---

Car Parking

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many car park spaces are provided for his Department's (a) Ministers, (b) employees and (c) visitors in (i) London and (ii) the United Kingdom. [19370]

Mr. Field: The breakdown of car park spaces provided for Ministers, employees and visitors is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Department of Social Security Ministers are accommodated in Richmond House. Facilities in this building, including car parking, are provided by the Department of Health as the major civil service occupier.

The numbers of car park spaces provided within the Department of Social Security for all users are as follows:

	Number
In London	293
In the United Kingdom	10,945

8 Dec 1997 : Column: 475

Advertising Campaigns

Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the costs and media of advertising campaigns designed (a) to combat benefit fraud and (b) to encourage benefit take-up for the year 1996-97.[19237]

Mr. Field: The costs of advertising combat benefit fraud and to encourage benefit take-up for the year 1996-97 were £3.776 million and £3.991 million respectively.

Media used for advertising are as follows:

Media	Fraud	Take-up
National press	Yes	No
Local and regional press	Yes	Yes
Direct mail	Yes	Yes
Specialist press	No	Yes
Radio	Yes	Yes
Posters	Yes	Yes
Promotional events	No	Yes
Leaflets and alternative formats	Yes	Yes

Unclaimed Benefits

Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the value of unclaimed benefits for the year 1996-97 in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland. [19234]

Mr. Keith Bradley: Estimates for 1996-97 are not yet available. The total amount of unclaimed income-related benefits in Great Britain in 1995-96 is estimated as between £2.3 billion and £3.5 billion. The total amount of unclaimed benefit in Scotland in 1995-96 is estimated as between £200 million and £300 million.

Estimates relating to Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Source:

Family Resources Survey.

Notes:

1. Estimates relate to the four main income related benefits: Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Family Credit only. All take-up estimates exclude the self-employed as their entitlement to income-related benefits cannot readily be established from survey data.

2. Estimates for 1996-97 are not yet available.

3. The estimate for Scotland should be regarded as indicative only, as it is based on modest sample sizes.

CABINET OFFICE

Millennium Experience

28. Mr. Prior: To ask the Minister without Portfolio what estimate he has made of the entrance fee for the millennium experience. [18006]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company is actively considering a range of entrance fees and ticketing arrangements, with a view to ensuring that as many people as possible have the opportunity to visit the Experience at Greenwich.

8 Dec 1997 : Column: 476

29. Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Minister without Portfolio what steps are being taken to promote the Millennium Experience to visitors from overseas. [18007]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company is in detailed discussions with the domestic and overseas travel trade and journals. Initial promotion began at the World Travel Market in London last month. Detailed promotion will begin in Spring 1998, including a feature stand at the British Travel Trade fair in March.

The Millennium Experience will be featured in all relevant travel guides and programmes as a focal event in 2000. The NMEC will participate with British Incoming Tour Operators Association and other appropriate trade groups. The Millennium Experience will feature prominently in the British Tourist Authority's and the London Tourist Board's promotional and liaison programmes. The NMEC's ticketing strategy will recognise the importance of the travel trade to the Millennium Experience.

31. Mr. Fallon: To ask the Minister without Portfolio what is his policy on encouraging private sector contributions to the cost of the Millennium Experience.[18009]

Mr. Mandelson: My policy is, with the New Millennium Experience Company, to give every possible encouragement to the private sector to contribute to the cost of the Millennium Experience.

30. Ms Ward: To ask the Minister without Portfolio when he proposes to publish the names of the successful contractors, and their plans, for the exhibitions within the millennium dome. [18008]

Mr. Mandelson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) announced on 2 December that they had concluded contracts with the first 10 designers for the large-scale exhibition structures within the Millennium- Experience. They are Bentheim, Eva Jiricna Architects, HP:ICM LTD., Jasper Jacob Associates, Land Design Studio Ltd., Media Projects International, MUF Architects, Park Avenue, Spectrum, and Work. In association with the NMEC, sponsors and specialist advisers, these designers are now developing further the concepts for the Experience attractions. I have placed a copy of the NMEC'S press release in the Library of the House. Since that announcement the company has concluded a contract with Zaha M. Hadid.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister without Portfolio what will be the contents of the Millennium Dome. [18984]

Mr. Mandelson: [holding answer 4 December 1997]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) announced on 2 December that it had concluded contracts with the first 10 designers for the large-scale exhibition structures within the Millennium Experience. They are Bentheim, Eva Jiricna Architects, HP:ICM Ltd., Jasper Jacob Associates, Land Design Studio Ltd., Media Projects International, MUF Architects, Park Avenue, Spectrum, and Work. In association with the NMEC,

8 Dec 1997 : Column: 477

sponsors and specialist advisers, these designers are now developing further the concepts for the Experience attractions. I have placed a copy of the NMEC's press release in the Libraries of the House. Plans for a spectacular central experience that will be shared by all who visit the Dome are also well under way.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Official Hospitality

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the expenditure by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on official hospitality for (i) 1980-81, (ii) 1987-88, (iii) 1990-91, (iv) 1991-92, (v) 1992-93, (vi) 1993-94, (vii) 1994-95, (viii) 1995-96, (ix) 1996-97 and (x) 1 May to 30 September 1997, [15226]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 November 1997]: Expenditure on hospitality by Ministers and officials is shown in the table.

	MAFF
1980-81	n/a
1987-88	30,291
1990-91	54,420
1991-92	64,852
1992-93	72,986
1993-94	79,758
1994-95	64,092
1995-96	59,646
1996-97	70,104
1997-98 (May-September)	39,143

n/a = not available.

These figures do not include the expenditure by the Department's Agencies nor its non-departmental public bodies. Agencies will respond independently. The Department does not hold information about its NDPBs, and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Letter from Michael Finnigan to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on official hospitality within the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA).

FRCA is a new agency which came into being on 1 April 1997, and cannot, therefore show expenditure for financial years prior to 1997/98.

For the period 1 May 1997 to 30 September 1997 expenditure on official hospitality was £5,805. This figure includes costs of refreshments for meetings, which are not separately identifiable from hospitality.

Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:

As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning the level of expenditure on official hospitality for various periods has been passed to me for reply with regard to this Executive Agency.

8 Dec 1997 : Column: 478

The MHS was established as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 1 April 1995. It therefore does not have any information on expenditure on official hospitality prior to 1995.

I can advise you that the MHS spent the following sums, on an accruals basis on hospitality during the respective financial years:

Year	Expenditure (£)
1995-96	5,750
1996-97	13,011
1 April 1997-30 September 1997	4,697

Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure on official hospitality by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, for (i) 1980-81, (ii) 1987-88, (iii) 1990-91, (iv) 1991-92, (v) 1992-93, (vi) 1993-94, (vii) 1994-95, (viii) 1995-96, (ix) 1996-97 and (x) 1st May to 30th September 1997, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.

The Directorate was established as a Next Steps Agency on 2 April 1990 and did not maintain its own accounts until 1991/92. Since that date expenditure on official hospitality is as follows:

	£
1991-92	1,239
1993-94	1,035
1994-95	1,817
1995-96	123
1996-97	186
1 May 1997-30 September 1997	Nil

The figures shown for the years up to 1994-95 included the cost of lunches for industry liaison meetings and advisory groups which is now accounted for separately.

Letter from P. W. Greig-Smith to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:

In response to your Parliamentary Question on official hospitality, I have been asked to provide you with the relevant figures covering the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). These are as follows:

	£
1980-81	n/a
1987-88	n/a
1990-91	1,000
1991-92	645
1992-93	213
1993-94	1,645
1994-95	1,491
1995-96	1,292
1996-97	1,614
1997-98 April-September	1,026

n/a = not available.

Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), to your question concerning expenditure incurred by PSD on official hospitality.

8 Dec 1997 : Column: 479

The Directorate was launched as an Executive Agency on 1 April 1993. Figures prior to this date are not available. Expenditure from this date is set out below:

Year	£
1993-94	380
1994-95	422
1995-96	1,269
1996-97	1,609
1997-98 (May to September)	964

Letter from P. I. Stanley to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), to your question concerning expenditure on official hospitality

Expenditure prior to 1992, when CSL was first launched as an Agency, is included in Departmental Figures. The Agency was significantly enlarged and relaunched in 1994 and collocated to a new side between 1996 and the summer of 1997.

Expenditure on hospitality within CSL is shown below:

Year	£000
1992-93	4.2
1993-94	4.7
1994-95	12.5
1995-96	23.6
1996-97	9.4
1997-98 (May -September)	4.0

Expenditure on hospitality in 1995-96 includes the cost for the Visiting Group to CSL's Agriculture and Environment Directorate. The purpose of Visiting Group was to assess the quality and management of the science delivered by Directorate.

Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 8 December 1997:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on expenditure by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) on official hospitality.

The VLA was launched as an Agency on 1 October 1995 as a result of the merger between the Central Veterinary Laboratory, already an Agency since April 1990, and the Veterinary Investigation Service, which was formerly part of the State Veterinary Service.

Figures for expenditure on hospitality are as follows:

	£
1993-94	16,720
1994-95	12,076
1995-96	18,900
1996-97	27,152
May-September 1997	14,392

Figures prior to 1993-94 are included in MAFF figures.

Figures from 1996-97 include the Veterinary Investigation Service following the merge in 1995.

---