15 Jun 2004 : Column 23WS
Written Ministerial Statements
Tuesday 15 June 2004
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
School Inspection
The Minister for School Standards (Mr. David Miliband): I have today placed in the Library of the House copies of a new publication "A New Relationship with Schools". This document, produced jointly between DfES and Ofsted, follows the speech I made at the north of England education conference in January and sets out our intentions to simplify school improvement processes, reduce bureaucracy, and deliver an intelligent accountability framework. This new relationship will put a premium on ensuring effective and ongoing self-evaluation in every school combined with sharper edged, lighter touch, but no less rigorous external inspection. Ofsted consulted on the future of inspection proposals between 10 February and 8 April 2004. HMCI David Bell has now reached agreement with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on the changes. The document sets out our intention, subject to the scrutiny and approval of Parliament, to change the inspection system with a range of complementary changes for schools. Based upon the responses to the consultation and the work with LEAs and schools, actively engaged as our partners, I have confidence that these changes will improve education for pupils and ensure parents and the public know even more about the schools their children attend.
New Relationship with Schools Proposals
The DfES is currently developing detailed proposals for a new relationship with schools, which cover a group of interlocking changes that will affect school inspection, schools' relations with local and central Government, schools' self-evaluation and planning, data collection from schools and communications with schools. They aim to reduce bureaucracy, strip out clutter, and release greater energy in schools.
Future of Inspection Proposals
The new inspection system will mean shorter and more frequent inspections at shorter notice than at present. The proposed framework would allow two to five working days' notice before an inspection instead of the current six to 10 weeks. There will be a greater emphasis on school self-evaluation and a simplified approach to schools causing concern. The current approach to schools that need special measures will be retained and a new improvement notice for other schools where there are weaknesses will be introduced.
In the trials of the new inspection process, the outcome has been a stronger link between school improvement and the reports produced by inspectors. Schools have welcomed the new system.
15 Jun 2004 : Column 24WS
HMI will play a role in all inspections and inspection reports will be published within three weeks of an inspection, compared to four to five months at present. The proposals will reduce burdens on schools whilst ensuring that parents benefit from more frequent information about the quality and standard of education provided by schools. Overall the weight of inspection—with much sharper inspections, a smaller team, but at a greater frequency—will be roughly half the current weight.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Regional Planning Guidance (West Midlands)
The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill): Regional planning guidance 11 (RPG11) sets out the spatial strategy for the sustainable development of the region, with a framework for the land use aspects of housing and transport infrastructure and economic development. The strategy gives priority to the regeneration of the major urban areas and the regeneration zones identified in the regional economic strategy. RPG11 also sets out proposals for the conservation, management and enhancement of the region's natural and cultural environment.
I am pleased that the vision, objectives, and core strategy of RPG11 are largely as proposed in the draft RPG submitted by the West Midlands regional planning body (RPB) in November 2001. This reflects the effective partnership working which was led by the RPB and involved local authorities and a wide range of other stakeholders. Many of these stakeholders have continued to make valuable contributions through the consultation process. Many of the comments received through the consultations have made a very positive contribution to the strategy.
The West Midlands regional assembly, now the regional planning body, will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that RPG11 is effectively implemented, monitored, and reviewed.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Sewage Treatment Works (Nuisance Control)
The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality (Alun Michael): On 23 December 2002 the Government published a consultation on proposals for the control of odour and other nuisances from sewage treatment works. This included an option for a voluntary code of practice.
Incidents of odour problems are relatively few compared with the number of sewage works throughout England and Wales, but when problems do occur they can have a significant and prolonged impact on local residents. For this reason an apparent lack of effective enforcement had to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The outcome of the consultation supports the use of the statutory nuisance regime to resolve such problems. I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses a summary report of the responses to the consultation.
In addition the position has been clarified by a recent High Court judgment which confirms that odours from sewage treatment works can be considered as a statutory
15 Jun 2004 : Column 25WS
nuisance within the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. As a consequence, local authorities have both a duty to investigate such a problem and corresponding enforcement powers. This means that abatement notices can be used to resolve long-term problems of odour from sewage treatment works. An appeal against this ruling has now been withdrawn.
The consequence of the High Court decision is that we have a statutory tool to address sewage odour. The Government therefore propose to drop the reference to a "voluntary" code, a throwback from when the code was envisaged as an interim measure in the absence of a statutory regime. The code will equally address concerns raised within the responses to the consultation that the application of the statutory nuisance regime may lead to inconsistencies in its application and increased uncertainty for the sewage industry. Therefore, the Government are asking the sewage industry, its regulatory and professional bodies and organisations representing customers, the public and local authorities to co-operate in the production of a code of practice that will provide advice and guidance to support the successful resolution of odour problems from sewage treatment works. A draft code is to be the subject of full public consultation in summer 2004, and should be published by late 2004. Ofwat has indicated it will lend its weight to the code.
DEFENCE
Mrs. Hulme and the Pensions Ombudsman v. the MOD
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): I announced on 19 November, Official Report, columns 39–40WS that the Ministry of Defence would not seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords the Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Mrs. Hulme and the pensions ombudsman v. the MOD. I also announced that, as appropriate, the Department would review previous decisions on entitlement to pensions where death-in-service or injury that resulted in invaliding was due to service and where armed forces pension scheme administrators have previously not accepted war pension scheme decisions on attributability; that awards would be backdated; and that the Department would consider compensation to reflect the effect of inflation on the value of pensions over the period of non-payment.
I can now advise the House that those pensioners, widows, widowers or their estates who will receive back-dated pension benefits as a result of this judgment, will also receive interest on those payments. Where the error occurred within the last six years, the interest will be based on the scheme's usual formula of simple interest. Where the error occurred beyond six years, interest will be based on a formula using the rate of RPI plus 2 per cent. compounded. This is consistent with the formula used in compensating those who were affected by the armed forces pension scheme tax and related pension errors, which I announced to the House on 15 December 2003.
Work has begun on identifying the cases involved and we hope that back payments and interest will be paid within one year to those who were affected.
15 Jun 2004 : Column 26WS
Defence Estates Corporate Plan
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): I have set out the following Key Targets for 2004–05 for Defence Estates, as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan:
Key Target 1
To improve the condition of the defence estate for fitness for purpose and condition by:
Delivering 1,640 Single Living Accommodation Grade 1 bedspaces under Project SLAM, and reporting on the provision of 4,307 bedspaces delivered under parallel projects, and improving service families accommodation by delivering 500 upgraded properties.
Ensuring that at least 70 per cent. of MOD Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the UK meet the criteria for satisfactory condition.
Key Target 2
To provide an estate of the right size, by increasing the number of personnel on Core Sites by 4 per cent. by 31 March 2005, producing business cases to support the MOD Estate Rationalisation Plan by December 2004, and by achieving Accrued Estates Disposal Receipts of £661 million from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2008, including £126 million from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.
Key Target 3
To improve customer satisfaction and service delivery, by decreasing customer dissatisfaction with Service Families Accommodation by a percentage point by 31 March 2005, compared to the outcome as at 31 March 2004.
Key Target 4
To implement key 2004–05 milestones for MOD estates change initiatives by achieving the contract award for the Housing Prime Contract by 31 July 2004 and the Regional Prime Contract (South-East) by 30 November 2004.
Key Target 5
To produce the necessary strategies and to establish target baselines in support of the DEFRA Sustainable Development In Government requirements.
Key Target 6
To integrate baseline information to inform the methodology for demonstrating value for money efficiencies from Prime Contracting, and to reduce the management margin of vacant housing to 10.7 percent by 31 March 2005.
I am placing a copy of the new Defence Estates Corporate Plan in the Library of the House.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |