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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 29 January 2003
CABINET OFFICE
Entertainment
Mr. Laws : To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his estimate is of the total spending of his Department on entertainment in each year from 1994–95 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [92365]
Mr. Alexander: Details of my Department's spend on entertainment in each year from 1997–98 to 2001–02 can be found below.
| Entertainment expenditure | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 192 |
| 1998–99 | 170 |
| 1999–00 | 276 |
| 2000–01 | 277 |
| 2001–02 | 254 |
Information prior to 1997–98 is not held on the Department's accounting system and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
The estimated spend on entertainment in 2002–03 is £216,000.
External Consultancies
Mr. Laws : To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body spent on external consultancy in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [92226]
Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in another place to the noble Baroness Wilcox by Lord Macdonald on 27 November 2002, Official Report; column WA42.
Expenditure by the Cabinet Office on external consultants is estimated to be £9,493,000 for 2002–03. The figures for the Central Office of Information (COI), the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) and the only non-departmental public body sponsored by the Cabinet Office with such spend are as follows:
| COI | GCDA | Committee on standards in public life | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 66,395 | n/a | 0 |
| 1998–99 | 30,972 | n/a | 0 |
| 1999–2000 | 17,468 | 33,997 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 48,980 | 21,715 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 52,170 | 53,385 | 35,056 |
| 2002–03(1) | 18,886 | 58,000 | 7,400 |
(1) Estimated
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The figures for earlier years, and those for GCDA for 1997–98 and 1998–99, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Government Policy (Online Access)
Mr. Allen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to extend the opportunities for members of the public to contribute to the development of government policy by online scrutiny and discussion of proposed initiatives. [93387]
Mr. Alexander: The Government have recently consulted on e-democracy which included issues concerning online scrutiny. A report on the consultation, entitled "In the Service of Democracy: Your Response", along with individual responses, has been posted on the Government's e-democracy website, www.edemocracy.gov.uk.
The majority of the responses are supportive of the Government's efforts to develop an e-democracy policy although many important and serious issues were raised that will require detailed analysis and consideration.
We are very grateful to all those who took time to consider the issues raised in the consultation document and we will, of course, keep the House informed as policy is developed on e-democracy.
Heritage Assets
Mr. Laws : To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what sales of heritage assets and antique assets have been made by his Department since May 1997; if he will list such assets; and if he will estimate the total sales proceeds. [92366]
Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office has not sold any heritage assets and antique assets since May 1997.
Public Suggestions
Mr. Allen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to improve the analysis by Government Departments of suggestions from the general public. [93389]
Mr. Alexander: The Government are committed to making use of more diverse methods of involving the public and to engaging a broader range of people. The "Code of Practice on Written Consultation" provides guidance to Departments on written consultations with the public. To help policy-makers improve policy design through undertaking public involvement initiatives, the Cabinet Office has also published "Viewfinder: A Policy Maker's Guide to Public Involvement". Viewfinder is available on the Policy Hub Website www.policyhub.gov.uk. Viewfinder includes examples of good practice, features a wide range of involvement techniques (including e-consultation) and describes how effectively to plan public involvement activities,
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including analysis and evaluation. It informs policy-makers how to ensure that involvement includes different groups and individuals within society. It also addresses issues such as how to manage high volumes of responses and how to weight responses from different groups.
The Office of Public Services Reform in the Cabinet Office has developed five principles of good customer feedback to guide Departments in consulting on public services.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
2012 Olympics
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library the results of the opinion survey undertaken by ICM on behalf of UK Sport on a London bid for the 2012 Olympics. [93376]
Mr. Caborn: I will arrange for a copy of the full results of the ICM survey of public opinion on a London 2012 Olympic Bid to be placed in the Library.
A summary of the results of the survey were published by my Department and presented to the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport on 15 January. The full results were published by ICM on their website at www.icmresearch.co.uk on 16 January.
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the total expenditure by her Department on ministerial travel (a) in the UK and (b) abroad, in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if she will make a statement. [92466]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.
DEFENCE
Air Traffic Contract
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a risk assessment was made in the first assessment of the Nottingham Air Traffic (ATC) contract. [93693]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 28 January 2003]: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Wattisham air traffic contract. A risk assessment was included during the bid evaluation process for the first competition of the Wattisham air traffic contract, and that process identified areas of concern in all bids. The resulting contract with VT Aerospace (contract CS 4D/2017) was, however, terminated by mutual consent and the competition was re-run between the other bidders, leading to a contract with Serco (contract CS 4D/2027).
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Accommodation Blocks (Portland)
Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been received by his Department in exchange for the sale of the Hardy accommodation blocks at Portland. [93617]
Dr. Moonie: The freehold of the Hardy accommodation blocks at Portland were owned in part by the Ministry of Defence and in part by the Crown Estate. The sale was on the basis of a shared receipt pro rata of those freehold areas. The Ministry of Defence received £300,000 for its part of the accommodation blocks site.
Blood/Plasma
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 20 January (ref. 91885), what the expected requirements for blood and plasma are. [93594]
Dr. Moonie: I am withholding the information requested in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Challenger II
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the desertification of Challenger II tanks will be completed (a) before they are loaded for transport to the Gulf and (b) before they arrive in the Gulf; and if he will make a statement. [93937]
Mr. Ingram: The improvement in the performance of Challenger II tanks in desert conditions is achieved through the combined effect of a number of modifications. The first modification was completed prior to the tanks being loaded for transportation. The remaining modifications will be completed after they arrive in theatre.
Cluster Bombs
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if cluster bombs are part of the ordnance package on its way to the Gulf. [93938]
Mr. Ingram: I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption la of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to defence.
Depleted Uranium Munitions
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) British forces and (b) United States forces deployed to the Gulf have depleted uranium munitions available as part of their armoury. [91974]
Mr. Ingram: I can confirm that British Forces deployed to the Gulf will have depleted uranium munitions available as part of the armoury. The deployment of depleted uranium munitions by US Forces, is a matter for the US Government.
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