§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the deprivation indicators for the electoral wards in the City of Newcastle as designated in 2003. [171157]
§ Yvette CooperThere are 37 indicators underpinning the Index of Multiple Deprivation. These fall into seven separate dimensions of deprivation (income, employment, health, education, barriers to housing and services, crime and living environment). Further details on these indicators can be found in the full report on the Indices of Deprivation 2004, which is available at www.odpm.gov.uk/indices.
While the Indices of Deprivation 2000 was produced at ward level, the new Indices—The Indices of Deprivation 2004—have been produced at Super Output Area, lower layer.
A decision was taken to explore another base geography for the Indices to overcome the problems associated with frequent ward boundary changes and the inconsistency in the size of wards. This new base geography is intended to be more stable over time and more consistent in size. The decision to use Super Output Areas was taken after an extensive period of consultation.
Super Output Areas cover between 1000 and 3000 people and are, in most cases, smaller than wards. They allow us to better identify small pockets of deprivation and provide a richer picture of local variations in deprivation. They will also help to ensure that the Government continues to focus its efforts on tackling disadvantage at those areas most in need.