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Lost/Stolen Property
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will
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list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years. [34215]
Dr. Whitehead: The following information has been extracted from records held centrally.
| Department | Agencies | NDPBs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Number | Value (£) | Number | Value (£) | Number | Value (£) |
| 1998–99 | ||||||
| Audio visual equipment | — | — | 1 | 50 | — | — |
| Other equipment | — | — | 1 | 40 | — | — |
| Protective clothing | — | — | 1 | 40 | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | ||||||
| Mobile telephones | — | — | 1 | 50 | — | — |
| Pager | — | — | 1 | 50 | — | — |
| Other equipment | — | — | 1 | 28 | 4 | 100 |
| 2000–01 | ||||||
| Laptop computer | — | — | — | — | 1 | 25 |
| Mobile telephones | — | — | *19 | 0 | — | — |
| Pager | — | — | 11 | 545 | — | — |
| 2001–02 | ||||||
| Mobile telephones | 1 | 50 | *21 | 0 | — | — |
| Audio visual equipment | — | — | 1 | 35 | — | — |
Note:
Items have been valued at cost, current worth or replacement cost depending on the circumstances of the individual case. Recoveries from perpetrators or others, such as insurance claims, have been netted off. For example the losses marked '*' have been replaced by the contractor at no cost to the agency.
City of York Council
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much money the Government have contributed to City of York council in cash terms in each year since it was created as a unitary authority; and how much the increase was each year in (a) cash and (b) real terms. [34681]
Dr. Whitehead: York unitary authority have reported the following Government funding.
| Outturn | Budget | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
| Revenue Support Grant | 36,598 | 38,597 | 39,274 | 39,478 | 36,900 | 40,309 |
| Redistributed Non-domestic Rates | 41,981 | 39,451 | 41,267 | 44,995 | 51,078 | 50,021 |
| Specific grants inside AEF | 3,305 | 3,128 | 4,113 | 6,185 | 10,977 | 13,631 |
| Revenue Grants paid into GFRA(9) | 81,884 | 81,176 | 84,654 | 90,658 | 98,955 | 103,961 |
| Capital Grants(10) | 2,461 | 1,768 | 1,694 | 1,881 | 2,974 | 3,149 |
| Government contribution | 84,345 | 82,944 | 86,348 | 92,539 | 101,929 | 107,110 |
| Increase on previous year (cash terms) | — | -1,401 | 3,404 | 6,191 | 9,390 | 5,181 |
| Increase on previous year (real terms)* | — | -3,882 | 1,056 | 4,010 | 7,623 | 2,569 |
* Real terms calculated using the GDP deflator.
Sources:
(9) 1996–97 to 2000–01 Revenue summary returns. 2001–02 GFRA budget estimates return.
(10) 1996–97 to 2000–01 Capital outturn returns. 2001–02 Capital estimate returns.
Passenger Rail Travel
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the Government's target for growth in passenger rail travel is predicated on a growth in off-peak travel. [34613]
Mr. Jamieson: The assumptions underpinning the targets in "Transport 2010: The Ten Year Plan" are set out in the accompanying document "Transport 2010: The Background Analysis", copies of which are available in the Library and on my Department's website, www.dtlr.gov.uk.
13 Feb 2002 : Column 383W
E-democracy
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those local authorities who have undertaken interactive e-democracy projects. [34750]
Dr. Whitehead: This information is not held centrally. Results of the Best Value Performance Indicator 157 to be published later this year will give an indication of the percentage of council information available online as at 1 April 2002.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with the e-Envoy on electronic democracy. [34751]
Dr. Whitehead: We are working jointly with the Office of the e-Envoy and others to develop policy on e-democracy, including e-voting, and intend to consult on our wide-ranging proposals later this year.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of e-democracy projects undertaken in (a) the UK Parliament, (b) other parliaments and (c) local authorities; and if he will list them. [34748]
Dr. Whitehead: My Department, with the Office of the e-Envoy and others, are developing e-democracy in the United Kingdom. The Government intend to consult on their wide-ranging proposals later this year. In drawing up these proposals, we are considering lessons to be learned from the best examples of e-democracy projects that have taken place in the UK Parliament, other parliaments and in local authorities, which include the following:
- UK Parliament
- The All Party Domestic Violence Group on-line consultation (Womenspeak).
- The Social Security Select Committee inquiry into tax credits.
- Elected representatives websites.
- Other Parliaments
- The Scottish Parliament's on-line petitions and discussion groups.
- The National Assembly for Wales' on-line consultation for ICT strategy.
- The European Parliament—on-line petitions and citizen's mailbox.
- The Aboriginal Canada website.
- Dutch Parliament—e-voting.
- US Presidential elections 2000—remote internet voting.
- Elected representatives websites.
- Local authorities
- Young Camden website.
- Young Citizen's project—Lewisham.
- Online referenda in Bristol and Croydon and other voting pilots.
- The Kalix Radslag deliberation (Sweden)—on-line consultation and discussion.
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with local authorities in respect of e-democracy projects. [34749]
13 Feb 2002 : Column 384W
Dr. Whitehead: As we announced to the House on 5 February 2002, Official Report, columns 829–32W, in consultation with the Office of the e-Envoy, the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association, we have approved 30 local authorities to run electoral modernisation pilot schemes in the May 2002 local and mayoral elections. The Electoral Commission will be providing support and advice to pilot authorities throughout the pilot programme.
My Department liaised closely with those authorities in the consideration of their applications and this process will continue in order to draw up the necessary parliamentary orders which need to be in place by 25 March 2002.
E-Democracy
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what measure he intends to take to ensure that a gender perspective is taken into account in introducing e-democracy; [34747]
- (2) what measures he is taking to ensure that women are consulted in the (a) formulation and (b) content of the Government's e-democrary policy.
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
Following the creation of the Cabinet Committee on e-democracy, policy proposals on how to strengthen the democratic process through the use of the internet and other electronic means are being developed. The policy proposals will be subject to a wide public consultation later this year, plans for which are currently being prepared.
Access and diversity issues will be looked at as part of the consultation's examination of inclusion in the democratic process and how e-democracy can help to address these issues. The development of e-democracy will be explored with individuals and groups, including women's groups. Women will be encouraged to respond to the consultation as a whole, and their contributions will be taken into account in the final policy.
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