§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if the policy and innovation unit review of energy policy will examine the options for demand management. [1971]
642Wfinancial year since their establishment; and what their planned budgets and administrative costs are for the next two years. [1435]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Government offices for the English regions were established in 1994 and their work was originally overseen by the Government Office Management Board (GOMB). Following the Performance and Innovation Unit report, "Reaching Out", published in February 2000, the role of the Government Office Management Board passed to the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU).
The administrative running costs for each Government office and for RCU/GOMB for the period 1995–96 until 2000–01 are detailed in the table. The table also shows the administrative running cost allocations, including a very small allocation for capital expenditure, for the current financial year. Since 1 April this year, the RCU has managed a single running cost budget for itself and the nine Government offices. This funding is transferred from sponsor Government Departments to cover the running costs of the Government offices for the work that the latter undertake on behalf of sponsor Departments. As at 1 April this year the sponsor Departments were DETR (as was), DfEE (as was), DTI and MAFF (as was). From 1 April 2002, Home Office and DCMS are expected to become sponsor Departments.
The total indicative administrative running cost budget for the RCU and the Government offices for financial year 2002–03 is £98.63 million and £95.66 million for the 2003–04 financial year. There will be a resource planning exercise that will precede each of these financial years, and this will allocate these figures between individual Government offices and the RCU.
Programme budgets administered by the Government offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments.
§ The Prime MinisterI am replying to this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.
The role of demand side management and energy efficiency in reducing energy use in Great Britain will form a key part of the Energy Review, which will develop a strategy for achieving greater energy efficiency.