| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Housing Allocation (Paedophiles)
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information the Government makes available to (a) local authorities, (b) registered social landlords and (c) private landlords to enable them to make appropriate decisions about housing allocations to those convicted of paedophile offences. [17688]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 introduced a statutory duty on the police and the probation service to make joint arrangements for the assessment and management of risks posed by sexual and violent offenders, including paedophiles, and by other offenders who may cause serious harm to the public. Each police/probation area is required to prepare a report on its discharge of those responsibilities. The first reports will cover the period to 31 March 2002 and will be published next summer. Local authorities and housing associations may be involved in risk management panels and will have access to shared information under protocols established in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Women and Public Services
Joan Ryan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to report on the Government's work on women and public services. [21865]
Mrs. Roche: I have today published the report "Better Services—Better Working Lives". Copies have been placed in the Vote Office, and the Libraries of the House.
This document reports back on the work undertaken to look at how health and education public services are delivered for women. We know that the proportion of women with dependent children working full-time has
10 Dec 2001 : Column: 594W
risen from 59 per cent. in 1991 to 65 per cent. in 2001. But women are still the people responsible for accessing services—91 per cent. of women with school age children say they normally take them to the GP and 61 per cent. take them to school.
In this publication we report back on what women have told us during a series of regional evidence gathering visits supported by a wide range of good practice examples, new research findings and recommendations for national and local action.
Copies of "Better Services—Better Working Lives" will be distributed to all the women who took part in the regional evidence gathering visits and through the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills.
Parliamentary Questions
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of parliamentary questions replied to by the Cabinet Office were the subject of a holding answer in the last three Sessions of Parliament. [22014]
Mr. Leslie: The percentage of Cabinet Office parliamentary questions that required a holding reply during the last three Sessions of Parliament is as follows:
- 1998–99: 50 had holding replies, which equates to 7 per cent.
1999–2000: 68 had holding replies, which equates to 8 per cent.
2000–01: 32 had holding replies, which equates to 11 per cent.
Opinion Polling
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list his Department's (a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure on opinion and market research during each financial year since 1996; what recent assessment he has made of the need to continue to monitor public opinion; by what means he intends to do it; and if will make a statement. [15375]
Mr. Leslie: The total expenditure on opinion and market research from the 1997–98 to the 2001–02 financial years is shown in the table.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | (16)— |
| 1997–98 | 0.7 |
| 1998–99 | 0.9 |
| 1999–2000 | 0.3 |
| 2000–01 | 0.4 |
| 2001–02 | (17)0.4 |
(16) Not available
(17) Planned
Notes:
1. The figures do not include the salary costs of Cabinet Office staff.
2. Expenditure undertaken by Central Office of Information on behalf of clients is not included.
We are reviewing the current and future requirements of the monitoring of public opinion but have not reached any firm conclusions on the tools or vehicles required. We will inform the House in the normal course of business of any conclusions or decisions made in this area.
10 Dec 2001 : Column: 595W
Public Interest Disclosure
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the operation of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1994 as it applies to central Government; and if he will make a statement. [21647]
Mr. Leslie: Guidance for civil servants on the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 is set out in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance, volume 2. Copies of the directory are in the Library of the House and on the Cabinet Office website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/guidance.
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of the increase in the departmental expenditure limit from 2001–02 to 2002–03 will be accounted for by wage costs. [21234]
Mr. Leslie: The level of wage costs within departmental budgets this year and in future years will be dependent upon negotiations. The Departmental Report to be published next spring will give full retrospective costs.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress with the public service agreement target for openness and diversity in the civil service. [21249]
Mr. Leslie: The latest figures for April 2001 show that the civil service continues to make steady progress towards the targets for openness and diversity, increasing on all indicators from 1998 baselines:
- 24.2 per cent. of the Senior Civil Service are women, up from 17.8 per cent. in 1998. The target for 2004–05 is 35 per cent.
20.2 per cent. of those in the top 600 posts are women, up from 12.7 per cent. in 1998. The target for 2004–05 is 25 per cent.
2.4 per cent. of staff at Senior Civil Service level are from a minority ethnic background, up from 1.6 per cent. in 1998. The target for 2004–05 is 3.2 per cent.
2.0 per cent. of staff at Senior Civil Service level are disabled, up from 1.5 per cent. in 1998. The target for 2004–05 is 3.0 per cent.
The number of successful candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds in the Fast Stream Scheme has doubled from 3.4 per cent. in 1998 to 6.8 per cent. in 2000.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what opinion research he has undertaken for ascertaining progress in meeting the public service agreement target on responsiveness of public services to the views of users. [21341]
Mr. Leslie: A third wave of research ("Wave 6") monitoring and tracking changes in public satisfaction levels against key public services is currently under way. The results will be published in newsletter format and on the internet. Copies will be placed in the House.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the initial targets to be met by April 2001 in pursuit of the public service agreement target for the delivery of new programmes. [21343]
10 Dec 2001 : Column: 596W
Mr. Leslie: Progress continues to be made across Government towards achieving targets outlined in departmental public service agreements. Details of public service agreements can be found on both departmental and HM Treasury websites and performance against those targets in departmental reports.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress with the public service agreement target to introduce new pay systems to improve Departments' performance. [21348]
Mr. Leslie: Departments and agencies are reviewing their pay systems in line with the principles of Civil Service Reform. Good progress is being made and we expect around 80 per cent. to have completed this by April 2002. Departments and agencies will continue to adjust their pay and performance management systems annually against central guidelines, to drive improvements in their performance.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action has followed fulfilment of the public service agreement target to publish a White Paper on modernising Government. [21345]
Mr. Leslie: The Government have moved into a second phase of modernisation, focused firmly on improved service delivery. The reorganisation of the centre of Government, including the creation of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and the Office of Public Services Reform, is helping to take this agenda forward.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress this year with the public service agreement target for the saving on administration revenue. [21248]
Mr. Leslie: The Cabinet Office has a public service agreement (PSA) target to
"achieve a 2.5 per cent. saving per year on administrative resources".
The Department's 2000 spending review settlement reflected a reduction in resources available to the Cabinet Office in light of the 2.5 per cent. savings required. The Department has carried out several Better Quality Service Reviews and is continuing to develop and improve its planning, budgeting and procurement systems in order to ensure resources are deployed efficiently and effectively.
Machinery of Government changes have led to an expansion of the Department, which will result in an overall increase in administrative costs. However the Department intends not to exceed its agreed expenditure limit.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the performance of (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) other Departments in meeting the public service agreement for electronic service delivery by Government. [21349]
Mr. Leslie: Delivery is at the heart of our agenda for transforming public services and e-government is one of the most powerful catalysts we have for achieving that transformation. The Office of the e-Envoy produces both an annual report and regular monthly reports giving details of the progress that is being made. The latest annual report
10 Dec 2001 : Column: 597W
was published on 4 December and is available at http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/champions/anrep– menu.htm.
The latest figures on progress towards the target of making Government services available electronically by 2005 show that over 50 per cent. of Government services are e-enabled now. Departments predict that 74 per cent. of services will be e-enabled by the end of 2002. This information is available at http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ publications/reports/esd/autumn2001/esdrep–2001.htm.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on progress in securing departments' compliance with the regulatory impact assessment process as part of the Cabinet Office's public service agreement target on the subject; [21342]
- (2) what action has been taken in pursuit of the public service agreement target for improved Government regulation to establish a baseline of compliance with the regulatory impact assessment process. [21344]
Mr. Leslie: In accordance with the published SDA target (reference Command Paper CM5119 July 2000), by the end of the 2001–02 financial year we aim to produce a baseline measure of the extent of departmental compliance with the Regulatory Impact Assessment process. Work on this is under way and we will make an announcement in due course.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |