§ Mr. Temple-MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has carried out an assessment to determine whether the PFI contract for the disposal of waste entered into between Herefordshire and Worcestershire councils and Fosca plc in 1998 complies with guidance issued by his Department on 22 December 2000. [147513]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Herefordshire and Worcestershire waste PFI scheme was endorsed by the Interdepartmental Project Review Group in February 1998, following an assessment in line with the criteria published on 9 December 1997. General criteria for all PFI projects were
£ million Nature of funding 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 (where known) Revenue Support Grant 162.131 167.079 68.861 69.537 73.971 Income from National Non-Domestic Rates 136.222 137.357 40.226 44.997 43.876 Housing Investment Programme 22.370 1.995 2.186 34.340 46.425 Capital Receipts Initiative 0.324 1.049 1.016 n/a n/a Cash Incentive Scheme 0.064 0.050 0.000 n/a n/a New Deal for Communities Funding — — — — — Neighbourhood Renewal Funding — — — — — Transport Supplementary Grant 3.372 4.079 1.265 0 0.359 Transport Annual Capital Guideline 3.383 4.080 1.292 0 0 Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval 0.284 0.490 0.773 2.270 3.065 Rural Bus Challenge Grant 0 0 0 0 0 Rural Bus Subsidy Grant 0 0.043 0.032 0.043 0.054 1The amounts of Revenue Support Grant and Income from National Non-Domestic Rates shown for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are the revised amounts allocated under "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1997–98 Amending Report 1999" and "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1998–99 Amending Report 2000" respectively. LGR SCA figures for NE Lincolnshire. As follows: 1997–98—£1.900 million 1998–99—£1.568 million 21997–98 HIP allocation inherited from the previous Government's spending plans. Present Government introduced CR1 from 1997–98. 3Single Housing Pot introduced from 2000–01 resulting in CR1 being merged with HIP. 4Resource accounting has resulted in a change to the way capital resources are allocated for 2001–02, with the introduction of a new Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) to cover the cost of maintaining local authority housing in a sound condition. The North East Lincolnshire MRA allocation for 2001–02 is £4.786 million and, for comparison purposes, is included in the 2001–02 HIP allocation above. Note:
North East Lincolnshire's overall capital a location of £6.425 million, represents an increase of 171.10 per cent. on the inherited 1997–98 allocation.
North East Lincolnshire—SRB funding received under Rounds 1 to 6
Round 6—Unlocking potential
A seven-year scheme submitted by the Community Partnership for North East Lincolnshire, it aims to create sustainable local jobs and grow a creative and enterprising culture in deprived communities as a fundamental drive to overcome social exclusion. The scheme has three carefully balanced elements: Job creation and the promotion of entrepreneurship and enterprise, Achieving 178W revised on 21 December 1998 and 23 December 1999. Revised specific criteria for PFI waste schemes in England were published on 22 September 2000. Officials will be writing to authorities with endorsed proposals for waste schemes, including Herefordshire and Worcestershire, to explore with them whether their existing schemes might be brought more closely in to line with the subsequent changes to the PFI criteria.