---

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Sunset Clauses

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Bills introduced by her Department in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans she has for the future use of such clauses. [49624]

Dr. Howells: The Department has introduced five bills in the last five years (National Heritage Act 1997, National Lottery Act 1998, Royal Parks (Trading) Act 2000, Television Licences (Disclosure of Information) Act 2000 and the Culture and Recreation Bill introduced in 2001). None of these contained any sunset clauses. Decisions on the future use of such clauses will be made on a case-by-case basis and will be communicated to the House in the usual way.

Departmental Report

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the 2002 departmental report will be published. [49579]

Dr. Howells: The departmental report for 2002 will be published by the end of May.

New Deal

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible under the new deal for young people in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers allowance or other benefits. [49605]

Dr. Howells: This information is not held by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Overtime Payments

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on overtime payments for staff in her Department. [49115]

Dr. Howells: Overtime in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport can be authorised for staff working in excess of their conditioned hours. This is in line with the

16 Apr 2002 : Column 834W

Civil Service Management Code. Conditions and rates are published internally and depend on grade and the hours worked.

Yeoman Warders

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to include the Yeoman Warders, extraordinary bodyguard of the Sovereign, in the group eligible for award of the Queen's Golden Jubilee medal; and if she will make a statement. [48759]

Tessa Jowell: The services receiving the commemorative medal are the armed forces and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the "999" emergency services. Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London do not fall within these categories and are therefore ineligible for the medal.

Museum of Science and Industry

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received concerning the funding at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. [48736]

Dr. Howells: My Department has recently received representations about funding for an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester to showcase the objects used in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games in July. I am pleased that my Department has been able to provide financial support to enable this exhibition to take place.

Tourism

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to assist the domestic tourism market to become more competitive. [49693]

Dr. Howells: The Government are committed to improving the competitiveness of the domestic tourism market through an agenda of modernisation and long term strategic reform. The Government are working closely with key industry partners to achieve more consistent high standards and better value for money across the tourism industry.

Modernisation and reform will focus on raising the quality of the domestic product; improving skills and training; increasing the quality and quantity of tourism data and research; promoting the development of e-tourism; and providing stronger co-ordination of the promotion and marketing of England's tourist assets.

Baseline funding for English tourism will rise from £10 million in 2001–02 to £12 million this year and campaigns such as "Your Countryside, You're Welcome" will also support our tourism industry during 2002.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to assist the tourism industry in Essex. [49691]

Dr. Howells: The Government are committed to the modernisation and reform of the tourism industry and this will have a beneficial effect on tourism across the country, including Essex.

16 Apr 2002 : Column 835W

The East of England Tourist Board (EETB) received funding of £550,400 in 2001–02 to support tourism in the region. The figure for 2002–03 has yet to be agreed. During 2001–02 the EETB also received additional funding of £425,000 from the East of England Development Agency and £180,000 from the English Tourism Council in response to the foot and mouth outbreak.

Furthermore, Essex county council will be spending £100,000 this year promoting Essex as a tourism destination and has recently collaborated with both the Countryside Agency, and Tastes of Anglia, to provide support for a spring campaign this year. The tourism industry in Essex also benefits from national tourism strategies, such as the "Your Countryside, You're Welcome" campaign, aimed at attracting visitors back to the English countryside.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of United Kingdom jobs are dependent on the tourism industry. [49692]

Dr. Howells: The latest figure available for tourism- related industries is 2.1 million (September 2001). This equates to 7 per cent. of all employment in Great Britain. We do not have estimates for UK employment because Northern Ireland do their employment surveys separately.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what have been the total salary costs of each of the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible in each of the last five years. [50307]

Dr. Howells: This information can be found in each non-departmental public body's annual accounts. Copies of which are available from the Library of the House.

European City of Culture 2008

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will announce Britain's choice for European City of Culture 2008; and if she will make a statement. [49998]

Dr. Howells: It is hoped that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will, in consultation with colleagues and the devolved administrations, make her recommendation to the Prime Minister towards the end of Spring 2003 having considered a report by an independent advisory panel. The Prime Minister will then make a nomination to the European Union. The European Union will ratify the United Kingdom's nomination during 2004.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reason members of the PSNI are deployed in Kosovo; and when it is planned to return them to police duties in Northern Ireland. [34859]

Jane Kennedy: The Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO), through the NIO, sought, as part of a UK wide contribution, a commitment by the RUC to the UN Mission in Kosovo. PSNI officers are deployed in Kosovo

16 Apr 2002 : Column 836W

to assist in the restoration of normality, and law and order, by maintaining civil laws and orders, advising and assisting the Kosovo force in maintenance of public security and order and protecting and promoting human rights.

The current deployment of PSNI officers are due to complete their attachment in either May or November 2002.

There are no plans at present to discontinue PSNI deployments to UN peacekeeping missions.

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what proportion of employees of the PSNI were off sick on average on each day in the last month for which figures are available; and how many and what proportion of those were (a) absent on self-certification or without authorisation, (b) on sick leave of less than a week, (c) on sick leave of more than one week and less than one month, (d) on sick leave of more than one month and (e) on leave as a result of injuries sustained while on duty. [41237]

Jane Kennedy: The following table details the average sickness figures for the month of February 2002 for police officers and civilian support staff of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

February 2002	Police officers	Support staff
Average total staff	9,445	3,439
Average of total number on sick absence	1,032	258
Average total percentage on sick absence	10.93	7.51
Average number 1–6 days	(4)145	(5)42
Average percentage sick 1–6 days	14.05	16.28
Average number 7–27 days	184	63
Average percentage 7–27 days	17.83	24.42
Average number sick greater than 27 days	703	153
Average percentage sick greater than 27 days	68.12	59.30
Average number sick per injury on duty	318	3
Average percentage sick per injury on duty	30.81	1.16

⁽⁴⁾ Includes 85 self certified

⁽⁵⁾ Includes 31 self certified

---