This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 7 December 2009:
The nature and purpose of the work paid for on 10 June 2009 was to provide an informed analysis of changes in departmental portfolios and policies following the reshuffle of government ministers, of possible changes in the machinery of government, and of responses by Opposition parties in the House of Commons and House of Lords.
The purpose of the work paid for on 12 June 2009 was to update our parliamentary database (held for the purposes of supplying MPs with reports and studies relevant to their known interests and their constituencies); to update our records of where prospective candidates had been selected; and to provide informed commentary on the potential electoral effects of the controversy over MPs expenses.
The purpose of the work paid for on 14 September 2009 was to provide further updates on parliamentary constituencies where MPs had announced they were standing down at the next general election; a briefing on changes in the electoral and policy landscape in the run-up to the general election; and analysis of policy commitments made by the parties on regulation, audit, inspection, local government spending and other subjects relative to the Commission's work.
A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.
This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 7 December 2009:
Parliamentary Question: to ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 1 December 2009, Official Report, column 640W, on Audit Commission: public relations, if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) analysis and overview of the local election results and (b) public affairs strategy that was produced for the Audit Commission by Connect Public Affairs.
Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
Copies of the following documents produced by Connect Public Affairs for the Audit Commission have been placed in the library:
Local election analysis
Public affairs strategy
A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.
This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 7 December 2009:
Parliamentary Question: with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 1 December 2009, Official Report, column 640W, on Audit Commission: public relations, which key prospective parliamentary candidates were identified by Connect Public Affairs for the Audit Commission; and what action the Audit Commission or Connect took in relation to those individuals after their identification.
Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
The Audit Commission asked Connect Public Affairs to produce a list and analysis of the known interests of prospective parliamentary candidates of all parties.
Candidates are an important group of users of the rich local detail contained in Comprehensive Area Assessment. The Audit Commission is using this work to disseminate details of area assessments to those who have declared they are standing at the next general election.
The Audit Commission has not asked Connect Public Affairs to lobby or communicate with prospective parliamentary candidates on its behalf. Connect was asked to carry out research, for example providing contact details, to ensure the Commission's data records were as accurate as possible.
A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.
This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 7 December 2009:
Parliamentary Question: with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 1 December 2009, Official Report, column 640W, on Audit Commission: public relations, what the purpose was of the public affairs work entitled CPA Conservative Shadow Cabinet; and what the work entailed.
Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
Ministers, their shadows, MPs and elected members in local government are among the important users of the information and place analysis contained in the new Comprehensive Area Assessment. To identify them and plan effective communications to them, the Audit Commission asked Connect Public Affairs to use its expert knowledge to draw up a 'perceptions and influence map'.
It lists those who are likely to take an interest in Comprehensive Area Assessment and those to whom further information might be of use and of interest, so allowing the Audit Commission to target its spending on dissemination of reports, assessments and analyses more effectively.
A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.
The Cabinet Office’s Propriety Guidance does not apply to non-civil servants, so the Audit Commission is not required to comply with it.