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3 Nov 2003 : Column 507W—continued
Newspaper Advertising
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the expenditure of his Department and its predecessors was on newspaper advertising, broken down by title, in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made for 2003–04. [119167]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002.
The amount spent on press advertising since the creation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is tabled as follows. This press activity was part of the Fire Safety public information campaign during the industrial action by the fire fighters.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no estimates for press advertising for 2003–04.
| Title | Total 2002 | Total 2003 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Mail | 39,790 | 7,958 | 47,748 |
| Daily Mirror | 26,235 | 6,559 | 32,794 |
| Daily Star | 6,777 | 2,711 | 9,488 |
| Daily Telegraph | 42,270 | 10,567 | 52,837 |
| Guardian | 0 | 3,589 | 3,589 |
| Sun | 43,725 | 10,931 | 54,656 |
| Times | 6,601 | 6,601 | 13,201 |
| Independent | 12,960 | 2,592 | 15,552 |
| Standard | 2,886 | 0 | 2,886 |
| Daily Star Sunday | 2,711 | 2,711 | 5,422 |
| News of the World | 22,737 | 11,369 | 34,106 |
| Sunday Mirror | 12,418 | 6,209 | 18,627 |
| Independent Sunday | 0 | 2,592 | 2,592 |
| Total | 219,109 | 74,389 | 293,498 |
3 Nov 2003 : Column 508W
North-West Regional Assembly
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff are employed by the North West Regional Assembly. [135796]
Mr. Raynsford: The North West Regional Assembly is a voluntary body. The details of its employees is a matter for the Assembly.
Spatial Strategy (East Midlands)
Phil Sawford: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many responses have been received in respect of the East Midlands sub-regional spatial strategy from (a) county and district councils, (b) parish councils, (c) hon. Members, (d) health trusts, (e) individuals and (f) others. [135621]
Keith Hill: In total 1,624 responses on the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy have been recorded to date:
- (a) County and district councils—39 responses
(b) Parish and town councils—134 responses
(c) Hon. Members (MP/MEP)—6 responses
(d) Health trusts—5 responses
(e) Individuals—1,135 responses
(f) Others (Developers, Action Groups etc)—305 responses (includes 22 from Government agencies and statutory bodies).
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of increases in stamp duty land tax on his policy for urban and high street regeneration; and if he will make a statement. [135614]
Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have introduced disadvantaged areas relief which provides an exemption from stamp duty land tax for transactions in non-residential land in Enterprise Areas. There are 1,262 wards in England which qualify for this relief, representing the bottom 15 per cent. of the national index of deprivation. The measure provides a major boost to businesses investing in commercial premises in England.
3 Nov 2003 : Column 509W
Suffolk County Council
Mr. Spring: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 27 October 2003, ref. 134409, what representations he has received from Suffolk County Council regarding the local government finance settlement in the last 12 months. [135792]
Phil Hope: In the last 12 months officials received representations from Suffolk County Council on the 2003–04 provisional local government settlement and more recently on the balance of funding review.
Tenancy Deposit Scheme
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to reform the Tenancy Deposit Scheme to provide for the fast return of deposits to tenants by landlords; and if he will make a statement. [135588]
Keith Hill: Following disappointing take-up and having reached the end of Government powers to fund the voluntary pilot Tenancy Deposit Scheme, the Scheme is being wound up. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the lessons from this, and will wish to take into account the Law Commission's review of tenure legislation when it publishes its interim findings on 5 November. Officials will be holding a seminar in December to discuss the case for linking legislation for compulsory measures to the Law Commission's findings.
Wind Farms
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to issue new planning policy guidance on onshore wind farms. [136194]
Keith Hill: A draft of the new Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22) on renewable energy will be issued for public consultation shortly.
HEALTH
Food Supplements
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to press for maximum permitted levels for nutrients in supplements to be set at the upper safe level currently applicable in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [134739]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government's view is that the law should permit the sale of food supplements that are safe and properly labelled. The United Kingdom continues to argue for European Union maximum permitted limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements to be set on a safety basis.
The Government's position on specific EU proposals for maximum limits will be based on the upper safe levels and guidance levels recommended by the independent expert group on vitamins and minerals.
Radioactivity in Food and the Environment Report
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the Food Standards Agency report on "Radioactivity in Food and the Environment", 2002. [134073]
3 Nov 2003 : Column 510W
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency published the report on "Radioactivity in Food and the Environment" for 2002 on 29 October 2003. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
For the first time, this report will contain data from monitoring of radioactivity in food and the environment throughout the United Kingdom. The report is a collaboration between the FSA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Environment Agency and the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people in each health trust in England are registered as suffering from (a) AIDS and (b) other sexually transmitted diseases; and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last two years; [134478]
- (2) how many current recipients of NHS treatment for AIDS he estimates are not British citizens; [134479]
(3) what action he is taking to ensure that treatment provided to non-UK citizens for AIDS does not result in inferior levels of treatment for British citizens suffering from other sexually transmitted diseases. [134480]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answers 27 October 2003]: Data on HIV and AIDS for individual health trusts are not held centrally, although data are held by region. The table gives figures broken down according to English region for 2000 to 2002 (the latest available).
| AIDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region of residence | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside (2001) | n/a | 187 | 239 |
| North East (2001) | n/a | 78 | 94 |
| Northern and Yorkshire (pre 2001) | 182 | n/a | n/a |
| East Midlands (2001) | n/a | 187 | 249 |
| Trent (pre 2001) | 179 | n/a | n/a |
| West Midlands | 190 | 252 | 308 |
| North West | 439 | 502 | 548 |
| Eastern | 244 | 297 | 392 |
| London | 3,323 | 3,814 | 4,329 |
| South East | 524 | 627 | 725 |
| South West | 209 | 242 | 255 |
| England total(43) | 5,290 | 6,187 | 7,147 |
(42) Excludes asymptomatic HIV and symptomatic pre-AIDS.
(43) Includes patients whose region of residence not known.
Note:
Regional border and definition changes April 2001.
Source:
Health Protection Agency, survey of prevalent diagnosed HIV infections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (SOPHID).
Data on sexually transmitted infections for individual health trusts are not held centrally. The table provides data on all diagnosed infections at genito-urinary medicine clinics (excluding HIV and AIDS) according to English region for 2000 to 2002 (latest available).
Source:
Health Protection Agency.
3 Nov 2003 : Column 511W
Eligibility for free NHS hospital treatment is based on residency in the UK, not on nationality. Anyone who is ordinarily resident in this country is entitled to free treatment, except when there are statutory charges for services, such as prescription charges. Anyone who is not ordinarily resident in the UK may be charged for any hospital treatment they receive, unless exempt under the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989. Whether chargeable or not, no one receives preferential treatment for HIV/AIDS or any other health condition on the basis of their nationality, but are treated according to clinical need.
Data on the citizenship of people who receive NHS treatment for HIV/AIDS are not collected.
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