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4 Nov 2002 : Column 49W—continued

Local Government Officers

Ian Lucas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to revise the Widdecombe Rules on political activity of local government officers. [76625]

Mr. Raynsford: We intend to conduct a review looking at political restrictions on local government officers, and to publish a consultation paper containing proposals, in due course.

Neighbourhood Management Scheme

Ms Buck: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to announce a further round of the Neighbourhood Management scheme. [78629]

Mrs. Roche: We are considering proposals for a second round of Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders and hope to make an announcement in the near future.

Non-department Public Bodies

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the non-departmental public bodies affiliated to his Department. [79665]

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Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for sponsoring the following Non-Departmental Public Bodies:


















Park Homes

Mr. Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will place a copy of the survey on the economics of park homes in the Library. [78908]

Mr. McNulty : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the member for St. Helens North (Mr. Watts) on 29 October 2002, Official report, column 680W.

Planning

Mr. Willis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the planning appeals and their location by local planning authority that have been dismissed on the grounds of health concerns in each of the last three years. [79042]

Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public Service Agreements

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many public service agreements have been entered into with local authorities in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement; [79593]

Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 22 October 2002, Official Report, column 292W.

Recruitment (Over-50s)

20. Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of new recruits to his Department in the past two years were aged 50 and over. [79308]

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Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed in May 2002. As part of the former DETR(C) and DTLR(C) the percentage figures for each year for new recruits aged 50 and over in the period requested is as follows:



Regional Assemblies

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2002, Official Report, columns 389–90W, how he defines the word stakeholder; and if he will list the categories of stakeholders consulted. [79346]

Mr. Raynsford: 'Your Region, Your Choice', the White Paper on regional governance, includes business, trade unions, the voluntary and community sectors, local authorities and other key partners in the public sector, and environmental groups as examples of stakeholders. However, the White Paper is not prescriptive. We would consider that any organisation with an interest in regional governance can be considered as a stakeholder.

The White Paper did not sound out particular stakeholders or groups of stakeholders for consultation. It invited anyone with views on stakeholder involvement with elected regional assemblies to submit their comments.

Registered Social Landlords

Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will (a) list the total debt of each registered social landlord in England and Wales in the last financial year, (b) identify what percentage of each of each debt was incurred through borrowing for council housing stock transfer and (c) state from where. [78916]

Mr. McNulty: The information requested entails listing all social landlords registered with the Housing Corporation of which there are around 2,000. Due to the volume of material, I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is collated.

Rural Deprivation

Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of rural deprivation in the local government formula grant review. [78880]

Mr. Raynsford: The formula grant review options that were put forward as part of the summer consultation were informed by evidence on relative costs of providing services across the country. Further work on measuring deprivation was carried out during the consultation period as part of discussions with groups representing rural authorities. We are currently taking decisions on the new system to be implemented following that consultation, and in doing so are considering carefully all of the evidence, pressures and representations that we received, including those from rural areas.

Rural Services

Mr. Cran: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research has been undertaken by his Department into

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the impact of dispersal and settlement patterns on the cost of providing services in rural areas as part of the local government formula grant review. [79165]

Mr. Raynsford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Mr. Cawsey) on 4 November 2002.

Your Region Your Choice

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with reference to paragraph 9.21 of the 'Your Region, Your Choice' White Paper, what account he has taken of the other views invited; and if he will publish the views submitted. [79347]

Mr. Raynsford: Other than the specific request for views on stakeholder involvement with elected regional assemblies to be submitted by 31 August 2002, the White Paper 'Your Region, Your Choice' was not a formal consultation exercise. The White Paper indicated that the Government would also be interested in views on its other proposals, but there is no deadline and views may still be submitted. We have no plans to publish these views, but we will take them into account as we implement our proposals.

DEFENCE

Live Animals (Exports)

3. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the aims and objectives of the future offensive air system programme. [76695]

Mr. Hoon: The Future Offensive Air System programme is intended to replace the offensive air capability currently provided by the Tornado GR4 strike aircraft towards the end of the next decade. The programme is currently in the concept stage. No final decisions have been taken.

National Missile Defence

15. Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his United States counterpart on national missile defence. [76708]

Mr. Hoon : I last discussed missile defence issues with the United States Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, at our meeting in Washington on 11 September.

Regular and Territorial Armies

19. Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the strength of the (a) regular and (b) territorial armies have changed since May 1997; and by how much the number of medically unfit soldiers has changed over the same period. [76712]

Mr. Ingram: In June 1997 the strength of the regular army was 101,360, of which 6.7 per cent. were listed as not employable at full combatant duties. In September this year, these figures were 101,660 and 10. 4 per cent. respectively.

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In June 1997 the strength of the territorial army stood at 55, 470. The strategic defence review vision for the territorial army was to restructure it into a more relevant, usable and integrated organisation. The current strength of the territorial army, as at 1 September 2002, stands at 38,835. This includes 400 who are currently mobilised in support of operations.

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