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15 Jan 2003 : Column 666W—continued
Fire Service
Mr. Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made in the procurement of a national radio network for the fire service; and when he expects the budget to be complete. [90434]
Mr. Raynsford: A notice announcing the procurement was published in the official journal of the European Communities on 24 October 2002, approximately three months ahead of schedule. As a result 45 companies requested pre-qualification documentation. Subsequently 33 companies submitted a response; of these 17 wished to be considered as the main contractor and 13 as possible subcontractors. The evaluation of these responses is continuing and due to be completed during February 2003. Invitations to submit formal proposals will be issued to the pre-qualified organisations in May 2003.
The budget for the ongoing costs of the project team is complete already: it is being funded from within the office of the Deputy Prime Minister resources. The budget for the main project investment will be in place before contracts fall to be signed, in financial year 2004–05.
David Davis : To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when fire fighting personnel, including those military personnel on Operation FRESCO, have been redeployed from their home fire stations in each month since October 2002; and whether such stations are classified (a) rural and (b) urban. [90223]
Mr. Raynsford: Fire service redeployments are arranged at local level and are not recorded by Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate. In a number of fire brigades responsibility rests at station level to arrange short term redeployments to maintain crewing on a day by day basis. In such cases the overall crewing level for the brigade would be recorded, but individual movements would not be directly measured. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not aware of any significant movement between rural or urban areas.
Armed Forces personnel were not attached to individual fire stations.
Housing Need (Children)
Mrs. Calton : To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to meet the housing needs of (a) homeless children and (b) families with children living in poor housing. [88540]
Mrs. Roche: Homeless children under the age of 16, are the responsibility of social services. Under the homelessness legislation, as amended by the Homelessness (Priority Need for Accommodation) (England) Order 2002 and the Homelessness Act 2002
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which both came into force on 31 July 2002, local housing authorities in England must ensure that suitable accommodation is available for children aged 16 or 17 who are homeless through no fault of their own (unless they are a relevant child for the purposes of the Children Act 1989 and the responsibility of social services).
In terms of supporting families with children, in March 2002 the Government announced a commitment that by March 2004 local authorities shall ensure that no homeless family with children is in a Bed and Breakfast hotel (B&B) other than in an emergency, and even then for no more than six weeks.
High B&B using councils have been required to submit action plans on how they intend to meet this commitment. The Homelessness Directorate is working closely with these and other lower using councils on delivery of these action plans. This has been supported by a #35 million grant programme in 2002–03 together with changes to housing benefit subsidy implemented by the Department for Work and Pensions.
For 2003–04 the Homelessness Directorate will allocate up to a further #15 million to help authorities meet the March 2004 B&B commitment.
On 3 December, I announced that the Government intends to outlaw the use of B&Bs for homeless families except in an emergency. The Government will be consulting in due course on options for strengthening the homelessness legislation by Order and through statutory guidance to:
- end the use of privately owned B&B establishments as temporary accommodation for homeless families with children except in emergencies and even then for no more than six weeks;
set minimum accommodation fitness and proposed management standards in all temporary accommodation used by local authorities to house homeless households;
set additional fitness standards for shared facility (B&B) type privately owned temporary accommodation used by local authorities to house homeless households.
The Government has also announced a new house-building programme worth more than #1.2 billion, up #365 million on the current year. The extra funds have been allocated to the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme (ADP) and should deliver up to 21,000 affordable homes in 2003–04.
Light Pollution
Mr. Luff : To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent planning policy guidance he has issued on light pollution. [90388]
Mr. McNulty: A specific Planning Policy Guidance Note on light pollution has not been issued. However, in 1997, the Government issued XLighting in the Countryside: Towards Good Practice". This document gives advice on the adverse effects of lighting schemes associated with development, both in the countryside and in the urban context.
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Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost, by English regions, of re-organising local government, should a decision be made to establish a regional assembly. [90701]
Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no estimate of the cost of re-organising local government in the English regions as this will vary significantly, dependent on which regions opt for elected Regional Assemblies, the extent of two tier authorities in these regions, the changes recommended by the Boundary Committee for England and subsequent decisions made by the newly created authorities about their organisational structure and levels of service provision. As indicated in the draft guidance to the Boundary Committee on which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently consulting. A model is being developed to be available to the Boundary Committee, or those making proposals to the Committee, to assess the relative cost differentials of different unitary structures.
Deprived Urban Post Office Fund
Lynne Jones : To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his definition is of 'urban deprived' for the purpose of distribution of the Post Office Fund for Urban Deprived Areas; and if he will make a statement. [90043]
Mr. McNulty: For the purpose of distribution of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund, an urban area is a ward in a community of over 10,000 people, while a deprived area is a ward in the 20 per cent. most deprived wards in England, as measured by the indices of Deprivation 2000.
The Indices of Deprivation 2000 are measures of deprivation for every ward and local authority area in England. They combine a number of indicators which cover a range of domains (Income, Employment, Health Deprivation and Disability, Education, Skills and Training, Housing and Geographical Access to Services) into a single deprivation score for each area.
The Deprived Urban Post Office Fund is only available to sub-post offices located in the 20 per cent. most deprived urban wards, with priority given to those located in the 10 per cent. most deprived urban wards.
Sefton Council (Neighbourhood Renewal)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding Sefton council has received from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund; when funds were received; what projects have been funded and by how much; and which organisations are responsible for (a) managing and (b) delivering each project. [89485]
Mrs. Roche: Sefton council has received Neighbourhood Renewal Funding of #2,815,650 (2001–02), #4,223,475 (2002–03), with a further #5,631,300 to be made available during 2003–04.
The projects in the following tables have been funded during the first two financial years. The commissioning process for year three has commenced, with no funding decisions reached as yet, although some initial approvals may be made on 13 January 2003.
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| Project | Funding (#) | Managed and delivered by |
|---|---|---|
| Raising Attainment | 277,732 | Sefton MBC |
| Mentoring and behavioural support | 74,993 | Sefton MBC |
| Alternative Curriculum | 92,497 | Sefton MBC |
| Pilot Area Learning Support | 82,489 | Sefton MBC |
| Crime Reduction | 48,260 | Merseyside Police |
| Communities against Drugs | 50,600 | Merseyside Police |
| Multi Agency Refurbishment of Premises | 20,000 | Merseyside Drugs Council |
| Neighbourhood wardens | 244,583 | Sefton MBC |
| South Sefton Healthy Neighbourhood Programme | 377,744 | South Sefton PCT |
| Central Southport Healthy Neighbourhood | 36,254 | Southport and Formby PCT |
| Healthy Workforce Development | 50,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Alexandra Mount Parenting Centre | 50,000 | Sure Start Partnership and Parenting 2000 |
| Demolition of Princess Royal | 35,804 | Sefton MBC |
| Move On Accommodation | 80,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Park Lane Regeneration | 243,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Greencroft Regeneration | 301,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Feasibility Study for Environmental Improvements | 7,315 | Sefton MBC |
| Environmental Improvements Fund | 182,422 | Sefton MBC |
| Environmental Hit Squad | 107,847 | Sefton MBC |
| Enhancing Citizens Panel in Bootle and Litherland | 11,074 | Sefton MBC |
| Community Development Initiative | 1,707 | Sefton MBC |
| Learning, Skills and Knowledge | 20,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Neighbourhood Renewal Enabling Budget | 203,275 | Sefton MBC |
| Total | 2,598,596 |
Note:
#217,054 funding carried over to 2002–03
| Project | Funding (#) | Managed and delivered by |
|---|---|---|
| Schools for the community | 350,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Raising Pupil Attainment | 149,509 | Sefton MBC |
| Mentoring and Behavioural Support | 75,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Alternative Curriculum | 92,500 | Sefton MBC |
| Pilot Area Learning Support | 82,500 | Sefton MBC |
| Neighbourhood Wardens | 100,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Alchemy | 33,578 | Alchemy |
| Crime Reduction | 50,553 | Merseyside Police |
| Youth Inclusion Programme | 35,000 | Youth Offending Team |
| Kids off the Streets | 243,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Communities against Drugs | 100,000 | Merseyside Police |
| SWACA—Centre of Excellence | 50,000 | Sefton Women and Childrens Aid |
| South Sefton Healthy Neighbourhoods | 361,850 | South Sefton PCT |
| Southport Healthy Neighbourhoods | 60,000 | Southport and Formby PCT |
| Surestart Development Workers | 76,374 | Surestart Partnership |
| Netherton Feelgood Factory | 200,000 | Netherton Feelgood |
| May Logan Centre | 100,000 | May Logan Centre |
| Brighter Living Initiative | 50,000 | Brighter Living Initiative |
| Play Area Improvements | 166,500 | Childrens Fund/Sefton MBC |
| Environmental Hit Squad | 343,645 | Sefton MBC |
| Community Kerbside Recycling | 398,598 | Sefton MBC/Community Enterprise |
| South Sefton Recycling Centre | 50,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Community Environmental Manager | 33,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Move on Accommodation | 80,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Greencroft Regeneration | 300,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Park Lane Regeneration | 240,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Neighbourhood Area Panels | 17,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Management Information Project | 44,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Community Development Worker | 16,338 | Sefton MBC |
| Community Development Worker—North Sefton | 30,000 | Sefton Council for Voluntary Services |
| Neighbourhood Renewal Action Fund | 120,000 | Sefton MBC/Sefton Community Foundation |
| I Kiosks | 63,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Neighbourhood Renewal Facilitation Budget | 240,026 | Sefton MBC |
| Learning, Skills and Knowledge | 36,212 | Sefton MBC |
| One Stop Shops | 50,000 | Sefton MBC |
| Total | 4,438,182 |
15 Jan 2003 : Column 671W
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