Mr Brian Sedgemore (Hackney South & Shoreditch, Labour)

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Haltemprice and Howden constituency, the effects on Haltemprice and Howdenof his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Ms Yvette Cooper (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Pontefract & Castleford, Labour)

Along with other Government Departments, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to improving the lives of people across the whole of the UK. For example, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is determined that everyone should have the opportunity to have a decent home, and since, 1997 we have reduced the number of non-decent homes nationally by one million.

In the local government finance settlements since 1997–98, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been able to increase the amount of Government grantgiven to local authorities by £22.6 billion. This is a 33 per cent. increase in real terms. Since 1997–98 East Riding of Yorkshire has received an average annual increase in Formula Grant of 5.4 per cent.

The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.