§ Ross CranstonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what(a) training and (b) additional resources have been given to bodies, other than trading standards departments, towards the (i) legal and (ii) administrative requirements of the Stop Now Order Regulations; and if she will make a statement; [16578]
(2) pursuant to her answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 442W, on Stop Now Orders, how much money has been transferred to cover the additional costs associated with the implementation of the Stop Now Order Regulations; from which bodies the money has been transferred; which bodies are receiving this money; and if she will make a statement; [16576]
(3) pursuant to her answer of 9 November 2001, Official Report, column 442W, on Stop Now Orders, how many trading standards departments have received training in the legal and administrative requirements of the Regulations; whether more seminars are planned; and if she will make a statement. [16577]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonAs I said in my answer of 9 November 2001,Official Report, column 442W, DTI has agreed with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, a transfer of resources to local authorities in England to cover the additional costs 784W associated with the enforcement by county councils, metropolitan districts, unitary authorities and London boroughs of the Stop Now Orders Regulations. Subject to Parliamentary approval, additional provision is being made to the general grant in 2002–03 and beyond.
The National Assembly for Wales has agreed with DTI a transfer of resources to local authorities in Wales to cover the additional costs associated with the enforcement of the Regulations by county councils and unitary authorities. Additional provision for this new provision will be added to the general revenue settlement in 2002–03 and beyond. It will be distributed through the Consumer Protection Standard Spending Assessment. The Assembly's provisional settlement was announced on 15 November and the final settlement will be announced on 8 January 2002 and debated on 24 January.
DTI has also agreed with the Scottish Executive that they will receive formula consequentials for this transfer. These will be included within Scottish local authorities' revenue grant allocations.
Figures provided by the Trading Standards Institute indicate that over 90 per cent. of trading standards departments (182) attended the six seminars that the Institute organised for the DTI on the legal and administrative requirements of the Stop Now Orders Regulations. We are considering with the Office of Fair Trading, LACOTS and TSI what further training or other support might help. The OFT organised a conference on 16 November to educate other regulators. We do not foresee any transfer of resources to these regulators.