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8 Jun 2004 : Column 295W—continued
Ministerial Travel
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the travel costs incurred (a) by her Department and its predecessors and (b) by each Minister within her Department, for each of the last 10 years. [175641]
Mr. Caborn: All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook and all ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report
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information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and in some cases will no longer be held. Information for 2003–04 will be published in due course.
The following table shows domestic ministerial and overall Departmental expenditure on travel and subsistence combined. An analysis on travel only is not recorded on the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| Financial year | Departmental | Of which ministerial |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–04(5) | 839,928.68 | 15,044.44 |
| 2002–03 | 876,636.96 | 24,719.22 |
| 2001–02 | 750,593.38 | 17,386.39 |
| 2000–01 | 807,806.27 | 31,931.38 |
| 1999–2000 | 755,429.32 | 24,539.59 |
| 1998–99 | 643,283.50 | 22,913.88 |
| 1997–98 | 582,564.51 | 11,697.81 |
| 1996–97 | 242,031.00 | (6)— |
| 1995–96 | 280,104.00 | (6)— |
| 1994–95 | 266,092.00 | (6)— |
(5) Financial year 2003–04 costs are provisional pending finalisation of Department's annual accounts.
(6) Information for these years is not recorded separately.
Figures from Financial year 1994–95 to 1996–97 are only available on cash basis (rounded).
New Opportunities Fund (Stoke)
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Stoke-on-Trent, North since 1997. [177633]
Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Stoke-on-Trent, North are shown in the table.
| Financial year | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 49,050 |
| 2000–01 | 52,346 |
| 2001–02 | 12,381 |
| 2002–03 | 123,601 |
| 2003–04 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | 1,350 |
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.
Royal Household/Royal Parks
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding has been received by (a) the Royal Household and (b) the Royal Parks in each year since 1979; how much the Government plan to spend for each year until 2005–06; and if she will make a statement. [175272]
Estelle Morris:
The following is the information from 1991–92 when the Grant in Aid arrangements were established for Property Services for the Occupied Royal Palaces, and from the same date for the royal parks.
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| Royal parks | The royal household | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 25.4 | 23.94 |
| 1992–93 | 22.8 | 23.16 |
| 1993–94 | 23.2 | 19.80 |
| 1994–95 | 23.8 | 20.54 |
| 1995–96 | 24.7 | 20.44 |
| 1996–97 | 23.4 | 19.61 |
| 1997–98 | 21.7 | 16.41 |
| 1998–99 | 23.72 | 15.81 |
| 1999–2000 | 30.06 | 15.64 |
| 2000–01 | 26.97 | 15.52 |
| 2001–02 | 41.97 | 16.03 |
| 2002–03 | 27.04 | 15.92 |
| 2003–04 | 30.68 | 16.57 |
| 2004–05(7) | 28.03 | 14.97 |
| 2005–2006(7) | 27.09 | 15.62 |
(7) Planned funding
In 1999 the royal household took over the maintenance of Marlborough House on behalf of the Department, and also took on responsibility for royal communications and information previously funded by the Central Office of Information.
Marlborough House is occupied by the Commonwealth Secretariat and this expenditure is not a cost of the monarchy. Therefore, the table above shows the amount of grant in aid to the royal household excluding Marlborough House from 1999–2006. The royal household received an additional grant in aid for Marlborough House in 1999–2000 of 0.47 million, 2000–2001 of 0.57 million and from 2001–2002 until 2005–06 of 0.59 million.
To allow earlier delivery of some major capital projects, grant-in-aid to the royal household for 2003–04 was increased by £0.75 million and a corresponding reduction has been made in the 2004–05 allocation. Without this rescheduling, funding would have been £16.41 million in 2003–04 and £16.31 million in 2004–05
The royal parks are administered by the Royal Parks Agency. The figures quoted are taken from the DCMS Annual Report 2004, Vol. 1, (CM 6220). Expenditure is reported on a full resource consumption basis from 1998–99, whereas earlier figures are on a cash basis. Expenditure in 2001–02 includes £18.6 million for impairment of the Agency's fixed assets following a change of valuation policy.
Television Licence
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received about the TV licensing direct debit scheme; and if she will make a statement. [177488]
Estelle Morris:
There is no single direct debit scheme for payment of the television licence fee; direct debit arrangements are available for the monthly and quarterly instalment schemes as well as for a single, annual payment. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport receives regular representations from hon.
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Members and members of the public about licence fee issues but does not keep a separate record of representations about direct debit arrangements.
LEADER OF THE HOUSE
Draft Bills
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Leader of the House how many Bills have been introduced as draft Bills. [175293]
Mr. Woolas [pursuant to his reply, 25 May 2004, Official Report, c. 1479W]: The number of draft Bills published in 2001–02 was seven, not six as indicated in error in my answer of 25 May.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Afghanistan
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief about the impact of the security situation on the distribution of aid. [176600]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not have regular meetings with the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) on security but we receive regular briefings from the ACBAR NGO Security Office. These are available on www.acbar.org. ACBAR plays a valuable role in Afghanistan, both by coordinating NGO activity and by challenging the Afghan Government and donors through its advocacy work.
Africa
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking toward offering micro-generation technologies to poor African countries. [176844]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not promote particular technologies but supports initiatives that seek to increase reliable, affordable energy services that meet the needs of the poor. A number of micro technologies at the development stage in the UK have limited prospects in Africa because of problems with accessing secure primary energy supplies, particularly by the poor.
DFID has funded £3.6 million of research since 1992 for the development and promotion of more renewable energy supplies, especially for rural communities. This has covered a wide range of technologies, including wind, small hydropower, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and biomass. DFID has also seconded experts and provided over £9 million of funding over and above UK contributions to the multilateral system to three relevant international initiatives. These are, the Global Village Energy Partnership, the European Union Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development, and the World Bank Energy Trust Funds. These initiatives cover a range of suitable energy technologies and policy options that include micro technologies where appropriate.
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