§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on recent inner city regeneration initiatives. [45377]
§ Ms KeebleThe Urban White Paper Implementation Plan issued in March 2001 sets out how a wide range of initiatives across Government are supporting the objectives of the White Paper to deliver an urban renaissance. The Implementation Plan and six-monthly Implementation Bulletin (due to be re-issued in March 2002) provide an account of progress to date, as well as the key objectives we aim to deliver on over the next two years. Both documents can be found on my Department's website: www.regeneration.dtlr.gov.uk.
We are working closely with 24 towns and cities across the country to take forward the urban agenda. These efforts will feed into the Urban Summit 2002. This will take place on 31 October and 1 November at the ICC in Birmingham. The Summit will reconfirm the Government-wide commitment to urban renaissance, celebrate success in bringing about change and identify where further action is needed, and evaluate the recommendations in the White Paper.
969WThe Government's vision for neighbourhood renewal was set out in the Neighbourhood Renewal National Strategy Action Plan, launched by the Prime Minister in January 2001. It aims to deliver economic prosperity, safe communities, high quality schools, decent housing and better health to the poorest parts of the country.
This approach focuses Government programmes explicitly on deprived areas, many of which are located in inner cities, and requires local people and the public and private sectors to work in partnership. Government departments, local government and other public service providers are expected to bend their mainstream budgets to meet better local needs in deprived neighbourhoods. Departments have been set a series of minimum standards known as floor targets—for the first time they will be judged on the areas where they are doing worst and not on the national average.
Extra resources are being directed to the 88 most deprived local authority areas to kickstart the strategy, including the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, worth £900 million over three years.
The strategy is co-ordinated and driven forward by the cross-cutting Neighbourhood Renewal Unit based in DTLR. Further information on the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, including updates on progress, can be found on the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit website: www.neighbourhood.gov.uk.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list, in date order from June 1997, the Government(a) reports and (b) white papers relating to urban renewal and social inclusion. [45376]
§ Ms KeebleGovernment reports and White Papers relating to urban renewal and social inclusion, in date order, are as follows
(a) Reports (All were produced by the Social Exclusion Unit, unless stated otherwise)Truancy and School Exclusion (May 1998)Rough Sleeping (July 1998)Teenage Pregnancy (June 1999)Bridging the Gap: New Opportunities for 16–18 Year Olds not in Education, Employment or Training (July 1999)A Report of Policy Action Team 5: Housing Management (August 1999)A Report of Policy Action Team 9: Community Self Help (September 1999), Home OfficeOpportunity for all—tackling poverty and social exclusion (September 1999)A Report of Policy Action Team 7: Unpopular Housing (October 1999), DETRA Report of Policy Action Team 2: Skills (December 1999), DfEEA Report of Policy Action Team 3: Business (1999), HM TreasuryA Report of Policy Action Team 6: Neighbourhood Wardens (1999), Home OfficeA Report of Policy Action Team 10: Arts and Sport (1999), DCMSA Report of Policy Action Team 11: Schools Plus (December 1999), DfEEA Report of Policy Action Team 13: Shops (1999), DoHA Report of Policy Action Team 14: Financial Services (1999), HM Treasury970WA Report of Policy Action Team 15: Closing the Digital Divide: Information and Communication Technologies in Deprived Areas (February 2000), DTIA Report of Policy Action Team 1: Jobs (2000), DfEEA Report of Policy Action Team 8: Anti-Social Behaviour (March 2000)A Report of Policy Action Team 12: Young People (March 2000)A Report of Policy Action Team 16: Learning Lessons (March 2000)A Report of Policy Action Team 17: Joining It Up Locally (February 2000), DETRA Report of Policy Action Team 4: Neighbourhood Management (April 2000)A Report of Policy Action Team 18: Better Information (April 2000)Minority Ethnic Issues in Social Exclusion and Neighbourhood Renewal—A guide to the work of the Social Exclusion Unit and the Policy Action Teams so far (June 2000)Opportunity for all—one year on: making a difference (November 2000), DSSNational Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal—Policy Action Team Audit (January 2001)A New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal—National Strategy Action Plan (January 2001)Preventing Social Exclusion (March 2001)New Deal for Communities Annual Review 2000–01 (September 2001), NRUOpportunity for all—making progress: third annual report (September 2001), DWPAll 18 Policy Action Team Reports are summarised in: "National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. Policy Action Team report summaries: a compendium(b) White PaperBringing Britain Together: A National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal (September 1998)The Urban White Paper "Our towns and cities: the future—Delivering an urban renaissance" (November 2000) DETR.