| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Vandalism
Mr. Baker: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement on the criteria applied by the Crown Prosecution Service in decisions on whether to prosecute for alleged crimes of vandalism. [127068]
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 618W
The Solicitor-General: As with any other offence, the Crown Prosecution Service is guided by the Code for Crown Prosecutors when deciding on whether a prosecution should be brought in relation to offences involving vandalism.
If the evidential test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors is satisfied on the facts of a particular case, consideration of the public interest factors set out in the Code will follow in the usual way.
If these tests are satisfied then offences resulting from vandalism are prosecuted primarily under the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Millennium Dome
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 6 June, Official Report, column 217W, on the Millennium Dome, what factors underlay the length of time taken by his Department to establish that it was impossible to provide any meaningful statistical breakdown of visitors by region. [125528]
Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) examined various ways of distilling the information requested in a format that would be meaningful. NMEC discovered, however, that given the wide range of ways in which visitors to the Dome are able to purchase admission tickets, it was not possible to provide any meaningful statistical breakdown of visitors by region.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what software systems are being used in selling or booking tickets to the Millennium Dome; [125530]
- (2) what proportion of ticket sales to the Millennium Dome has been purchased at (a) central sales points, (b) the Millennium Dome call centre and (c) other locations. [125531]
Janet Anderson: The following software systems are used to sell Dome admissions:
- Door sales--Enta;
- Dome ticket line and Dome trade line--Enta;
- National Lottery retailers--G-Tech (Camelot system with software changes to enable sale of Dome admission);
- National Express--NE reservations system via interface to Enta;
- Train Operating Companies--Tribute, Facets, Aptis;
- Overflow Call Centres--BOCS, WTS, classic TicketMaster;
- City Cruises--Enta, Haven;
- Web sales--bespoke web sales engine developed by Compaq.
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 619W
the above systems and are consolidated into a bespoke channels database from which consolidated sales reports are generated.
Ticket sales through central sales points to 19 June:
- Door sales--424,048 (15 per cent.);
- Dome ticket line, Dome trade line 1,552,884 (53 per cent.);
- Other locations (travel trade, Camelot etc.)--966,110 (32 per cent.).
Stonehenge
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about visitor activity at Stonehenge on 20 and 21 June. [127709]
Mr. Alan Howarth: Approximately 10,000 people peacefully celebrated the summer solstice at Stonehenge on 20 June this year. English Heritage, in close a positive liaison with Druid and pagan groups and the Wiltshire Constabulary, successfully implemented a policy of managed open access. The site was stewarded by over 70 English Heritage personnel, ably assisted by volunteer stewards from Druid and pagan groups, who were encouraged to self-steward. I am grateful to the police for their skilful and imaginative support, and I am pleased to report that there were no arrests or significant incidents. There was no camping at the site and the visitors willingly left by the agreed time of 07.30 the next morning, most taking their litter with them. Stonehenge reopened to the public at 09.00 on Wednesday 21 June.
Conference Facilities (London)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the desirability of additional conference facilities in central London. [127712]
Janet Anderson: The Government appreciate the value to London which would be associated with the development of a new international convention centre in the capital, particularly in terms of the additional business tourism which it would attract. In particular, Ministers have welcomed the work done by London's business organisations to explore the feasibility of the proposal and have taken an active interest in the campaign to find commercial developers.
Royal Palaces
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which royal palaces and other buildings occupied by members of the royal family are owned by the State. [127711]
Mr. Alan Howarth: None. The Occupied Royal Palaces are owned by The Sovereign on behalf of the nation. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is statutorily responsible for the maintenance of the English Palaces under the Crown Lands Act 1851. Property services for these palaces are funded by grant in aid to the Royal Household from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 620W
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Interactive Voice Response Systems
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by interactive voice response systems. [127118]
Mr. Foulkes: The Department for International Development has no interactive voice response systems that deal with telephone inquiries from the general public operational either within the Department or in use in any agencies thereof.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to her Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered (a) citing disproportionate cost, (b) stating that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested and (c) citing commercial or other confidentiality. [128019]
Mr. Foulkes: No parliamentary questions tabled to my Department, between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000, remain outstanding.
China Western Poverty Reduction Project
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the report of the Independent Inspection Panel commissioned by the World Bank on the China Western Poverty Reduction Project. [127578]
Mr. Foulkes: Britain supported this project in the Bank Board meeting in June 1999 because it would bring significant benefits to 1.7 million of the poorest people in China. We also supported the Board's conclusion that no funds would be disbursed on the Qinghai component of the project until an independent Inspection Panel had conducted an investigation, and pending further environmental and social assessments.
The report by the Independent Inspection Panel, and the Bank Management's response to it, will be discussed at a World Bank Board meeting in early July 2000. We will be looking very carefully at the conclusions of the Inspection Panel Report, and the Bank Management's response to it, in advance of the Bank Board meeting.
SCOTLAND
Correspondence
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will reply to the letter of 17 May from the Reverend David Pitkeathly of the Parish Church of St. Andrew, Peterhead. [128029]
Mr. Wilson: I replied to the Reverend David Pitkeathly's letter of 17 May on Friday 23 June.
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 621W
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Appointments Commission
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council if she will ensure that the proposed advertisements from the Appointments Commission soliciting applications for membership of the House of Lords are (a) placed in the Big Issue, (b) shown on TV and in cinemas and (c) broadcast on radio and the Commission's website. [128335]
Mrs. Beckett: This is a matter for the Commission.
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 622W
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council when she last met the Chair and the other members of the Appointments Commission. [128311]
Mrs. Beckett: I have never met them in their present capacity, nor would I expect to do so. I understand that my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Lords met the Chairman, Lord Stevenson, on 29 June as the last in his series of meetings with the party leaders in the other place.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council when the Appointments Commission will launch its website. [128336]
Mrs. Beckett: That is a matter for the Commission. However, I understand they expect to launch it later in the summer.
29 Jun 2000 : Column: 621W