Press Release, 29 February 2000
NEW TSN - END OF CONSULTATION ON DRAFT ACTION PLANS
In November the Secretary of State initiated consultation on draft Action Plans produced as part of the New Targeting Social Need policy. Consultation ended yesterday. The policy aims to tackle the problems of poverty and exclusion by targeting Government’s efforts and resources towards the people, groups and areas which are most needy. Plans showing how Departments proposed to implement the policy were published for consultation in November and the Government has now taken delivery of comments and suggestions on these plans. Speaking today Peter Mandelson, MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said: "I am grateful to all the organisations and individuals who took the time to consider the draft New Targeting Social Need Action Plans and who have written to let us know their views. "We take consultation very seriously. That is why Departments hosted conferences and participated in seminars and meetings with interested organisations. The views of the public, their representatives and of statutory and voluntary organisations working in local communities are important - and can help us refine our plans. "We are encouraged by the number and variety of responses we have received to this consultation and by the range of thoughtful and important points that have been made. Since we published the Plans, the Departments have been restructured. The new Departments will study all of the submissions very carefully before reviewing the Action Plan objectives and targets. The Plans will be considered by Ministers - ideally Ministers in a restored devolved administration - before being published in final form. "We do not know how long suspension will continue - and we hope it will be a short time. However, I want to assure the people of Northern Ireland that we remain committed to the New Targeting Social Need policy and will ensure that work on it continues throughout the period of suspension." New Targeting Social Need is part of a wider equality agenda for making Northern Ireland a fairer, more just and more prosperous society. It featured in the Good Friday Agreement as a key socio-economic commitment. NOTES FOR EDITORS 1. New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) is a Government policy which aims to tackle social need and social exclusion by targeting efforts and available resources towards people, groups and areas in greatest social need. 2. It is not a spending programme in its own right - rather it is a principle which runs through relevant spending programmes across all Government Departments and the NIO. 3. New TSN has a particular focus on tackling the problems of unemployment and increasing employability; it is also concerned with tackling social need and inequalities in health, housing, education and other relevant policy areas. It includes Promoting Social Inclusion (PSI) through which Departments are working together and with social partners to identify and tackle causes of social exclusion. 4. Prior to devolution, Departments developed draft New TSN Action Plans showing how they proposed to implement New TSN over a three-year period. 5. With the agreement of Mr Mallon and Mr Trimble, Mr Mandelson published the draft Action Plans for consultation in Vision into Practice: the first New TSN Annual Report on November 26. consultation closed on February 28.
Further information about New TSN is available from:
New TSN Unit
Tel: 028 9052 3437
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