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St. Helena (Celebrations)
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will represent Her Majesty's Government at the 500 Anniversary celebrations on the island of St. Helena. [44197]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Governor will represent Her Majesty's Government at the 500 anniversary celebrations on 21 May.
SCOTLAND
Stolen Equipment
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 698W, on stolen equipment, whether the laptop stolen from her Department was (a) new and unused and (b) used; and what was the nature of the data stored on it. [42637]
Mrs. Liddell: The laptop stolen from my Department was used and it contained non-classified information relating to the work of the Department.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Civil Servants
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in her Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 and over. [36497]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 February 2002]: The information is set out in the following table.
| Entrants | Aged 50 years and over | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 22 | 1 |
| 1998–99 | 16 | 3 |
| 1999–2000 | 35 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | 27 | 2 |
| 2001–02 | 34 | 1 |
20 Mar 2002 : Column 388W
Hyde Park
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the paying concerts and other events planned for (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 in Hyde Park are contractually committed. [37880]
Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1531–32W.
Export Bars
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much money has been spent by (a) her Department and (b) other Government Departments for the purpose of preventing an item being exported, following the placing of an export bar, since 1997; [39409]
- (2) for each item that has had an export bar placed on it by the Department since 1997, how long the export bar has remained in place and how many of these items were (a) allowed to remain in the country indefinitely and (b) eventually exported; [39408]
(3) how many export bars have been carried out by her Department for each year since 1997; and if she will list the items and their value. [39407]
Dr. Howells: The information requested is also contained in the last five annual reports of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses. Information relating to cases considered in the current committee year (from 1 July 2001 onwards) will be available after the year ends on 30 June 2002, in the annual report for that period.
There have been 71 temporary export bars since 1997. Details of the items and their value are provided in the first three columns of the table that has been placed in the Library.
Information the length of temporary export bars and the issue of export licences is set out in the fourth, fifth and sixth columns of the table. Temporary export bars usually take the form of a split period; the first to allow expressions of interest in purchasing the item to be made, and the second to allow the funds to be raised and the invoice paid. If there is no expression of interest by the end of the first period a licence is usually granted. If there is an expression of interest, then the deferral usually continues into the second period.
Items which have been under temporary export bar are usually purchased by UK institutions or private individuals, not by Government Departments. Decisions to purchase are usually made by the trustees of these institutions and they are often assisted by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and the Resource/Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund. Purchase information is shown in the final column of the table, and details of contributions made each year by grant-giving bodies can be found in Appendix G of the Reviewing Committee's annual reports.
Job Sharing
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department. [41052]
20 Mar 2002 : Column 389W
Dr. Howells: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a range of policies intended to help staff to better manage work-life balance, including support for part-time and job-share opportunities. All posts are open to those wishing to work part-time or job-share although there are currently no posts being filled on a job-share basis.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of the staff of her Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working. [42428]
Dr. Howells: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a range of policies intended to help staff to better manage work-life balance, including support for part-time, job-share and other flexible work patterns. All posts are open to those wishing to work part-time or job-share although there are currently no posts being filled on a job-share or term working basis.
New Millennium Experience Company
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if surplus funds have been returned by the New Millennium Experience Company to (a) English Partnerships and (b) other parts of Government. [41741]
Dr. Howells: (a) No. (b) No. Funding for the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has been provided by the Millennium Commission. NMEC is now in voluntary liquidation and a trust holding money that was available to NMEC has returned £883,000 to the commission, relating to expenditure that will not, now, be required. Of the additional £47 million set aside by the Millennium Commission for NMEC in September 2000, £25 million has not been required.
BBC
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the Government's policy is on the future relationship of the BBC with Ofcom. [39628]
Dr. Howells: The Government's policy on the BBC and OFCOM is set out in the White Paper "A New Future for Communications". Our aim, within the proposed three tiers of regulation, is to create a more level playing field for the BBC and the commercial public service broadcasters, while recognising the distinctive role of the BBC. At tier one (covering for example standards and subtitling but with impartiality requirements excepted) and tier two (measurable quotas, news in peak time) the BBC will be regulated by OFCOM alongside other public service broadcasters. At tier three, the Governors will continue to regulate the delivery of the BBC's remit, while the commercial public service broadcasters will be given greater freedom in the delivery of their remits.
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out the past and present party political affiliations of those members of the British Broadcasting Corporation whom the Government are responsible for appointing. [43951]
Dr. Howells: My Department does not collect details of the political affiliation of people appointed to public bodies.
20 Mar 2002 : Column 390W
Regulatory Impact Unit
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many members her Department employs in its Regulatory Impact Unit; and if she will make a statement. [42934]
Dr. Howells: In the Department, regulatory impact issues fall to the Policy, Innovation and Delivery Unit. The Unit currently has 6.5 full time posts.
Public-Private Partnerships (Consultants)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total external spending by her Department was on public private partnership consultants in each of the last four years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement. [43203]
Dr. Howells: My Department has only engaged PFI consultants, I therefore refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 985W.
Departmental Functions
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the functions of her Department that have been (a) market tested and (b) outsourced in each of the last five years, specifying the (i) money saving and (ii) percentage saving in each case. [42992]
Dr. Howells: The DCMS is a mainly policy Department and has few activities capable of being outsourced. Some support services functions are able to be outsourced and during the last five years the provision of facilities management services have been contracted out after competitive tendering. The facilities services budget in total amounts to 0.15 per cent. of the total departmental budget and 5 per cent. of the administration budget. The saving of £60,000 annually represents a 4 per cent. saving of the facilities services budget but has also brought unquantifiable quality savings and industrial know-how. No market testing has taken place.
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