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Public Relations (Expenditure)

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure was in his Department for the financial years (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99 and (d) 1999-2000, and what the planned expenditure and

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breakdown of expenditure for 2000-01 is on (i) public opinion research, (ii) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (iii) direct mail. [149268]

Mr. Rooker [holding answer 8 February 2001]: Full figures for 1996-97 are available only for the Department's Headquarters. These are Public Opinion Research £301,083,20, Advertising £3,691,169.64, Direct Mail £63,861.16.

A breakdown of expenditure for the years 1997-98 was given on 17 December 1998, Official Report, columns 718-19W.

A breakdown was given for the estimated spend for 1998-99. The breakdown of expenditure for the years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 is given as follows, as is the estimated spend for the year 2000-01.

For 1998-99 figures for the Benefits Agency were Public Opinion Research £83,703, Advertising, £29,738. Direct Mail £10,524.

The Contributions Agency transferred to the Inland Revenue in April 1999 and no figures are available.

Work done on behalf of the Child Support Agency is done by the Department's Headquarters and these figures are included in that breakdown.

For the War Pensions Agency figures are: Public Opinion Research £4,569, Advertising £1,400, Direct Mail £1,100.

For the Department Headquarters, which includes Communications Directorate and Analytical Services Directorate the figures are: Public Opinion Research £668,179, Advertising £4,617,945.81, Direct Mail £315,346.46.

For the year 1999-2000 for the Benefits Agency figures were: Public Opinion Research £207,440, Advertising £24,406, Direct Mail £98,332.

For the War Pensions Agency figures were: Public Opinion Research £2,388, Advertising £18,000, Direct Mail £1,200.

For the Department's Headquarters the figure was: Public Opinion Research £792,115.14, Advertising £2,756,705.70, Direct Mail £144,301.29.

The estimated spend for the year 2000-01 in the Benefits Agency is: Public Opinion Research £219,499, Advertising £11,502, Direct Mail Nil.

In the War Pensions Agency it is: Public Opinion Research £5,000, Advertising £23,500, Direct Mail £1,400.

In the Department's Headquarters the estimated spend is: Public Opinion Research £1,154,112, Advertising £11,336,000, Direct Mail £5,815,000.

Notes:

1. The term Advertising in my answer relates to TV, Radio and Newspaper advertising.

2. The estimated increase in spending on Advertising for the year 2000-01 takes into account the work being undertaken by the Department around the Minimum Income Guarantee uptake campaign, Pensions Education and anti-fraud activity.

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Maternity Benefits

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about extending maternity benefits. [149589]

Angela Eagle: We are improving maternity benefits as part of our drive to help women achieve a better balance between paid work and family life. Last year we extended Maternity Allowance (MA) to low-paid employed and self-employed working women and increased the rate of benefit for self-employed women. These improvements mean that around 16,000 low-paid working women will get MA for the first time and around 11,000 self-employed women will receive a higher rate of benefit.

On 7 December last year the Department of Trade and Industry published a consultation document "Work and Parents: Competitiveness or Choice" which sets out a wide range of options and invites views on what the priority measures are that will help working parents at the same time as helping business. The document contains options to extend maternity benefits, which include increasing the flat rate of maternity pay and extending the maternity pay period as well as improvements to parental leave.

The consultation period ends on 7 March 2001 and we will take account of the responses we receive when considering which options should be taken forward.

Child Poverty

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children in Yorkshire and Humberside were living under the official poverty line in each of the years (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (e) 2000. [149439]

Mr. Bayley: There is no official poverty line defined by the Government. Poverty and social exclusion are complex multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of people's lives--their income, health, housing, the quality of the environment, opportunities to work and to learn. There is no single measure which can capture the complex problems which need to be overcome.

The annual report, "Opportunity for all--one year on: making a difference" (Cm 4865) sets out and monitors the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Sports Council Funding

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total Sports Council funding was for (a) tennis, (b) swimming, (c) basketball, (d) netball, (e) football, (f) rugby union and (g) rugby league in England for each year since 1990. [149048]

Kate Hoey: The English Sports Council is collating this information and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible. I will place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

Art Works

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many, and what

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percentage of the total, works of art and artefacts in each of the national collections are in storage because of insufficient space to exhibit them. [149460]

Mr. Alan Howarth: DCMS does not hold all of this data centrally. We have therefore contacted the National Museums and Galleries to request the information for a reply to my hon. Friend. I will write to him as soon as this is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

Library and Leisure Services

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the levels of spending on (a) library services and (b) leisure services per head of population in (i) Staffordshire and (ii) each other county of England (1) in the current year and (2) in each of the last three years. [150018]

Mr. Alan Howarth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 February 2001, Official Report, columns 684-88W.

HEALTH

Contraception

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been commissioned of the safety of post-coital contraception with respect to girls aged (a) 12 years to 14 years and (b) 14 years to 16 years; and if he will make a statement. [146771]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 23 January 2001]: Once a young woman becomes fertile, the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care advise that there are no physiological reasons why emergency contraception should not be used if she is at risk of pregnancy because she has had unprotected sex.

The safety profile of EHC is believed to be similar in those under 16 years of age to those over 16. Emergency contraception has been used worldwide, including by women aged under 16, since the 1980s, and no major safety concerns have arisen.

Clinical trials for new drugs are not routinely conducted on young people under 16 unless there is a specific indication such as childhood leukaemia.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2001, Official Report, column 484W, what guidance he has given to schools regarding the potential liability of school staff who dispense emergency contraception to girls under the age of 16 years in the event of medical complications arising as a result of the emergency contraception. [150085]

Yvette Cooper: Emergency contraception in schools can be provided only by school nurses with a family planning background and specialised training to work under patient group directions. School nurses in maintained schools are employed by the National Health Service. Potential liability is covered by the arrangements of the NHS body concerned.

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Vaccinations (Barnsley and Doncaster)

Mr. Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in (a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster were vaccinated against (i) MMR and (ii) meningitis in (A) 1999 and (B) 2000. [147318]

Yvette Cooper: Information about the percentage of children immunised against measles, mumps and rubella by age 2 and by age 5 is contained in the Statistical Bulletin "NHS Immunisation Statistics, England: 1999-2000." A copy of the bulletin is in the Library and can also be found on the Department of Health website, www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0026.htm.

Information on uptake of meningitis C vaccine in all age groups immunised through the current programme is still being collected. This information will be published when it becomes available.

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