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Local Authority Grants (Southend)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will use Department of Health patient registration figures as a measure of population for the purpose of calculating local authority grants for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. [222346]

Mr. Raynsford: No. When calculating formula grant allocations, we use the best and most up-to-date data that are available on a consistent basis across all authorities. In the case of population, these are the 2003 mid-year estimates produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Data from GP lists are useful for estimating migration, but are not designed to measure population. They are subject to a number of potential flaws. For example, very few international emigrants de-register when leaving the country. GP lists are also prone to duplicate registrations and there can often be a delay in removing names following a death.

Local Government Finance (London)

Ms Buck: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the real terms (a) percentage and (b) cash changes in total external support to (i) Westminster city council and (ii) the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea were in each year between 1992–93 and 2005–06. [221614]

Mr. Raynsford: It is most appropriate to calculate year-on-year changes against the previous year's grant adjusted for changes in funding and function so as to give a like-for-like comparison. However adjusted grant data is available only from 1997–98 onwards. Please note therefore that the data for the period 1992–93 to 1997–98 is on an unadjusted basis while the data for the period 1998–99 onwards is on an adjusted basis.
Unadjusted year-on-year changes

	Westminster		Kensington and Chelsea
	Change (£ million)	Percentage change	Change (£ million)	Percentage change
1992–93	41.976	16.1	31.557	21.4
1993–94	-53.574	-17.7	-33.365	-18.6
1994–95	-0.848	-0.3	0.129	0.1
1995–96	1.214	0.5	-4.891	-3.4
1996–97	-12.604	-5.1	-5.245	-3.7
1997–98	-0.897	-0.4	-3.648	-2.7

Adjusted year-on-year changes

	Westminster		Kensington and Chelsea
	Change (£ million)	Percentage change	Change (£ million)	Percentage change
1998–99	-11.349	-4.9	-3.562	-2.7
1999–2000	1.071	0.5	0.810	0.6
2000–01	0.742	0.3	1.292	1.0
2001–02	1.405	0.6	4.876	3.9
2002–03	7.554	3.5	4.727	3.7
2003–04	1.496	0.7	0.893	0.7
2004–05	4.499	2.0	2.459	1.8
2005–06	6.290	2.7	1.990	1.4

Local Government Pension Scheme

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations and meetings he has had with Unison regarding the Local Government Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [222135]

 
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Phil Hope [holding answer 16 March 2005]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 23 February 2005, Official Report, columns 645–46W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle). Further meetings and discussion have taken place since, the last of which was on 10 March. These have been of a constructive nature, looking into the long-term issues relating to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Regional Government

Mr. Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the budget of each Regional Assembly was in each of the last three years; what the administrative costs were in each year; and what the costs were of the other functions co-ordinated by the secretariat of each Assembly in each year. [221270]

Mr. Raynsford [holding answer 14 March 2005]: Regional Assemblies are voluntary bodies that have been designated to undertake specific functions on behalf of Government. The total level of Government grant in support of these functions for the period 2002–05 is tabled as follows.
£

	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05
North East	600,000	1,408,000	1,708,000
North West	600,000	1,837,000	2,536,000
Yorkshire and the Humber	600,000	1,655,000	1,923,000
West Midlands	600,000	1,671,000	2,071,000
East Midlands	600,000	1,631,000	2,056,000
East	600,000	1,874,000	2,112,000
South East	600,000	2,186,000	3,280,000
South West	600,000	1,613,000	2,101,000
English Regions Network	200,000	200,000	200,000
	5,000,000	14,075,000	17,987,000

Regional Assemblies may also receive funding support from other organisations including local authorities. Details of 'administrative costs' and the cost of 'other functions co-ordinated by the Secretariat of each Assembly' are not kept centrally.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost has been of financing the South East England Regional Assembly in each of the last five years. [222050]

Mr. Raynsford: The total grant made by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the South East England Regional Assembly in each of the years since 2001–02, when it was first introduced was:

	£
2001–02	500,000
2002–03	600,000
2003–04	2,186,000
2004–05	3,280,000

The increase in funding from 2003–04 was granted in recognition of the Assembly's role as Regional Planning Body for the South East of England within the new planning system. This role involved additional statutory responsibilities that were placed on them by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
 
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Social Housing

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the statement of 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 358WH, if he will publish the evidence he has received from local authorities indicating that the separation of management and strategic function is delivering better services to tenants in social housing. [221629]

Keith Hill: The Government's response to the Select Committee report on Decent Homes set out that the separation of management and strategic functions delivers better services to tenants in social housing. This was based on the findings of the Audit Commission report 'Housing After Transfer: the Local Authority Role', which was published in December 2002.

In addition, the Government's response drew on the quarterly reviews undertaken by the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) and HouseMark, which demonstrate the increasing levels of tenant satisfaction where homes are managed by an Arm's Length Management Organisation (ALMO).

Copies of the Government's response, and the Audit Commission report, are available in the Library of the House. The findings of the NFA/HouseMark reviews are available to subscribers to the HouseMark website.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Accidents

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many accidents occurred at her departmental premises in each of the last five years involving (a) members of her Department's staff and (b) members of the public. [222571]

Mr. Caborn: Accidents at work are reported by means of accident report books.

	Number of reported accidents
2000	3
2001	2
2002	2
2003	1
2004	3
2005 (To date)	1

No member of the public has been seen to have an accident or has reported an accident. None of the accidents to the Department's staff have required more than a sticking plaster or have led to an absence from work.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she publishes data for the number of accidents at work involving employees of her Department; and if she will make a statement. [222578]

Mr. Caborn: In 2004 there were three reported accidents, and to date in 2005 there has been one, none of which have required medical attention or resulted in absence from work.
 
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Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements for monitoring accidents at work involving members of staff of her Department are in place; and if she will make a statement. [222617]

Mr. Caborn: In accordance with Health and Safety Executive guidance an Accident Report Book is provided in a central point on each floor. Completed pages are detached and forwarded to the Departmental Safety officer for collation and any action needed.

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