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28 Jan 2004 : Column 408W—continued

Sunset Clauses

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997. [149326]

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Mr. Alexander: No legislation introduced by my department during the period in question has contained sunset clauses. The Cabinet Office promotes the better regulation agenda and the use of sunsetting where appropriate. The Regulatory Impact Assessment(RIA) guidance 'Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment' advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development and gives specific circumstances where sunsetting may be appropriate. In November 2003 we published web-based RIA guidance which contains additional examples of sunsetting.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Audio-described Services

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to increase the availability of audio-described services on digital cable television. [151115]

Estelle Morris: Digital cable television has a requirement to carry the audio description service, in the same way that we expect digital satellite and digital terrestrial television to carry this service.

There are technical problems surrounding provision of audio description on cable. It is for the cable operators to resolve these issues. However, DCMS officials have been working with manufacturers, broadcasters, software/applications providers and consumer groups as part of the Digital Television Action Plan to ensure that audio description can be received on all platforms.

BBC Charter Review

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to meet representatives from the BBC in Northern Ireland in relation to the BBC Charter Review. [151331]

Tessa Jowell: I and my ministerial colleagues intend to undertake a number of visits around the UK, including to Northern Ireland as part of the consultation on the review of the BBC's Charter. Those visits are likely to include seminars with representatives of the industry, including the BBC.

In addition, Charter review more generally will cover all aspects of the BBC's role, structure and function, including its regional organisation. I hope and expect that the BBC will engage fully with the review.

Digital Television (Access)

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress in developing access to digital television for users with (a) sensory disabilities and (b) other special needs. [151116]

Estelle Morris: The Communications Act 2003 introduced a number of provisions aimed at increasing access to digital television services. These include extending the targets for subtitling, audio description and signing of services to digital cable and satellite

28 Jan 2004 : Column 410W

broadcasters for the first time. Ofcom also has a duty to encourage the availability of easily usable domestic electronic communications apparatus.

The Digital Television Action Plan includes actions to ensure that digital television equipment and services are accessible to the broadest range of people.

The Action Plan's Technical Equipment Group (comprising manufacturers, broadcasters, software/applications providers and consumer groups) has been tasked to investigate the reception equipment requirements for users with sensory disabilities and to recommend actions to help promote usability and inclusive design for all.

Two recent reports have indicated that some advances have been made in access to services for sensory impaired people, but action is needed to promote their further development and that current designs make digital television equipment more difficult to use than analogue.

Clearly there are still challenges ahead and we are looking closely at the findings and recommendations of the reports. We will continue to work within the Action Plan, with industry and consumer organisations to address these issues.

The reports are available on: www.digitaltelevision. gov.uk

Management Consultants

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost to her Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. [148030]

Mr. Caborn: The cost to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of using Management Consultants in each of the last five years can be found in the following table.

	Cost (£)
1998–99	27,289.12
1999–2000	71,106.30
2000–01	100,089.26
2001–02	90,407.30
2002–03	107,299.50

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Civil Servants

Dr. Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much space, expressed in square metres, the Department occupies for the offices of civil servants in (a) central London and (b) Greater London. [150272]

Mr. Lammy: The Department for Constitutional Affairs occupies 64,716 square metres of office space in central London and none in Greater London.

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Information Technology

Mr. Allan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what cost savings have been made in the Department since the introduction of the Information Technology Procurement Centre of Excellence; and how these were calculated. [151052]

Mr. Leslie: The majority of systems used within my Department are supplied under outsource agreements with Liberata, EDS and Fujitsu Systems. It is the suppliers' responsibility to monitor the use of these systems and associated equipment. Dependent upon the particular system being used, there are a number of measures taken to ensure proper use. These include:

access restrictions ensuring that only authorised personnel can use the systems;

controlled change management procedures for adding and removing hardware and software;

software auditing and restrictions to ensure unauthorised software/hardware either cannot be installed or that its use is identified; and

software monitoring tools to ensure that access and use of the web is monitored and audited.

Publicity Campaigns

Brian Cotter: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department has spent on (i) advertising and (ii) information campaigns in each year since its creation to 2003–04 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [149622]

Mr. Lammy: The information is listed in the table.

Only DCA Policy Group and two NDPBs have incurred expenditure on advertising and information campaigns.

£

Financial Year April to March 2004	Expenditure on advertising	Expenditure on information campaigns
DCAHQ Policy Group (including Public Guardianship Office and the Court Service)	207,000	46,000
DCA Non-departmental public bodies
Legal Services Commission	64,294	2,879
Office of the Information Commissioner	Nil	197,428
Total	(12)271,294	(13)246,307

⁽¹²⁾ It is estimated that a further £200,000 will be spent by DCA policy Group on advertising covering a recruiting campaign for the lay magistracy up to the end of March 2004.

⁽¹³⁾ The bulk of this figure covers on-going publicity for the Freedom of Information campaign and the provision of telephone advice lines and maintenance of the Just Ask website by the Legal Services Commission.

WALES

Civil Contingencies Bill

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary on funding to implement in Wales the provisions of the Civil Contingencies Bill. [149444]

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Mr. Hain: I have regular meetings with the First Minister to discuss funding for a range of issues including this one.

Civil Servants

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Office is responsible; and what the figures were in January 1997. [150264]

Mr. Touhig: This Department was established on 1 July 1999 and has no agencies. The table shows the number of staff-in-post as at 1 October 2003.

Staff-in-post as at 1 October 2003

Responsibility level	Number
SCS	1
Grade 6	5
Grade 7	2
Senior Executive Officer	1
Higher Executive Officer	15
Executive Officer	14
Administrative Officer	10
Administrative Assistant	1
Total non-industrial staff	49

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