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European Legislation

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the evidential basis was for the statement in the Cabinet Office Synthesis Report of October 2002, Improving the Way the UK handles European Legislation, page 2, that around 50 per cent. of significant legislation enacted in the UK originates from the European Union. [184992]

 
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Mr. Alexander: The evidential base for this statement was an analysis of Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs), which showed that about half of all measures that imposed non-negligible costs on business, charities and the voluntary sector originated from the European Union.

Government Annual Reports

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total cost has been of the publication of Government annual reports, in each year since 1997. [185273]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 20 July 2004]: Government annual reports were published for the years 1997–98 to 1999–2000. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 18 July 2001, Official Report, column 206W.

Sir Richard Dearlove

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if the Central Office of Information will issue a photo image of Sir Richard Dearlove upon his retirement from MI6. [184666]

Mr. Straw: I have been asked to reply. No.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Archaeology

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government has to (a) extend planning policy guidance to require developers to publish and store archaeological finds and archives and (b) give the public access to archaeological finds and archives through outreach programmes; and if she will make a statement. [185770]

Estelle Morris: Planning policy guidance is co-ordinated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). The ODPM recently published a list of those planning policy guidance notes it would treat as priority, and this did not include PPG 16 (Planning and Archaeology). The review of PPG 16 will therefore take place as and when is necessary in the light of its policy and strategic significance. In the interim, the current PPG will remain in place.

Children's Sport

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what support her Department is providing for children's sporting activities in Northampton; [185789]

(2) what support her Department has provided in 2003–04 for children's sport in the East Midlands. [185790]

Mr. Caborn: The Government are investing more than £1 billion to transform physical education (PE), school sport, and club links. The funding will help deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with the Department for Education and Skills, to increase the percentage of 5–16 year olds who spend a
 
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minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006.

Spearheading delivery are School Sport Partnerships, which provide for groups of schools to work together to increase sports opportunities for all young people. Each partnership receives formula funding of up to £270,000 per annum. Information regarding School Sport Partnerships going live in the East Midlands and Northampton is as follows:

	East Midlands	Of which: in Northampton
April 2003	12	2
September 2003	4	1
September 2004	15	3

All maintained schools in the East Midlands will be in a partnership from September 2006.

The East Midlands region is receiving nearly £40 million through the Big Lottery Fund's New Opportunities in PE and Sport programme, over £5 million of which is going to Northamptonshire. This funding will help improve sports facilities on school sites.

Children and young people in the East Midlands are also benefiting from national initiatives such as the Community Club Development Fund (promoting Club Development with an emphasis on participation by young people), Sporting Playgrounds (improving primary school playgrounds in 27 local education authorities including Nottingham), and Positive Activities for Young People (aimed at 8–19 year olds at risk of social exclusion).

Departmental Expenditure

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by her Department on (a) advertising and (b) public relations consultants in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available. [186006]

Estelle Morris: There has been no spend on advertising or public relations consultants in this period.

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on press officers, broken down by grade, in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [186015]

Mr. Caborn: Spending by the Department on press officers, broken down by grade, for the latest year available, 2003–04, was as follows:

Grade	£
A	66,124
A/TP	56,325
B	315,021

 
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Information requested for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on (a) head-hunters and recruitment consultants and (b) management consultants in 1996–97. [186061]

Mr. Caborn: The departmental expenditure on management consultants in 1996–97 was £65,747.99. An analysis of expenditure on head-hunters and recruitment consultants is not recorded on the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Staff (Upper Age Limits)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which it is responsible (i) have a set retirement age which applies to all or most personnel and (ii) have a maximum age beyond which applications for employment will not be considered; and what the age is in each case. [186090]

Mr. Caborn: In the Department for Culture Media and Sport the minimum retirement age for all staff is 60. The maximum retirement age for permanent staff outside the senior civil service is age 65. Age retirement for the senior civil service is currently age 60 but heads of departments have the flexibility to retain staff beyond age 60 if they judge it to be in the public interest. Applications for employment will be considered up to the maximum retirement age.

In the Royal Parks, the normal retirement age is 60. The Royal Parks do not stipulate a maximum age in their recruitment material and will consider applicants beyond the normal retirement age on an exceptional basis depending on the needs of the organisation.

Departmental Staffing

Mr. Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people were employed in the Department (a) in 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which information is available, broken down by job title; if she will list the job functions performed by those holding each job title; and for how many people the primary function was (i) human resource or personnel functions, (ii) finance and accounting functions, (iii) information technology functions and (iv) other support, back office or administrative functions (A) in 1997 and (B) at the latest date for which information is available. [183458]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 14 July 2004]: There were 338 full time equivalent staff in 1997 and 482 FTEs in 2004 in this department. A breakdown by job title and functionality is not available.

Departmental Vehicles

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many road vehicles are operated by the Department and its agencies; how many personal
 
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injury accidents involving road vehicles operated by the Department have occurred within each of the last five years; and what the Department's policy is for managing work-related road safety. [185913]

Estelle Morris: DCMS does not operate any road vehicles. The Royal Parks operates a total of 42 road vehicles in managing and policing the eight Royal Parks: 22 cars are available for use by horticultural and office staff for operational purposes; 15 cars and vans, four motor cycles and one horse box are employed on the policing side.

No personal injury accidents involving road vehicles operated by the Agency have been reported within the last five years.

The Royal Parks policy on managing work-related road safety is encompassed within its overall Health and Safety policy, as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This commits the Agency to safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of its staff, and others affected by its activities; when a risk associated with work related road safety is identified by risk assessment it is dealt with accordingly.

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