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New Deal for Communities

Mr. Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was spent on education and training within the New Deal for Communities programme on (a) pre-16-year-olds, (b) 16 to 19-year-olds and (c) 19 years plus in (i) 2004–05 and (ii) 2005–06; and how much is planned to be spent in (A) 2006–07 and (B) 2007–08. [54843]

Mr. Woolas: New Deal for Communities (NDC) expenditure information on education and training is not held centrally for the age categories required in the question. In order to avoid over-bureaucratic dictates.

Total NDC education spending in 2004–05 was £25.2 million (9.5 per cent. of total spend), and for 2005–06 the forecast figure is £27.4 million (10 per cent.). Forecast education spend for future years is not available centrally.

Northern Way Strategy

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1627W, on the Northern Way Strategy, whether (a) Ministers and (b) Government Offices for the Regions have responsibility for (i) approving and (ii) signing off the Northern Way Strategy. [54525]

Yvette Cooper: The Northern Way arose as a response to a challenge from the Deputy Prime Minister to the three northern Regional Development Agencies to show how the North could use its assets to allow it to become more prosperous, more competitive and more dynamic.

It is an independent initiative directed by the Northern Way Steering Group and being taken forward by the three Regional Development Agencies. The Northern Way's First Growth Strategy Report, published September 2004, was produced by the Steering Group, which contains Government representatives in its membership. The Steering Group is responsible for the approval and sign off of their strategy, though Ministers continue to follow the progress of the Northern Way closely.

Press Complaints Commission

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2006, Official Report, column 1247W, to the hon. Member for Pendle, on the Press Complaints Commission, what the substance was of the complaint in each case; and what the outcome was in each case. [54533]

Jim Fitzpatrick: A complaint against the Sunday Express was adjudicated by the Press Complaints Commission in September 2004. A complaint against The Sun was resolved in August 2005. Details are already in the public domain and are available to the hon. Member on the PCC website.
 
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Respect Agenda

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how he is contributing to the Respect agenda. [49819]

Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is making a very significant contribution to the Respect agenda through the £39 billion Sustainable Communities Plan. The ODPM is in particular making key contributions on the specific themes of housing, family support and working to make neighbourhoods cleaner, safer and greener.

For example:

ODPM, along with the Respect Task Force and Department for Education and Skills (DfES), are key players in a cross departmental initiative aimed at establishing family support projects in up to 50 areas during 2006–07. This will help prevent and reduce homelessness. The projects will be delivered through the Local Area Agreement (LAA) framework.

ODPM is co-funding the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund which will contribute to reduced crime, reducing the harm caused by illegal drugs, addressing antisocial behaviour, empowering communities and improving the condition of streets and public spaces in disadvantaged areas. And the successful Neighbourhood Managers and Wardens programmes will be rolled out more widely.

We have allocated £1.5 billion over 2005–08 to the 86 most deprived local authority areas in England. Local Strategic Partnerships use these funds alongside their main programmes—usually concentrating on crime and antisocial behaviour, educational underachievement, worklessness, housing/environment and health issues—to improve public services and aid long term regeneration.

Our proposed Neighbourhood Charters will provide formal, agreed, identification of the rights, duties and responsibilities between citizens, public services and others at a local, neighbourhood, level.

The Supporting People programme will contribute to the Respect agenda by providing housing related support to vulnerable people and helping them improve their quality of life through the provision of a stable environment.

We are also developing a Respect Standard" for housing management which will set out the core elements of a good service. We are also working to strengthen the links between enforcement tools and support packages to address the underlying causes of antisocial behaviour while simultaneously acting on the needs of the community.

Thames Gateway

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he expects master planning to be undertaken for all major developments in the Thames Gateway; and if he will make a statement. [54681]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would normally expect masterplans to be compiled for all major development locations in the Thames Gateway, for example London Riverside and Ebbsfleet.

Masterplanning has already been undertaken for several areas of the Thames Gateway including Greenwich Peninsula, Stratford and the Lower Lea and Canning Town.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional new jobs have been created in the five strategic planning locations in the Thames Gateway since July 2003. [54687]

 
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Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not currently held centrally. A monitoring and evaluation strategy is being formulated and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister plans to publish a baseline report in the summer.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish a regular report of progress towards the aspirations and commitments set out in his strategy Creating sustainable communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway". [54691]

Yvette Cooper: Creating sustainable communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway", published in March 2005, set out progress to date and outlined the Government's plans for the future development of the Thames Gateway.

Later this year, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will publish a Strategic Framework for the Gateway, which will cover latest progress and form the basis of a delivery plan for the future.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects British troops to leave Iraq. [56640]

The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore) on 28 February 2006, Official Report, column 619W.

Parliamentary Questions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to question 54463 tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, on 16 February 2006 on Guantanamo Bay. [57294]

The Prime Minister: I replied to my hon. Friend on 6 March 2006, Official Report, column 1076W.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Ethical Investments

Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the policy on Israel of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group of the Church of England. [56241]

Sir Stuart Bell: The Church does not have a blanket policy on investment in Israel. The Commissioners are advised by the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group. The recent resolution of the General Synod was to review investments in certain companies involved in the Middle East. General Synod however has not resolved to disinvest and the Synod's resolution does not alter the fact that the Church Commissioners have legal responsibility conferred by Parliament to make their own investment decisions.
 
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