Local Authorities receive fresh cash injection to tackle extremism

Local authorities will receive a £7.5m funding boost to tackle Al-Qaeda influenced extremism, Communities Secretary John Denham announced today. The new funding will give them greater flexibility to support a broader range of activities to improve the effectiveness of the Prevent programme.

The extra funding backs new cross-Government guidance, also published today, which reflects feedback from local authorities and from Muslim communities. The Prevent programme, which aims to challenge any potential support for, or involvement in, Al-Qaeda type violence, has grown in strength and support over the past year.

The new guidance acknowledges that the effectiveness of the programme can be reduced if the labelling of local activities or their restriction solely to Muslim communities discourages some groups from becoming involved.

This additional funding will allow local authorities to do even more work to bring communities together to condemn violent extremism. It is in addition to existing funding to local authorities to deliver the Prevent strategy.

In recent weeks Ministers have made clear their determination to ensure that all sources of support for violent extremism are tackled consistently and effectively and further announcements will be made over the coming weeks.

Communities Secretary John Denham said:

“At the current time, the greatest terrorist threat remains that from Al-Qaeda linked violent extremism. The Prevent programme is key to our long-term success in tackling this threat.

“Prevent will only be fully effective if we respond to constructive criticisms which have come from local authorities and community organisations actively engaged in resisting violent extremism.

“It encourages local activities to avoid crude labels which discourage wide participation, and to see the promotion of activities which develop and sustain shared values - including understanding and respect for difference - as an important component of Prevent.

“Today's additional funding, and new guidance, supports this work. At the same time, we also need to tackle other potential support for violent extremism; including that from racist and fascist groups and over the coming weeks we will set out further proposals for doing so.”

Fire statistics UK 2007 published

The latest finalised fire statistics for England covering the 12-month period up to 31 December 2007 continue to show a fall in the total number of fires - down 14 per cent on the previous 12 month period.

Fire Statistics United Kingdom is published annually by Communities and Local Government and provides detailed finalised figures on fires, fire deaths and injuries, and false alarm calls.

- The United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Services attended 804,000 fire and false alarm incidents in the year ending December 2007 - an 8% decrease on the previous 12 months. In England, 630,000 incidents were attended (a 9% decrease)

- Total fires fell by 12% to 385,000 for the UK and 14% in England (to 296,000)

- Total fire deaths for the UK decreased by 10%, in line with the long term downward trend to 443, of which 267 were accidental dwelling fire deaths

- In England there were 339 fire deaths, down by 15%, of which there were 200 accidental dwelling fire deaths

- Primary fires in the UK fell by 10% to 144,000. Within this, dwelling fires fell by 6% to 53,000 and fires in other buildings - including workplaces and areas where people gather - were down by 6% to 31,000. Road vehicle fires fell by 14% to 51,000

- Primary fires in England fell by 10% to 118,000. Within this, dwelling fires fell by 6% to 42,000 and fires in other buildings were down by 7% to 26,000. Road vehicle fires fell by 14% to 42,000

- UK secondary fires fell by 14% to 231,000, while in England they fell by 16% to 172,000

- Attendances to UK false alarms decreased by 4% to 419,000. Within this there was a 12% fall (to 30,000) in malicious false alarms and a 1% fall (to 271,000) in false alarms due to apparatus

- In England, attendances at false alarms decreased by 5% to 334,000. Within this there was a 14% fall (to 22,000) in malicious false alarms and a 6% fall (to 217,000) in false alarms due to apparatus.

Fire Statistics United Kingdom is available on the Communities and Local Government website. Also on the website are the latest quarterly statistical monitors, Fire Statistics Monitor, which contains summary statistics, trends and analysis on a quarterly basis.

Spelman calls on Labour to come clean over £300 million incompetence fines

Important regeneration and business projects face cuts to funding due to Government incompetence and financial irregularities, it was revealed today.

Hidden in the small print of the Department for Communities & Local Government’s accounts was the revelation that Labour Ministers are preparing for a record £285 million of financial penalties from the European Union, on top of £40 million of fines already paid out to date.

The fines are for financial irregularities in handling regeneration and business programmes funded by the European Commission’s European Regional Development Fund.

The administrative incompetence includes failure to follow procurement rules and lack of supporting documentation to account for expenditure. This has led to the EU auditors issuing fines to effectively claw the money back.

Caroline Spelman, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, warned, "Having to pay out almost £300 million in fines will mean more cuts to regeneration and business support when firms are struggling and the public coffers are empty.”

And she stressed, "Rather than trying to bury this scandal in the small print of financial accounts, Labour Ministers need to come clean and make a public full statement on this sorry tale of incompetence."