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People's Panel

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with effect from which date the People's Panel has been wound up. [15374]

Mr. Leslie: The People's Panel has not been wound up. The contract with MORI does not expire until the end of January 2002. By that time, decisions will have been made about the future of the panel.

Regeneration

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for each (a) area-based and (b) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible, what is (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expenditure in each financial year for the planned lifetime of each initiative (A) nationally and (B) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. [14883]

Mrs. Roche: The Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for the Government Office network which administers initiatives of the type referred to on behalf of other Departments. The budgets for such initiatives are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for those Departments.

Regional Schemes

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what regional schemes are in operation in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. [14882]

Mrs. Roche: The Government office for the north east administers the following major schemes operating in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency:

Programmes under the Local Transport Plan;


Programmes under Objectives 2 and 3 European funding;


Regional Selective Assistance;


The Housing Investment Programme; and


Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what regional schemes are managed by the Government Office for the North East; how long they will run; and how much investment is involved. [14881]

Mrs. Roche: The Government Office for the North East delivers many programmes in the region for a number of government departments. Major programme expenditure includes:

£458 million to improve transport infrastructure for five years (2001–06);


£434 million over the years 2000–06 by the European Commission under the European Structural Funds;


£215 million under the New Deal for Communities initiative over 10 years (2000 and 2011);


£186 million under the Regional Selective Assistance scheme between 1997 and 2001;


£175 million in 2001–02 under the Housing Investment Programme;


£119 million under the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund initiative over 3 years (2001–04).

16 Nov 2001 : Column: 961W

48-hour Week (Waivers)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many civil servants in each Department have signed waivers to work voluntarily more than 48 hours per week; for how many the Minister has rescinded such a waiver; what grade of civil servant is involved; for what reason the waiver was requested; by whom; and if he will make a statement on his policy. [15171]

Mr. Leslie: This information is not held centrally. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

It is for individual departments and agencies to put into place measures which they consider necessary to ensure compliance with the Regulations.

Technologies Advisory Group

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is (a) the remit and (b) the membership of the Technologies Advisory Group. [15200]

Mr. Leslie: The Technical Advisory Group (recently renamed as the Technology Advisory Group) was formed by the Office of the e-Envoy earlier this year to enable government to obtain the views of expert and representative members of the Technology, Media and Telecoms Sectors and other industry on technology issues affecting the realisation of the e-government vision. The mechanism also enables industry to gain a clearer understanding of the current and possible future direction of e-government. The full terms of reference for the Group are at Annex A.

The membership of the Group is a cross-section of experts mainly at Technical Director level drawn by invitation from twenty or so industry leading organisations. The Department of Trade and Industry, the Society of IT Managers (SOCITM) and the Computer Software Services Association (CSSA) are also represented. A full list of members is attached at Annex B.

The group met for the first time in July and a second meeting was held in September. The next meeting is planned for December 2001. The subject matter has included the e-Government Interoperability Framework (the e-GIF), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Channels Strategies for e-government services.

A sister group, the E-business Advisory Group (EAG), was also established this year with a remit to provide views on how best to introduce e-business ideas and approaches across the Public Sector.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the cost to local authorities of seeking antisocial behaviour orders. [12026]

16 Nov 2001 : Column: 962W

Mr. Denham: Based on a survey of 21 cases conducted in April this year, the average cost of applying for an antisocial behaviour order was calculated to be £4,800. This is the cost to either the local authority or the police and includes staff costs associated with evidence gathering, preparing the case and attending court.

Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the time taken to obtain antisocial behaviour orders broken down by the time taken to (a) collect evidence, (b) consult with interested parties and (c) complete court proceedings; and if he will make a statement. [12025]

Mr. Denham: This information is not available centrally.

Dyfed-Powys Police

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Ceredigion of 24 October 2001, Official Report, column 67W, on police suspensions, what is the cost of the suspension of the officers in the Aberystwyth division of Dyfed-Powys police since September and December 1999. [12284]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 2 November 2001]: The Professional Standards Department of Dyfed-Powys police has informed me that the two officers from the Aberystwyth division were suspended on full pay in accordance with Police Regulations. At the time of suspension, one officer was in receipt of an annual salary of £22,323; the second officer was in receipt of an annual salary of £23,787.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of those named day parliamentary written questions to his Department that received a holding answer between 15 October and 5 November received the substantive answer (a) within three parliamentary days, (b) within seven parliamentary days, (c) within 10 parliamentary days, (d) within 15 parliamentary days and (e) over 15 parliamentary days after the holding answer was issued; [13322]

(2) how many named day parliamentary written questions were tabled to his Department between 15 October and 5 November; and what proportion of these have received holding answers. [13303]

Mr. Blunkett: 156 named day parliamentary written questions were tabled to the Home Department for answer between 15 October and 5 November. Of these, 92 (59 per cent.) were given a holding answer.

16 Nov 2001 : Column: 963W

Of these 92 questions:

(a) 62 were given a substantive answer within three parliamentary days,

(b) 12 were given a substantive answer between four and seven parliamentary days,

(c) seven were given a substantive answer between eight and 10 parliamentary days,

(d) seven were given a substantive answer between 11 and 15 parliamentary days, and

(e) three were given a substantive answer over 15 parliamentary days after the holding answer was issued.

A further one has yet to be answered.

Special Constables

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many special constables there were in the (a) City of London and (b) Metropolitan police area in (i) May 1997 and (ii) for the latest month for which figures are available based on current police area boundaries; [12408]

(2) how many special constables there were in the (a) City of London and (b) Metropolitan police area in (i) May 1997 based on old police area boundaries and (ii) for the latest month for which figures are available, based on current boundaries. [12407]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 5 November 2001]: The strength of the City of London and Metropolitan police special constabularies as at March 1997 and March 2001, the latest date for which figures on special constabulary strength are available, are set out in the table:

	March 1997	March 2001
City of London police	86	43
Metropolitan police	1,714	774

The boundary of the Metropolitan police district was redrawn with effect from April 2000, with responsibility for policing areas outside the London boroughs being transferred to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey constabularies.

The Government are committed to increasing the special constabulary and as part of the police reform process we are looking at radical improvements in the management, welfare and deployment of special constables.

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