25 Jan 2000 : Column: 141W
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 25 January 2000
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Council Tax
Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the precepting councils in England and Wales in order of the average council tax payable in that area; [105180]
- (2) if he will list the police authorities of England and Wales in order of the average council tax payable in that area. [105182]
Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 17 January 2000]: The information requested on Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
(1) Precepting authorities include County Councils, Police and Fire authorities.
(2) Tax requirement divided by number of chargeable dwellings.
25 Jan 2000 : Column: 142W
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he intends to make a decision on the mixed oxide fuel plant in advance of the publication of the Green Paper on the management of radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement. [105573]
Mr. Meacher
[holding answer 19 January 2000]: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and
25 Jan 2000 : Column: 143W
Food are in the process of considering all relevant issues concerning the Sellafield Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) Plant. Decisions will be announced as soon as they have been made. The timing of these decisions is unrelated to the publication of the Consultation Document on the management of radioactive waste. We aim to publish the Consultation Document in the spring.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is on the labelling of imported genetically modified grain. [105580]
Mr. Meacher
[holding answer 20 January 2000]: The Government's policy is that genetically modified grain imported into the UK should be clearly labelled. All such products currently imported into the UK must be labelled.
European Directive 90/220/EEC governs the release and marketing of GMOs. The Common Position reached in December 1999 on an amendment to the Directive strengthens the requirement to label clearly all products containing genetically modified organisms.
Mr. Coleman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what peer review by academics the methods devised by the consultants employed by his Department to compile the proposed new index of multiple deprivation will be subjected before it is used as the basis for distributing regeneration resources. [106284]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The 1999 Review of the Index of Local Deprivation is being carried out by the University of Oxford. In addition to the review being overseen by an inter-department steering committee, the University of Oxford have consulted an advisory panel (with over 40 members) throughout the review. The advisory panel has consisted of a large number of peer academics both in and outside of the University of Oxford, as well as local authority officials, research professionals and others.
The University of Oxford have also facilitated extensive consultation throughout the 1999 Review. Respondents to the consultation have included other Government Departments, local authorities, research organisations, academics and other organisations.
Mr. Coleman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much of the money allocated annually to London boroughs through SRB and European grants will be lost if the new proposed index of multiple deprivation is used as the basis for allocating regeneration resources; and if he will make a statement. [106283]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The 2000 Spending Review, currently underway, will determine funding levels from 2001-02 to 2003-04 for all domestic regeneration programmes. It will take into account the new Index of Local Deprivation as well as other factors.
25 Jan 2000 : Column: 144W
The SRB 6 Bidding Guidance, issued in December 1999, made it clear that the 65 most deprived authorities in the 1998 Index are eligible to bid for funding for comprehensive schemes even if they do not rank as highly when the 1999 Index is issued.
Resources from European Structural Funds have been allocated for the period 2000 to 2006 on the basis of the 1998 Index. London is expected to receive £160 million.
Mr. Coleman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what criteria the new indicators of deprivation were used as the basis for the proposed index of multiple deprivation; and if he will make a statement. [106282]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The 1999 Review of the Index of Local Deprivation is being carried out by the University of Oxford. A consultation on the domains and indicators for inclusion in the 1999 index took place from 2 July 1999 and 16 August 1999. Over 125 responses were received and were carefully considered and reported on in a further paper 'Methodology for an Index of Multiple Deprivation' released by the University for consultation on 2 December 1999. This paper outlined the final list of domains and indicators for inclusion in the 1999 index.
Domains for inclusion in the 1999 Index;
The criteria for the indicators were that they should be:
Mr. Coleman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the data underlying the new proposed index of multiple deprivation. [106285]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The 1999 review of the Index of Local Deprivation is being carried out by the University of Oxford. The University has carried out a consultation exercise on the methodology of the 1999 Index. The consultation closed on Monday 17 January having run for a period of six weeks.
25 Jan 2000 : Column: 145W
The consultation paper "Methodology for an Index of Multiple Deprivation" set out the methodological techniques the University of Oxford propose to employ in constructing the 1999 Index. The responses to the consultation are currently being analysed by the University in close conjunction with DETR.
Income deprivation
In the report 'Measuring Deprivation at the Local Level' which was published by The University of Oxford in spring 1999, the criteria for the indicators which will make up the 1999 index were set out.
Employment deprivation
Health deprivation and disability
Housing deprivation
Education, skills and training deprivation
Geographical access to services.
'domain specific' and appropriate for the purpose (that is being a direct measure for that form of deprivation)
The responses to the final consultation of the 1999 Review of the Index of Local Deprivation are currently being analysed and a new index will be published in the spring.
measure major features of that deprivation (not conditions just experienced by a very small number of people or areas)
as up-to-date possible
capable of being updated on a regular basis
statistically robust
nationally available at a small area level.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |