§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall (Mr. Breed) of 28 November 2001,Official Report, column 1018W, what use her Department will make of the list of parishes and sleeping parishes deposited in the Library; and what her estimate is of the cost to the Countryside Agency of preparing this list. [35274]
§ Alun MichaelThe data in the list were collected as part of the Countryside Agency's regular Rural Services Survey and used to prepare the Rural White Paper headline indicator of community vibrancy. The list arose from the need to answer a parliamentary question from the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall (Mr. Breed) on 21 November 2001,Official Report, column 320W on rural parishes. No other use of the list is intended. Preparation of the list in the format requested is estimated to have cost two days of staff time.
655W
§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the parish councils of(a) Broad Town, (b) Chippenham Without, (c) Great Somerford, (d) Grittleton, (e) Kington St. Michael, (f) Lea and Cleverton, (g) Luckington, (h) Lydiard Millicent, (i) Minety, (j) Nettleton, (k) North Wraxall, (l) Norton and Foxley, (m) Oaksey, (n) Seagry, (o) Stanton St. Quintin, (p) Tockenham, and (q) Yatton Keynell in North Wiltshire were omitted from the list of parishes deposited in the Library. [35815]
§ Alun MichaelI understand that all of the above mentioned parish councils were sent questionnaires by the Countryside Agency as part of the Rural Services Survey. However, the completed questionnaire was not returned to the agency so it was not possible to complete an indicator score for them.
§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if, pursuant to her answer of 21 November 2001,Official Report, column 320W, on rural parishes, she will define what parameters were used in defining parishes according to the four categories; and what factors led to the choice of these categories for parish activity; [35814]
(2) which criteria were used by her Department and the Countryside Agency to determine that (a) Braydon, (b) Hankerton and (c) Easton Grey parish councils are sleeping; [35867]
(3) which criteria were used by her Department and the Countryside Agency to determine that (a) St. Paul Malmesbury Without, (b) Kington Langley, (c) Brokenborough, (d) Bremhill and (e) Lydiard Tregoze parish councils are barely active. [35866]
§ Alun MichaelThe former DETR asked the Countryside Agency to develop an indicator of community vibrancy for inclusion in the Rural White Paper with a view to measuring agreed change over time. It was decided to use measurable factors that could be collected as part of the Countryside Agency's Rural Services Survey but with the expectation that the indicator would develop over time. The information collected and used comprised of contested parish council elections, the presence of a village hall or similar local meeting place, the presence of a public house, and incidence of local traditions and events. Full details are set out in the Countryside Agency's State of the Countryside report 2001 where it was noted that there is a marked relationship between the indicator score and population size. The indicator was reported at the national level.