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21 Jun 2004 : Column 1184W—continued
Iraq
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister when Saddam Hussein is to be handed over to the Iraqi authorities. [178252]
The Prime Minister: Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi has confirmed that criminal proceedings will be brought against Saddam Hussein and President Bush has confirmed the intention of the US to pass Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi authorities to face criminal prosecution. The Iraqi authorities and the US are in discussions about the transfer.
Lord Lieutenants
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Prime Minister how many lord lieutenants and deputy lieutenants in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Lancashire were (i) Masons and (ii) members of political parties in the last 10 years. [179286]
The Prime Minister: The information requested is not held centrally. Lord lieutenants and deputy lieutenants are of course aware that their role is essentially non-political and impartial.
Minister Without Portfolio
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work of the Minister without Portfolio. [179817]
The Prime Minister: Details of the responsibilities for the Minister without Portfolio can be found in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
US Military Activities
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions took place in his recent meetings with the US President concerning US military activities on Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands; and if he will make a statement. [179699]
The Prime Minister:
I regularly discuss a wide range of issues with President Bush. As with previous administrations, it is not the practice of this Government to make public all the details of discussions with foreign Governments.
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
D-day Commemorations
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many D-Day veterans benefited from Lottery and Government money to revisit the beaches. [179515]
Estelle Morris: The National Lottery Veterans Reunited initiative includes the Heroes Return scheme, which provides Lottery funding to help Second World War veterans arrange commemorative visits to the overseas areas where British Armed Forces served in the Second World War. Through Heroes Return, over £1.9 million has already been awarded to veterans, their wives and husbands, widows and widowers and, where required, their present day carers, to return to the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. Of the funding awarded so far, £1.2 million has been awarded for visits to Normandy. The funding has enabled over 4,200 people, including over 2,100 veterans, to travel to Normandy this month.
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department provided to the D-day 60th Anniversary events and commemorations. [179183]
Estelle Morris: The Department did not assist directly in the commemorations, but funding has been made available through the National Lottery Veterans Reunited initiative to ensure that all generations of UK residents can commemorate the momentous events that led to the end of the Second World War. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State first announced our intention to provide Lottery support in this area last October.
The Veterans Reunited initiative has three strands: Their Past, Your Future, focusing on activities for schools and young people; Heroes Return, focusing on overseas visits for veterans and their carers; and Home Front Recall, providing funding for events and activities in the UK. The initiative has an overall budget of over £25 million and will continue making awards until the end of 2005.
Through Heroes Return, over £1.9 million has already been awarded to veterans, their wives and husbands, widows and widowers and, where required, their present day carers, to return to the overseas areas where the veterans saw active service. Of the funding awarded so far, £1.2 million has been awarded for visits to Normandy. The funding has enabled over 4,200 people, including over 2,100 veterans, to travel to Normandy this month.
One of the elements of Their Past, Your Future was a competition with opportunities for schools to win visits to the D-Day commemorations. The first prize winners were Abbey Grange School in Leeds and a party of pupils and teachers joined the official 60th anniversary cruise and commemorations. Further visits are planned for schools later in the year to commemorate other major events such as Arnhem.
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Home Front Recall was the most recent element of the Veterans Reunited programme to be launched. One of the first awards to be made was to allow the Rotherham branch of Normandy veterans to travel to Portsmouth for the official D-Day commemorations.
Greyhounds
Mr. Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the turnover was for bookmakers on greyhound racing in 2003. [179234]
Mr. Caborn: This information is not collected by the Department; but I understand that the British Greyhound Racing Board estimate that the total turnover of on and off-course betting in 2003 was about £3 billion.
Ministerial Visits
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in her Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case. [175742]
Tessa Jowell: I have been unable to recover information about helicopter trips taken by Ministers in this Department before the General Election in 2001. Since then there has been one helicopter journey made by me on 24 September 2003. The journey was from Tirana to Butrint in Albania and back again. The approximate distance was 99 miles each way, so 198 miles in total.
None of the other Ministers have made journeys by helicopter.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Abandoned Vehicles
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned vehicles were removed by local authorities in Greater London in each year since 1997, broken down by borough. [176708]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 7 June 2004]: Statistics for abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed were first compiled in the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey for 2000–01. Results for authorities in London are available for 2000–01 and 2001–02. Results for 2002–03 are supplemented by results from the Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey 2002–03.
Numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed by each London borough and Waste Collection Authority are listed as follows:
n/a=results not available.
(1) for 2001–02=GLA estimate.
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Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the percentage change in the number of abandoned vehicles in England and Wales was in each year since 1997–98. [177057]
Mr. Morley: Figures for numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed in England were first collected in the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey for 2000–01. Results for 2002–03 are supplemented by the Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey for 2002–03.
Figures for 2001–02 showed an increase of 28 per cent. from 2000–01.
Figures for 2002–03 showed an increase of 8 per cent. from 2001–02.
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