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Emergency Planning
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if
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he will publish his Department's contribution to the Cabinet Office's review of the future of emergency planning. [33755]
Mr. Spellar: I am advised that copies of all the responses to the Emergency Planning Review will be placed in the House of Commons Library soon, and that a summary of the responses to the Emergency Planning Review will be put on the Cabinet Office website within the same time scale. There are no plans to publish my Department's response separately.
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much funding has been awarded by central Government to local authorities to cover the expense of (a) preparing plans, (b) training staff and (c) engaging in multi-agency exercises to promote the integrated emergency management approach advocated by central Government. [33524]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
I informed the House on 23 January 2002, Official Report, column 891W, that, subject to the Civil Defence (Grant) Bill completing its passage through Parliament, the Government will maintain the total level of grant at this year's level, currently estimated at some £18.6 million. A high proportion of this year's grant is used by local authorities to meet the costs of preparing plans, training staff and engaging in exercises.
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much each local authority has spent on combating benefit fraud in each financial year since 1997. [33627]
Dr. Whitehead: The information requested is not available centrally.
IT Contracts
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland, and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a). [33690]
Dr. Whitehead: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Deprivation Indices
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the means used by his Department to determine relative deprivation. [33073]
Ms Keeble [holding answer 5 February 2002]: The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions uses the Indices of Deprivation 2000 (ID 2000) as a means of determining how multiply deprived an area is, relative to other areas in England.
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The Indices of Deprivation 2000 is made up of:
- Six domain indices at ward level (Income, Employment, Health, Education, Housing and Geographical Access to Services),
An overall ward level Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2000).
A supplementary Child Poverty Index at ward level, which gives the percentage of children living in households that claim means tested benefits.
Six summaries at local authority level of the overall IMD 2000, which allow all 354 local authority districts to be ranked according to each measure. These summaries take account of the different patterns of deprivation found in different areas.
The IMD 2000 is constructed from 33 indicators using the most robust and up-to-date information available to describe deprivation at ward level. This includes information from sources such as Department of Social Security benefits data and University and College Admissions Service data. The indicators were chosen after wide consultation with a number of interested parties including central Government, local government, academics and practitioners.
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The Index is based on the premise that multiple deprivation is made up of separate dimensions or 'domains' of deprivation. These domains reflect different aspects of deprivation. However, low income remains a central component of the working definition of multiple deprivation for the ID 2000.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Retired Clergy
Mr. Burstow: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners (1) what was the average length of retirement for clergy who serve until the mandatory retirement in the last 10 years; [32675]
- (2) what the average age of retirement of clergy was in the last 10 years; and what their average length of retirement was. [32674]
Mr. Bell: Clergy are generally obliged by law to retire no later than the age of 70. In practice, most do so at or fairly soon after the normal minimum pension age of 65.
The following table gives data for clergy retirements and deaths in 2001 and in 1993—the earliest year for which details are readily obtainable—(1) for those who retired at or after age 65 and (2) for all cases including early retirements whether voluntarily or on grounds of ill-health. Complete statistics on which to base a 10-year average are not available.
| Number of clergy retiring in year | Average age at retirement | Number of clergy pensioners who died in year | Average age at death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 at or after age 65 | 324 | 65.9 | 272 | 83.5 |
| 2001 total including the above | 542 | 63.4 | 327 | 82.0 |
| 1993 at or after age 65/60 (M/W) | 312 | 66.0 | 320 | 81.2 |
| 1993 total including the above | 470 | 64.0 | 372 | 80.9 |
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Mrs. Roe: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what progress has been made by the House of Commons Commission in nominating a candidate for the post of Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. [34477]
Mr. Kirkwood: The Commission's report recommending to the House Mr. Philip Mawer, at present Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England and Secretary General of the Archbishops' Council, is being published at 3.30 p.m. today as House of Commons Paper 598. Copies are available from the Vote Office.
Statues
Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what arrangements have been made for the siting of the statue of the right hon. Baroness Thatcher commissioned by the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. [34501]
Derek Conway: I am pleased to announce that in the short term the statue of the right hon. the Baroness Thatcher will be loaned to the Corporation of London for display at the Guildhall. Work is under way to identify a suitable site in the Guildhall complex.
In the longer term, the statue will be displayed in the Palace of Westminster. Hon. Members will wish to know that Mr. Speaker has amended the "10-year rule", governing the display of representations of politicians in the main building of the Palace. A portrait, bust or statue of a politician other than a Prime Minister may be displayed once 10 years have passed after their death. A portrait, bust or statue of a former Prime Minister may now be displayed either once five years have passed after their death, or after the elapse of three Parliaments (with the proviso that this should be a minimum of 12 years) after they have left this House, whichever of these events comes first. There remain no restrictions on the siting of representations of living politicians in the outbuildings of the Palace.
The Accommodation and Works Committee will make a recommendation to Mr. Speaker on the siting of the statue at an appropriate time.
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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Departmental Retirement Ages
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of her Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on flexible retirement. [32823]
Clare Short: All permanent and pensionable staff of DFID (1,596 staff) have a normal retirement age of 60. This is occasionally extended where there are particular business reasons to retain an officer's services beyond that age. In addition there are two groups of fixed term employees, Corps of Specialists (29 staff) and Technical Co-operation Officers (295 staff), who similarly have a normal retirement age of 60 which may occasionally be extended where there are particular business reasons. Staff appointed in country by DFID's offices (818 staff) are subject to a wide variety of retirement ages depending on local labour market practice or local legislation (the details are not currently held centrally and could not be produced except at disproportionate cost).
My Department is currently reviewing its policy on flexible retirement.
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