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Firefighters

Mr. Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the relationship between the projected cuts in the number of firefighters under the Bain proposals and the proposals of the Pathfinder report. [100120]

Mr. Raynsford: The Independent Review of the Fire Service recommended a new and more flexible approach to fire cover. It suggested that resources should be deployed to ensure that the right resources such as

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firefighters, fire stations, and fire appliances are in the right place at the right time to save lives where they are at risk. This new approach is not about cutting fire stations or firefighters. It is about better targeting Fire Service resources at identified risks in a cost-effective manner.

The Task Group on the Fire Cover Review (whose report is widely referred to as the "Pathfinder report") developed a Fire Service Emergency Cover Methodology. This was used by the Task Group to predict resource and personnel requirements, and their related cost. This was done both for the 11 fire brigades which participated in the Pathfinder trials and, by extrapolation, nationally. However, while the Task Group endorsed the basic methodology, a number of teething problems led the group to reject the detailed calculations, which are now being repeated following further work. The Fire Cover Review has developed a model to inform decisions about the allocation of emergency response resources (fire stations, red engines, and crews). The model has been tested twice in computer simulations. The first test run suggested that you could spend twice the current Fire Service budget without achieving much reduction in risk. The second test run suggested that you could halve expenditure without much increase in current levels of loss of life and property.

These two simulations have set out two extreme cases. But taken together, and even allowing for some technical errors which have come to light in the early results, the findings suggest that substantial improvements in Fire Service efficiency and effectiveness are achievable. This judgement has been endorsed by the Bain report.

The report of the Fire Cover Review was published in draft on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website on 23 December 2002 (www.odpm.gov.uk). Copies of the final report of the Independent Review of the Fire Service, and the draft Fire Cover Review report have been placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Weir: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the cuts in the number of firefighters envisaged by the Bain report would be broken down by Fire Brigade regions. [100121]

Mr. Raynsford: The Independent Review of the Fire Service recommended a new and more flexible approach to fire cover in which resources would be deployed in the right place at the right time to meet identified risks to life and property. This new approach is not about cutting the number of firefighters. Under these proposals, democratically accountable fire authorities, acting on the professional advice of Chief Fire Officers, would take decisions on the provision of fire cover. The review considered that the recommendations it made could be implemented without the need for compulsory redundancies.

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he intends to revise fire service guidance on the employment of people with diabetes as firefighters. [102411]

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Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is reviewing the existing guidance to the fire service on the employment of people with diabetes as fire fighters. Key interest groups are being consulted, and the review will take account of all relevant legislation.

Housing

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how small local schemes will be funded following the creation of the single housing pot, with particular reference to schemes outside the areas earmarked for housing expansion or housing market renewals. [101831]

Mr. McNulty: Local housing authorities and housing associations will continue to invest in improving existing stock or increasing the supply of affordable housing in accordance with priorities identified in local housing strategies. Under the new single regional housing pot the resources provided by central Government to support this housing investment will increasingly be directed to areas or types of expenditure identified as priorities in regional housing strategies.

Parish Councils

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 5 March 2003, Official Report, column 806, on parish councillors, what the evidential basis was of the information given in his reply. [102137]

Mr. Leslie: My reply to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on 5 March drew on information in departmental and Standards Board records of the number of parish councillors who have written to say that they have resigned as a result of the requirements in the code of conduct, and on published estimates of the number of parish councillors in England (see 'Local Council Administration', sixth edition, Butterworths 2002).

Pathfinder Scheme (Swarcliffe Estate)

Colin Burgon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the progress of the Pathfinder Scheme for the Swarcliffe estate in the Elmet constituency. [102792]

Mr. McNulty: The Housing Private Finance Initiative (PFI) pathfinder for the Swarcliffe estate in Leeds, is due to reach contract signature before the end of 2003.

Pollution (Fines)

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made or plans of the effectiveness of fines levied by local authorities on polluters preventing (a) further incidences of pollution by the polluters and (b) incidences of pollution from others who have not previously polluted; what changes are planned; and if he will make a statement. [99257]

Mr. Meacher: I have been asked to reply.

Part 1 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 specifies that fines be levied by courts and not by the local enforcing authority. The authority may however bring proceedings against the accused in a Court of Law.

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No assessment has yet been made of the preventive effect of fines levied against environmental offenders. My Department takes the view that the level of fines being imposed for pollution offences is generally too low. We are now working with the Environment Agency and with others, especially the Magistrates Association, to ensure that magistrates are trained and have an increased awareness of the implications of polluting activity and consequently impose more realistic fines. To this end, the Association recently circulated relevant training material to all its 28,000 members.

The Government are also exploring the possibility of developing general guidelines on sentencing for environmental offences. To this end, my Department has recently commissioned research to examine penalties for environmental offences and to aim to establish a solid body of information, which could be used as a basis for future action. The research team is due to report in the summer.

Public Bodies (Greater London)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the value was of each grant paid to public sector bodies in London in the last year before the creation of the Greater London Authority for transport and highways purposes, including the highways and transport element of rate support grant; what sum was paid to the Greater London Authority in the last year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement on the methodology for determining that grant. [101550]

Mr. Raynsford: Grants paid to public sector bodies in London in 1999/00 were as follows (figures in fan):

	(£)
Traffic Director for London	24
Traffic Control Systems Unit/Woolwich Ferry/Consultancies	8
London Transport (incl. London Underground	816
Docklands Light Railway	29
Highways Agency London spend (est.)	140
London Borough LTP allocations	84
Highways Rate Support Grant	223
Total:	1,324

In addition to these figures, a proportion of the expenditure on National Rail would have been spent in London.

In 2002/03, the sum paid to the Greater London Authority in the form of GLA transport grant is £1,024,118,000. This does not include any funding for the London Underground, National Rail, or for rate support grant paid to the London boroughs and TfL. No account of concessionary fares funding for London boroughs has been taken with regard to these figures.

Decisions on the level of GLA transport grant are taken by Ministers during comprehensive spending reviews, based on an assessment of London's need and competing national priorities. Grant is determined annually, following consultation with the Mayor of London.

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Quarries

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many quarries within the Peak District National Park are operating without the requirement for modern working standards required by schedule 13 of the Environment Act 1995; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure all quarries in the Peak District National Park are reviewed under schedule 13 of the Environment Act 1995. [102694]

Mr. McNulty: This information is not available centrally, because the review of existing mineral sites in this area is the responsibility of the Peak District National Park Authority. Guidance on the use of schedule 13 by all mineral planning authorities is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 14: "Environment Act 1995—Review of Mineral Planning Permissions".

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