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6 Feb 2002 : Column 933W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 6 February 2002

PRIME MINISTER

Commonwealth Games

Q15. Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Prime Minister what preparations are being undertaken for the commencement of the jubilee baton relay in celebration of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. [30928]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him earlier in the House.

Policy Units

Mr. Bacon: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the performance of the performance and innovation unit. [30894]

Dr. Cable: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the roles of the (a) forward strategy unit, (b) performance and innovation unit and (c) policy unit. [30885]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Members for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 14 January 2002, Official Report, columns 86–87W.

Camp David Talks

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his talks with President Bush at Camp David on 23 February 2001. [31662]

The Prime Minister: My visit to Camp David on 23 and 24 February 2001 was the first opportunity for face-to-face talks with the newly-elected President Bush. The joint statement we agreed and issued on 23 February 2001 covered our key concerns: NATO, a European security and defence policy, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Iraq, the Lockerbie tragedy, Northern Ireland, developments in Africa and trade issues. The terrible events of 11 September have underlined the importance of the United Kingdom's close working relationship with the United States in pursuit of our common aims.

Coal Bed Methane

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Prime Minister whether the performance and innovation unit's energy review considers the exploitation of coal bed methane vital to the UK's energy needs; and when the review will be published. [30888]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 816W.

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Child Care Review

Caroline Flint: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the performance and innovation unit's role in relation to the cross-cutting review of child care. [30890]

The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced on 25 October that an inter-departmental review of child care would be undertaken with conclusions feeding into the 2002 spending review. The performance and innovation unit are project managers for the review. It is being led by my noble Friend Baroness Ashton, and involves the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry and the women and equality unit.

Energy Review

Bob Spink: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the recent work of the PIU on the energy review. [30912]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Thomas) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 816W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Civil Service Appointments

11. Helen Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what role his Department has in establishing the criteria for making senior appointments to the civil service. [30898]

Mr. Leslie: Individual Departments are responsible for deciding the criteria used for selection to fill their own senior management posts. The Cabinet Office has a role in ensuring that senior appointments policy as a whole meets the objectives of the civil service reform programme. This includes monitoring progress against targets to increase diversity and to bring in new skills and experience from outside the service.

Youth Homelessness

12. Mr. Bryant: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what recent work the social exclusion unit has carried out on youth homelessness. [30899]

Mrs. Roche: The SEU has produced a number of reports, such as "Teenage Pregnancy", "Bridging the Gap", and "Truancy and Exclusion", which have focused on children at risk of social exclusion and the underlying issues which can lead to youth homelessness.

The SEU is currently leading a project on young people who run away from home or care, many of whom are at risk of rough sleeping and homelessness in later life.

A number of youth homelessness projects have been supported by the rough sleepers' unit since the 1998 SEU "Rough Sleeping" report.

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Regional Economy (East Midlands)

13. Mr. Reed: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what assessment he has made of the way in which the Government office for the east midlands contributes to the regional economy. [30900]

Mrs. Roche: The performance of the Government office for the east midlands is regularly assessed against the targets set out in its annual business plan. For example, grants offered to businesses by the Government office have generated further investment of nearly £6.5 million and with the support of the office £119 million has been allocated to the region to support local transport plans. A further £90 million is allocated through the Government office to support the regional development agency.

Social Exclusion

14. Mr. Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on combating social exclusion. [30901]

15. Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on the reduction in social exclusion since 1997. [30902]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: The social exclusion unit is currently working on four new projects, looking at:

re-offending by ex-prisoners;


young runaways;


educational attainment of children in care; and


transport and social exclusion.

Public Appointments (Women)

16. Linda Gilroy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what recent discussions his Department has had about increasing the number of women seeking public appointments. [30903]

Mr. Leslie: The Government as a whole are determined significantly to increase the number of women who hold public appointments.

My Department produced best practice guidance on making public appointments which will be continuously updated.

My hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) is also hosting a series of seminars around the country to encourage more women to apply for public appointments.

Modernising Government White Paper

17. Brian White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what progress has been made in attaining the targets set out in the Modernising Government White Paper. [30904]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: The Modernising Government White Paper set out the following commitments:

6 Feb 2002 : Column 936W

Better policy making—The Centre for Management and Policy Studies in the Cabinet Office encourages effective policy making which produces results via training and development; networking and good practice and improved resources for research and evaluation

A recent survey report—"Better Policy Making"—provides over 40 worked examples of good practice in policy making. It also shows that policy-makers have assimilated and are taking action to modernise the policy process. More information is available at www.cmps.gov.uk.

Responsive, consumer focused public services—The Office of Public Service Reform is working with Departments to raise awareness of the principles of public sector reform and to increase feedback from customers to support policy making, service delivery and monitoring of performance, to ensure that services are designed around customers and are responsive to them.

Improving public services—The Prime Minister's Delivery Unit has been established to ensure that the Government achieve their delivery priorities during this Parliament across the key areas of public service: health, education, crime, asylum and transport.

E-government—The office of the e-Envoy published e-government: a strategic framework for public services in the information age, in April 2000, which set out the Government's strategy for Departments progressing towards the target of having 100 per cent. electronic service delivery by 2005.

The proportion of Government services available online has risen from 33 per cent. in spring 2000 to 51 per cent. in summer 2001, and is expected to reach 74 per cent. by the end of 2002. The UK online citizens' portal and the Government Gateway are providing the core infrastructure for the further development of e-government services. See website http://www.e-envoy-gov.uk/ukonline/strategy.htm

Valuing public service—We are creating a civil service for the 21st century. My Department continues to drive the Civil Service Reform programme, and good progress has been made. A report on progress was published in December 2000, and a further report in January 2002.

These reports, and information on progress across the many separate strands of the Civil Service Reform programme, are published on our dedicated website: www.civil-service.gov.uk/reform.

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