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Written Ministerial Statements
Thursday 16 February 2006
TREASURY
Budget Statement
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Gordon Brown): I propose to deliver my Budget statement to the House on Wednesday 22 March.
DEFENCE
Chinook Support
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram): The Ministry of Defence has today announced the award of a contract for the Through Life Customer Support (TLCS) of the Chinook helicopter fleet to The Boeing Company (Boeing). The key benefit offered by this through-life Partnering Arrangement is the delivery of a holistic, affordable and incentivised support solution, with clearly defined outputs that transfer substantial risk from the MOD to industry, where it can be better managed. The 34-year TLCS contract, which is worth £199 million over the first five years, will result in savings of 17 per cent. (approximately £170 million), over the 34-year life of the contract, compared to the value for money benchmark.
The contract is part of the wider Defence Logistics Transformation Programme and entirely consistent with the policy set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy. It follows the successful implementation of similar support contracts for the Sea King, Harrier and Tornado fleets, all of which seek to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of military logistics support to the front line.
As the major sub-contractor for this contract, DARA has worked in partnership with Boeing and the MOD to deliver an availability-based repair and maintenance capability. DARA's sub-contract is worth £69 million over the five-year period and provides work for its bases in Fareham, Perth & Sealand.
Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (Thirty-Fifth Report)
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Reid): The 2006 Report of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body has been published today. Copies of the Report are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. I wish to express my thanks to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for their Report.
The AFPRB has recommended an increase in basic military salary of 3 per cent. for the majority of personnel and 3.3 per cent. for Privates, Lance Corporals and equivalents on the lower pay range. The AFPRB has also recommended increases in the rates of Specialist Pay (e.g. Flying Pay, Submarine Pay, Diving Pay and Hydrographic Pay), and in accommodation charges.
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The AFPRB's recommendations are to be accepted in full, with implementation effective from 1 April 2006.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
The Minister for Local Government (Mr. Phil Woolas): In July 2005 I announced the indicative allocation of £525 million Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) resources for 2006–07 to 86 local authority districts. These allocations were subject to satisfactory progress by Local Strategic Partnerships. I can now confirm the final allocations for all 86 LSPs in receipt of NRF for the period 2006–07.
As I said when we announced the allocation of the NRF last July we are committed to improving the overall quality of life for people living in our most disadvantaged areas. We want them to share fully in a better society where we see respect for people of all ages, races and faiths and respect for the communities they live in. The funds are to support local authorities, other agencies and communities to work together to achieve these goals.
Ministers have made it clear that the initial allocations were conditional on satisfactory assessment of progress in the autumn. Those LSPs assessed as weak at that time were then required to put in place a robust improvement plan and demonstrate they had the capacity to deliver it by 13 January 2006.
Overall Local Strategic Partnerships in these areas have made good progress in achieving neighbourhood renewal objectives since they started in 2001. There is evidence that progress has been made in reducing crime and worklessness and improving health, education and housing. However a small number of these areas— three—need to improve their performance. The Government are to withhold 10 per cent. of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund allocation for the financial year 2006–07 from these three LSPs. The three LSPs (local authorities and their partners) and the amounts withheld are:
| Birmingham | £3,226,641 |
| Kingston upon Hull | £1,284,351 |
| Nottingham | £1,423,614 |
Each of these LSPs will be required to complete plans to demonstrate how national floor targets are to be met and the gap narrowed between the poorest neighbourhoods and the city average. If these LSPs are able to demonstrate significant improvement by the end of April 2006, the funds withheld will be released during 2006–07.
Details of the final allocations are contained within annex A.
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HEALTH
Pandemic Influenza (The Government's Response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee Report)
The Secretary of State for Health (Ms Patricia Hewitt): Today, the Government have laid before Parliament their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee's fourth report of Session 2005–06, on pandemic influenza (Cm 6738). Copies have been placed in the Library.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Private Security Industry Approved Contractor Scheme
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Paul Goggins): On 12 January I announced that the Government had decided to introduce an Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) for the private security industry and that the detail of the scheme, including the fee structure, would be announced at a later date. The purpose of the scheme is to protect the public and to maintain and improve standards within the private security industry.
The detail of the ACS has now been decided. It will have the following key features:
The scheme will have three broad alternative routes to accreditation, relating to a combination of Options 3 and 4 set out in the draft Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) issued on 25 August 2005:
(a) Self assessment against an Security Industry Authority (SIA)-provided workbook followed by verification from an SIA-approved assessing body;
(b) Confirmation of ISO9001:2000 certification by a UKAS-accredited body combined with British Standards compliance, topped up with those elements of the SIA Self Assessment Workbook in (a) not already covered;
(c) Use of an existing SIA approved accreditation, based on existing standards, to meet the same requirement as (a).
Companies approved under the scheme will be permitted to deploy up to 15 per cent. of their security personnel who are not yet licensed but who have completed training and have an application pending. I have already announced that they will not be able to deploy unlicensed personnel on assignments that involve contact with children or vulnerable adults. This will ensure that those dealing with this particularly sensitive group have undergone, and satisfied any SIA requirements relating to, a Criminal Records Bureau check.
The fee structure has been set, following consultation on a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment, to enable full cost recovery for each type of firm, and is in two parts:
2. the Annual Registration Fee, to cover the post-approval costs of ensuring that standards are maintained by all employees covered by the scheme.
| Type of Firm | Employees | ApplicationFees | Annual Registration Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | under 10 | £400 | £20 per licensable employee |
| Small | 10 to 25 | £800 | |
| Medium | 26 to 250 | £1,600 | |
| Large | over 250 | £2,400 |
The application fees are slightly lower than those consulted upon in the Partial RIA.
The detail of the ACS will be subject to annual review.
Regulations will be made to bring the ACS into force from 20 March 2006. A Full Regulatory Impact Assessment will be published on the same date.
Full details of the scheme, including the workbook, are on the SIA website at www.the-sia.org.uk.
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