 2 November 2001.
The proposals included a new indicator for the percentage of planning applications delegated to officers, underpinned by a new target, also announced on 2 November 2001, to delegate 90 per cent. of all applications received.
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