§ Lord Morganasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which areas are supported by the recently announced funding package of £175 million Neighbourhood Renewal Fund resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06. [HL4503]
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)Today we are announcing the distribution of the remaining £175 million of unallocated Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06.
The NRF was launched in 2001–02, providing £900 million over three years as a time-limited component of the Government's long-term strategy for tackling deprivation in our poorest neighbourhoods. For over two years NRF has been assisting the 88 recipient local authorities and their fellow local strategic partnership (LSP) members in establishing inclusive and effective partnership structures and strategic approaches to addressing the particular deprivation problems of each local area.
The spending review 2002 settlement provided for further support for the NRF's challenging remit, continuing to give a targeted boost to ongoing increases in mainstream public service investment in deprived areas. SR2002 allocated to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister an additional £975 million of NRF resources—£450 million in 2004–05 and £525 million in 2005–06. We announced the allocation of £800 million of these resources in April this year, confirming that the existing 88 eligible areas shall receive a further £400 million in total in each year.
Over the past few months we have given detailed consideration to the best way in which to distribute the residual £175 million of NRF resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06. After examining a range of options we have concluded that we should focus resources in those areas which have great need in terms of health, education, crime and other aspects measured by the Government's floor target indicators. These floor targets are designed to ensure that the poorest areas do not get left behind and see significant improvements in 163WA outcomes on health, education and other measures. That is why we are announcing today that 26 local authority areas that are currently eligible for NRF are also eligible for a share of the residual £175 million. These 26 areas have been selected because they are ranked in the lowest 10 areas against two or more indicators used to measure progress towards the national floor targets, ie they have the furthest distance to travel in order to meet these floor targets. Tabled below is a list of the eligible areas and their allocations in 2004–05 and 2005–06.
There are several reasons why we are taking this approach. First is the fact that the achievement of the floor targets is one of our top priorities. Delivering improvements for our most disadvantaged neighbourhoods is fundamental to the objectives we have set ourselves in the Communities Plan.
We also recognise the importance of NRF in helping local service providers to work collectively through local strategic partnerships to address local priorities, and to meet national floor targets at the local level. We are pleased with and greatly encouraged by the good progress already being made by the 88 NRF local authorities and their LSP colleagues. However, some areas have a greater task than others to deliver the improvements needed in areas such as the health of local people, educational achievement and preventing crime.
The £175 million of residual NRF resources will provide these 26 areas with additional financial support to meet this challenge.
Allocations of Residual Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) Resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06 Current NRF recipients also eligible for residual NRF 2004–05 Allocation (£)
2005–06 Allocation (£)
Bolsover 417,624 1,044,060 Bristol, City of 1,013,689 2,534,224 Camden 1,199,468 2,998,670 Derwentside 421,456 1,053,639 Easington 1,260,484 3,151,209 Greenwich 1,103,589 2,758,972 Hackney 3,345,184 8,362,959 Halton 1,116,940 2,792,350 Haringey 1,516,814 3,792,035 Hartlepool 892,071 2,230,177 Islington 1,782,715 4,456,788 Kingston upon Hull, City of 2,134,495 5,336,238 Knowsley 2,101,419 5,253,547 Lambeth 688,542 1,721,356 Liverpool 5,724,205 14,310,513 Manchester 5,855,669 14,639,173 Middlesbrough 1,492,501 3,731,252 Newham 3,790,592 9,476,480 Nottingham 2,628,822 6,572,056 Salford 1,546,952 3,867,381 Sandwell 2,288,967 5,722,418 South Tyneside 1,530,285 3,825,713 Southwark 2,249,671 5,624,176 Tower Hamlets 3,020,552 7,551,380 Wansbeck 392,176 980,441 Wear Valley 485,117 1,212,793 Total 50,000,000 125,000,000