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Museum Staff
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people were employed in Britain's museums (a) in each of the past 20 years, (b) on 10 July 1997 and (c) on the most recent date available. [101312]
6 Dec 1999 : Column: 367W
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The most recent (1998) survey by the Digest of Museum Statistics (DOMUS) reports that 12,590 paid permanent staff (full-time equivalent), 2,775 paid temporary staff (full-time equivalent) and 25,506 volunteers were employed in 1,188 museums that responded to the survey. The 1997 DOMUS survey reported 11,245 paid permanent staff (full-time equivalent), 2,358 paid temporary staff (full-time equivalent) and 20,120 volunteers in 1,214 museums that responded to the survey. In July 1999 there were 1,761 museums with full or provisional registration. I am not aware of reliable or comparable figures that could be used to estimate the numbers over the previous 18 years.
Departmental Transport
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what motor mileage allowance rates his Department offers to (a) ministers and (b) civil servants using their own vehicles for official business; and what has been the cost of each in each of the last five years. [98714]
Mr. Murphy: Ministers travelling on official business may use a private car instead of an official car, and claim the mileage allowance in the same circumstances and on the same terms as civil servants in my Department, at the rates set out below:
Cars with engine capacity up to 1500cc is 35p per mile for the first 4,000 miles in a year, and 20p per mile thereafter in that year.
Cars with engine capacity between 1501cc-2000cc is 45p per mile for the first 4,000 miles in a year, and 25p per mile thereafter in that year.
Cars with engine capacity over 2000cc is 48p per mile for the first 4,000 miles in a year, and 32p per mile thereafter in that year.
A Public Transport Rate of 23.8p per mile is payable when a private car is used although there are more cost-effective modes of transport available.
Figures are not available before financial year 1996-97. For the years since then there may be an unidentified mix of expenditure, but as nearly as can be determined the costs of motor mileage for Ministers and civil servants have been as follows:
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on civil servants' transport in each of the last two years. [98713]
£
Ministers Civil Servants
For the Welsh Office
1996-97 9,555 293,792
1997-98 5,252 326,925
1998-99 9,424 389,408
1 April 1999-30 June 1999 1,006 112,269
For the Wales Office, following devolution
1 July 1999-20 November 1999 575 1,179
Mr. Murphy:
All travel undertaken by civil servants complies with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 1 December 1999, Official Report, column 256W.
6 Dec 1999 : Column: 368W
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on ministerial transport in each of the last two years. [98712]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
Ministers are required, under the terms of the 'Ministerial Code' and 'Travel by Ministers' to make efficient and cost effective travel arrangements. For information on spend on the Government Car Service, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 1 December 1999, Official Report, columns 255-256W.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the principal activities of his Department and its agencies which provide business for (a) Crown post offices and (b) other post offices; if he will assess whether the level of business generated in each case is likely to increase or decrease over the next five years; and which new areas of business for post offices are likely to be developed by his Department and its agencies over the same period. [99552]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
My Department uses the postal services for routine correspondence, but does not normally undertake any other activities which provide business for either Crown post offices or other post offices. It is not possible to assess whether levels of correspondence will either increase or decrease substantially over the next five years, and currently no specific new areas of business for post offices seem likely to be developed by my Department.
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of households in Wales were workless at the latest date for which figures are available. [98494]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
The Labour Force Survey (Spring 1999) estimated the percentage of households in Wales of which no-one was in employment at 22 per cent.--based on households with at least one person of working age.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the locations in Wales where consent has been given for genetically modified crop planting. [100898]
Mr. Hanson:
There were four applications to release Genetically Modified crops at sites in Wales in 1998, two at Whitehouse Farm, Newcastle, Monmouthshire and two at Great Cumberland Farm, Llanishen near Chepstow. Crops were sown at the former and harvested in September last year. At the other site, the farmer subsequently withdrew his application and no sowing took place.
Since then there have been no further applications in Wales.
Since May this year, applications for the release and marketing of GMOs in Wales are made to the National Assembly for Wales.
6 Dec 1999 : Column: 369W
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many research contracts have been let by his Department since May 1997; what is the value of each contract; and in each case whether the contract included (a) a departmental veto over publication of the research results, (b) departmental control over the date of publication of the research results and (c) a requirement that the final research results incorporate departmental amendments. [100158]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
The term "research" covers a wide range of activities from scientific and engineering research through to consultancies and public opinion surveys. The information requested is not held centrally by my Department, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what new initiatives he intends to introduce to reduce the amount of fraud in claiming social security payments. [101418]
Mr. Rooker:
We set out our strategy for combating fraud and reducing error in "Safeguarding Social Security", published on 23 March 1999. We are putting this strategy into practice with strong and sensible safeguards to ensure the right money goes to the right people. Among the new initiatives that carry this wish forward are the following:
6 Dec 1999 : Column: 370W
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) when he expects the Benefits Agency's Industrial Injuries Policy Group will offer guidance to the agency in respect of the aggregation of life gratuities once the seven year period has elapsed arising from the case law CI/522/93, CI/1698/97 and CI/4766/97; [101046]
Mr. Bayley:
We are considering the implications of Commissioners' decisions CI/522/93, CI/1698/98 and CI/4766/97 which are about the aggregation of disablement assessments for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit which have been compensated by life gratuities. Once we have considered the decisions, the Benefits Agency will issue guidance to District Offices.
New more robust powers for fraud inspectors in The Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill published on 1 December. These provisions give greater clarity and allow all benefit fraud investigations to proceed on the basis of common powers.
All payments will move to automated credit transfer (ACT) from 2003 as a modern, more secure and efficient method of paying benefits. This will virtually eliminate "instrument of payment" fraud and enhance security over the life of a claim. This is expected to yield annual fraud savings of around £140 million.
A regional radio campaign, from 1 November, costing some £500,000, with supporting adverts in local newspapers, to advertise the Benefit Fraud Hotline. This has led to thousands of extra calls to the Hotline.
(2) on how many occasions and over what period of time the Benefits Agency's Industrial Injuries Policy Group has discussed guidance to be offered to the agency arising from case law CI/1522/93, CI/1698/97 and CI/4766/97. [101047]
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