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24 May 2004 : Column 1432W—continued
Terrorism
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with (a) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) police authorities on a strategy to combat illegal access to fertilisers to prevent use by terrorists. [169328]
Mr. Blunkett:
Policy on protective and preventative security measures to counter the threat of terrorism is directed by a ministerial group which I chair. I would also refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality on 27 April 2004, Official Report, column 857W.
24 May 2004 : Column 1433W
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Advisers/Consultants
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultants and advisers each year since its creation. [172397]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created in May 2002. In the two years since then the spend on external consultants and advisers for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, its agencies and the non-departmental public bodies are as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | |
| 2002–03 | 76,000,000 |
| 2003–04 | 47,000,000 |
| The Executive agencies and NDPBs | |
| 2002–03 | 5,356,822 |
| 2003–04 | 6,305,906 |
The above figures do not include the Audit Commission, as its expenditure is an operational matter. I will ask the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Antisocial Behaviour
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what responsibilities housing associations have to (a) monitor and (b) control antisocial behaviour by tenants in their properties. [175405]
Keith Hill: The Government do not believe that placing a statutory duty on housing associations to act on antisocial behaviour is the best way forward. To do so would risk the danger of landlords being endlessly caught up in long and expensive court cases to establish whether any action taken by the landlord met the statutory requirement. This would not help in tackling the problem.
The Government have amended the Housing Act 1996, through the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, to place a duty on all social landlords to publish policies and procedures on tackling antisocial behaviour. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is consulting on statutory guidance at the moment; this guidance contains a section on monitoring.
Early Retirement
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many employees in his Department took early retirement in the last financial year; and at what total cost. [171744]
Yvette Cooper:
The number of employees who took early retirement from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, its agencies and the Government office network in the last financial year was 16, at a cost of £2.8 million.
24 May 2004 : Column 1434W
East of England Regional Assembly
Alistair Burt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) letters and (b) other representations he has received from individuals in support of an elected East of England Regional Assembly. [175870]
Mr. Raynsford: Between 2 December 2002 and 18 May 2004 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received 79 e-mails and letters from individuals and organisations in connection with the White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" relating to an elected regional assembly for the Eastern region. One individual and one parish council expressed support for an elected regional assembly for the Eastern region. 43 correspondents opposed the idea. The remainder of the inquirers either did not express a definite opinion or were merely seeking information. In the light of this response, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not proposed a referendum in the Eastern region on an Elected Regional Assembly.
Fire Service
Mr. Caton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) when he expects personnel in the fire services who respond to emergencies to be provided with insurance cover for terrorist incidents; [171857]
(2) what action he is taking to ensure that personnel in all fire services who respond to emergencies are provided with insurance cover for terrorist incidents. [171858]
Mr. Raynsford: There are provisions within the Firefighters' Pension Scheme and Conditions of Service which provide for awards in the event of death or injury either occurring in, or as a result of, the exercise of duty.
Employer liability insurance is a matter for fire and rescue authorities who have a duty as employers to ensure that the necessary cover is provided.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has had discussions with the Association of British Insurers regarding private insurance arrangements entered into by individual firefighters to determine the extent of any problem about life insurance policies. I understand that in the case of most life insurance policies there are no terrorist exclusions although individuals should check their policies.
Where occupation is a determinant of risk I understand that there should be no increase in premiums.
Housing (North East Lincolnshire)
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what residual housing costs will fall on North East Lincolnshire Council's general fund following the transfer of housing stock; and what further public consultation will take place on the effects of the changes. [174583]
Keith Hill:
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working with North East Lincolnshire Council to identify and manage the residual housing costs and the actions that the Council will take to manage this. It is usual for such costs to be finalised during the period between ballot and transfer.
24 May 2004 : Column 1435W
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister understands that the Council intends to embark on a series of newsletters, letters to tenants and probably a formal consultation process specifically around the capital improvement programme.
Local Authority Officers
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what circumstances councillors who have made inappropriate appointments of council officers may be surcharged for (a) salary costs, (b) legal costs and (c) medical costs incurred because of the appointments. [174944]
Mr. Raynsford: The Local Government Act 2000, which provided for the establishment of the Standards Board for England and the new regime for handling allegations of misconduct by councillors, repealed the powers to surcharge councillors.
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a local authority has the power to reallocate the duties of a returning officer for local elections when the current returning officer is one of the authority's statutory officers and a designated independent person has been appointed under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 to investigate allegations of misconduct by that statutory officer. [174973]
Mr. Raynsford: Pursuant to section 35(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 non- metropolitan county councils have the power to appoint a returning officer for local elections of councillors of the county, and district councils have the power to appoint a returning officer for elections of councillors of the district and a returning officer for elections of councillors of parishes within the district.
The precise terms of the returning officer's appointment are a matter for the local authority.
Local Government Finance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total central funding for local government was in each of the last 25 years, expressed at today's prices. [175003]
Mr. Raynsford: The total central funding for local government for the period 1981–82 to 2003–04, expressed at 2003–04 prices, appears in the table.
24 May 2004 : Column 1436W
The data are taken from the RS (outturn) forms for all years except 2003–04, when the data are taken from the RA (budget) form. The forms are completed each year by individual local authorities.
For the period 1981–82 to 1989–90 non-domestic rates were collected and retained locally. As such, they are not regarded as a central government grant. However, from 1990–91 onwards non-domestic rates were collected locally, pooled on a national basis and redistributed by central Government to each authority from the non-domestic pool. Consequently, figures for non-domestic rates from 1990–91 have been included above. From 1993–94 onwards the non-domestic rates figure includes City offset.
The figures have been revalued for previous years at 2003–04 prices using the current Her Majesty's Treasury GDP deflators.
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