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WALES

Departmental Annual Report

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of his Department's and predecessor Department's annual report were printed in each year since 1997; how many were sold in each year; and what the (a) publication cost and (b) sales revenue were. [183880]

Mr. Touhig: The costs for annual and departmental reports were as follows:
£

		Cost
2004	Annual Report	11,515
2003	Departmental Report	20,200
2002	Departmental Report	19,697
2001	Departmental Report	23,933

Note:
Information on 1999–2000 is not readily available and providing this information would require disproportionate cost. The Department only came into existence in 1999 so there were no reports prior to this.

The Wales Office produces 250 copies of the report each year for its own use and to lay in the House Libraries. The Wales Office does not sell copies of the report and as such does not receive any revenue from such sales.

The number of sale copies printed is a matter for The Stationery Office. The Wales Office receives neither revenue from these copies, nor sales figures for the report.

Departmental Publications (Storage)

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many departmental publications are in storage; and where they are located. [183863]

Mr. Touhig: The Wales Office have published a Departmental Report and a Departmental Resource Accounts Report annually from 2000 to 2003 through The Stationery Office. Copies of these reports are held in the London and Cardiff Offices.

In 2004, the Wales Office has published an Annual Report, replacing the Departmental Report, and a further Departmental Resource Accounts Report, both through The Stationery Office, as well as the Office's Welsh Language Scheme, which was produced internally. All of these are also held in the London and Cardiff offices.

Employment Tribunals

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases against his Department and its predecessor organisations have been brought to employment tribunals in each year since 1997 in relation to (a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race
 
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discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were made against (i) respondents and (ii) applicants; and how much has been spent (A) settling and (B) contesting claims. [181467]

Mr. Touhig: The former Welsh Office records show that one case was brought against them in 1998 by an employee in relation to the Disability Discrimination Act, but the claim was not upheld. Information on how much was spent can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

No claims have been brought against the Wales Office since its establishment on 1 July 1999.

EU Funding

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department has taken to increase the rate of implementation of EU funding programmes in Wales. [183023]

Mr. Hain: None. Responsibility for implementing the structural funds programme is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Health/Education Services

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what cross-border measures he is undertaking to improve (a) health and (b) education services in Wales. [183175]

Mr. Touhig: I will answer this question in two parts:

(a) Whether a patient is resident in England or in Wales, they are offered NHS care at the most clinically and geographically appropriate location for their treatment. In border areas there are numerous examples of long established relationships between health commissioning bodies and treatment providers across the border.

(b) Pupils who live in England and attend schools in Wales are required to follow the national curriculum for Wales and vice versa. Schools on both sides of the border are free to choose examinations and qualifications from any of the awarding bodies irrespective of where those bodies are located.

Job Losses (Civil Servants)

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil servants in his Department announced in the comprehensive spending review will be of special advisors. [185468]

Mr. Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 20 July 2004, column 190W, by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Pay Systems

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library the most recent review of (a) his Department's pay systems and (b) the departmental equal pay action plan. [181354]

 
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Mr. Touhig: Staff serving in the Wales Office have been on secondment or loan from other Government Departments—predominantly from the National Assembly for Wales. Their pay is therefore set by their home Departments rather than by the Wales Office.

Department for Constitutional Affairs staff working at the Wales Office since our merger in June 2003 fall under the DCA pay system and so are paid in accordance with the pay scheme of the DCA.

Richard Commission

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether changes in the constitutional position of Wales consequent on the report of the Richard Commission will be subject to a referendum. [183022]

Mr. Hain: The Richard Commission reported to the Welsh Assembly Government, which has not yet approached the Government with any representations concerning the report. When we receive such representations, we will give them full consideration, including whether they require a referendum.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Cultural Objects

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has held in relation to the creation of a national database of stolen or otherwise tainted cultural objects in the last six months, with particular reference to discussions with (a) the Home Office, (b) the police, (c) bodies in the cultural sector and (d) other organisations; and if she will make a statement. [185678]

Estelle Morris: Officials within the Department worked jointly on a Home Office funded Options Appraisal, carried out by independent consultants. As part of that appraisal process, the police, bodies in the cultural sector, and other organisations, such as commercial providers of cultural databases, were invited to discuss their views. We are still considering how best to move forward in light of the findings of the report.

Departmental Expenditure

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of running her Department's canteen facilities was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [185983]

Mr. Caborn: The information is as follows:

(a) DCMS did not have a canteen in 1996–97.

(b) A catering facility was opened in 2001 and in the 2003–04 year cost £67,431.

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of refurbishments to the fabric of buildings owned by her Department has been since May 1997. [185984]

Mr. Caborn: DCMS does not own any buildings; all buildings occupied by the Department are leased from commercial landlords.
 
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Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of printing departmental headed notepaper was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [185985]

Mr. Caborn: A record of expenditure at this level of detail within the overall stationery budget for 1996–97 is no longer available. The expenditure on headed notepaper in 2003–04, the last full year for which information is available, was £3,500

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on (a) mobile phone costs, (b) hospitality and (c) taxi costs in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [186003]

Mr. Caborn: The information requested is included in the table. All expenditure on official hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government guidance. The hospitality expenditure figure for 2003–04 reflects the changes made in 2002–03 in the way hospitality expenditure was captured to include associated staff costs following the contracting out of the hospitality service. Figures for 2004–05 are not available at present.
£000

	1996–97	2003–04
Mobile telephones	(9)—	35,000
Hospitality	41,000	(10)78,144.29
Taxi costs	16,914.69	(10)21,878.36

⁽⁹⁾ It is not possible to provide an expenditure figure for mobile telephones in 1996–97 save at disproportionate costs.
⁽¹⁰⁾ Provisional total pending finalisation of annual accounts.

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