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Torbay Unitary Authority
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost will be of the inspections to be conducted in the Torbay unitary authority area into (a) corporate governance and (b) first tier authorities; how many officials will be involved in undertaking each inspection; and what the cost will be of producing a report after each inspection. [52484]
Dr. Whitehead: Torbay was one of a number of authorities selected for corporate governance inspection. Corporate governance inspections have been a powerful diagnostic tool to examine the corporate capabilities and management systems of local councils. Torbay was selected in response to concerns raised by the Audit Commission and other inspectorates about the council's management capabilities for key services. The inspection is not yet complete and the report is unlikely to be published before this summer.
The inspection of Torbay was large, involving a range of representatives from different inspectorates working with the Audit Commission to examine the full range of service issues. The estimated cost of the inspection is approximately £70,000 based on a team of eleven people. Torbay council's net budget is approximately £123 million. It is hoped this inspection will result in significant improvements to the quality and efficiency of local service delivery with clear benefits for local people and the authority.
Local Government Finance
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will ensure that local authorities covering the Malvern Hills receive support grants on the same basis as that received by the unitary authority of Herefordshire. [52975]
Dr. Whitehead: We are working with local government to develop options for fairer and more intelligible grant distribution formulae. In distributing grant, the new system will take into account the differing circumstances faced by local authorities, and their differing responsibilities. We cannot say now whether any particular authority or group of authorities will gain or lose from the new system. We will be consulting on options over the summer and will consider the views put to us when we come to take decisions.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that the new grant formula that will replace the SSA will (a) be improved and (b) address the needs of all classes of authority. [52469]
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Dr. Whitehead: We are working with local government to develop options for fairer and more intelligible grant distribution formulae. But if there are to be winners there must also be relative losers, since the formulae will distribute the fixed pot of resources made available by the spending review. We cannot say now whether any particular class of authority will gain or lose from the new system, but we will consult on options over the summer and will consider the responses when we come to take decisions.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he will take to ensure that the new finance system for local authorities provides an effective framework within which councils can initiate new and innovative ways of delivering customer-focused services and lead their communities. [52468]
Dr. Whitehead: Our comprehensive agenda for reform of the local government finance system was set out in last December's White Paper "Strong Local leadership—Quality Public Services". Our finance reforms will give councils more space to innovate and respond in ways that are appropriate to local circumstances by providing local authorities with greater freedom to borrow, invest, trade, charge and set spending priorities. Our White Paper implementation plan is available on the DTLR website at http://www.dtlr.gov.uk/local-regions/sll/implement/plan/ index.htm.
Business Rate Relief
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to propose amendments to the regulations governing transitional relief for business rates; and if he will make a statement. [52293]
Dr. Whitehead: My officials have prepared amendments to the regulations in discussion with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation and others. The amendments would allow transitional relief, backdated to 1 April 2000, to certain properties which currently do not qualify because of errors in the old 1995 rating lists. They would also, among other things, extend the period in which ratepayers can appeal against the values in certificates used to calculate rate bills.
The draft regulations were sent to local authorities and others with an interest in rating with an explanatory letter on 14 March. The draft is being finalised in the light of comments received.
Before coming into force amending regulations would first need to be approved by both Houses of Parliament.
Local Public Service Agreements
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason district councils are not directly involved in local public service agreements; and what plans he has to extend them to district councils in the future. [52470]
Dr. Whitehead: The Government is keen to involve districts in local PSAs, but believes that better outcomes can be achieved through co-operation between county and district councils than by districts acting alone. It therefore
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offers incentives to encourage county councils to work with their districts in drawing up and implementing their Local PSAs. Most of the county councils involved in the roll out of Local PSAs to top tier authorities have involved their districts. There are no plans to extend local PSAs to districts alone.
Digital Equipment
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many digital radios are owned by his Department for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work; and what the (a) cost and (b) date of purchase of each radio was. [52860]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 26 April 2002]: DTLR neither own nor have purchased any digital radios for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work.
Press Subscriptions
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the magazines and periodicals subscribed to by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost. [52834]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 26 April 2002]: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Weekly newspapers and tabloid-format periodicals that have the appearance of newspapers have been classed as "periodicals" and included in this answer. The information on annual cost is given only for the aggregate of central magazine and periodical procurement in the Department since reasons of commercial confidentiality preclude the release of such information by publication. The information relates solely to central procurement in the central Department and does not include purchases made by the Department's agencies and NDPBs, nor purchases made from local budgets for which no data are collected centrally.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the newspapers subscribed to (a) Monday to Saturday and (b) on Sunday by his Department, stating for each subscription (i) the number of copies taken, and (ii) the annual cost. [52833]
Dr. Whitehead [holding answer 26 April 2002]: The information is contained in the table. Weekly newspapers and tabloid-format periodicals that have the appearance of newspapers have been classed as "periodicals" and accounted for in the answer above (52834). The information on annual cost is given only for the aggregate of central newspaper procurement in the Department since reasons of commercial confidentiality preclude the release of such information by publication. The information relates solely to central procurement in the central Department and does not include purchases made by the Department's agencies and NDPBs, nor purchases made from local budgets for which no data are collected centrally.
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| Monday to Saturday titles | Numbers of copies |
|---|---|
| Daily Mail (Monday to Friday) | 13 |
| Daily Mail (Saturday) | 1 |
| Daily Mirror (Monday to Friday) | 13 |
| Daily Mirror on Saturday | 1 |
| Daily Star (Monday to Friday) | 4 |
| Daily Star (Saturday) | 1 |
| Daily Telegraph (Monday to Friday) | 18 |
| Daily Telegraph (Saturday) | 4 |
| Die Welt (Monday to Saturday) | 1 |
| Evening Standard (City Prices Edition) | 18 |
| Evening Standard (Late Prices Edition) | 17 |
| Evening Standard (News Extra Edition) | 21 |
| Evening Standard (West End Final Edition) | 29 |
| Financial Times (Monday to Friday) | 47 |
| Financial Times (Thursday) | 1 |
| Financial Times (Weekend) | 8 |
| Glasgow Herald (Monday to Friday) | 1 |
| Guardian (Monday to Friday) | 19 |
| Guardian (Saturday) | 4 |
| Independent (Monday to Friday) | 20 |
| Independent (Saturday) | 4 |
| Irish Times (Monday to Friday) | 1 |
| Le Figaro (Monday to Friday) | 1 |
| Le Monde (Monday to Friday) | 1 |
| Le Monde (Monday to Saturday) | 5 |
| Le Point | 1 |
| Lloyds List | 11 |
| Scotsman (Monday to Friday) | 1 |
| Sun (Monday to Friday) | 12 |
| Sun (Saturday) | 1 |
| The Express (Monday to Friday) | 11 |
| The Express on Saturday | 1 |
| Times (Monday to Friday) | 29 |
| Times (Saturday) | 4 |
| Total cost | 38,250 |
| Sunday titles | |
| Express on Sunday | 1 |
| Independent on Sunday | 5 |
| Mail on Sunday | 1 |
| News of The World | 1 |
| Observer | 5 |
| Sunday Mirror | 1 |
| Sunday People | 1 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 5 |
| Sunday Times | 5 |
| The Business | 5 |
| Total cost | 1,300 |
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