§ Ms StuartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if she will announce the membership of the 18 policy action teams referred to in the Social Exclusion Unit report, "Bringing Britain Together: a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal", published on 15 September. [60988]
§ Ms ArmstrongThe Social Exclusion Unit's report "Bringing Britain Together: a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal" set out proposals for an intensive programme of policy development involving 18 crosscutting Policy Action Teams based around five themes: getting the people to work; getting the place to work; building a future for young people; access to services; and making the Government work better.
The Programme of policy development work will be completed by December 1999, when we will put together the outcome of all the reports into a coherent strategy. I am overseeing the whole process, and each Team has a champion Minister assigned to it.
I am announcing today the full membership of the Policy Action Teams. The Teams include members drawn from central and local government, the voluntary and private sectors as well as people living and working in poorer neighbourhoods. They will play an important part in achieving more joined-up Government policy and action on the ground. I have today placed the membership details in the Libraries of both Houses.