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Information and Communication Technology

Mr. Simon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his budget is for staff training in information and communication technology in this financial year. [173720]

Yvette Cooper: Basic information and communication technology (ICT) training is given to all staff of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Specific supplementary courses of training are available depending on the needs of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and those of individual members of staff.

Each business unit is responsible for its training budget, and the information technology (IT) element is not identified separately.

Mr. Simon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his targets are for improving the information and communication technology (ICT) skills base of staff within (a) his Department and (b) its agencies; and what method he uses to certify the competence levels achieved by staff receiving training in ICT. [173721]

Yvette Cooper: To improve specialist skills and capability in information and communication technology (ICT), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is establishing an e-Implementers Group to promote and disseminate and develop best practice to staff working on ICT and e-Business projects. We will also start piloting the European Computer Driving Licence in June 2004. This is an internationally recognised qualification that enables people to demonstrate their computer skills.

The improvement of ICT skills forms part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Ministers Development and Training Strategy, providing the skills, knowledge and competencies needed for particular roles. This process is managed and monitored through the Performance Management process.
 
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Local Authority Planning Enforcement Officers

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether local authority planning enforcement officers have sufficient (a) manpower resources and (b) funding adequately to control developers to ensure that the residents of communities are not put at risk by the acts or omissions of developers. [175880]

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not made such an assessment. We have, however, received a number of responses to our consultation on the review of the Planning Enforcement system expressing the view that local authorities do not put sufficient resources into enforcement. We are making £350 million of additional funding available to local planning authorities through the planning delivery grant. The grant is not ring-fenced and local planning authorities may use it to make staff and financial resources available for planning enforcement.

Rail Freight Sites

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the proposed siting of rail freight interchanges and freight villages in St. Albans and Park Street village green belt areas. [175347]

Keith Hill: The Government have received no firm proposals concerning the siting of a rail freight interchange in St. Albans and Park Street village green belt areas. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that a developer is considering putting forward such a proposal, but it would be inappropriate to comment on the proposal at this stage as it may come before the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister for determination. Should such a proposal be brought forward it would need to go through the usual planning procedures relating to green belt areas.

Telecommunications Installations

Colin Burgon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he next intends to meet the Mobile Phone Operators Association to discuss the workings of their voluntary code in relation to the T-Mobile installation at Bardsey in the Elmet constituency. [174943]

Yvette Cooper: It would be inappropriate for any Minister in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss an individual planning case in any circumstances because of the appellate function of the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Staff

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years. [175367]

 
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Mr. Caborn: There have been no secondments to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or its Agency from the private or academic sectors in the last three years.

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people have left employment in her Department because of (a) anxiety, (b) stress, (c) depression and (d) other mental health reasons in each year since 1997. [175674]

Mr. Caborn: Records are not maintained by DCMS which enable the identification of the reason for leaving the Department to be broken down into anxiety, stress, depression and other mental health reasons.

DCMS has a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and guidance is available for all staff on how to manage stress effectively.

New Opportunities Fund

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Blackpool, North and Fleetwood in each year since 1997. [175888]

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Blackpool, North and Fleetwood are shown in the table.

Financial Year	Amount (£)
1999–2000	28,577
2000–01	354,326
2001–02	360,495
2002–03	489,523
2003–04	525

The information is freely available from the Department's searchable Lottery award database at: www.lottery.culture.gsi.gov.uk which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-crime Initiatives (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in (a) overall recorded crime, (b) recorded violent crime, (c) burglaries and (d) vehicle theft in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood has been since 1997. [175884]

Ms Blears: The information requested is not available centrally. Blackpool is a Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area. Data at CDRP level has only been published from 1999–2000 onwards. Detailed statistics at CDRP level are available for 2002–03 on the new Home Office website: http://www.crimestatistics. org.uk

Bribery/Corruption

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the National Crime Squad
 
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has (a) been involved in investigations and (b) conducted investigations of its own into bribery of foreign public officials. [174030]

Caroline Flint: The National Crime Squad (NCS) has not yet been involved in investigations or conducted investigations of its own into bribery of foreign public officials.

The National Crime Squad is one of the agencies that is party to the Memorandum of Understanding on overseas corruption. Under this agreement, the NCS may provide assistance where there is clear need for pro-active policing techniques or where support is needed by local forces.

Car Parking/Clamping

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether car park operators are to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority; and if he will make a statement. [174162]

Ms Blears: The Private Security Industry Act (SIA) 2001 sets out details of conduct prohibited without a licence. If the duties of a car park operator include as part of their routine duties any such activity, they will require the relevant SIA licence.

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the Security Industry Authority plans to set up a system (a) to license individual wheel clampers and (b) to license the land on which they may clamp; [174163]

(2) whether the Security Industry Authority's licensing system for wheel clamping will be backed up by a mandatory code of practice relating to (a) size of fines, (b) warning signs, (c) uniforms and (d) methods of payment; [174165]

(3) how many licences for wheel clampers on private land have been issued since 1 April 2003. [174179]

Ms Blears: Vehicle immobilisers will be licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) under the authority of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, from the end of 2004. There are no powers within the Act to license the land on which clamping operations take place. The SIA will shortly publish its competency requirements for licensing purposes. These are likely to include training in requirements as to such matters as the proper use of warning signs, uniforms and methods of payment. The SIA is currently examining what role, if any, a code of practice might play in licensing.

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the towing away of vehicles will be brought into the licensing remit of the Security Industry Authority. [174164]

Ms Blears: In light of the Regulatory Impact Assessment undertaken last year, we have accepted the Security Industry Authority's recommendation that the towing away of vehicles should be a licensable activity and regulations to give effect to this will be introduced in due course.

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