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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/ward | LA name | Rank of index of multiple deprivation | Rank of income domain | Rank of employment domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamworth | ||||
| Bourne Vale | Lichfield | 4,965 | 6,550 | 6,411 |
| Fazeley | Lichfield | 2,786 | 2,786 | 3,104 |
| Little Aston | Lichfield | 8,117 | 8,371 | 7,655 |
| Mease Valley | Lichfield | 4,915 | 5,159 | 7,266 |
| Shenstone | Lichfield | 6,203 | 5,532 | 6,603 |
| Stonnall | Lichfield | 7,537 | 7,209 | 6,826 |
| Tame | Lichfield | 7,341 | 8,084 | 6,806 |
| Amington | Tamworth | 2,569 | 2,187 | 3,520 |
| Belgrave | Tamworth | 2,028 | 1,707 | 3,080 |
| Bolehall | Tamworth | 2,425 | 3,568 | 3,071 |
| Castle | Tamworth | 3,635 | 3,729 | 3,573 |
| Glascote | Tamworth | 1,003 | 593 | 1,697 |
| Mercian | Tamworth | 3,883 | 3,959 | 3,848 |
| Spital | Tamworth | 3,382 | 3,049 | 2,878 |
| Stonydelph | Tamworth | 2,255 | 2,076 | 4,096 |
| Trinity | Tamworth | 5,315 | 5,892 | 6,297 |
| Wilnecote | Tamworth | 3,962 | 4,183 | 5,274 |
| Sutton Coldfield | ||||
| Sutton Four Oaks | Birmingham | 7,033 | 5,950 | 5,430 |
| Sutton New Hall | Birmingham | 4,991 | 3,972 | 4,148 |
| Sutton Vesey | Birmingham | 6,626 | 5,535 | 5,028 |
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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.
- 1 Home Office Fire Research and Development Group Research Reports 4/1999, 2/2000, 3/2000 and 4/2000, copies of which can be found in the House Library.
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]
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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:
- full-time firefighters working in the same crew as retained (part-time) firefighters;
- ending the ban on overtime;
- allowing management to change, where necessary, the rigid shift system of two days on, two nights on, then four days off in order to provide a better service;
- giving firefighters some medical training as paramedics, and allowing them to carry resuscitation equipment such as defibrillators;
- the Fire Service sharing control rooms between brigades and with other emergency services, to provide a more efficient response; and
- taking action to improve the management of sickness in the Fire Service to reduce the high numbers who retire early through sickness and ill-health.
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
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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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