Ministerial Corrections

Tuesday 26th April 2011 Ministerial Corrections

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Work and Pensions

Tuesday 26th April 2011 Ministerial Corrections

Departmental Public Bodies

[Lisa Nandy]

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10W, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of three public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility, (b) the merger of one such body and (c) the change in function of two such bodies.

[Official Report, 21 March 2011, Vol. 525, c. 856-57W.]

Letter of correction from Mr Chris Grayling:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) on 21 March 2011.

The full answer given was as follows:

[Chris Grayling]

On 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10W, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.

I anticipate net overall administrative savings from structural reforms over the spending review period of £0.141 million. Overall administrative reductions from reform of all departmental public bodies are currently estimated to be £17.95 million over the spending review period.

The correct answer should have been:

[Chris Grayling]

On 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10W, my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.

I anticipate net overall administrative savings from structural reforms over the spending review period of £0.354 million. Overall administrative reductions from reform of all departmental public bodies are currently estimated to be £17.95 million over the spending review period.

Communities and Local Government

Tuesday 26th April 2011 Ministerial Corrections

Government Funding (Distribution)

The following is the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Andrew Stunell) relating to a question from the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson) during Communities and Local Government Question Time on 4 April 2011.

[Chris Williamson (Derby North) (Lab)]

The wheels are well and truly coming off the Government’s explanation for their swingeing cuts to local government—that is pretty clear. Contrary to his assertion that he would protect the most vulnerable by making his cuts “fair and progressive”, the Secretary of State is actually imposing the biggest cuts on the country’s poorest communities and leaving more affluent areas relatively unscathed. Even his own housing Minister confessed last week that the poorest areas will shoulder the harshest cuts. Will the Minister replying do the decent thing and admit that the Secretary of State’s declaration about fairness and the Chancellor’s assertion that we are all in it together are completely and utterly preposterous?

[Andrew Stunell]

The hon. Gentleman has of course used a selective quotation, and that is entirely his prerogative, but it does rather undermine his case. The reality is that no local authority in this country faces a reduction in its real expenditure of more than 7.7%, and offset against that is the new homes bonus that we have announced today, through which Lambeth, for instance, gets £1.9 million.

[Official Report, 4 April 2011, Vol. 526, c. 728-29]

Letter of correction from Mr Andrew Stunell:

An error has been identified in the oral answer given on 4 April 2011.

The correct answer should have been:

[Andrew Stunell]

The hon. Gentleman has of course used a selective quotation, and that is entirely his prerogative, but it does rather undermine his case. The reality is that no local authority in this country faces a reduction in its spending power of more than 8.8%, and offset against that is the new homes bonus that we have announced today, through which Lambeth, for instance, gets £1.9 million.