HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : £28.2 million for neighbourhood renewal information [July 2001]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 24 July 2001.

The Treasury has awarded the Office for National Statistics £28.2 million to develop a statistics service to improve neighbourhood renewal, it announced today. The Neighbourhood Statistics Service will provide more localised data necessary to implement the Government’s strategy for combating social exclusion.

A cross-Government ministerial group will be established to act as the driving force for delivery of the information service.  Ruth Kelly MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, will chair the ministerial group. She said:

“Combating social exclusion is a major priority for the Government. To be effective in this we must have the most accurate and detailed information possible. Comprehensive local information is essential for pinpointing employment, drug and housing blackspots. This will enable us to identify disadvantaged neighbourhoods within relatively small areas, allowing us to target our efforts where they are most needed.

“The service will also track socio-economic trends and changes over time.  With improved data, national and local government and other service providers will be better able to design and to target policies, and to identify potential problems early.”

Len Cook, National Statistician and Head of the Office for National Statistics said:

“This resource will enable me to put into action plans to improve significantly the provision and availability of information for small areas in a way that has not been possible up to now.  Working with many partners across the public and private sector, we will put in place a range of developments which will transform the information infrastructure of this country.”

Lord Falconer, Minister responsible for the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy said:

“To deliver the right solutions for a neighbourhood’s specific problems, it is vital that we have accurate and detailed information at our disposal. By funding a comprehensive new data system, which seeks to improve both the statistics available and ensure their consistency, we will produce an effective tool to underpin the renewal work going on across the Government – bridging the gap between the poorest places and the rest of the country.”