HC Deb 07 July 1998 vol 315 cc845-6
2. Mr. Tony Colman (Putney)

What progress has been made by local authorities undertaking best-value pilot schemes. [47620]

The Minister for Local Government and Housing (Ms Hilary Armstrong)

All best-value pilot schemes started in April and are implemented in accordance with the plans set out by the relevant local authorities. Under the research programme, a comprehensive overview on progress will be produced in October. Any assessment ahead of that time is necessarily rather selective, but authorities such as Leeds, Newham and York are clearly making good early progress in implementing their plans.

Mr. Colman

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. I am pleased that pilot progress is so good. I believe that the best-value arrangements require a level playing field to ensure that employers and employees have the same expectation contractually, whether in the public or the private sector. Would my hon. Friend like to comment on the discussions involving the United Kingdom standing committee on local authority pension funds, the public sector trade unions, the private sector employers and the Association of Direct Labour Organisations to ensure that the pension arrangements for local authority employees now, and perhaps future employees working for private sector contractors that contract with local government best-value arrangements, are equal and fair to all sides in terms of the cost of those pensions and of ensuring that the value and type of the pensions are maintained for the employees?

Ms Armstrong

That is an important aspect of moving forward into a changing situation in local government, where the key issue is not who delivers services but ensuring that services are delivered in the best interests of local people. It is important that employees know that they have as much security as possible so that they can play their full part in changing and modernising those services so that they produce the best value for local people. We are pleased with the way in which discussions on pension arrangements are progressing, and I hope that we shall return to that matter to achieve the level playing field to which my hon. Friend refers.

Mr. James Gray (North Wiltshire)

Does the Minister accept that the enthusiastic use of compulsory competitive tendering by Wandsworth borough council, among many others, has resulted in Wandsworth having the lowest council tax and the best services in England? Does she agree that the acceptance of that approach by local people is precisely why, during the local government elections last month, every ward in the constituency of the hon. Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) was won by the Conservative party?

Ms Armstrong

I am afraid that the Audit Commission does not agree with the hon. Gentleman on the quality of services in Wandsworth. However, we are determined that all services, not just those that were ideologically targeted by the previous Government, deliver the best value for local people. Unlike compulsory competitive tendering, that is not an ideological approach. Instead of being narrowly confined to a contract culture, that approach will be dedicated to responding to the aims and aspirations of local people.