17 Dec 2002 : Column 677W
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 17 December 2002
SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Deaths in Custody
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the report on deaths in custody which was consulted upon last year; and if he will make a statement. [86115]
The Solicitor-General: In May 2002 the Attorney General issued a consultation paper on the prosecution process in cases arising from a death in custody. During May and June he received many thoughtful responses, including the views expressed by those who attended a seminar which he held in May. The Attorney General had originally hoped to make a statement before the House rose in July, but was compelled to conclude that to do justice to this difficult exercise in the light of further developments following another case, the issues would need further work. He continues to be engaged on the project and expects to be able to publish a statement in the New Year.
Emergency Services (Hoax Calls)
Mr. Heath: To ask the Solicitor-General how many individuals suspected of hoax calls to the emergency services have been referred for prosecution to the Crown Prosecution Service since 22 November. [85176]
The Solicitor-General: Two individuals have been charged in relation to hoax calls made during the first fire fighters strike which began on 13 November 2002.
Since 22 November 2002, three individuals suspected of making hoax calls to the emergency services have been referred to the CPS by the police.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Rugby World Cup
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what representations she has received from the governing bodies of (a) Welsh and (b) Scottish Rugby Union in respect of the English Rugby Football Union's bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2007; [86930]
- (2) if she will make a statement on the English Rugby Football Union's bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2007; [86926]
(3) what assessment her Department has made of the likely (a) economic benefit to the United Kingdom and (b) benefit to amateur rugby of hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2007. [86928]
17 Dec 2002 : Column 678W
Mr. Caborn: This Department fully supports the English Rugby Union's very strong bid for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The RFU has already demonstrated its ability to host major events by providing first class facilities, organization and hospitality as co-host of the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cups.
To date this Department has not received any representations from the Welsh and Scottish Rugby Unions in respect of the bid.
It is anticipated that the UK would benefit from the additional tourism that this event would bring. The Rugby Football Union has commissioned an independent assessment of the potential economic impact of the 2007 Rugby World Cup from Bone Wells Associates. The assessment estimates that the tournament would bring approximately 175,400 visitors to the UK, spending approximately #100 per day over an average of 14 days. Hosting a major sporting event of this size would also provide UK companies with a number of opportunities for commercial sponsorship and investment. The Rugby Union is working on its own assessment of the economic impact of the 2007 World Cup and should make the results available after the final bids have been submitted on 15 January 2003.
The Rugby Football Union's bid document predicts that the 2007 Rugby World Cup will generate substantially enhanced income streams for investment in the development of grass roots rugby.
Sports Events (Hosting)
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department takes to ensure that all United Kingdom sport can benefit from the hosting of international sports events by an individual home nation. [86929]
Mr. Caborn: The sporting benefits of hosting major international sports events are not easily quantified. The economic benefit to the United Kingdom as a whole of individual Home Nations hosting such events is clear—not least, because spectators from overseas often combine their visits to events held in the Home Nations with visits to other areas and Nations of the UK.
It is also clear that the hosting of major events by individual Home Nations generates benefits in terms of sporting prestige to the whole of the UK. However, it is not clear how the Government could ensure that such benefits accrue directly to sport in other parts of the country.
Sports Governing Bodies (Financial Assistance)
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost has been to her Department of providing financial assistance to sports governing bodies preparing bids to host international championships since 1997. [86927]
Mr. Caborn: The provision of financial assistance to governing bodies for the preparation of bids for major international events is the responsibility of UK Sport or, in the case of the Football Association's bid for the 2006 World Cup, of Sport England.
17 Dec 2002 : Column 679W
No payments have been made by the Department to governing bodies to assist in the preparation of such bids since 1997. Direct bid-related expenditure by the Department in that period has consisted only of 20,000 to cover the travelling costs of the Prime Minister's Special Envoy in his work in support of the 2006 World Cup bid.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Visitor Centre
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the honourable Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will examine the case for locating a new parliamentary visitor centre outside the precincts of the Palace of Westminster. [87378]
Mr. Kirkwood: Yes. The House of Commons Commission has considered the feasibility study produced by the consultants Haley Sharpe, and has asked them to carry out further studies of possible sites off the Parliamentary Estate. In the New Year the Commission will consider these studies, together with the views of the Modernisation and Finance and Services Committees, the Domestic Committees, The Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association United Kingdom Branch, the Inter-Parliamentary Union British Group and individual hon. Members. A final decision would need to be agreed with the authorities of the House of Lords.
PRIME MINISTER
Lend-Lease (Second World War)
Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister how much debt arising out of the Second World War US/UK lend/lease programme remains outstanding; what recent discussions he has had with President Bush on this issue; whether he has sought its cancellation; and if he will make a statement. [87760]
The Prime Minister: The Government intends to meet its obligations under the 1945 Agreement by repaying the United States Government in full the amounts lent in 1945. Therefore no representation to the United States Government has been made.
17 Dec 2002 : Column 680W
For details of the loans, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Economic Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Dr Spink) on 28 February, Official Report, columns 1437–9W.
SCOTLAND
Spending Review
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list for her Department (a) those Comprehensive Spending Review 1998 targets that were outstanding at the time of the statement on the Comprehensive Spending Review 2002, (b) progress on such targets since then and (c) the expected date when targets not yet achieved will be met. [87700]
Mrs. Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999 and thus the department had no targets arising from the Comprehensive Spending Review 1998.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Civil Servants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil servants are employed by her Department; and how much money was spent by her Department in the last 12 months, broken down by local authority area. [87177]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on the location of civil servants is not available in the format requested, except at disproportionate cost. Information on the number of civil servants is provided in Table D of Civil Service statistics 2001, published in June 2002. Information on the breakdown of Departmental expenditure by local authority area is not available.
Public Appointments
Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many public appointments he has made, other than judicial appointments, since 1 June 2001. [85050]
Ms Rosie Winterton: 407 non-judicial Ministerial public appointments were made to the Lord Chancellor's non-departmental public bodies from 1 June 2001 to 31 October 2002. This figure includes re-appointments.
17 Dec 2002 : Column 681W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |