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Archaeology

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what rules are applied to people and organisations seeking to participate in archaeological work alongside major developments. [110838]

Dr. Howells: Planning permission for major development works is granted by the relevant local authority, and it is for local authority archaeological officers to ensure that any archaeological conditions attached to planning permission are met, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 16. A specification is submitted to the local authority before any archaeological work is approved, which would include the competence and experience of those undertaking the work.

The Government support the introduction of a voluntary code of conduct for archaeological investigations and English Heritage has already begun work to develop a voluntary code of conduct with Historic Scotland and Cadw.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from academic centres of archaeology about the expertise of the people and organisations carrying out archaeological work alongside major developments. [110839]

Dr. Howells: The Department has received no representations specifically on the expertise of people and organisations carrying out archaeological work

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alongside major developments, but is fully committed to maintaining high standards in the examination and recording of sites. The Government support the introduction of a voluntary code of conduct for archaeological investigations, and English Heritage has already begun work to develop a voluntary code of conduct with Historic Scotland and Cadw, which is being undertaken in consultation with all parts of the archaeological community.

Civil Service (People with Disabilities)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in the Department. [110531]

Dr. Howells: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has set a target to have 5 per cent. of senior posts filled by people with disabilities by March 2005. Data on disability is collected on the basis of voluntary self-classification. There are currently no staff filling senior posts who have declared a disability. Some specialist senior posts are advertised in open competition in order to provide a wider pool of diverse applicants. An initial disability survey resulted in an 80 per cent. response rate and the Department will shortly be carrying out a mop-up survey to further improve on this.

The Department participates in the Civil Service Bursary Scheme for People with Disabilities by offering senior mentors and by sponsoring those successful in securing a place on the scheme. The Department is also a member of the Cabinet Office Working Group on Disability. This year the Department will be hosting a number of graduate level work placements for people with disabilities, focusing its recruitment activity on attracting a wider pool of diverse applicants and running a number of awareness raising initiatives.

EU Committees

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the export of cultural goods, the number of times and the dates on which it has met since January 2002, the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, the decisions it has made since January 2002 and the means used to communicate these decisions to the House. [110502]

Mr. Caborn: The UK officials who have attended Advisory Committee on Cultural Goods (ACCG) are Hillary Bauer, Head of the Cultural Property Unit, Grade A (formerly Principal), Department for Culture Media and Sport and Anne-Marie Dryden, Policy Adviser, Band 7, (formerly Higher Executive Officer) HM Customs and Excise. ACCG has met twice since January 2002, on 4 July 2002 and 30 January 2003. The agenda items for both meetings are as below. The ACCG acts as an advisory body to the European Commission and therefore does not of itself make any final decisions.

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Agenda: 4 July 2002

1. Adoption of agenda;


2. Approval of the minutes of the 10th meeting;


3. Information on the accompanying documents or others used by the member states;


4. Interpretation of the term "collection";


5. Possible revision of the financial thresholds applicable to certain categories of cultural goods. Information on the result of the survey carried out with the member states;


6. Guidelines for administrative co-operation between the competent authorities. Presentation of the document drawn up by the Working Party;


7. Export authorisation form. Examination and possible approval of the new model adopted by the Working Party;


8. Explanatory notes of the export authorisation form. Examination and possible approval of the guide developed by the Working Party;


9. Information on the study undertaken on the traceability of cultural goods;


10. Any other business.

Agenda: 30 January 2003

1. Adoption of the agenda;


2. Approval of the minutes of the 11th meeting;


3. Interpretation of the term "collection";


4. Guidelines for administrative co-operation between the competent authorities;


5. Export authorisation form. Examination and possible approval of the new model adopted by the Working Party;


6. Explanatory notes of the export authorisation form. Examination and possible approval of the guide worked out by the Working Party;


7. Information on questions concerning Directive 93/7 EEC


8. Any other business.

Holidays in Britain

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support she is giving to the promotion of British food and drink within her campaign for Britons to holiday in Britain this year. [110748]

Dr. Howells: VisitBritain's new domestic marketing campaign 'Enjoy England' was launched on 23 April 2003. The campaign features aspects of England's core products centred on the four key themes of experience, discovery, exploration and relaxation. There are many references in the campaign's promotional material to regional food and drink products and events. The VisitEngland website provides a full listing of annual food and drink events and festivals and provides links to details of Farmers' Markets by county.

I also recently launched Visit Heart of England's Food and Drink Toolkit to further promote regional food and drink in the tourism sector.

Market Towns

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to preserve market towns. [110691]

Dr. Howells: It is fundamental to the Government's policies for environmental stewardship that there should be effective protection for all aspects of the historic environment, including market towns. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

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provides specific protection for buildings and areas of special architectural or historic interest. The Government is currently undertaking a review of heritage protection legislation to improve the effectiveness of the current designation system, and to approach the designation and management of the historic environment more holistically.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from heritage groups in the United Kingdom regarding the preservation of market towns. [110692]

Dr. Howells: The Department has received no representations specifically on the preservation of market towns, but is fully committed to ensuring that all aspects of the historic environment are both valued and protected effectively.

Television Licence (Deaf People)

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to introduce a television licence fee for deaf people. [110652]

Dr. Howells: The Government recognise the importance of access to television services for deaf people but believe this is best achieved by increasing the proportion of programmes that are subtitled and translated into sign language, rather than by introducing television licence fee concessions. There are already targets for subtitling on analogue and Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and for signing on DTT. The Communications Bill extends these requirements to digital cable and satellite broadcasters for the first time. Amendments to the BBC Agreement will require the Corporation to observe Ofcom's code relating to provision for deaf and visually impaired people.

TRANSPORT

Air Safety

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures (a) are in place and (b) are proposed to ensure passenger safety in terms of the efficiency of aircraft cabin air-conditioning and filter systems. [111038]

Mr. Jamieson: There are no Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requirements for airlines to fit air filtration systems to aircraft air-conditioning systems. However, most modern large airlines are fitted with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters as a matter of airline choice.

Where filters are fitted, the CAA requires that airlines have in place a maintenance programme that ensures that air conditioning filters are used and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and that, when specified by the aircraft manufacturer, these airlines implement a reliability programme that monitors system performance to ensure that it does not fall below the manufacturer's limits.

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