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3 Mar 2004 : Column 1022W—continued
Liveability Fund
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the sums available through the Liveability Fund. [156818]
Keith Hill: The Liveability Fund is providing £89 million over three years (2003–06) to assist local authorities in identifying new and innovative ways of delivering improved 'liveability' services.
The fund will support 27 pilot areas to improve parks and public spaces with grants of between £2.1 million and £3.8 million.
Local Authority Procurement
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authorities now have a procurement champion in place; and how many local authorities have completed a procurement plan to ensure best practice as recommended in the Byatt Report. [158084]
Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The National Procurement Strategy for Local Government, launched in October 2003, includes milestones for 2004 for each authority to appoint a procurement champion and to develop a corporate procurement strategy, owned by chief executives, members and senior officers.
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On 25 February, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government Association (LGA) announced nine Centres of Procurement Excellence to support authorities in implementing the National Procurement Strategy. The centres will collect information about the implementation of the Strategy in each region, including progress in appointing champions and developing corporate procurement strategies.
Millennium Dome
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the (a) maintenance and (b) management costs for the Millennium Dome (i) up to the date when it passes to the private sector and (ii) for the next financial year. [157829]
Keith Hill: English Partnerships (EP) has budgeted in accordance with the contracts signed between EP, Meridian Delta Ltd. and Anschutz Entertainment Group in May 2002, to continue to pay core Dome management and maintenance costs until construction of the new arena starts. Similarly, while the arena is under construction, EP has budgeted for a reduced level of costs. Those costs will cease on practical completion of the arena. We are not in a position to give estimates of costs at this stage, as there are negotiations proceeding which are commercially confidential. However, once the transaction with Meridian Delta Ltd. and Anschutz Entertainment Group has gone unconditional, which is expected in June this year, I will update the House further and provide more information on the expected future level of costs.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has regularly updated the House on costs incurred by EP in relation to the Dome, including its management and maintenance. The average monthly cost for management and maintenance of the Dome from January 2003 to December 2003 was £221,000, including rates, utilities, security and EP staff costs.
All costs incurred by EP since it took over responsibility for the Dome in July 2001 and including the costs of the sale process will be recovered from the sale proceeds.
Parliamentary Questions
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will reply to the question from the hon. Member for Gordon, on Departmental Advertising, tabled on 22 January 2004, reference 149916. [158399]
Yvette Cooper: A reply was given to the hon. Member for Gordon on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 820W.
Red Ash
Ms Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's guidelines are for the removal of red ash from beneath residential properties; and if he will make a statement. [158101]
Phil Hope: Removal of the red ash material is only required where unacceptable excessive movement has occurred to a dwelling's ground floor. It will result in
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considerable disruption and expense for the property owner. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has undertaken research and produced guidance for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. This guide is the Special Digest 1, "Concrete in aggressive ground" which may be purchased from BRE, Watford. It deals with problems of aggressive fill beneath floor slabs.
Regional Assemblies
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of securing the Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003 and enabling referendums in the three northern regions has been to date. [157027]
Mr. Raynsford: It is not possible to disaggregate relevant staff and overhead costs.
To date £4,000 has been incurred on the soundings exercise, and the three consultations on the arrangements for the referendums.
Expenditure has also been incurred by the Electoral Commission, which receives resources from the Speakers Committee to cover its costs.
On 17 June 2003, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister directed the Boundary Committee for England to conduct reviews of local government structure in the three Northern Regions. It is anticipated that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will provide £4.5 million to the Boundary Committee for England during 2003–04 for this work.
Standards Board for England
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what budget has been allocated for the running costs of the Standards Board for England in 2004–05; what its terms of reference are; how many and what percentage of complaints have been investigated since referral; and if he will make a statement on how the Board contributes to the functions of the Local Government Ombudsman. [158398]
Phil Hope: The current budget provisionally allocated for the Standards Board for England in 2004–05 is £8 million, subject to approval by Parliament to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's main estimates. The Board's principal roles, as provided for by Part III of the Local Government Act 2000, are to appoint ethical standards officers who investigate misconduct allegations against local government members, to decide whether allegations should be referred for investigation and to issue guidance to local authorities on matters relating to the conduct of members.
Of the 5,188 allegations received by the Board up to November last year, the total referred for investigation was 1,955 (38 per cent. of the total allegations received). Of these, the total number of investigations completed was 1,014.
The remit of the Standards Board is separate from that of the Commission for Local Administration in England, and the Board has no role with regard to the Commission's functions.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Antisocial Behaviour Orders
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements are placed on local authorities and the police to liaise on and co-ordinate (a) their response to and (b) regulation of anti-social behaviour orders. [156449]
Ms Blears: Before applying for an anti-social behaviour order the police and local authority have a statutory duty to consult with each other. Where the applicant is a Registered Social Landlord, British Transport Police, a Housing Action Trust or a County Council, they must consult with both the local police and local authority. It is a matter of good practice that all agencies should be involved in monitoring the order once it has been granted.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders were granted in each local authority in each of the last two years in (a) England and (b) Wales. [156538]
Ms Blears: The available information will be placed in the Library.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has carried out into the propensity of individuals who have been served with anti-social behaviour orders to re-offend. [156545]
Ms Blears: Siobhan Campbell, in 'A Review of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders', Home Office Research Study 236, January 2002, found that just over one third of a sample of 20 individuals given ASBOs were known to have breached their order. Fewer (30 per cent.) had committed further offences during that time. In only four cases had the individual been taken to court for both breach and a further offence.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Anti-Social Behaviour Orders have been made in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three years. [157115]
Ms Blears: Data on the number of notifications, reported to the Home Office, of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders issued in Lancashire and Chorley in the last three years are given in the table.
| Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Period | Lancashire | Of which: Chorley |
| 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 | 7 | 2 |
| 1 January 2002 to 30 November 2002(53) | 11 | — |
| 1 December 2002 to 30 September 2003 | 30 | 1 |
| Total issued | 48 | 3 |
(53) Following introduction of the Police Reform Act (2002) data for December 2002 are included in the first quarter data for 2003.
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