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Final Salary Pension Schemes

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning the change in the number of final salary pension schemes; and if he will make a statement. [76686]

Ruth Kelly: I receive representations on a wide range of pensions issues. We will publish a Green Paper on pensions later this year.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with employers about their plans to continue final salary pension schemes; what recent representations he has received concerning the abolition of final salary pension schemes by solvent employers; and what recent representations he has received concerning the possibility of companies becoming insolvent who access pension funds for purposes other than paying pensions. [76895]

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Ruth Kelly: I receive representations on a wide range of pensions matters. All such representations will be taken fully into consideration when we publish the Pensions Green Paper later in the year.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value of PFI and PPP schemes (a) completed and (b) signed are in (i) each of the regions of England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales. [75855]

Mr. Boateng: A region-by-region breakdown of the total capital value of English PFI and PPP projects, both signed and completed, will be published in a series of forthcoming Treasury publications, entitled ''Public Private Partnerships: helping to deliver public services''. One such booklet is being prepared for each English region. The booklets will be published shortly, and copies will be deposited in the Library.

The capital value of both signed and completed Scottish PFI projects, along with a departmental breakdown, is published by the Scottish Executive on their website. (The number of projects signed and completed is listed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pfi/facts—01.asp, while a department-by-department list is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pfi/project—list.xls.)

A list of Welsh PFI and PPP projects, both completed deals and deals in procurement, including capital values, is published by the National Assembly for Wales on their website. (This can be found at http://www.pfu.wales.gov.uk/scripts/pfilist.asp.)

Mrs. Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what targets have been set for the OGCbuying.solutions trading fund for 2002–03. [77535]

Mr. Boateng: I have set the following challenging targets for the trading fund for 2002–03:

i. The Agency will facilitate at least #8omillion value for money improvements for central civil government over the 2002–3 year.

ii. The Agency will continue to achieve levels of customer satisfaction above 90%.

iii. The Agency will generate 8% Return On Capital Employed.

iv. The Agency will reduce by 5% the ratio of internal costs over value for money improvements compared with the outturn for the same ratio in 2001–02.

A copy of the Agency's Business Plan for 2002 can be found on their website: http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Digital Radio and Television

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee if he will take steps to provide to hon. Members the facility of digital radio and television coverage from the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. [77030]

Mr. Fabricant: The special annunciator televisions on the Parliamentary video network have

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24 channels. The Information Committee reflects the views of hon. Members on how these channels should be used, and it considers individual representations. The radio and television programmes from which the selection can be made at reasonable cost are those transmitted by satellite to the London area. Channel 22 on the annunciator already carries the Welsh station S4C2. However, not all regional broadcasters make their local news programmes available by satellite, and the cost to the House of providing a specialised television landline link to regional television stations from Westminster would be prohibitive.

Catering Subsidy

Mr. Stunell: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what plans the Commission has to cap the subsidy for catering over the period of the Three Year Strategic Plan; [73759]

(2) what steps the Commission is planning to reduce the annual subsidy for catering set out on page 16 of the 24th Annual Report of the Commission. [73760]

Mr. Kirkwood [pursuant to his reply, 21 October 2002, c. 6W]: I should have made it clear that we expect the Finance and Services Committee's consideration to arise primarily in the context of the three-year financial plans. The Commission is still considering the Report of the Catering Committee.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Focus Group Research

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what use she and her Department has made of focus group research since June 2001; if she will identify for each research project the topics covered, the person or organisation carrying out the research, and the total cost; and if she will publish the research on her Department's website. [74988]

Dr. Howells: Since June 2001 my Department has made use of focus group research in 2 cases. In both cases the focus group research formed only one part of a larger project, but it is not possible to itemise this cost.

(1) A quantative survey into consumer attitudes into digital television made use of 3 focus groups including two groups exploring issues of concern to the blind/partially sighted viewers and deaf/hard of hearing viewers. The survey was conducted by MORI and the total cost was #32,547. The research is published in full at http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk.

(2) The Regional Data Framework project, which is aiming to identify data sources and methodologies for gathering information at both regional and national level in general support of policy development across the DCMS sectors, made use of a number of focus groups. The project is being carried out by a consortium of consultants lead by Positive Solutions and the total cost

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of the consultancy is #61,000. The findings from the Regional Data Framework project will be published on the Department's website http://www.culture.gov.uk in 2003.

Web Sites

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the web site links associated with her Department, including sites now

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dormant or closed, and indicating whether they are live, dormant or closed; what the start up costs were for each site listed; what the operating costs were in each year since start up for each site; which company hosted each site; what assessment takes place for each site; which company does the assessment; if she will place the assessment reports in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [75588]

Dr. Howells: The information is as follows

Website	URL	Status	Start-up cost	Running cost/year	Current ISP
Communications Bill	http://www.communicationsbill.gov.uk	Live	Zero
(in house)	*	UUNET
Communications White Paper	http://www.communicationswhitepaper.gov.uk	Dormant	#13,000	*	UUNET
Culture Online	http://www.cultureonline.gov.uk/	Live	#24,500	#2,000 01/02	UUNET
				#2,000 02/03	UUNET
DCMS (main site)	http://www.culture.gov.uk	Live	#81,134	*	UUNET
DCMS (lottery site)	http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk	Live	#60,000	*	UUNET
Digital Television	http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk	Live	Zero
(in house)	*	UUNET
Gambling Review**	http://www.gamblingreview.gov.uk	Live	Zero
(in house)	#200 01/02	BTIgnite
				#200 02/03	BTIgnite
Golden Jubilee**	http://www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk	Live	#200,000	#25,000 01/02	Globix
				#12,000 02/03	UUNET
Golden Jubilee Media Site	http://www.media.goldenjubilee.gov.uk	Dormant	Zero
(In house)	#12,000 1yr only	UUNET
Government Art Collection	http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/home/index.asp	Live	#30,500	*	UUNET

Notes:

* Running costs for these websites are covered under one contract at #51,000 per annum.

** Costs of the Golden Jubilee and Gambling Review websites were met by the Home Office and later transferred to DCMS.

No assessment has been made of sites by any company.

Sport England

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to appoint a new chairman of Sport England. [75196]

Mr. Caborn: We expect to appoint a new Chair of Sport England by the end of November.

Mr. Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the spending review for Sport England for the period 2003 to 2006 will be published; and if she will make a statement. [76572]

Mr. Caborn: An announcement will be made shortly.

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