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7 Jul 2003 : Column 615W—continued
No. 10 Downing Street
Mr. Flight: To ask the Prime Minister what have been the costs of the administrative functions of 10 Downing Street in each year since 1997. [123102]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 March 2003, Official Report, columns 125–27W.
Final figures of total costs of the Prime Minister's Office for 2002–03 are not yet available.
Northern Ireland
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to ensure that political opinion in Northern Ireland is proportionately represented in the House of Lords. [123997]
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The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 15 January 2003, Official Report, column 632W.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Departmental Vehicles
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of chauffeur-driven cars used by his Department in each year since 1997. [104219]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. The cost of chauffeur-driven cars for the Office from 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003 was £320,666.24
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to use the building regulations to raise the standard required for new and replacement boilers to the level of the most efficient boilers; and if he will set a target of installing five million condensing boilers by 2010. [123747]
Phil Hope: The Energy White Paper published on 24 February 2003 made clear the Government's intention to use the building regulations to raise the standard required for new and replacement boilers to the level of the most efficient boiler types—A and B rated condensing boilers. The White Paper illustrated how the installation of five million such boilers by 2010 could achieve savings of 0.6 million tonnes of carbon per year. This is not a specific target however, and nor is it the upper limit that could be practical as part of the next major revision of the building regulations which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister aim to bring into effect in 2005.
Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what revisions to the building regulations are planned by his Department to achieve the energy efficiency savings by 2010, as outlined in the Energy White Paper. [124080]
Phil Hope: The Energy White Paper, published on 24 February 2003, announced that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would start work immediately on the next major revision of the building regulations with the aim of bringing it into effect in 2005. The revision work will, for instance, examine what improvements can be made to the performance standards for building fabric and heating, cooling and lighting systems, and what further work on existing buildings could be brought under control, whilst ensuring the regulations remain technically sound, proportionate, cost-effective and sufficiently flexible for designers.
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Stringer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list by region levels of European Regional Development Fund expenditure for this financial year. [124037]
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Yvette Cooper: The European Regional Development Fund expenditure for English regions from 1 April 2003 to 3 July 2003 is tabled as follows:
| Region | £ |
|---|---|
| North-west (Merseyside) | 8,034,395 |
| North-west | 22,301,269 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15,278,343 |
| London | 8,441,250 |
| South-west | 10,292,826 |
| North-east | 11,725,525 |
| East Midlands | 7,470,892 |
| West Midlands | 14,896,772 |
| East of England | 2,115,548 |
| South-east | 1,258,234 |
KPMG
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many contracts his Department has awarded to KPMG since its inception. [113678]
Yvette Cooper: Since the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established on 29 May 2002, there have been three contracts awarded to KPMG.
Regional Assemblies
David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of local authority employees to be made redundant as a result of local authority restructuring, following the introduction of regional assemblies; and what plans he has to provide assistance to (a) such employees and (b) local authorities for which such employees worked. [123275]
Mr. Raynsford: The implications for local authority employees will depend on what boundary and structural changes are involved and on future decisions by the local authorities concerned. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to discuss with the Local Government Association, public sector unions and others, how best to handle transitional matters, including employee issues, in any future local government reorganisation.
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what methodology his Department used to calculate the figure of 50,000 people represented by replies to the soundings exercise into the level of interest in each English region in holding a referendum about whether to establish an elected regional assembly. [124176]
Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that 53,591 people were involved in the soundings exercise. This number comprises:
- 7,132 responses were from individuals in their private capacities;
28 opinion polls/surveys in which 37,243 people were consulted;
nine petitions to which there were 1,411 signatories;
focus groups, votes at meetings, responses to circulars and so on, in which at least 7,800 people were involved.
7 Jul 2003 : Column 618W
Mr. Raynsford: The Office for the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for regional and local government in England and taking forward the referendums that will give the English regions the choice of deciding whether they wish to have an elected regional assembly.
The members of any future elected assembly will be accountable directly to voters in their region.
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what level of turnout at a referendum on whether to create a regional assembly would constitute the derisorily low turnout, to which the right hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich has referred; [124180]
- (2) what percentage of the electorate voting in favour of an elected regional assembly it is his policy to consider as sufficient to justify the creation of an elected regional assembly. [124184]
Mr. Raynsford: The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003 does not set a turnout threshold for referendums about whether to establish an elected regional assembly.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will decide whether to establish an assembly in a region once we see the results of a referendum. We have no preconceptions about the results.
Worthy Down
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will make an announcement regarding the site at Worthy Down in Winchester; and if he will make a statement. [123339]
Mr. Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 25 November 2002, Official Report, column 2WS. The Defence Training Review identified Worthy Down as a site that was likely to be surplus to Defence requirements. Our benchmark assumption is that the training currently delivered at Worthy Down would be moved to RAF Halton, but this is subject to the evaluation of the proposals that will be developed with Industry. We do not expect to make a final decision on the future of Worthy Down before 2005.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
After-school Clubs
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what type of (a) after school clubs, (b) youth clubs and (c) sports clubs initiatives have been started for (i) 8 to 13-year-olds and (ii) 13 to 17-year-olds in Redcar and Cleveland in each year since 1997. [122333]
Mr. Miliband: My Department does not keep central figures on the number, nature and age range of after school and youth club activity by area. It is for local authorities and schools to determine what provision will best meet the needs of the young people in the area.
We are aware, however, that the Youth Directorate at Redcar and Cleveland are engaged in a mapping exercise of youth activity provision that will be completed by the end of 2003.
7 Jul 2003 : Column 619W
Redcar and Cleveland also receives funding from my Department to provide after school study support opportunities for young people in the area: £352,410 this year through the Standards Fund. Study support can range from homework and study clubs to other activities including sport, the creative arts and cultural activities. Redcar and Cleveland have also received a total of £886,000 from the New Opportunities Fund 'Out of School Hours Activities Programme' and a total of £716,880 from the New Opportunities Fund 'Out of School Childcare Programme'. Again, this can be used to provide a range of activities for young people.
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