HC Deb 17 December 2001 vol 377 c19W
Gillian Merron

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of boundary changes on eligibility for deprivation related funds; and what was the outcome of that assessment. [23088]

Ms Keeble

We are aware that there is a high level of change in ward boundaries in England. We are intending to commission a project shortly that will explore, along with other issues, the extent of such change since the Indices of Deprivation 2000 were developed.

Gillian Merron

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions he has had with other departments on the impact of boundary changes on eligibility for deprivation related funds. [23091]

Ms Keeble

The impact of the high level of changes in ward boundaries in England has been recognised. There is work under way, led by the Office for National Statistics, to minimise the amount of change. In the longer term the intention is to develop a new system of geography to support deprivation related data which will not be subject to such change. This will be based on Census Output Areas.

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