Written Statement of 24 June 2004

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Change Up: A Capacity Building and Infrastructure Framework
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart)
  I am today announcing the launch of Change Up—a programme of investment specifically for capacity building and infrastructure in the voluntary sector.

  Change Up aims to ensure that by 2014 the needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations will be met by support which is available nationwide, structured for maximum efficiency, offering excellent provision which is accessible to all, truly reflecting and promoting diversity and sustainably funded. It sets out an architecture for how that infrastructure should develop and highlights key strategic actions that will bring it into being.

  Change Up has been created in response to the 2002 Cross-Cutting Review on the Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Service Delivery which recommended that the voluntary and community sector and Government together draw up a strategy to underpin the capacity of the sector. The Home Office has led on the development of the framework, which has included a three-month consultation period on the document Voluntary and Community Sector Infrastructure—A Consultation Document, published in September 2003.

  Change Up sets out the principal capacity needs of frontline organisations—especially small and medium sized organisations. The main elements are performance improvement, workforce development and leadership, ICT, governance, supporting volunteers and financing voluntary and community sector activity. Each has a clear high level objective and achievable actions which will make a difference.

  It also describes how voluntary and community sector infrastructure should be modernised and reconfigured. The emphasis is on placing the voluntary and community sector in the driving seat, helping it to work with public sector partners and funders to agree the best way to provide high quality and sustainable support to frontline organisations

  Nationally, expertise and leadership in particular areas should be provided by "hubs" which will build on best practice and reduce confusion in the sector by bringing people together to provide strategic leadership, signpost organisations to sources of support, and act as beacons of good practice, reaching directly to frontline organisations to develop advanced thinking and good practice.
  86WS
  The Change Up framework will be used as a planning tool for Government, funders and voluntary and community sector partners at all levels and in different sectors to develop further action and will provide a point of reference for future thinking.

  Implementation will be underpinned by Home Office investment of £72m of ChangeUp funds that will support strategic planning and catalyse modernisation of infrastructure provision to improve its quality and reach.

  Copies of the document are available in the House Library and on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk. A regulatory impact assessment is also available with the document.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Animal Welfare Strategy
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw)
  I am pleased to announce today the publication of the "Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain."

  The strategy fulfils the Government's commitment made in the strategy for sustainable food and farming to work in partnership with industry, specialists and the wider community to provide an overarching framework for the development and implementation of policies in all areas of animal health and welfare. It is based on the public consultation launched on 15th July 2003 and has been jointly produced by Defra, the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government.

  I have arranged for copies of the "Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain" to be made available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Copies are also available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/default.htm

  Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate
  The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Margaret Beckett)
  The Government are publishing the sixth section of the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate (Framework) on waste today. This is available on the sustainable development in Government website. Copies of the website, on CD-Rom, will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The waste section of the Framework sets for the first time a Government wide commitment to reduce waste on the Government estate, and increase recycling and composting rates. It encourages Departments to purchase re-usable, recyclable, and recycled products; and return used products to manufacturers. This will make an important contribution to the UK's target on reducing waste sent to landfill, and will help deliver our commitment to moving up the waste hierarchy towards more sustainable waste management practices.

  The Framework now requires all relevant waste management contracts to take account of measures and opportunities for reducing and avoiding the impact of waste, and for collecting waste management data.

  87WS
  Departments must draw up sustainable waste management strategies setting out how they will deal with these issues.

  Our ongoing work on the Framework defines a set of cross-Government targets for sustainable development, and outlines the mechanisms by which Departments will be expected to achieve them. These challenging targets give a clear indication of the Government's continued determination to take a lead in the practical implementation and achievement of sustainable development.

  The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate can be viewed at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/improving/index.htm

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Strategic Investment Board: Report and Accounts 2003–04
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Ian Pearson)
  Today I have placed in the Libraries of the House, copies of the report and accounts 2003–04 of the Strategic Investment Board for Northern Ireland.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond)
  On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions I am announcing the publication of performance statistics for local authority administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit (HB and CTB) for the fourth quarter of 2003–04. A copy of the quarterly statistics for all local authorities in Great Britain has been placed in the Library and has been published on the Department for Work and Pensions website at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/ asd/other_stats.asp

  Publishing these statistics is part of our strategy for reforming housing benefit and for ensuring that local authorities are accountable for their performance in administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit.

  Housing benefit and council tax benefit performance statistics show that in the fourth quarter of 2003–04, authorities that returned data reported that:
  new claims were processed in an average of 47 days, compared to 53 days in the fourth quarter of 2002–03;
  some 161 authorities had met the performance standard for processing new claims (36 days), compared to 130 in the same quarter of 2002–03;
  change of circumstances were processed in an average of 14 days, compared with 17 days in the fourth quarter of 2002–03;
  some 179 authorities met the performance standard for processing change of circumstances (9 days), compared to 160 in the same quarter of 2002–03.

  The statistics are un-audited and are provided quarterly by local authorities to my Department.
  88WS
  The audited best value performance information for English local authorities for 2002–03 was published by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 18 December 2003 on the best value performance indicators website at: http://www.bvpi.gov.uk/home.asp. A copy is available in the Library.

  The most recent corresponding data for local authorities in Wales is also for 2002–03. This is published on the Audit Commission website at http://www.lgdu-wales.gov.uk/eng/Project.asp?id = SX99A1-A77F4BA8. A copy of the relevant extract from this site is available in the Library.

  The most recent corresponding data for local authorities in Scotland is also for 2002–03 and is in the Accounts Commission publication "Performance Indicators 2002–03: Benefits, Finance and Corporate Issues", a copy of which is available in the Library.

HEALTH

  Government's Response to the Health Committee's Report on elder abuse
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr. Stephen Ladyman)
  The Government's response to the Health Committee's Second Report of Session 2003–04 on elder abuse, Cm 6270, has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  National Health Service Continuing Care
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr. Stephen Ladyman)
  I regret that the information I provided in my written statement of 22 June contained an error in line 23 of the table, the entry for the South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority. Where it read 138 cases eligible for recompense, it should have said 69; and where it read 232 investigations completed, it should have said 163. The correct data is in the table.

  SHA Name

  No. of cases eligible for recompense

  Investigations completed

  Investigations underway

  Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA

  0

  281

  370

  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA

  34

  102

  110

  Essex SHA

  10

  146

  26

  North West London SHA

  10

  181

  191

  North Central London SHA

  8

  64

  61

  North East London SHA

  0

  169

  11

  South East London SHA

  60

  183

  90

  South West London SHA

  62

  194

  21

  Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA

  27

  126

  172

  County Durham and Tees Valley SHA

  10

  48

  178

  North and East Yorkshire and North Lines SHA

  29

  266

  93

  West Yorkshire SHA

  25

  130

  219

  Cumbria and Lancashire SHA

  15

  154

  186

  Greater Manchester SHA

  5

  102

  240

  Cheshire and Merseyside SHA

  107

  774

  422

  Thames Valley SHA

  4

  181

  202

  89WS

  SHA Name

  No. of cases eligible for recompense

  Investigations completed

  Investigations underway

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA

  30

  386

  121

  Kent and Medway SHA

  24

  186

  44

  Surrey and Sussex SHA

  5

  15

  860

  Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA

  43

  612

  349

  South West Peninsula SHA

  25

  433

  120

  Dorset and Somerset SHA

  14

  448

  467

  South Yorkshire SHA

  69

  163

  78

  Trent SHA

  0

  236

  79

  Leicester, Northants and Rutland SHA

  29

  202

  22

  Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA

  38

  412

  19

  Birmingham and The Black Country SHA

  10

  213

  73

  West Midlands South SHA

  8

  237

  187

  Total—England

  770

  6,713

  5,011

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002
  The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill)
  My right hon. Friend the Depute Prime Minister will publish for public consultation on 25 June, a paper on accounting for leaseholders monies.
  90WS
  Service charge payers are entitled to be confident that the money they pay towards the upkeep of their building is held properly, and is used for the purposes it is provided for. This is an area which requires strengthening, and the accounting provisions in the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (the Act) provide for this.

  The consultation paper invites comments on the provisions in the Act that make changes to the way in which service charge monies are held, and the information that is provided to service charge payers.

  It sets out the proposals for regulations to be made by the Secretary of State. These regulations will set out the detailed requirements that landlords will have to comply with where the holding of service charge money and the provision of information relating to service charges are concerned.

  Copies of the paper are being sent to a wide range of interested parties including local authorities, housing associations, financial institutions and others with an interest in this issue. The closing date for responses is 24 September.

  Copies of the paper will be made available in the Libraries of the House, and will be available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at http:// www.odpm.gov.uk/ tomorrow.

  Northern Ireland Strategic Investment Board: Report and Accounts 2003–04
  The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement:

  Today I have placed in the Libraries of the House copies of the report and accounts 2003–04 of the Strategic Investment Board for Northern Ireland.

  Army Base Repair Organisation: Key Targets 2004–05
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  The following key targets have been set for the Army Base Repair Organisation for financial year 2004–05.

  Key Target

  Details

  Target

  KT 1—Financial Performance—Return on Capital Employed (ROCE).

  The measurement of ABRO's ROCE.

  To achieve a return, averaged over the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005, of at least 3.5 per cent.

  KT2—Delivery Performance.

  The measurement of revenue projection.

  To complete delivery of 100 per cent of the planned revenue projection (£150 million) in FY 2004–05, and in each of the next three years.

  KT3—Business Systems

  The measurement of the introduction and operation of TABS and the imperative to detach from the current supply system.

  To introduce and have operational the ABRO Business System (TABS) and to have detached from the ESPPA supply system by 31 March 2005.

  KT4—Efficiency

  The measurement of the reduction in price of ABRO output.

  To reduce the average equipment repair price, across the whole programme, by 20 per cent against the 2002–03 baseline.

  KT5—Winning Work

  The measurement of ABRO winning work.

  To maintain a closing order book of at least £80 million for FY 2004–05, and to maintain this level for the next three years.

  Elder Abuse
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Community (Dr Stephen Ladyman) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.

  The Government's response to the Health Committee's Second Report of Session 2003–04 on elder abuse, Cm 6270, has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  NHS Continuing Care
  Lord Warner
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Community (Dr Stephen Ladyman) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.

  I regret that the information I provided in my Written Statement of 22 June contained an error in line 23 of the table, the entry for South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority. Where it read 138 cases eligible for recompense, it should have said 69; and where it read 232 investigations completed, it should have said 163. The corrected data are in the table.

  SHA Name

  Number of cases eligible of recompense

  Investigations completed

  Investigations under way

  Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA

  0

  281

  370

  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA

  34

  102

  110

  Essex SHA

  10

  146

  26

  North West London SHA

  10

  181

  191

  North Central London SHA

  8

  64

  61

  North East London SHA

  0

  169

  11

  South East London SHA

  60

  183

  90

  South West London SHA

  62

  194

  21

  Northumberland, Tyne & Wear SHA

  27

  126

  172

  County Durham and Tees Valley SHA

  10

  48

  178

  North & East Yorkshire & Lincs SHA

  29

  266

  93

  West Yorkshire SHA

  25

  130

  219

  Cumbria and Lancashire SHA

  15

  154

  186

  Greater Manchester SHA

  5

  102

  240

  Cheshire & Merseyside SHA

  107

  774

  422

  Thames Valley SHA

  4

  181

  202

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA

  30

  386

  121

  Kent and Medway SHA

  24

  186

  44

  Surrey and Sussex SHA

  5

  15

  860

  Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA

  43

  612

  349

  WS 67

  SHA Name

  Number of cases eligible for recompense

  Investigations completed

  Investigations under way

  South West Peninsula SHA

  25

  433

  120

  Dorset and Somerset SHA

  14

  448

  467

  South Yorkshire SHA

  69

  163

  78

  Trent SHA

  0

  236

  79

  Leics, Northants and Rutland SHA

  29

  202

  22

  WS 68

  SHA Name

  Number of cases eligible for recompense

  Investigations completed

  Investigations under way

  Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA

  38

  412

  19

  Birmingham and the Black Country SHA

  10

  213

  73

  West Midlands South SHA

  8

  237

  187

  Total—England

  770

  6,713

  5,011