| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
14 Jun 2004 : Column 617W—continued
Water
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether all sites of special scientific interest within the Ribble area will be included in the Environment Agency's characterisation and risk assessment process under the EC Water Framework Directive. [176914]
Mr. Morley:
If the SSSIs are water bodies or contain water bodies then they will be included in the characterisation and risk assessment process.
14 Jun 2004 : Column 618W
Water Supplies (Aldershot)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has commissioned into the adequacy of water supplies in the Aldershot area to serve releases of Ministry of Defence land for residential purposes. [176777]
Mr. Morley: Aldershot is served by South East Water. Along with the other water supply companies, South East Water produces a water resources plan, which looks forward 25 years. The plan is updated annually by the company, and is reviewed by the Environment Agency for consistency with the national and regional water resources strategies. Any planned residential developments in the area will be factored into this process.
World Environment Day
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how (a) she, (b) her Department and (c) agencies for which her Department is responsible will be marking World Environment Day on 5 June; and if she will make a statement. [175103]
Mr. Morley: Defra and colleague Departments worked together with the Environment Agency on a campaign to mark World Environment Day. This included asking members of the public to sign "the Pledge to the Future" to identify ways they can improve their local environment, and a publicity campaign by the Environment Agency on how businesses can make their organisations more sustainable.
Defra Ministers also participated in the launch of London Environmental Week to mark World Environment Day.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Concessionary Television Licences
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on preserved rights to concessionary television licences for people in sheltered and community housing. [178693]
Estelle Morris: Preserved rights for existing beneficiaries of the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence, in cases where their accommodation ceases to meet the existing qualifying criteria but continues to be provided or managed by a local authority, a housing association or a development corporation, were introduced in April 2003.
Digital Radio
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has in conjunction with Ofcom to facilitate transition to digital radio broadcasting. [178051]
14 Jun 2004 : Column 619W
Estelle Morris: Section 67 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 requires the Secretary of State to keep under review the development of digital radio for the purposes of considering how long it would be appropriate for sound broadcasting services to be provided in analogue form. As required by the Act, she has asked Ofcom and the BBC to provide reports by 31 October which look at the current position and future prospects for: the provision of radio multiplex services; the availability of digital sound programme services and existing analogue services in digital form; and the ownership or possession of equipment capable of receiving digital sound services. A number of other industry bodies have also been asked to submit any comments they wish to make.
Libraries
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what impact the People's Network project has had on library visits; and if she will make a statement. [178223]
Estelle Morris: The People's Network has linked all but a handful of the UK's public libraries to the internet. Recent figures published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy show that visits to UK public libraries increased by nearly 5 million, over the previous year, to 323 million in 2002–03 (before provision of the People's Network had been completed). Alongside other activities that are attracting more users, such as dedicated reader development work, the introduction of the People's Network is already making major contribution to the increase in visits. Research suggests that many positive impacts are being felt in communities across the country: people are learning new basic skills, finding community information which would not otherwise be provided, and finding jobs.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money was spent on library (a) buildings and (b) books in (i) Merseyside and (ii) Crosby in each year since 1996. [177862]
Estelle Morris: Information on Merseyside's and Sefton borough council's expenditure on (a) buildings and (b) books is contained in the two tables. These figures are derived from the most recent information available in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy annual public libraries statistics, copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library.
We are not able to provide a breakdown of expenditure for Crosby, as figures are not broken down beyond the level of individual library authorities, but we have included the figures for Sefton Library Authority, which encompasses Crosby.
| Merseyside | Sefton | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 2,656,851 | 325,333 |
| 1997–98 | 2,859,199 | 335,990 |
| 1998–99 | 3,056,140 | 343,513 |
| 1999–2000 | (1)2,596,443 | 343,706 |
| 2000–01 | 2,869,567 | 306,555 |
| 2001–02 | 3,326,071 | 341,015 |
14 Jun 2004 : Column 620W
| Merseyside | Sefton | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | (2)3,147,541 | (2)539,131 |
| 1997–98 | 2,035,712 | 508,464 |
| 1998–99 | 2,409,468 | 510,092 |
| 1999–2000 | (1)2,077,856 | 507,239 |
| 2000–01 | 2,930,521 | 799,048 |
| 2001–02 | 2,651,235 | 516,475 |
(1) Figures for Knowsley Library Authority are not included in the 1999–2000 figures for Merseyside.
(2) Figures for 1996–97 incorporate expenditure on a wider range of products and services defined as "book purchasing" than in subsequent years when this definition was refined.
Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been spent on the digitisation of content in libraries in the parliamentary constituency of Rochdale since 1997. [178531]
Estelle Morris: This information is not held centrally.
The New Opportunities Fund £50 million Digitisation of Learning Materials Programme has delivered 150 projects across the UK to enable resources which support learning of all kinds held in libraries as well as museums, archives and other public-sector institutions, to be made available online through the People's Network and the National Grid for Learning. This initiative has created a body of material containing over 2 million images, tens of thousands of sound and video clips and documents and over 1,000 learning packages. All projects can be accessed via the EnrichUK portal at http://www.enrichuk.net.
Information on grants awarded to individual local authorities and their expenditure can be obtained from the relevant authority.
PRIME MINISTER
Butler Inquiry
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to receive the report of the Butler Inquiry. [178717]
The Prime Minister: I have asked the Review to report before the summer recess.
Departmental Staff
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister what the total amount paid by his Office to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff was in financial year 2003–04. [178910]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 March 2004, Official Report, column 1094W.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |