House of Commons - Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions - First Special Report

Select Committee on Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions First Special Report

Appendix: Government response

Introduction

We are grateful to the Select Committee for reviewing the Office's business and accounts, and for producing their report. We welcomed the Committee's comments and, following the publication of the report, began implementing the nine recommendations and conclusions contained within.

We are very pleased to inform the Committee that we have already delivered many of the outcomes suggested by them, and are on target to implement the remainder.

Progress on Committee's conclusions and recommendations

Consistent Management

Recommendation 1: The 2005 ODPM Annual Report should make clear the nature and reason of any unavoidable changes in structure and strategy. The Report should also give full financial information for the periods before and after such changes, and map old and new targets for comparison.

We have made no significant changes to structure or strategy over the last 12 months — apart from the move to SR04 PSA targets, and the publication of our two 5 Year Plans; Sustainable Communities: Homes for All, and Sustainable Communities: People, Places, Prosperity, which take forward the work of the Sustainable Communities Plan. We have set these new targets out in the Annual Report 2005. Although no changes have been made we will need to keep the Office's structures under review to ensure that we can continue to deliver effectively.

PUBLIC SERVICE AGREEMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY AGREEMENT TARGETS

Recommendation 2: We recommend that the Department uses tables in the 2005 annual report to demonstrate progress against targets.

We have now set out progress against PSA and SDA targets in a tabular format, with milestones and progress shown clearly, in Annex A to this year's Annual Report.

PRESENTATION OF ANNUAL REPORT

Recommendation 3: We recommend that programme information should be contained in one dedicated section and contain an outline of the programme, progress towards applicable targets, the budget from which funding is drawn down and spend to date.

We have considered the view that an alternative way to organise the annual report would be to separate out all the major programmes and associated finance. However, mindful that the audience for the annual report is broad, on balance we think that it is clearer to set out our progress against our policy priorities in a holistic way, and similarly with key financial information. We are happy to supply the Select Committee with any update on progress and finances for any of our programmes, to supplement the information given in our Annual Report for 2005.

DEPARTMENTAL FINANCES

Recommendation 4: It is essential that ODPM clearly outline where all efficiency savings are to be made as soon as possible.

The ODPM Efficiency Technical Notes are published on our website www.odpm.gov.uk, and we would be happy to provide the Committee with further details if they wish.

Recommendation 5: We recommend that the Planning inspectorate should not receive a ten per cent staff cut, but that the ODPM consider moving extra staff into this area.

The Planning Agency is currently undertaking a recruitment exercise, and have plans to further increase staffing levels over the 2005/06 - 2007/08 period.

DELIVERING OBJECTIVES

Recommendation 6: We recommend that the Government publish details of when each infrastructure element of the Thames Gateway scheme is in place.

On 31 March, the Government published Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway, which sets out the Government's commitments to the Thames Gateway and priorities for the future. This includes details and timescales of all current infrastructure commitments that will be delivered.

Recommendation 7: We recommend that the ODPM work with the Department for Transport to look again at the transport plan, and work alongside the regional Development Agencies to ensure adequate transport infrastructure is developed in these regions covered by the Northern Way programme.

ODPM, DFT and the three RDAs are working with the 'Northern Transport Compact', and good progress is being made. Significant investments in transport programmes including M62, Al and West Coast Main Line are agreed. The Northern Transport Compact is developing the evidence base which will prioritise and support those transport schemes that will be put to Government as part of the 2006 spending review.

Recommendation 8: We recommend that the relevant local authorities be informed of their Neighbourhood Renewal Fund entitlement by September 2005 at the latest.

We acknowledge the importance of giving local strategic partnerships sufficient time to plan strategically for their use of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, and we hope to make an announcement on the NRF allocations for 2006-07 and 2007-08 in the near future.

Recommendation 9: We recommend that Government make clear the timetable for implementation of any proposed changes in the retained fire service.

A stakeholder Task and Finish Group, lead by the Chief Fire Officers Association, has been set up to take forward the recommendations of the review of the retained fire service. They will be formulating a programme of work and a timetable for delivery for consideration by the Practitioners' Forum.

We can provide a further update to the Select Committee following announcements on the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and as further progress is made on the review of the retained fire service. We will continue to work towards these outcomes, and hope the Committee are content with the progress we have made so far.

© Parliamentary copyright 2005
Prepared 21 July 2005