Forwarded below for information is a press release announcing
the fourth round of the Beacon scheme, with a closing date for
applications of Thursday 26 September 2002.

Themes relevant to public library services include:
- Social Inclusion through ICT
- Community Cohesion
- Quality of the Built Environment
- Supporting the Rural Economy.

Stuart
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ODPM 025    3 July 2002

ALL BEST VALUE AUTHORITIES INVITED TO BECOME FIRST TIME
BEACONS

Parish and town councils, police and fire authorities, and national
parks authorities are, for the first time, being invited to
demonstrate their excellence in service delivery under the Beacon
Council Scheme. The announcement came as Local Government Minister
Nick Raynsford today formally opened applications for the fourth
round of the scheme at the Local Government Association (LGA)
conference.

Previously, the Beacon Scheme has been open to all English county and
district councils, including unitary councils and metropolitan
district councils, and London boroughs. Round Four of the scheme is
also open to all other Best Value authorities, including national
park authorities, police authorities, fire authorities, waste
disposal authorities, metropolitan county passenger transport
authorities, and parish and town councils. This fulfils a commitment
made in the local government White Paper Strong Local Leadership -
Quality Public Services.

The Beacon Scheme provides a way of recognising achievements and
spreading best practice. It enables councils to learn from each
other to improve the services they deliver.

Nick Raynsford commented:

"The Beacon Council Scheme has been hugely successful in improving
the quality of key public services. It has enabled many councils to
learn from each other. 128 Beacon awards have been made over the
last three years and nearly all councils have attended at least one
learning event."

"Many councils are delivering first-rate services. We want to build
on these positive achievements - that is why we have decided to open
up the scheme to applications from all Best Value authorities,
including national parks authorities, police authorities and parish
and town councils."

"I look forward to seeing another strong field of applications this
year and encourage these groups to take full advantage of this
extended opportunity for learning and disseminating best practice."

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Chair of the LGA, said:

"We strongly urge local authorities to submit examples of excellent
practice. There is a lot of good work going on in local government
across the country and it is important that the Beacon Scheme
reflects this."

This round offers a wide range of themes, touching on many aspects of
life. These include the quality of the built environment, street and
highway works, and supporting the rural economy. Other themes are
particularly relevant to those people most in need, with themes
focusing on tackling homelessness, removing barriers to work and
mental health services. A full list of Round Four themes is included
in Annex A.

Details of how to apply to the scheme are published in The Beacon
Council Scheme: Application Brochure 2002 available today. The
closing date for applications is Thursday 26 September 2002.

Beacon status will be awarded to authorities that represent the
diversity of local government - urban and rural, unitary and
two-tier, and from different parts of the country. Joint
applications - from councils working in partnership - are encouraged.
As far as possible, Ministers intend to award Beacon status evenly
across the ten themes.

Successful applicants will be announced in April 2003, with the
successful Round Four Beacons holding their status from April 2003 to
June 2004.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

1. Copies of 'The Beacon Council Scheme: How to Apply 2000' are
available from:

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Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Website: http://www.odpm.gov.uk

ANNEX A - Beacon Council themes for Round Four

- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Untreated child and
adolescent mental health problems can cause severe amounts of
distress for individuals and their carers. Subsequent pressures may
also place demands on social services, schools and juvenile justice
resources. With joint working across social services, health and
education to identify and address problems as they arise, these
pressures can be kept to a minimum in the long-term.

- Community Cohesion Community cohesion lies at the heart of safe
and strong communities. It is achieved when diverse communities
within a local area share a common vision for the area, reflecting
both shared values and a respect for diversity. Local authorities
have a key role to play in fostering community cohesion - ensuring
that there is a true celebration of diversity, tackling
inequalities between different groups to build real equality of
opportunity, overcoming the fragmentation of communities and
building strong and positive relationships between people from
different backgrounds.

- Quality of the Built Environment Well-designed buildings and
attractive, safe streets and public spaces contribute positive
social, economic and environmental benefits, which in turn help to
improve the quality of life of local people. By investing in high
quality public buildings and spaces, good administration of the
planning system and adopting an investment and management strategy,
councils can contribute significantly to the quality of their built
environment.

- Removing Barriers to Work Following the success of New Deal, its
principles have now been extended to a much wider group of people who
face particular barriers to work, including ethnic minorities, the
over fifties and people from disadvantaged areas. Councils with a
joined-up approach to regeneration, infrastructure, transport and
welfare to work programmes will tackle worklessness and disadvantage
effectively.

- Rethinking Construction
Adopting Rethinking Construction provides local authorities with the
ideal opportunity to achieve best value in construction procurement.
That means delivering both capital and revenue works at lower cost,
and on time with fewer defects. It is critically important to get the
process of construction right, so that the end product offers value
for money and enhances the quality of local authority service
provision to their communities.

- Social Inclusion through ICT

The Information Age is changing how we work, learn, spend leisure
time, access information and interact with one another. However,
there remains a digital divide, which particularly affects people
living in less socially advantaged communities. Councils in both
urban and rural areas can help close the digital divide by working
with partners and customers to expand access to and use of ICT
facilities and services.

- Street and Highway Works Taking into account Best Value, the Code
of Practice for Maintenance Management and local transport needs,
local authorities need to keep disruption from maintenance of their
carriageways and footpaths, as well as work by utility companies, to
a minimum. It is also important to keep those affected such as local
residents, public transport users and businesses consulted and
informed about what is happening in their area.

- Supporting the Rural Economy Local authorities have an important
role to play in responding to various challenges facing the rural
economy, including decaying infrastructure, reduced service
provision, and recently the impact of disease outbreaks. By working
with all sectors of the community to identify diversified business
opportunities such as in recreation, tourism and agri-business,
councils are in a position to mitigate the effects of adverse changes
while assisting positively the transition to new forms of income
generation.

- Tackling Homelessness
Local authorities have a vital part to play in tackling homelessness.
Homelessness, or the threat of homelessness, can have a serious
impact on people in the longer term. Local authorities must create
strong and innovative partnerships with the voluntary sector, housing
associations, homeless people (or those at risk of it), local
statutory agencies and the private sector to develop a more strategic
approach to tackling homelessness which tackles the causes as well as
addressing the symptoms.

- Transforming Secondary Education Local education authorities,
with their local partners, have a significant role to play in
transforming secondary education. By promoting better quality
teaching, supporting good behaviour and discipline, and developing
greater choice, local education authorities can play a full part in
raising aspirations and standards in secondary education to the
highest possible levels.