House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Apr 2003 (pt 28)

8 Apr 2003 : Column 225W—continued

UK Sport

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial contribution was given by UK Sport to the BBC seminar at Television Centre

8 Apr 2003 : Column 226W

on 25 March; what the outcome was of the seminar; when a report of the seminar will be published; and for what reason UK Sport funding was used for the seminar. [107702]

Mr. Caborn: UK Sport joined forces with the BBC to establish Sport Summit. The event aimed to gather a group of those responsible for leading sport at all levels within the United Kingdom to discuss the country's strategic approach to sport.

UK Sport contributed £60,000 towards the costs of staging the event, with the BBC contributing support in kind, by hosting the event and providing related programming across their radio and online platforms. Such events are in line with UK Sport's Royal Charter, which charges the organisation with developing cohesive strategies for furthering the interests and knowledge of sport in the United Kingdom. At present no formal report of the day has been envisaged, however, the day's proceedings were recorded and feedback forms have been received from a number of the delegates indicating wide spread support for the event. In addition UK Sport are intending to develop an action plan in conjunction with the BBC that will take forward the issues that were raised on the day.

Websites

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the (a) cost of and (b) number of visitors to each website operated by her Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which her Department is responsible in each year since its establishment. [107633]

Dr. Howells: The following websites are operated by DCMS. Visitor figures are only kept for one year.

The main DCMS website, www.culture.gov.uk received 365,305 unique visits and 5,920,848 page impressions between March 2002 and February 2003.

Website URL Start-up cost (£) Running cost/year (£)

Communications Bill http://www.communicationsbill.gov.uk ⁽²⁴⁾0 ⁽²⁵⁾—

Communications White Paper http://www.communicationswhitepaper.gov.uk 13,000 ⁽²⁵⁾—

Culture Online http://www.cultureonline.gov.uk/ 24,500 ⁽²⁶⁾2,000

⁽²⁷⁾2,000

DCMS (main site) http://www.culture.gov.uk 81,134 ⁽²⁵⁾—

DCMS(lottery site) http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk 60,000 ⁽²⁵⁾—

Digital Television http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk ⁽²⁴⁾0 ⁽²⁵⁾—

Gambling Review⁽²⁸⁾ http://www.gamblingreview.gov.uk ⁽²⁴⁾0 ⁽²⁶⁾200

⁽²⁷⁾200

Golden Jubilee⁽²⁸⁾ http://www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk 200,000 ⁽²⁶⁾25,000

⁽²⁷⁾12,000

Golden Jubilee Media Site http://www.media.goldenjubilee.gov.uk ⁽²⁴⁾0 ⁽²⁹⁾12,000

Government Art Collection http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/home/index.asp 30,500 ⁽²⁵⁾—

Website	URL	Start-up cost (£)	Running cost/year (£)
Communications Bill	http://www.communicationsbill.gov.uk	⁽²⁴⁾0	⁽²⁵⁾—
Communications White Paper	http://www.communicationswhitepaper.gov.uk	13,000	⁽²⁵⁾—
Culture Online	http://www.cultureonline.gov.uk/	24,500	⁽²⁶⁾2,000
⁽²⁷⁾2,000
DCMS (main site)	http://www.culture.gov.uk	81,134	⁽²⁵⁾—
DCMS(lottery site)	http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk	60,000	⁽²⁵⁾—
Digital Television	http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk	⁽²⁴⁾0	⁽²⁵⁾—
Gambling Review⁽²⁸⁾	http://www.gamblingreview.gov.uk	⁽²⁴⁾0	⁽²⁶⁾200
⁽²⁷⁾200
Golden Jubilee⁽²⁸⁾	http://www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk	200,000	⁽²⁶⁾25,000
⁽²⁷⁾12,000
Golden Jubilee Media Site	http://www.media.goldenjubilee.gov.uk	⁽²⁴⁾0	⁽²⁹⁾12,000
Government Art Collection	http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/home/index.asp	30,500	⁽²⁵⁾—

⁽²⁴⁾ In house.

⁽²⁵⁾ Running costs for these websites are covered under one contract at £51,000 per annum.

⁽²⁶⁾ 2001–02

⁽²⁷⁾ 2002–03

⁽²⁸⁾ Costs of the Golden Jubilee and Gambling Review websites were met by the Home Office and later transferred to DCMS.

⁽²⁹⁾ One year only.

Note:

DCMS has over 60 NDPBs and could not collate the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

Working Hours

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what policy on (a) core hours and (b) flexible working hours is operated by her Department and each agency and non-departmental public body for which her Department is responsible. [107607]

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Dr. Howells: The Department supports a range of flexible working options aimed at helping staff to achieve a better work/life balance including part-time working, job-share, compressed hours, term-time working, homeworking and flexible working. Core hours are currently between 10 am and 12 am and 2 pm and 4 pm, although these restrictions will shortly be removed as part of our commitment to offering staff even greater flexibility.

The Royal Parks Agency has a formal flexible policy with core times between 10 am and 12 am and 2 pm and 4 pm. We keep no central records of the flexible working policies operated by our non-departmental public bodies and it would incur disproportionate cost to collect this data.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Castlereagh Police Station

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress with investigations into the break-in at Castlereagh police station last year. [107688]

Jane Kennedy: The investigation into the break-in at Castlereagh continues. A formal direction regarding the extradition of one suspect is awaited as part of the investigation. Other aspects of the inquiry to identify those responsible and bring them to justice are in progress.

Victims

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding bodies have responsibility for allocating funds to groups and organisations dealing with victims' issues; how much each such body has allocated to victims' groups in the current year; and which victims' groups have benefited. [106241]

Mr. Paul Murphy: To answer this question will require substantial research. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as the information is available.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from groups and organisations dealing with victims' issues about levels of funding. [106242]

Mr. Paul Murphy: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Des Browne, meets regularly with victims' groups and funding is frequently one of the many issues raised. I continue to make the case for more money for victims initiatives, and groups' representations and the work they do will be taken into account in allocating any further funding that may become available. Equally, I must take account of the fact that many victims do not align themselves with victims' groups.

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take measures to streamline the procedures whereby victims' support groups apply for and obtain government funding. [106354]

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Mr. Paul Murphy: Government have taken measures to streamline procedures for victims' groups applying for funding.

The criteria for the Core Funding Scheme 2003–05 were based on the findings and recommendations of an independent evaluation of the previous scheme and on consultation with victims' groups. The Scheme was also subject to an Equality Impact Assessment. Victims' groups welcomed the consultations and were positive about the final shape of the new scheme.

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if it is his policy in his dealings with victims' support groups to distinguish between (a) groups supporting victims of the Troubles and (b) groups related to terrorist organisations or individuals with terrorist backgrounds. [106355]

Mr. Paul Murphy: Government do not operate a hierarchy of victims. It is not possible to differentiate grief or hurt according to who or what a person is. We look at need and not cause.

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been provided (a) by the Government and (b) by the European Union for (i) victims' support groups and (ii) support groups closely related to terrorist organisations or individuals with terrorist backgrounds in the last five years. [106356]

Mr. Paul Murphy: To answer this question will require substantial research. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 31 March 2003, Official Report, column 586W, on benefits, if he will set out the estimates that his Department had made for planning purposes prior to issuing invitation letters. [107091]

Malcolm Wicks: According to our customer research, 85 per cent. of our customers have access to a suitable bank/building society account. We expect the vast majority of these customers will opt for payment to be made into their existing account.

Of the 15 per cent. of customers who currently do not have a suitable account we believe some will opt to open a current account, some will open a basic bank account and some will open a Post Office card account.

We have always recognised that there will be some customers for whom Direct Payment is not an option. We are currently exploring alternative ways in which these customers could receive their money.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) central and (b) local government of administering council tax benefit in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [102866]

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Malcolm Wicks: Central Government's subsidy to local authorities for the administration of council tax benefit during 2000–01 amounted to £155.1 million. Of this sum, £74.2 million was funded by this Department using a formula agreed with the Local Authority Associations, and based mainly on the size of the council tax benefit caseloads, with additional elements for accommodation and staffing costs.

The remaining £80.9 million was funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Executive through the Revenue Support Grant (Grant Aided Expenditure in Scotland) within their local government finance settlements.

Reported expenditure by local authorities amounted to £229.9 million. Local authorities account for their expenditure in very different ways. For example some will provide a cost net of additional grants from the Department. Because the data reported by authorities do not reflect a uniform accounting standard across authorities, reported expenditure across all authorities may not be directly comparable with the grants paid figures.

From 2003–04, administration subsidy for both housing benefit and council tax benefit will be funded entirely by this Department as one direct grant to local authorities.

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000.

2. Reported local authority expenditure figures are subject to revision by local authorities.

Sources:

Administration subsidy figures

1. Social Security Income Related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Amendment Orders 2000.

2. ODPM Revenue Support Grant Settlement 2000–01.

3. Welsh Authorities—included within Revenue Support Grant Settlement 2000–01.

4. Scottish authorities; 'Grant Aided Expenditure 2000–01'.

Local authority expenditure figures

1. English authorities—reports to the ODPM, and its predecessors/using form RO4.

2. Welsh authorities—reports to the Welsh Assembly using form RO4.

3. Scottish authorities—reports to the Scottish Executive using Local Financial Return LFR9.

4. Figures are subject to revision by local authorities.

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