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2 Dec 2002 : Column 626W—continued

Deprivation

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the position of (a) Tamworth and (b) Sutton Coldfield constituencies is in the national table of deprivation. [84174]

Mrs. Roche: The table shows how all wards in the Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield constituencies are ranked according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation and the six other domains included in the Indices of Deprivation 2000 (ID 2000). Under the ID 2000, the most deprived ward is ranked 1, while the least deprived is ranked 8,414.

Constituency/wardLA nameRank of index of multiple deprivationRank of income domainRank of employment domain
Tamworth
Bourne ValeLichfield4,9656,5506,411
FazeleyLichfield2,7862,7863,104
Little AstonLichfield8,1178,3717,655
Mease ValleyLichfield 4,9155,1597,266
ShenstoneLichfield6,2035,5326,603
StonnallLichfield7,5377,2096,826
TameLichfield7,3418,0846,806
AmingtonTamworth2,5692,1873,520
BelgraveTamworth2,0281,7073,080
BolehallTamworth2,4253,5683,071
CastleTamworth3,6353,7293,573
GlascoteTamworth1,0035931,697
MercianTamworth3,8833,9593,848
SpitalTamworth 3,3823,0492,878
StonydelphTamworth2,2552,0764,096
TrinityTamworth5,3155,8926,297
WilnecoteTamworth3,9624,1835,274
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Four OaksBirmingham7,0335,9505,430
Sutton New HallBirmingham4,9913,9724,148
Sutton VeseyBirmingham6,6265,5355,028

Constituency/wardLA nameRank of health domainRank of education domainRank of housing domainRank of access domain
Tamworth
Bourne ValeLichfield6,4384,0622,390858
FazeleyLichfield2,3772,2923,6403,582
Little AstonLichfield7,6738,0177,7691,826
Mease ValleyLichfield 5,4434,8994,772489
ShenstoneLichfield6,1185,6947,8281,303
StonnallLichfield5,6206,2498,3573,000
TameLichfield6,4065,1428,3411,938
AmingtonTamworth3,1041,6291,6026,530
BelgraveTamworth2,7971,0831,2806,938
BolehallTamworth2,4754563,0757,766
CastleTamworth2,6451,7456,6696,726
GlascoteTamworth1,7487727877,384
MercianTamworth2,9903,4554,3243,967
SpitalTamworth 2,2673,7655,6604,991
StonydelphTamworth3,8893274,6764,045
TrinityTamworth5,0061,6385,1945,141
WilnecoteTamworth4,3081,5473,4724,295
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Four OaksBirmingham5,4067,8918,1173,570
Sutton New HallBirmingham3,9926,5984,8704,791
Sutton VeseyBirmingham5,1786,8857,1134,550

2 Dec 2002 : Column 627W

Empty Homes

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Government Departments and agencies have (a) adopted and (b) not adopted the revised guidance on securing the better use of empty homes published by the DETR in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [83814]

Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All relevant departments and agencies were consulted in drawing up the guidance and should follow the good practice procedures it sets out. We announced in our response to the Transport, Local Government and Regions Select Committee report on Empty Homes that we intend to issue strengthened guidance to take account of latest best practice. The guidance will be published in the new year.

Empty Properties

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many empty properties there were in England and Wales in each year since January 1997 in each local authority area. [83413]

Mr. McNulty: Information relating to the number of empty properties in each local authority in England for each year from 1 April 1997 to 1 April 2001 (latest data available) has been placed in the House Library. For information on properties in Wales I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Fire Service

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what groups in the Fire Service are disadvantaged by current shift arrangements. [83257]

Mr. Raynsford: Research 1 commissioned by the Government found that the difficulty of balancing home life with Fire Service hours and shift requirements is a potential barrier to the recruitment of women and single parents, and within communities with strong family ties.


Fire Service (Modernisation)

Mr. Page: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the components that make up the modernisation programme for the Fire Service; and what anticipated pay uplift percentages would be awarded to each achieved component of the modernisation programme. [84488]

2 Dec 2002 : Column 628W

Mr. Raynsford: The Government have established the Independent Review of the Fire Service, under Sir George Bain, to examine modernisation and pay in the Fire Service. In its Position Paper, issued on 11 November 2002, the Independent Review recommended that above-inflation pay increases should only be paid if accompanied by modernisation. Modernisation includes:







The full Position Paper is available at: www.irfs.org.uk/docs/positionpaper/index.htm and a copy has been placed in the House Libraries.

It is for the local government employers and the FBU to negotiate the level of pay in the Fire Service. The Government have made it clear that anything over and above the four per cent. offered to firefighters must be paid for by modernisation.

Fire Services (CBRN)

David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department's bid to the Capital Modernisation Fund for money for extra equipment and training for firefighters for a CBRN emergency has been successful. [82390]

Mr. Leslie: £43 million is being provided from the Capital Modernisation Fund for mass decontamination facilities, including personal protective equipment for firefighters and associated set-up costs, such as initial training for the Fire Service in England and Wales.

David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much additional funding has been granted to each fire authority since 11 September 2001 for (a) CBRN training, (b) protection equipment and (c) additional search and rescue equipment [82391]

Mr. Leslie: The additional funding for CBRN related equipment and activities will not be distributed to individual fire authorities but administered centrally by the Government. The project will be overseen by the New Dimension Group, comprising all the main fire service stakeholders. Fire authorities have been

2 Dec 2002 : Column 629W

involved in the establishment of regional planning teams, the specification and order of equipment and the specification of training. CBRN training and personal protective equipment represent £7.63 million and £6.3 million respectively of the funds from the Capital Modernisation Fund. A considerable amount of work is being undertaken in partnership with the stakeholders to assess operational and resource requirements for search and rescue facilities.

Firefighters' Dispute

Andrew Selous: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on who will pay for a settlement of the firefighters' pay dispute above four per cent. [84214]

Mr. Raynsford: Any pay award, not affordable within existing public expenditure, must be paid for by modernisation.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice Army officers have given to his Department regarding crossing Fire Brigades Union picket lines to use fire fighting equipment. [83197]

Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has neither sought nor received any advice from Army officers regarding crossing Fire Brigades Union picket lines. The military have already been given access to all the fire engines they have asked for, with an initial tranche of 27 red engines made available on the 15 November. It is expected that up to 100 will be made available from local authority reserves during the next few days.


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