Written Statement of 2 November 2004

  Northern Ireland: Independent Monitoring Commission Normalisation Report
  The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.

  On 20 July I published a report by the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) on the security normalisation activity undertaken in Northern Ireland. The commissioners have written to me to advise me that they have received, from the Ministry of Defence, revised figures for troop numbers in Northern Ireland for the period the report covers. I have been asked to publish the revised figures and have placed copies in the Library. It appears that the information originally in the report overstated the numbers of troops based in Northern Ireland. I note that the IMC has concluded that it would not have changed the conclusions in its report had it been in receipt of this information during the writing of the report.

  Northern Ireland Companies Registry: Annual Report 2002–03
  Baroness Amos
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.

  In accordance with Article 677 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, copies of the Companies Registry annual report 2002–03 have been placed today in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Northern Ireland Credit Unions: Annual Report 2002
  Baroness Amos
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.

  In accordance with Article 81 of the Credit Unions (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and Section 100 of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act (Northern Ireland) 1969, copies of the Credit Unions annual report 2002 have been placed today in the Libraries of both Houses.

  European Union: Foreign Office Guide
  The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
  On 1 November 2004, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office published a guide to the European Union (EU) which sets out how the EU works and explains the main points of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. The guide has been awarded the Plain Language Commission's Clear English Standard WS 4
  mark, which means it has passed rigorous checks of its clarity, grammar and layout. This guide will be available in all public libraries and on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.europe.gov.uk). Members of the public can also request a hard copy of the guide. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and are also available from the Printed Paper Office.

  Planning Obligations
  The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)
  My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  The system of planning obligations in England has been widely criticised for some time for its often opaque nature and its contribution to delays in the planning process. The Government are therefore publishing today a draft revised circular, aimed at improving the way in which planning obligations are negotiated under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (amended by the 1991 Act).

  The draft revised circular on negotiated agreements, which will now be consulted on for three months, aims to contribute to the speeding up of the planning system and therefore the creation of sustainable communities.

  The circular brings planning obligations into line with the new arrangements established by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Given the possibility of more major reforms to the system of planning obligations in the next few years, referred to in my Statement of 17 June 2004, the circular seeks to minimise the additional administrative burdens placed on local planning authorities and developers, while seeking to streamline the system and promote best practice.

  It seeks to ensure that affordable housing continues to be secured through Section 106 on a more consistent basis and in line with the direction of reform to planning policy guidance note 3 (Housing). ODPM consulted on proposed updates to PPG3 last year entitled Influencing the Size, Type and Affordability of Housing, and Supporting the Delivery of New Housing. Concerns have been expressed about the proposed policy update on housing mix in particular. The office continues to discuss these issues with stakeholders. The intention is to publish the PPG3 updates by the end of the year.

  The draft circular has been produced following extensive discussions with stakeholders to seek their views on the difficulties experienced with the current system. In addition, the work of the advisory group on planning obligations has been useful in helping to formulate the proposals being published today.

  Following public consultation, a final version of the circular will be issued in spring 2005, accompanied by good practice guidance, which is being prepared by Halcrow Group.

  In the mean time, the Government are continuing to consider Kate Barker's proposal for a planning-gain

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  supplement, made in her final report of her review of housing supply, Delivering stability: Securing our future housing needs (17 March 2004). Depending on the outcome of further work over the next 12 months, further changes to the system of planning obligations may be required.

  Central Office of Information: Targets 2004–05
  Lord Bassam of Brighton
  The targets set for the Central Office of Information for the 2004–05 financial year are:
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  Financial

  To break even on an accruals basis.

  Efficiency

  To achieve a unit cost reduction of 2.5 per cent

  Quality

  For the customer satisfaction system:

  To achieve a customer satisfaction score of 8.25 out of 10;

  To achieve 96 per cent of customer satisfaction scores of six or higher;

  To achieve a response rate of 62 per cent.