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Data Matching
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in relation to data matching exercises undertaken by the Audit Commission and local authorities, how many individuals' personal data have been processed in data matching exercises in connection with fraud; how many cases have been identified as part of that data matching exercise as being possible cases of fraud requiring further investigation; how many cases, after investigation, were deemed likely to be fraudulent; how many cases were prosecuted; what the total cost were of data matching exercises, including staff and computer costs; and what the estimated total savings to the public purse are and what multiplier was used in this calculation. [59209]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
The following information is taken from the Audit Commission's National Fraud Initiative (NFI) 2000. All data collection and matching is undertaken in accordance
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with the Code of Data Matching, agreed between the Audit Commission and the Information Commissioner. Because data for matching is drawn from a wide range of data sources, with individuals' details potentially appearing on a number of data submissions, it is not possible to identify the number of individuals for whom data has been collected. However, in its report on the 2000 NFI, the Commission reported that over 14 million records were matched. The Commission's role is to identify matches and report these back to the relevant authorities for further investigation. It is for individual authorities to identify potentially fraudulent matches and to investigate these further, and, if appropriate, prosecute. The Commission does not have details of how many cases fall into these categories. The cost of the Audit Commission's role in NFI 2000 was some £600,000, including staff costs and computer costs. The Commission does not have information on the costs incurred by individual authorities in investigating potentially fraudulent matches. The Commission does not seek to estimate the potential savings arising from NFI. However, in its report on the 2000 NFI, the Commission reported that the value of detected fraud and overpayment, up to the date of publication, was £50 million, an increase of 19 per cent. over the previous NFI undertaken in 1998.
South-west Regional Assembly
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many civil servants and public officials carry out activities on behalf of Government departments in the South West Region; and how many would be transferred to an elected South West Regional Assembly. [60023]
Mr. Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.
The number of permanent civil service staff in each English region is listed in the table in Box 2.6 of the White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" (Cm 5511). The number of other public officials in the regions is not held centrally.
The number of posts to transfer to an elected assembly for the South West will depend on the number of posts devoted to the relevant function at the time of transfer but might be in the region of 50 to 100 posts, the majority of which would come from the Government Office for the South West. The assembly would also become responsible for the South West Regional Development Agency, which currently employs around 200 staff.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those agencies and public bodies (a) for which an elected south west regional assembly would have responsibility and accountability and (b) over which it would have influence. [60017]
Mr. Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.
The responsibilities of elected regional assemblies are set out in Chapter 4 of the White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" (Cm 5511), published on 9 May.
Domestic Violence
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many
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women have been classified as having a priority need for accommodation as victims of domestic violence under sections 175 and 177 of the Housing Act 1996. [59845]
Ms Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
Data are not collected centrally in the precise form requested. Available information on households accommodated under statutory homelessness provisions in England is published in a quarterly Statistical Release, "Statutory Homelessness: England".
Table 3 presents a summary of those households accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need under the Housing Act 1996, identifying which category was most crucial in determining priority need. Cases where domestic violence was the exclusive reason are identified separately, but further cases may also exist where, for example, the presence of dependent children was regarded by the local authority as the crucial determining factor. Table 4 further summarises acceptances by reason for loss of the household's last settled home, and identifies all cases involving a "violent breakdown of relationship".
Copies of the statistical release are held in the Library and are also available on the Department's website. The latest edition, published on 14 March 2002, presents statistics up to and including the fourth quarter of 2001.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with the ministerial group on domestic violence regarding local government policy on housing allocation for victims of domestic violence. [59843]
Mr. Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.
This is one of a number of housing issues which are the subject of on-going discussion with the ministerial group on domestic violence, and on which the Department has provided briefing for this group, in order to meet the key objective, shared by both the ministerial group and the Department, to increase safe accommodation choices for women and children.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the advice issued to local government regarding housing allocation for victims of domestic violence. [59844]
Mr. McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
On 31 May 2002 the Department will be issuing for consultation a draft code of guidance for local housing authorities on the allocation of housing, which has been revised to take account of the changes to Part 6 of the Housing Act contained in the Homelessness Act 2002. The issue of domestic violence is referred to in Chapters 4 and 5 of the Code.
The period for consultation ends on 28 August 2002.
A copy of the draft Code will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
Regeneration
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much
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investment is committed to neighbourhood renewal programme in the next five years; and how that budget is divided between revenue and capital spending. [59856]
Mr. McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a 10-year commitment to New Deal for Communities partnerships of £2,152 billion, of which £753 million is expected to be capital and £1,399 million revenue.
The total budget provision for neighbourhood renewal programmes, including NDC and NRF, in the current year is £727 million. Of this, £165 million is in DTLR's Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) and £562 million is in the DTLR and Local Government Resource DELs.
Detailed annual budgets for 2003–04 to 2005–06 for NDC and other neighbourhood renewal programmes are currently being reviewed in the context of the Spending Review.
Current best estimates of the split between revenue and capital spending on the established Partnership plans for New Deal in Communities funding, show this to be: 2002–03: £120 million revenue and £66 million capital and 2003–04: £172 million revenue and £93 million capital.
Development of all other neighbourhood renewal programmes commenced last year and detailed information on the split between revenue and capital of community plans flowing from these still has to be established.
Ms Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of Government's spending on urban regeneration over the next five years; and what levels are committed to capital and revenue spending. [59840]
Ms Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
The ODPM's urban regeneration budgets for the remaining years of SR2000 are as follows:
| 2002–04 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|
| Resource | 769 | 532 |
| Capital | 889 | 1,266 |
| Total | 1,658 | 1,798 |
Detailed annual budgets for 2003–04 to 2005–06 for urban regeneration programmes are currently being reviewed in the context of the Spending Review.
Mobile Phone Masts
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether he has made an estimate of how many extra mobile phone masts operators will require to complete their networks in the next five years. [59632]
Mr. McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
This is a matter for the individual telecommunications operators. However, the operators are fully aware of the importance we attach to keeping the number of masts to
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the minimum practicable, for example, through mast sharing, and to ensuring that those which are needed are designed and sited with sensitivity and care.
When rolling out their future network needs, and in addition to the statutory consultation requirements, the five mobile phone operators have made a series of commitments to deliver improved communication and consultation with local authorities and local communities. This includes providing local planning authorities with annual rollout plans for each authority's area. We strongly encourage operators and local planning authorities to carry out annual discussions based upon these plans. These will provide an early opportunity to discuss technical and environmental constraints and to explore possible alternative approaches, particularly the opportunities for mast and site sharing and also in terms of the location and design of the apparatus.
The Department is currently drawing up, in partnership with representatives of the mobile phone operators and local government, a revised Code of Best Practice, which will include advice and best practice on the delivery of mobile phone mast development.
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