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Audit Commission

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who is responsible for the selection of Audit Commission representatives. [78748]

Mr. Raynsford: Section 1 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 determines that the Audit Commission shall consist of between 15 and 20 members appointed by the Secretary of State. Appointments are made jointly by my right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretaries of State for Health and Wales, having regard to the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will announce the name of the new Chair of the Audit Commission. [79872]

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Mr. Raynsford: My right hon. Friends the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for Health and Wales have today appointed for a three year term James Strachan as the new Chair of the Audit Commission.

I have great confidence in his ability to lead the Audit Commission, to which he will bring substantial and diverse experience.

We are driving forward our agenda to reform public services. This appointment comes at a challenging time for the commission, especially with the implementation of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment of local authorities, its new housing inspection duties and the development of a proportionate and co-ordinated audit and inspection regime.

More than 40 applicants were considered for the post and James Strachan was shortlisted by a panel comprising an independent assessor and senior officials from this Office and the Department of Health.

Cornish Language

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will announce whether the Cornish language will be specified within the Council of Europe Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. [76011]

Mr. Raynsford: I am announcing today that, after careful consideration and with the help of the results of an independent academic study on the language commissioned by the Government, we have decided to recognise Cornish as falling under Part II of the European Charter for Regional or Minority languages. The Government will be registering this decision with the Council of Europe.

The purpose of the Charter is to protect and promote the historical regional or minority languages of Europe. It recognises that some of these languages are in danger of eventual extinction and that protection and encouragement of them contributes to Europe's cultural diversity and historical traditions.

This is a positive step in acknowledging the symbolic importance the language has for Cornish identity and heritage.

Cornish will join Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots and Ulster Scots as protected and promoted languages under the Charter, which commits the Government to recognise and respect those languages.

Officials will be initiating discussion with Cornwall county council and Cornish language organisations in Cornwall to ensure the views of Cornish speakers and people wanting to learn Cornish are taken into account in implementing Part II of the Charter.

Ms Atherton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what decision the Government have reached following its consideration of the case for recognising the Cornish language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. [79871]

Mr. Raynsford: I am announcing today that, after careful consideration and with the help of the results of an independent academic study on the language commissioned by the Government, we have decided to recognise Cornish as falling under Part II of the

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European Charter for Regional or Minority languages. The Government will be registering this decision with the Council of Europe.

The purpose of the Charter is to protect and promote the historical regional or minority languages of Europe. It recognises that some of these languages are in danger of extinction and that protection and encouragement of them contributes to Europe's cultural diversity and historical traditions.

This is a positive step in acknowledging the symbolic importance the language has for Cornish identity and heritage.

Cornish will join Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots and Ulster Scots as protected and promoted languages under the Charter, which commits the Government to recognise and respect those languages.

Officials will be initiating discussion with Cornwall county council and Cornish language organisations in Cornwall to ensure the views of Cornish speakers and people wanting to learn Cornish are taken into account in implementing Part II of the Charter.

Empty Homes

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to give local authorities greater power to acquire empty homes compulsorily. [78437]

Mr. McNulty: We have no plans to strengthen existing powers of local authorities to acquire empty homes compulsorily. However, we are currently evaluating the recommendation to allow local authorities to compulsorily lease empty homes put forward in the report by the Transport, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee on Empty Homes earlier this year. We will make a statement in due course.

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to introduce compulsory letting of empty residential properties. [79039]

Mr. McNulty: We are currently evaluating the recommendation to allow local authorities to compulsorily lease empty homes put forward in the report by the Transport, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee on Empty Homes earlier this year. We will make a statement in due course.

Executive Agencies

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to alter the number and scope of executive agencies affiliated to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [79587]

Mr. Leslie: The work of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's executive agencies is subject to regular review. There are no plans at present to alter significantly their number or remit.

Fire Dispute (Buckinghamshire)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Green Goddess fire appliances he plans to

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station in Buckinghamshire in the event of a firefighters' strike; where they will be stationed; and if he will make a statement. [77985]

Mr. Raynsford: Emergency cover in Buckinghamshire is planned to consist of a number of elements, including six Green Goddesses, three breathing apparatus teams, a rescue team equipped with specialist equipment, and the police. These will be based in Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Marlow.

The provision of MOD emergency fire cover has been planned in consultation with the chief fire officer to maximise the effectiveness of call-outs and the availability of a range of firefighting capabilities.

The command and operational structure for emergency fire cover has been designed to enable maximum flexibility and use of available resources, whether from within a county or from assets deployed nearby in neighbouring counties. The deployment of firefighters will be based on the assessment of how best to respond to an emergency in the quickest time possible. The deployment will be kept under review.

Fire Safety

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the cost of the (a) 'Get Out, Stay Out and Call 999' campaign and (b) 'Fire Kills' campaign. [79599]

Mr. Raynsford: Our total budget for fire safety publicity taken forward under the 'Fire Kills' brand is #4.8 million in this fiscal year. Of this, up to #1.8 million has been set aside for the 'Get Out, Stay Out and Call 999' campaign.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which (a) ombudsmen and (b) other bodies are able to investigate complaints against the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. [78467]

Mr. McNulty: Leasehold Valuation Tribunals are independent quasi-judicial bodies which are funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Parties who are dissatisfied with a decision of a tribunal have a right of appeal to the Lands Tribunal. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration can investigate complaints by someone claiming to have sustained injustice in consequence of maladministration in the way in which a tribunal administers a case but he cannot intervene in the tribunal's decision.

Local Authority Performance

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress with the grading of local authorities under comprehensive performance assessment; and if he will make a statement. [79591]

Mr. Raynsford: The Audit Commission carried out corporate assessments in all English county and unitary authorities this summer, and published the assessment framework on 21 October. They are on schedule to meet the White Paper commitment to announce the final results by the end of this year.

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Discussions are now under way between the Audit Commission, Inspectorates, and pathfinder local authorities, to establish the way in which improvement planning can best be undertaken.

The Audit Commission is also currently consulting on the methodology to be employed in assessing district councils' performance as from January 2003.

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