§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Prime Minister what is the budget of the Social Exclusion Unit for the current financial year and for each future year for which a budget has been set for it. [99588]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 25 November 1999]: The Social Exclusion Unit's running costs budget for 1999–2000 is £1,846,334. The Unit's budget for 2000–01 and subsequent financial years has not been agreed and will depend partly on the outcome of the current review of the Unit's future which will be announced before the end of this year.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list the title of each report published to date by the Social Exclusion Unit, stating the cost implications of the recommendations made in each report. [99644]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 25 November 1999]: To date the Social Exclusion Unit has published the following reports:
School Exclusion and Truancy" (published May 1998);Rough Sleeping" (published July 1998);Neighbourhood Renewal" (published September 1998);Teenage Pregnancy" (published June 1999);Bridging the Gap: New Opportunities for 16–18 Year Olds Not in Education, Employment or Training" (published July 1999).Each report contains information on the cost implications of its recommendations
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list the title, purpose and work programme of all policy action teams led(a) by the Social Exclusion Unit and (b) by departments with Social Exclusion Unit involvement, indicating in each case (i) the date when they were set up and (ii) the date when their work is due for completion. [99587]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 25 November 1999]: The remit and timetable for each of the 18 Policy Action Teams is set out in the Social Exclusion Unit's report "Bringing Britain Together: a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal" [CM 4045]. Copies are available 15W in the Libraries of the House. All 18 Teams started work in autumn 1998. The following six Teams have published reports:
- Business;
- Housing Management;
- Unpopular Housing;
- Community Self-Help;
- Arts and Sport;
- Financial Services.
The others will follow over the next few months.
Copies of all the published reports are available in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Prime Minister how many staff were employed in the Social Exclusion Unit in(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999; and what plans he has for staffing levels in 2000 to 2002. [99643]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 25 November 1999]: By the end of 1997 The Social Exclusion Unit had 12 members of staff. On 30 June 1998 the Unit had 21 members of staff and on 30 June 1999 the Unit had 35 members of staff. The Unit's staffing for 2000–01 and subsequent financial years has not been agreed and will depend partly on the conclusions of the current review of the Unit's future which will be announced before the end of this year.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Prime Minister what the current work programme is of the Social Exclusion unit, including(a) the titles of all reports in preparation, (b) their expected publication dates and (c) any further subjects due to be examined by the unit during the period 2000 to 2002. [99645]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 25 November 1999]: The current work programme of the Social Exclusion Unit includes support to the Policy Action Teams which the Unit itself leads and liaison with those led by other Departments, the preparation of a National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal and oversight of the implementation of previous reports.
The Unit's future work programme will reflect the conclusions of the current review of the Unit's future which will be announced before the end of the year.