Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 10 July 2008.
Ben Chapman
Labour, Wirral South
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will consider introducing measures requiring local authorities (a) to keep figures on (i) the number of allotment sites in their areas and (ii) the length of waiting lists for an allotment and (b) to provide an annual return to Parliament incorporating such data.
Iain Wright
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are already responsible for maintaining information about their allotment sites, including figures on the number of sites available and the length of waiting lists.
The Secretary of State does not have any plans to ask local authorities to provide an annual return to Parliament on the number of allotments sites and the length of allotment waiting lists in their area. This would run counter to the commitment the Government have made in the 2006 Local Government white paper, 'Strong and Prosperous Communities', to reduce the number of performance indicators against which local authorities must report to central Government under 200.
We are however currently developing a green space database which will provide us with a more comprehensive information base on green spaces, including allotments. The green space database will be available later this month.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
