§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what budget has been allocated for the running costs of the Standards Board for England in 2004–05; what its terms of reference are; how many and what percentage of complaints have been investigated since referral; and if he will make a statement on how the Board contributes to the functions of the Local Government Ombudsman. [158398]
§ Phil HopeThe current budget provisionally allocated for the Standards Board for England in 2004–05 is £8 million, subject to approval by Parliament to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's main estimates. The Board's principal roles, as provided for by Part III of the Local Government Act 2000, are to appoint ethical standards officers who investigate misconduct allegations against local government members, to decide whether allegations should be referred for investigation and to issue guidance to local authorities on matters relating to the conduct of members.
Of the 5,188 allegations received by the Board up to November last year, the total referred for investigation was 1,955 (38 per cent. of the total allegations received). Of these, the total number of investigations completed was 1,014.
The remit of the Standards Board is separate from that of the Commission for Local Administration in England, and the Board has no role with regard to the Commission's functions.
1025W