§ Mr. ChallenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps are being taken to update the former Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions' Indices of Deprivation, by local government ward basis. [48856]
§ Ms KeebleMy Department has just issued an invitation to tender to a number of consultants for a research project to explore updating the Indices of Deprivation 2000. The contract has five broad objectives. These are
To produce options for strengthening the ID 2000. This will be based on a conceptualisation of how multiple deprivation should be measured. It needs to build on proposed areas for further development identified in the 1999 review. It should include a review of literature on the measurement of deprivation since 1999.To assess how practical it will be to implement these options by investigating the availability of data that have, or are about to, come on stream since the 1999 review including availability of 2001 Census data.To assess the potential to provide a general updating both to the current indicators and the 1998 ward boundaries that underpin the ID 2000.To assess the potential of further developing the ID 2000 to a sub-ward geography.To revise the ID 2000 as appropriate.The methodology for indices of deprivation was subject to an extensive review in 1999. This project builds on this review and consideration of methodological issues is focused on introducing new domains or better data and 1086W the review of literature on the measurement of deprivation since 1999 which should inform ideas on how the ID 2000 may be strengthened.