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Sunset Clauses
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses. [49617]
Dr. Whitehead: The Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 contains a sunset clause that will make the provisions expire at the end of 2015. The clause also allows for the Act's provisions to be extended, by secondary legislation, if there is a case for doing so in 2015.
In accordance with the Government manifesto commitment, DTLR will continue to explore the possibility of time limiting new regulations where appropriate. We are also looking at other ways of ensuring legislation is kept up to date such as reviewing major legislation after it is implemented.
Efficiency Savings
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the target has been in each of the last five years for efficiency savings as a percentage of total running costs for each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and if the target was met. [49636]
Dr. Whitehead: All executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are required to provide information about the performance and efficiency targets agreed with their sponsoring Department and performance against those targets in their annual reports, copies of which are normally available in the library of the House. These details are not available for advisory and tribunal NDPBs.
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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the cost was to his Department of answering written parliamentary questions in 2001; and how that cost was calculated; [49099]
- (2) how many staff were involved in each of the last three years in preparing draft answers to written parliamentary questions. [49141]
Dr. Whitehead: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by the Leader of the House on 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 929W.
Entertainment Costs
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will list for each of the last five years the total amount of money spent by Ministers in his Department on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes; [47212]
- (2) how much was spent by departmental special advisers on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for official entertainment purposes in each of the last five years. [46839]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The cost of entertainment, expenditure incurred by Ministers, Private Offices, the Permanent Secretary's Office and special advisers was £13,000 for 1999–2000; £16,000 for 2000–01 and £21,000 for 2001–02.
The remainder of the information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Special Advisers
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many special advisers there were in his Department; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years; [46961]
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the number and expected cost to his Department of special advisers in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [43280]
Dr. Whitehead: At 13 March, there were two special advisers in my office. On cost, I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 11W.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many Private Finance Initiative projects have been subject to refinancing after the contracts have been signed; and what has been the financial effect in each case. [50290]
Dr. Whitehead: Three of my Department's Private Finance Initiative road contracts have been refinanced. These are listed, together with the value of the share received from the companies concerned.
| Project | Operating company | £ million |
|---|---|---|
| A19/A168 Dishforth-Tyne Tunnel | Autolink Concessionaires A19 Ltd. | 1.5 |
| M1-A1 Link | Yorkshire Link Ltd. | — |
| M40 Denham-Warwick | UK Highways Ltd. | 1.6 |
Local Government
Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps are being taken to update the former Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions' Indices of Deprivation, by local government ward basis. [48856]
Ms Keeble: My Department has just issued an invitation to tender to a number of consultants for a research project to explore updating the Indices of Deprivation 2000. The contract has five broad objectives. These are:
- To produce options for strengthening the ID 2000. This will be based on a conceptualisation of how multiple deprivation should be measured. It needs to build on proposed areas for further development identified in the 1999 review. It should include a review of literature on the measurement of deprivation since 1999.
To assess how practical it will be to implement these options by investigating the availability of data that have, or are about to, come on stream since the 1999 review including availability of 2001 Census data.
To assess the potential to provide a general updating both to the current indicators and the 1998 ward boundaries that underpin the ID 2000.
To assess the potential of further developing the ID 2000 to a sub-ward geography.
To revise the ID 2000 as appropriate.
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the review of literature on the measurement of deprivation since 1999 which should inform ideas on how the ID 2000 may be strengthened.
Employment Tribunals
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many employment tribunal cases have been brought against his Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997; and how much his Department has spent on defending employment tribunal cases in this period. [49446]
Mr. Byers: Information is not held in a manner which would allow the question to be answered without disproportionate expense.
Disciplinary Action
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, (1) pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 982W, how many members of staff have been the subject of disciplinary action as a result of the internal leak inquiry; [49789]
- (2) pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 986W, if Ian Jones is (a) still employed by his Department, (b) still suspended on full pay and (c) the subject of disciplinary action. [49792]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 15 April 2002]: Staffing and disciplinary matters are handled within the Department in accordance with the DTLR staff handbook. Within that framework personnel matters relating to individuals are a confidential matter between them and the Department.
Former Press Officers
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the contractual position is of his Department with (a) Martin Sixsmith and (b) Jo Moore. [47033]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement the Permanent Secretary of my Department made on 25 February 2002, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has sought counsel's advice on his Department's position in relation to his Department's employment of Mr. Martin Sixsmith. [49448]
Mr. Byers: It is not the normal practice to disclose whether legal advice has been taken (paragraph 7 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information refers).
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when (a) he and (b) the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions last met the First Division Association to discuss the status of (i) Jo Moore and (ii) Mr. Martin Sixsmith. [49447]
Mr. Byers: I have had no such discussions. The Permanent Secretary exceptionally described some discussions in his statement of 25 February 2002. It is
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not the practice to provide details of any such discussions (paragraph 7 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information refers).
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