On 12 March 2003 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the conclusions of our review of the funding and administrative arrangements for delivering a more efficient, effective and accountable flood and coastal defence service. A year on I want to update the House on the progress we have made towards implementing these conclusions, and outline what remains to be done.We have set in hand arrangements for the Environment Agency to receive a single stream of Defra grant in aid funding from 1 April 2004. This will replace the previous mix of Defra grant for individual capital projects and, in large part, the levies previously raised through local authorities. This should provide the agency with more certainty of funding, allowing them to plan more strategically, while streamlining the procedures associated with implementing flood defence schemes. In future Defra approval will no longer be required for agency projects or strategies which are below £5 million though we will have the opportunity to call in strategies, and projects undertaken outside strategies, which are between £2 million and £5 million. We will also continue to ensure that the distribution of capital funding between the agency and other operating authorities (local authorities and internal drainage boards) is based on our priority scoring system which takes account of the number of people affected in relation to the cost of the project, the environment and benefit cost ratio.Payment of grant in aid will be linked to robust targets in the agency's corporate plan. The agency may continue to raise limited levies on local authorities, agreed through flood defence committees on which local authorities have a majority, to fund locally important flood defence works beyond Close covered by Defra funding. These local levies are set to raise some £24.4 million in 2004–05.Work has also started on the procedures for transferring to the Environment Agency responsibility for those watercourses representing the greatest flood risk—the so-called critical ordinary watercourses. This will significantly improve accountability for flood risk with over 2,000 separate lengths of river identified for transfer. The necessary statutory procedures will start shortly with transfers taking place in stages until April 2006. Day to day management of the watercourses can be contracted back to internal drainage boards and local authorities where this is appropriate and agreed. As part of this exercise we are fully digitising the existing main river maps.

On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) follow-up inspection report on London Borough of Ealing Council was published on 14 April 2004 and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the benefit fraud inspectorate (BFI) inspection report on Leicester city council was published on 15 April 2004 and copies of the report have been placed in the Library. Following the housing green paper "Quality and Choice: A Decent Home for All", published in April 2000, the Department for Work and Pensions developed a performance framework for housing benefits. Tile performance standards for housing benefits allow local authorities to make a comprehensive self-assessment of whether they deliver benefit effectively and securely. They are the standards that the Department for Work and Pensions expects local authorities to aspire to and achieve in time.The BFI inspected Leicester city council against the performance standards for housing benefits. The report finds that the council is not at standard for any of the seven functional areas of the performance standards—strategic management, customer services, processing of claims, working with landlords, internal security, counter-fraud and overpayments.However, the report notes the considerable efforts made by members, senior officers and staff over a sustained period of time.The report finds that the council had a backlog of around 14,500 cases, poor IT reliability, insufficient management information which together with limited planning had hindered the council's ability to deliver an effective benefits service. This had resulted in new benefit claims and changes of circumstances taking 141 days and 49 days to process during 2002–03.Although processing, times were taking too long, the quality of processing and verification of claims was found to be of a good standard. However, the lack of effective management checks meant that the council had only limited assurance that benefits were being paid correctly and securely. Also, customers were experiencing problems trying to access the benefits service by telephone.The quality of fraud investigation work was good and all investigation officers were trained to professional standards. However, limited resources and weaknesses in the planning of investigation work were undermining efforts to secure the benefits system.In 2002–03, Leicester city council administered some £97 million in housing benefits, about 16 per cent. of its total gross revenue expenditure.The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to further improve the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit, as well as counter-fraud activities.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the BFI's findings and recommendations.

I wish to advise the House that on 14 April 2004 I launched a public consultation exercise in respect of a proposed way forward for new targeting social need (New TSN), the Government's high level policy for tackling poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland.By undertaking this consultation we are fulfilling a commitment given by the previous Northern Ireland Executive, in its programme for Government, to review the New TSN policy.

Today I am publishing the Water Service's Water Resource Strategy 2002–30.The Strategy provides a framework for meeting increasing water demand in Northern Ireland, through the efficient use of water including leakage reduction and by upgrading and rationalising the existing supply system.An Executive Summary of the Strategy has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and is available on the Water Service website at

As part of a wider modernisation of service personnel administration policies and the procedures and the introduction of the IT to support their delivery known as the joint personnel administration (JPA) programme, and following an investment appraisal and consultation with trade unions, the decision has been taken to concentrate the delivery of JPA from three sites: Innsworth, Gosport and Glasgow.This will incorporate the creation, from March 2005, of a joint medal office at Innsworth the current location of the RAF medal office and will involve the phased closure of the army medal office at Droitwich and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines medal offices located at Gosport. In order to provide continuity of service and to build up the necessary expertise at Innsworth the transfer of responsibilities will be phased.Consultation with MOD Trade Unions about the choice of the three sites from which JPA will be delivered has been undertaken and detailed local consultation about the implications for staff will start shortly. It is expected that some of the current staff will transfer to Innsworth with the work. It is anticipated that staff at Gosport and Innsworth who are unable to transfer to the JMO will be found other positions in the locality, but I cannot rule out a programme of early retirement and redundancy that may be required in particular at Droitwich.

The Government is today publishing a research report and research summary entitled "Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme Evaluation". This evaluation of the neighbourhood wardens scheme, undertaken by Social Development Direct, concludes that, in successful schemes, wardens are laving a significant impact. Neighbourhood wardens schemes represent value for money in relation to crime reduction. There are also important, but uncosted, additional benefits—improved quality of life, reduced fear of crime, improvements in environmental problems and antisocial behaviour.Copies of the research report and summary are available at

The North West Regional Assembly (NWRA) published, on 19 April, a consultative draft of the Partial Review of Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) that was published by my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister in March 2003.RPG13 sets out the spatial development strategy that encompasses proposals for the development of the Region's economy, housing and transport infrastructure, and other land uses. It also sets out proposals for the conservation, management and enhancement of the Region's natural and cultural environment.Regional Planning Guidance also provides the regional framework for the plans and strategies of a range of public, private and voluntary organisations, including the preparation of local authority Development Plans and Local Transport Plans.The consultation will also allow consideration of the implications of the Northern Way growth work being led by the Regional Development Agencies.The selective, partial, review covers a number of key matters of importance to the future of the region, including:

The Foreign Secretary, the Minister for Trade and Investment and I attended the donor conference on Afghanistan held in Berlin on 31 March and 1 April, at which donors were invited to respond to the recent needs assessment compiled by the World Bank.The conference was an opportunity for donors to: assess the political progress that has taken place in Afghanistan since the Bonn and Tokyo conferences of 2001 and 2002; discuss the challenges that now face the Afghan Government; and demonstrate continued commitment to Afghanistan's long-term future development.The announcement by President Karzai of the plan to hold elections in September was warmly welcomed. At a side meeting donors pledged an additional $65 million to the election process, helping to keep it on track. The UK pledged an additional $5 million, taking our overall election funding to $24 million. Preparations for elections are on course although security for a free and fair election remains a major concern.Donors demonstrated their commitment to Afghanistan, by pledging US$8.2 billion of assistance over the next three years. This represents two thirds of Afghanistan's requirements over this period, and it is hoped folly to meet Afghanistan's needs with increased money becoming available from donors that were only able to make one-year pledges in Berlin. Of this new pledge over half, US$4.5 billion, is for this financial year. This meets Afghanistan's request for the year and is more than double the amount disbursed in Afghanistan last year. This increase comes at an important time, as a number of Government programmes become effective and the Government's capacity to absorb funds and implement programmes increases.As I outlined in my statement to Parliament prior to the conference, 1 March 2004,

I am today issuing the decision on the proposals submitted by Associated British Ports to develop a new container port at Dibden Bay, near Southampton. The Inspector's report of the public inquiry held into the proposals between November 2001 and December 2002 is also being published today.The decision and the reasons for it are set out in the decision letter.After carefully considering the Inspector's report and taking into account all relevant considerations, I have decided to refuse permission for the port development, in line with the Inspector's recommendation.The Government fully recognise the nation's and industry's needs for additional container port capacity in order to meet future economic demand. Every proposed port development must nevertheless be justified on its own merits.One important factor in the making of this decision was the environment al impact of the proposals on internationally protected sites.A copy of the decision letter has been placed in the House Library.

The forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union is as follows: