§ 5. Kali Mountford (Colne Valley)If he will make a statement on beacon councils. [123993]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Ms Beverley Hughes)We want all councils to take part in the beacon scheme because it gives them the opportunity to learn from those that are already achieving the best. More than 40 councils are now running learning events, which have already been attended by some 2,000 people, and 11 new service themes have been announced for the second year. We are now inviting councils that believe that they offer excellence in those themes to apply for beacon status.
§ Kali MountfordI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer. I am sure that she is aware than Kirklees council in my area has already achieved beacon status under a Labour administration, and I am now concerned to see that that scheme is properly evaluated to ensure that services remain at a high standard. Does my hon. Friend 778 have plans for a continuous evaluation scheme; and, if so, how will that benefit my constituents, and how can they ensure that there is continuous improvement?
§ Ms Beverley HughesKirklees had an impressive bid through its strong partnership with tenants, upon which its repairs and maintenance service is based. My hon. Friend is right to say that the whole point of the beacon scheme, with other measures, is to improve the standard of public services. That is all the more necessary after the run-down of public services that took place under the previous Government. Evaluation is therefore vital.
We have appointed researchers jointly with the improvement and development agency and Warwick university to evaluate the dissemination that is taking place. Longer-term evaluation will ascertain the extent to which the beacon scheme improves public services. That improvement is our clear aim.
§ Mr. Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne)Is it not ironic that the Minister is granting beacon status to councils when she is also diverting council funding, reducing councils' financial freedom through specific grants and capping, undermining their authority through an obsession with regional government and directly elected mayors, while simultaneously imposing structures that councils do not want? Is it not time that the Government left local government alone, encouraged local democracy and returned real powers and responsibilities to local councils?
§ Ms HughesIf the criteria for leaving councils alone is the neglect of local government and public services that occurred in 18 years of Conservative Government, we would not want to compete with the Conservative party and we could not begin to do so. I have told the House on many occasions about the Government's extra funding for councils, but it is clear that Conservative Members do not want to listen. Our funding has increased by 8 per cent. in real terms in the past three years, compared with a 4 per cent. cut in real terms in the three years that led up to the general election. That is the measure of our support for local government. We are determined to make it strong, and provide good public services.
On the new regimes and political management, the best councils are doing that already; we are simply enabling the others to come up to speed.