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Written Ministerial Statements Tuesday 16 September 2003
HOME DEPARTMENT
Advisory Board on Restricted Patients
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Paul Goggins): The Home Secretary's Advisory Board on Restricted Patients will cease to function with effect from 16 September 2003.
Police Complaints Authority
The Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety (Ms Hazel Blears): I am pleased to announce that the Annual Report of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) will be laid before Parliament on 16 September 2003 and published on that day.
The report, as well as setting out the work completed in 2002–03 with regards to supervision of complaints, misconduct reviews and dispensations, also highlights the outcome of the projects that were carried out in order to pilot key aspects of the new complaints system (Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC will be replacing the PCA on 1 April 2004.
The PCA will be holding a press conference on 16 September to launch the report.
Copies of the report will be available in the Libraries of both Houses.
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
Public Guardianship Office's Annual Report and Accounts
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. David Lammy): The Public Guardianship Office's Annual Report and Accounts for 2002–03 have been laid before Parliament today. This document gives full details of the agency's performance and expenditure for that year.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
St. Helena: Air Access
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas): An international invitation for private sector participation and potential investment in possible development of access by air for St. Helena was launched on 7 April 2003. The invitation incorporated a provisional offer by the Department for International Development to
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contribute up to £26.3 million towards any proposal that may prove acceptable. This sum reflected the estimated capital cost of replacing the island's dedicated passenger/supply ship, as the alternative to developing air access.
Four expressions of interest, incorporating outline proposals, were received by the closing date of 25 July from:
- Basil Read (Pty) Limited (South Africa);
John Laing International Limited;
Lagan Holdings Limited; and
St Helena Leisure Corporation Limited (SHELCO).
In addition, and in parallel, we intend to initiate a process of continuing an independent review using the "Gateway" model. This is advocated for large public investment projects by the Office of Government Commerce, which is advising DFID. It will test the business case for proceeding and help ensure that lessons of other public/private investment are taken into account.
Both the St. Helena Government and DFID have established internal teams to oversee and manage the process. The St Helena Government is now in the course of recruiting a local coordinator. Every effort will continue to be made to ensure that the people of St. Helena, as well as other interested parties, are kept as fully informed as possible of progress and next steps.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Oversight Commissioner's Report
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Jane Kennedy): I have today laid before this House a copy of the Oversight Commissioner's second statutory report for the year 2003 which is being published today, in accordance with Section 68(4)(a) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000.
DEFENCE
Future Aircraft Carrier Programme
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram): Further to the Statement to the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 30 January 2003, Official Report, columns 1026–42, I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of Defence has agreed contracts with BAE SYSTEMS (BAES) and Thales United Kingdom for the third stage of the Assessment Phase for the Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) programme. This stage will be used to increase the maturity of the carrier design, and will pave the way for
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placing contracts for the demonstration and manufacture (D&M) phase in Spring 2004 The work will be managed by a single, integrated team staffed by BAES and Thales UK.
Since the end of January, progress has been maintained in developing the design of the warship. In parallel, positive discussions have been conducted with BAE SYSTEMS and Thales UK on how to take forward the alliance approach to the programme set out by the Secretary of State in January. Discussions will continue between all three parties to refine the precise terms of the Alliance and the D&M contract, and will complete early next year. These discussions will be conducted concurrently with the Stage 3 design work, and will place the Department in a strong position to proceed quickly to place the D&M contract expected in Spring 2004.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Housing Corporation
The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill): Today the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are announcing the start of an End-to-End Review of the Housing Corporation and its interaction with Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and other agencies. The review will look at the links between the development of policy and delivery in the area of affordable housing. Part of this process will involve looking at ways of minimising administrative burdens on the Housing Corporation and the organisations with which it works.
With the new initiatives that are being put in place, particularly for delivering sustainable communities, a review of this sort is timely, and forms part of the Government's wider strategy for the reform of public services.
The review will be managed by a Project Board, which includes external members as well as representatives from the Housing Corporation and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It will report in the spring.
Residual Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Yvette Cooper): Today we are announcing the distribution of the remaining £175 million of unallocated Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06.
The NRF was launched in 2001–02, providing £900 million over three years as a time-limited component of the Government's long-term strategy for tackling deprivation in our poorest neighbourhoods. For over two years NRF has been assisting the 88 recipient local authorities and their fellow Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) members in establishing inclusive and effective partnership structures and strategic approaches to addressing the particular deprivation problems of each local area.
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The Spending Review 2002 Settlement provided for further support for the NRF's challenging remit, continuing to give a targeted boost to ongoing increases in mainstream public service investment in deprived areas. SR2002 allocated to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister an additional £975 million of NRF resources—450 million in 2004–05 and £525 million in 2005–06. We announced the allocation of £800 million of these resources in April this year, confirming that the existing 88 eligible areas shall receive a further £400 million in total in each year.
Over the past few months we have given detailed consideration to the best way in which to distribute the residual £175 million of NRF resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06. After examining a range of options we have concluded that we should focus resources in those areas, which have great need in terms of health, education, crime and other aspects measured by the Government's floor target indicators. These floor targets are designed to ensure that the poorest areas do not get left behind and see significant improvements in outcomes on health, education and other measures. That is why we are announcing today that 26 local authority areas that are currently eligible for NRF are also eligible for a share of the residual £175 million. These 26 areas have been selected because they are ranked in the lowest 10 areas against two or more indicators used to measure progress towards the national Floor targets, ie they have the furthest distance to travel in order to meet these Floor targets. Tabled below is a list of the eligible areas and their allocations in 2004–05 and 2005–06.
There are several reasons why we are taking this approach. First is the fact that the achievement of the Floor targets is one of our top priorities. Delivering improvements for our most disadvantaged neighbourhoods is fundamental to the objectives we have set ourselves in the Communities Plan.
We also recognise the importance of NRF in helping local service providers work collectively through Local Strategic Partnerships to address local priorities, and to meet national floor targets at the local level. We are pleased with and greatly encouraged by the good progress already being made by the 88 NRF local authorities and their LSP colleagues. However, some areas have a greater task than others to deliver the improvements needed in areas such as the health of local people, educational achievement and preventing crime.
The £175 million of residual NRF resources will provide these 26 areas with additional financial support to meet this challenge.
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HEALTH
Mental Health
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Ms Rosie Winterton): Yesterday I issued the thirteenth report prepared pursuant to Section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 as amended, on development of services for people with a mental illness on England.
The report sets out the current policy and the developments in mental health services that have taken place since the twelfth report.
Copies of "Development of Services for People with a Mental Illness in England—Thirteenth Report" have been placed in the Library.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Discretionary Social Fund
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making a number of minor changes to the discretionary social fund, with effect from 6 October 2003. The changes to the fund are minor clarifications of guidance and directions, and, in the main, are consequential to legislative changes being made in respect of other social security benefits.
Details of the changes have been placed in the Library.