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Football
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations his Department has made to the European Commission regarding the rules allowing professional footballers from any EEA country to play football in any other EEA country. [112514]
Kate Hoey: My Department has made no recent representations to the European Commission on this subject.
New Public Bodies
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the new public bodies established by his Department since May 1997. [112665]
Mr. Chris Smith:
The annual Cabinet Office publication, "Public Bodies, provides information on a range of public bodies. The 1997 edition lists those public bodies in existence prior to May 1997. The 1999 edition lists those public bodies in existence at 1 April 1999. Copies
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of these publications have been placed in the Library of the House. Copies are also available on the Cabinet Office website (www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/quango).
Since 1 April 1999 my Department has established the following advisory non-departmental public bodies:
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many British Museum staff have been dismissed over the past 12 months; at what cost; and with what period of notice, in each case. [112380]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The answers are:
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Eight Regional Cultural Consortiums covering the following regions:
North West
North East
Yorkshire and Humberside
West Midlands
South West
East Midlands
South East
Eastern.
| Number of staff and their category | Reason for terminations | Period of notice | Total cost (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 aged 60+ who are being compulsorily retired | Museum reorganisation | 6 to 9 months | 48,529 |
| Nine aged between 50 and 60 who are taking early retirement but on a compulsory basis | Museum reorganisation | 6 months | (7)190,470 |
| 22 persons under 50 who are taking compulsory early severance | Museum reorganisation | 6 months | 1,035,510 |
| Three others | Performance or health grounds | 2--no notice | 0 |
| 1--13 weeks | 0 |
(7) Additionally these staff will be paid an annual compensation cost until they reach age 60. The total cost in the current year is £67,950. Over the next few years this annual sum will reduce as people reach age 60. The overall present value of this payment, at current money values, is estimated to be £455,360. There will also be other one-off costs estimated at £184,390 relating to pension preservation and the bringing forward of lump sums.
Notes:
1. All the compensating amounts shown in the table derive from Civil Service Pension Scheme standard terms and conditions.
2. The table does not include staff whose fixed-term contracts have not been renewed. These terminations do not carry a cost to the Museum.
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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of senior management salaries at the British Museum (a) is for the present year and (b) was for 1997. [112346]
| Year | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997 | 181,602 |
| 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 | 219,086 |
| 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 | 323,560 |
Notes:
1. We have used as the definition of "senior management" those earning above £59,000 per annum, the threshold we use in pay negotiations following Treasury guidance.
2. Variances between years are due to adjustments to individual salaries and also to changes, since 1 April 1999, to senior management structures in the Museum.
3. These amounts include the salary costs of a senior manager whose appointment is for the life of the Great Court project only.
4. The senior management team has been strengthened for the task of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the British Museum.
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Euro
Mr. Portillo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been spent to date by his Department and by bodies funded by his Department in connection with the National Changeover Plan; on what headings this money has been spent; and how much his Department plans to spend on implementing the plan over the next 12 months. [112138]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 29 February 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 1 March 2000, Official Report, column 233W.
Jorge Semprun Speech
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library an English translation of the speech by Jorge Semprun to the Weimar meeting on EU cultural and audio visual issues. [112386]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on 15 June 1999, Official Report, column 88W, and 6 July 1999, Official Report, column 458W. In those answers I outlined the informal discussions of the meeting in Weimar to which Jorge
3 Mar 2000 : Column: 433W
Semprun contributed. The text of his contribution was placed in the Library. Translations of the proceedings of informal Culture/Audiovisual Council meetings are not made: this would be prohibitively expensive.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many designers awarded contracts by the New Millennium Experience Company have received payments from the NMEC that were (a) greater than, (b) the same as and (c) less than the sum specified under the terms of their contract. [110916]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 21 February 2000]: Payments are being made in all cases according to contractual terms. Some invoices are the subject of normal issue resolution procedures.
Diplomatic Immunity
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which consultative committees of the European Communities confer diplomatic immunity on their members; what is the total number of diplomatic passports issued by them; and how many incidents involving such individuals have been covered by diplomatic immunity (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) across the EU and (c) further afield since the establishment of the bodies in each of the last five years. [112332]
Mr. Vaz: Members of consultative committees of the European Union, such as the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee have no diplomatic immunity. Therefore, no diplomatic passports have been issued to them and no diplomatic incidents have occurred involving such individuals in the UK, EU or further afield.
Albania
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Albania. [112108]
Mr. Vaz: The security situation in Albania continues to cause concern. After the civil unrest in 1997 there are still large caches of weapons throughout the country. Although the Government have had some success in recent months in tackling organised crime, armed gangs still operate in the north of the country and in the south on major routes from Greece.
We are helping the Albanian Government to build up the capacity of its police forces and currently have 20 British police officers serving there with the Western European Union's Multi-National Advisory Police Element. We are also providing support, bilaterally and through NATO, for the rebuilding and restructuring of the Albanian armed forces, as well as advice on the disposal of surplus munitions. Up-to-date information on the security situation as it affects travellers in Albania is provided in the FCO's travel advice.
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Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the planned (a) contents of, (b) contributors to, (c) target audience for, (d) means of distribution of and (e) print run of the booklet, "UK in Europe"; and if schools will receive copies of the booklet. [112371]
Mr. Vaz:
The FCO publication, "UK in Europe, a New Millennium", is intended as an introductory text to the subject of Britain's membership of the EU. Written by the FCO, it is targeted at the general public in the UK and overseas. Print runs and the means of distribution have yet to be finalised.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the accommodation costs of the Your Britain, Your Europe Roadshow; and to how many people, from which organisations, these costs were attributable. [112338]
Mr. Vaz:
The accommodation costs were £6,775.75. Over the week the costs were attributable to 19 people from two organisations: the FCO and Caribiner, the public relations company which helped organise the roadshow.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason his Minister for Europe travelled to Paris, as part of the Your Britain, Your Europe Roadshow, to conduct an interview with a UK radio station; and what was the cost of this visit. [112340]
Mr. Vaz:
I visited Paris to deliver a speech at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Council of Europe. I took the opportunity also to conduct a radio interview and to meet journalists at the Gare du Nord station to publicise the roadshow. The cost of the visit to Paris was £4,192.69. This covered the travel and accommodation costs of myself and accompanying FCO officials.
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