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Written Ministerial Statements
Thursday 18 November 2004
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Television Licence Fee
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): The television licence fee settlement announced by the Government in February 2000 provides for changes in the licence fee of RPI plus 1.5 per cent. for each year from 2000–01 to 2006–07. This settlement is designed to enable the BBC to provide a strong and distinctive schedule of high quality programmes and remain at the forefront of broadcasting technology. The settlement includes a requirement for the corporation to raise over £1 billion through efficiency savings and increased income over the same period.
Application of the RPI figure of 3.1 per cent. for the year to September 2004, plus 1.5 per cent, to the current unrounded licence fees produces new rounded totals of £126.50 for a colour licence and £42.00 for a black and white licence. The necessary regulations to bring these fees into force will be laid before the House in due course. The changes will come into effect from the 1 April next year.
DEFENCE
Defence Training Review
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): I am now able to update the House on the defence training review (DTR) following the initial statement by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces on 25 November 2002, Official Report, columns 1–2WS. The process to determine the most appropriate and cost effective means of delivering rationalised specialist training has been completed, and we have now issued invitations to negotiate (ITNs) to the shortlisted bidders.
The DTR rationalisation programme will modernise and improve specialist training by rationalising training delivery and facilities on defence rather than single service lines and through the more efficient use of a reduced training estate. A partnering arrangement with industry is envisaged to take this programme forward. In addition to confirming the significant benefits of better accommodation, improved utilisation of training facilities, and more modern specialist training delivery, discussions with industry and stakeholders have also identified the scope for economies of scale through the
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packaging of individual training-streams. We propose two contractual packages, comprising:
Logistics, Police and Personnel Administration and Security, Languages, Intelligence and Photography
By consolidating training activity on a reduced number of sites we expect to achieve significant savings through a more cost-effective use of a reduced training estate, including the disposal of a number of surplus sites.
We have sought proposals that capture our requirement for flexibility, joint working and continuous improvement, in terms of quality and cost, appropriate incentives and transfer of risk.
The next step will be for bidders to develop their proposals, and we expect to receive these by 16 September and 17 October 2005. Decisions on the locations for these rationalised defence training establishments will follow the evaluation of these proposals, and selection of the preferred bidder for each package.
This is one of the Department's major change programmes and we recognise the need to keep the personnel potentially affected informed of developments. We will continue to consult fully with the trade unions.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Local Government Finance
The Minister for Local and Regional Government (Mr. Nick Raynsford): On 19 May 2004, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published a consultation paper asking for views on options for the principles to be used in amending the 2003–04 local government finance report and the 2004–05 local government finance report. Responses to this paper were invited from local government and other interested parties, by 10 August.
Following analysis of the consultation responses, we are now publishing full details of our proposals for the 2003–04 amending report. A summary analysis of responses received to the consultation has also been published today. Copies of all related documents have been placed in the Vote Office and the Library of the House.
This announcement launches a further period of consultation on the amending report for 2003–04. The consultation period will end on the same date as the forthcoming consultation on proposals for the 2005–06 local government finance settlement, the date for which will be announced in due course. This will allow local authorities some additional time to consider the effects of the amending report in their budgeting proposals.
After consideration of the views expressed by local authorities in consultation, I have decided to postpone the issuing of the amending report for 2004–05 until next year. This will ensure that all possible revisions to the data used in the 2004–05 settlement will be included.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Police Authorities (Amended Grant Allocations)
The Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety (Ms Hazel Blears): I have today placed in the Library a copy of the draft police grant report (England and Wales) 2003–04 (amending report 2004–05). The Minister for Local and Regional Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford), has previously announced to the House that there would be an amending report for 2003–04 this year to take account of changes to Office for National Statistics population data. A consultation exercise by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister ran from 19 May to 10 August 2004.
This announcement launches a further period of consultation on the amending report for 2003–04. The consultation period will end on the same date as the
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forthcoming consultation on proposals for the 2005–06 police and local government finance settlements to be put before Parliament shortly. This will allow local police authorities some additional time to consider the effects of the amending report in their budgeting proposals. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local and Regional Government will make a statement in due course about the Government's proposals for local government finance in 2005–06. Authorities may wish to take this into account in considering their response to this consultation.
After consideration of the views already expressed by police and other local authorities in the consultation, the issue of the amending report for 2004–05 has been postponed until next year. This will ensure that all possible revisions to the data used in the 2004–05 settlement will be included.
Amended allocations for each police authority against original allocations are set out in the table below.
Notes:
1. Grant includes principal Home Office Police Grant, ODPM/WAG Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates, as calculated under the Local Government Finance Report (England) and Local Government Finance Report (Wales). Figures are rounded to the nearest £100k and percentages rounded to one decimal point. Grant includes the effects of floors and ceilings.
2. RSG figures for the City are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions. The City is in the Education floors and ceilings group and received a ceiling settlement of 8%.
3. Welsh figures include Home Office specific grant floor payments for Dyfed-Powys and South Wales.
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