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26 Mar 2003 : Column 270W—continued
Local Government Finance
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 14 March 2003, Official Report, column 438W, on local government finance, which local authorities in Devon have suffered a cut in real terms in central Government funding as a result of increased national insurance contributions from 1 April and the proposals and initiatives within the new burdens principle; and whether the increase in national insurance is included in the new burdens principle. [105036]
Mr. Raynsford : A new burden is defined as any policy or initiative which increase the cost of providing local authority services. Under the new burdens arrangement Government Departments are responsible for fully funding the costs of their policies which impact on local authorities. The new burdens requirement does not apply to policies which apply the same rules to councils and to private sector bodies (for example a change in the rate of employers' national insurance contributions) except where those policies apply disproportionately to local government. The Government have however guaranteed an increase in grant of at least above the rate of inflation for all local authorities. The increases announced in SR2002 took into account all pressures, including the increase in national insurance contributions, along with the ability of local authorities to make savings. As a result total Government grant to local authorities has increased by £3.8 billion in 2003–04. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates the change in national insurance contributions will increase local authorities' pay costs on average by 0.7 per cent. or some £250 million.
Public Service Agreements (East Riding)
David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what PSA targets there are for the East Riding of Yorkshire council. [105238]
Mr. Raynsford: The Government concluded a local PSA with East Riding of Yorkshire council in November 2001. The agreement set out the council's commitment to making specified improvements in the following areas:
- Increasing educational attainment at GCSE
Increasing educational attainment of looked after children
Increasing bus usage
Increasing cost effectiveness
Reducing domestic burglary
Increasing employment of over 50-year-olds
Reducing levels of unauthorised pupil absence
Promoting the independence of older people
Developing e-government
Increasing the number of decent homes
Speeding up benefits processing
26 Mar 2003 : Column 271W
Water Sprinklers
Mr. Hendry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what guidance he has given to local authorities about requiring new houses to be equipped with water sprinklers; [103676]
- (2) what tests have been carried out, monitored by his Department, in the effectiveness of water sprinklers in reducing the spread of fires; [103675]
(3) how many deaths have occurred as a result of house fires in each of the past five years in houses (a) fitted and (b) not fitted with water sprinklers. [103672]
Mr. Leslie: Guidance for local authorities and others on measures that will meet the fire safety requirements of the Building Regulations is given in Approved Document B (Fire safety). This currently does not suggest that new dwellings should be provided with residential sprinklers. However, the Building Regulations are kept under review and in April 2001 research was commissioned into the effectiveness of sprinklers in residential properties. This work is addressing a number of areas, including the undertaking of a series of experimental tests, which should assist with the identification of the potential effectiveness of such sprinkler systems. To date the tests that have been undertaken include 25 benchmark fire tests to evaluate the draft British Standard specification for residential sprinklers, BS DD 252, and eight fires staged in a converted three-bedroomed detached house as part of an experimental programme using realistic fires. Preparation for the final stage of this experimental programme is currently under way. The final results and conclusions from this work should be available around the end of the year.
The following table shows dwelling fires and associated deaths in fires attended by local authority fire brigades in the United Kingdom for the past five years for which data are available.
(2) Figures are based on sample data weighted to brigade totals.
(3) Provisional.
(4) Estimated.
Care should be taken in drawing conclusions about the number of fatal casualties in dwelling fires attended by the fire brigade with water sprinklers present due to the very small number of sprinklered homes in the UK.
26 Mar 2003 : Column 272W
NORTHERN IRELAND
Legal Aid
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation has taken place with the Irish Government regarding the property assets and bank deposits held in the Republic of Ireland by Michael McKevitt and Liam Campbell. [96804]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
I am not aware of any consultations with the Irish Government on the subject of assets held by McKevitt and Campbell. I would anticipate that the Assets Recovery Agency and the Criminal Assets Bureau will work closely together on such matters. It would not however be appropriate for me to indicate whether an investigation is being carried out by the Assets Recovery Agency in respect of any particular individual.
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek co-operation from the Government of the Republic of Ireland to obtain a full list of assets held by Michael McKevitt and Liam Campbell in order to establish their eligibility for legal aid in Northern Ireland. [96805]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
The Legal Aid Department of the Law Society has a Fraud Investigation Unit, which will investigate any information that has been passed to them.
If anyone has information to suggest that an applicant for legal aid may not have made a full declaration of their assets, I would encourage them to share that information with the Legal Aid Department and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Government do not however comment on, or intervene in decisions made about the grant or refusal of legal aid in individual cases.
Although the Lord Chancellor has ministerial responsibility for legal aid in Northern Ireland, the Law Society of Northern Ireland, through its Legal Aid Committee and the Legal Aid Department, makes decisions on applications for civil legal aid in accordance with statutory principles. It is important that decisions on the merits of individual cases are, and are seen to be, free from political influence.
26 Mar 2003 : Column 273W
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Departmental Catering Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by the Department in 2002. [104265]
Dr. Howells: The cost of the staff restaurant was £44,567 and refreshments for meetings, provided when participants from outside the Department were involved was £22,864. A new contract starting in April 2003 on a fixed cost basis will reduce the cost of the staff restaurant to the Department.
26 Mar 2003 : Column 274W
Arts Council of England
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2003, Official Report, column 516W, on the Arts Council of England, what the (a) total administrative cost, (b) total grant in aid allocation, (c) regional administrative cost and (d) regional grant in aid allocation has been in each financial year since 1999–2000. [104700]
Dr. Howells: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03(5) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Admin cost for Arts Council England (National Office) | 19,537,177 | 22,517,000 | 22,776,000 | 26,814,000 |
| Change costs (excluded from above) | 0 | 0 | 2,152,000 | 5,543,000 |
| Creative Partnerships (excluded from above) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,654,000 |
| Total GIA for Arts Council England | 228,250,000 | 237,155,000 | 251,455,000 | 297,500,000 |
| Total Regional Admin costs | 14,340,694 | 18,194,370 | 18,836,934 | 19,686,326 |
| Total Regional GIA | 71,015,823 | 103,785,000 | 120,522,933 | 130,280,589 |
(5) 2002–03 unaudited figures
Source:
The information has been supplied by the Arts Council of England on behalf of themselves and the regional arts boards (as they were prior to the recent restructuring of the arts funding system).
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