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Service Accommodation
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Lewis Moonie): The contract for the first phase of the #1 billion Single Living Acommodation Modernisation (SLAM) programme was awarded today.
The contract is being awarded to Debut services, a Birmingham based consortium led by Bovis Lend Lease and Babcock Support Services, who will work in close co-operation with Defence Estates (an Agency of MOD) and Service Client representatives to achieve the delivery of the project.
The contract comprises new build and refurbishment projects across the country and will deliver primarily single room en-suite accommodation. This will meet the aspirations of our single servicemen and women for improved living conditions that meet modern standards and is the result of extensive consultation of service personnel. This is particularly relevant, as one of the main reasons for personnel leaving the Services is the current poor quality of living accommodation.
The Project is planned to upgrade progressively the worst accommodation to Grade 1 physical condition over a five-year period. This will involve in the region of 16,000 bedspaces and ancillary accommodation across all ranks of single servicemen and women in the three services.
The contract is being awarded on XSmart Procurement" principles and contains an innovative incentivised condition to encourage the Prime Contractor to work more efficiently.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Greater London Authority
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Tony McNulty): I am today issuing a consultation paper on proposed changes to the rules for London Mayoral and Assembly elections. This consultation follows from recommendations which were made by the Greater London Returning Officer earlier this year. Copies of the consultation paper will be placed in the House Library.
Electoral Pilots
The Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Nick Raynsford): The Government is looking at many ways, including e-voting, to modernise our electoral system and to increase the opportunities that people have to vote. To test the robustness of the new options and to build public confidence in them, we are continuing to promote an extensive programme of pilot innovations at local elections.
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In September we, in conjunction with the Electoral Commission and the Local Government Association, published a prospectus inviting applications from English and Welsh local authorities to apply to run electoral pilots at local elections in 2003. The closing date for applications to run pilots in the May 2003 local elections was 29 November 2002.
Today I am able to announce that I have accepted 41 applications to hold non e-voting pilots at the May 2003 local elections. The names of the successful local authorities and the type of pilot that they are planning to hold are listed at the end of this statement. The next step will be for us, working with authorities and in consultation with the Electoral Commission, to draw up the statutory orders authorising the pilots.
I am pleased that, following consultation with the independent Electoral Commission, we are able to take forward so many applications. The standard of applications demonstrates the commitment of local authorities to meeting the Government's exacting requirements. These pilots are an important step towards making elections more relevant, straightforward and accessible for voters.
Of 41 applications accepted, 33 involve all-postal ballots. Five applications include e-counting, three in combination with an all-postal ballot. Three authorities plan to extend the voting hours, including voting on a number of days before the main polling day of 1 May. The other 4 applications are to pilot changes to ballot papers and their administration. Altogether, these pilots will cover 4.8 million electors.
We expect to announce in mid-January which of the applications to hold e-voting pilots at the May 2003 local elections have been accepted.
All-Postal Pilots Total: 30 Blackpool Borough Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
East Staffordshire Borough Council
Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk
North Shropshire District Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Rutland County Council District Council
St. Edmundsbury Borough Council
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Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Borough of Telford & Wrekin Council
All-Postal & E-Counting Pilots Total: 3 Derwentside, Chester-le-Street, and Wear Valley District Councils (joint application) Redcar & Cleveland Council
Other Pilots (with traditional elections) Total: 7 Borough of Charnwood Council: Watermark on ballot paper
Manchester City Council: Automated issue of postal ballot papers
Medway Council: Extended voting hours
North Kesteven District Council: Ballot paper changes and limited mobile voting
North West Leicestershire District Council: Watermark on ballot paper
South Oxfordshire District Council: Extended voting hours and limited e-counting
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Council: Extended voting hours and early mobile voting
Local Government Bill
The Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Nick Raynsford): Last year's Local Government White Paper announced that each best value parish or town council would be paid a grant of #30,000 per year when legislation permitted. This sum would cover audit costs and the corporate costs of carrying out work relating to best value, such as the preparation of performance plans and the management of reviews.
Provision has been made in the Local Government Bill, published last month, to enable these grants to be paid. Subject to Parliamentary approval, we expect to make the first payments in 2003–04, providing councils with a grant of #45,000, comprising #30,000 for 2003–04 and #15,000 for 2002–03.
We have also agreed that, on an exceptional basis, the Audit Commission will not charge their fees for auditing best value town and parish councils' 2003–04 performance plans, and will reimburse the fees paid by these councils for auditing their 2002–03 performance plans. This should amount to a total saving of approximately #10,000 for each best value town and parish council.
Building Regulations
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Christopher Leslie): Too many people experience noisy neighbours, whether late night parties, or loud television. This can have a significant impact on quality of life. It is also one of the things councils get the most complaints about. At a time
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when we are encouraging the construction industry to build to greater densities, this issue is even more important.
That is why I am publishing official guidance on new amendments to the Building Regulations, which will be available this week. The amendments and guidance will improve standards of sound privacy between homes, and will go further to improve the sound insulation of walls and floors within the home, as well as between rooms in hostels, hotels and residential homes.
The scope of Part E of the Building Regulations will extend beyond separating walls and floors in houses and flats, to deal with reverberation in the common parts of blocks of flats, and also acoustic conditions in schools. The new requirements for Part E come into force on 1 July 2003.
We are also addressing the need to remove barriers to trade in construction products by providing guidance on new European fire safety testing measures for those products. This will enable manufacturers to more easily comply with European Standards as well as existing British Standards.
Amendments to the Approved Document for Part B of the Building Regulations come into effect on 1 March and will facilitate harmonisation between our existing national test procedures and those which have been produced in support of the Construction Products Directive (CPD).
Boundary Commission for England
The Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Nick Raynsford): I have today appointed, for a second term, Mr Robin Gray as a member of the Boundary Commission for England. His appointment is effective until 31 December 2006.
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