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26 Oct 2005 : Column 444W—continued
Watermark Project
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department plans to rejoin the Watermark project. [21500]
Jane Kennedy: The Watermark project concluded in April 2003. The Department is not aware of any plans to initiate a similar project in the future.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
City Regions
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what definition the Government uses of a city region. [20454]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no standard Government definition of what constitutes a city region. The concept of a city region is most commonly defined in terms of the travel to work hinterland of cities and towns, but it can also be described by patterns of travel to shopping centres or entertainment venues, or the geographical linkages between businesses and their suppliers.
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions the Government have had with the National Assembly of Wales Government since 1 April on the council tax revaluation in Wales. [20459]
Mr. Woolas:
The Government are routinely in touch with the Assembly Government about local government issues.
26 Oct 2005 : Column 445W
Mike Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the percentage change in the average Band D council tax has been since 1997–98; and if he will make a statement. [21491]
Mr. Woolas: Since 1997–98, the percentage change in the average Band D council tax has been 76.5 per cent.
The change is derived from headline taxes, before transitional reliefs and benefits and after capping. These figures are taken from BR1, BR2 and BR3 forms, as reported by the local authorities.
Council Tax Revaluation
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place a copy of the instructions and advice document prepared by the Valuation Office Agency for the English council tax revaluation in the Library. [17307]
Mr. Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency has issued a number of instructions and advice documents to those of its staff who were involved in preparation for the council tax revaluation. These will be placed in the Library of the House. The existing Council Tax Manual which is used currently by the Valuation Office Agency can be found on their website www.voa.gov.uk.
Departmental Staff
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the rates of employee absence in his Office have been in each year since 1997. [21022]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. I refer the hon. Member to the figures contained in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based. The most recent report for calendar year 2003 was published on 1 November and copies placed in the Libraries of the House. Reports for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are also available in the Library and on the Cabinet Office website at:
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_ser vice/conditions_of_service/occupational_health/publications/index.asp
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to managing sickness absence effectively and is putting in place the recommendations of recently published report Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector".
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what training in (a) literacy and (b) numeracy is offered to employees of his Office. [21110]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Adult Basic Skills or 'Skills for Life' support is offered to new entrants and is also highlighted to managers, as part of the induction process.
Skills for Life" has its own page on the intranet with links to:
There is also information provided about dyslexia.
Development advice is provided to individuals on request, regarding literacy, numeracy and dyslexia. Learners are then referred to appropriate providers.
All staff have access to an on-site 'Learning Library'. This is well stocked and covers a wide range of material including Adult Basic Skills.
Departmental Working Groups
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2005, Official Report, columns 608–09W, on departmental working groups, how minutes from departmental working groups are (a) stored and (b) catalogued. [19777]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Official records, which include minutes of departmental working groups, are kept in registered files if they are in paper form or in electronic folders if they are created electronically. The files and folders are catalogued on a central database under themes and titles which describe the subject matter but will not necessarily contain the name of the working group itself. Registered files are kept internally or in an off-site store. Electronic records are all held internally.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2005, Official Report, columns 608–9W, on departmental working groups, (1) if he will list the standing departmental working groups; [19855]
(2) if he will list the departmental working groups that have been attended in the last 12 months by (a) the Deputy Prime Minister, (b) the Minister of Communities and Local Government, (c) departmental special advisers, (d) the Permanent Secretary and (e) junior departmental Ministers; [19668]
(3) if he will list the minutes from departmental working groups that have been sent to the offices of (a) the Deputy Prime Minister and (b) the Minister of Communities and Local Government since 1 January. [19669]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 October 2005, Official Report, columns 608–09W. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Fire Service
Mike Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the regionalisation of the Fire Service. [21515]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The Government have no plans to regionalise the fire and rescue service. It has announced the locations of nine regional FiReControl centres designed to improve emergency response and strengthen resilience; and is encouraging and assisting Fire and Rescue Authorities to work together through Regional Management Boards to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
26 Oct 2005 : Column 447W
Individual Fire and Rescue Authorities remain responsible for their local fire and rescue service and the content of its Integrated Risk Management Plan.
Local Area Agreements
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what (a) freedoms and (b) funding local authorities who sign Local Area Agreements will receive; [19922]
(2) what targets have been agreed for each Local Area Agreement that has been signed to date; [19887]
(3) whether local authorities may (a) break and (b) leave Local Area Agreements; and what the penalties are for doing so; [19876]
(4) how long the current round of Local Area Agreements will last. [19923]
Mr. Woolas: Local Area Agreements (LAA) are three year agreements. They give all areas the freedom to pool funding and spend it more flexibly to meet priorities for the individual local area. Further freedoms to help meet outcomes and targets in the LAA can be requested by each local area and those which have been granted and are under discussion are contained in each LAA. The level and type of funding varies across agreement, as each is based on different local priorities. The LAA guidance includes a summary of the funding streams which can be included in the agreements.
LAAs are entered into voluntarily by local authorities and their partners in the locality. Each local area develops appropriate performance management systems for the LAA and there are measures which can be applied should certain agreed targets not be met. Each LAA is based on local priorities and so each has a particular list of targets.
A copy of each LAA is available on the ODPM website:
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=5899&1=3
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