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7 Sept 2004 : Column 1152W—continued
West Belfast Festival/Gasyard Feile
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public money has been allocated to the (a) West Belfast Festival and (b) Gasyard Feile in Londonderry in each of the last three years, broken down by Department. [183788]
Angela Smith: The amount of public money allocated by Northern Ireland Departments and their associated public bodies to (a) West Belfast Festival and (b) Gasyard Feile is as follows.
| West Belfast Festival | Gasyard Feile | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 258,030 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | 358,138 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 317,321 | 0 |
Detailed breakdown by department is as follows.
7 Sept 2004 : Column 1153W
| Gasyard Feile | West Belfast Festival | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSD | ||||||
| BRO | — | — | — | 10,000 | 46,200 | 105,160 |
| VCU | — | — | — | — | — | 68,811 |
| EU | — | — | — | 150,330 | 113,024 | — |
| NWDO | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DFP | ||||||
| BLSP | — | — | — | — | 121,914 | — |
| DETI | ||||||
| NITB | — | — | — | 20,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 |
| OFMDFM | ||||||
| CRU | — | — | — | 9,700 | — | — |
| Total Public Funding Support | — | — | — | 258,030 | 358,138 | 317,321 |
PRIME MINISTER
Government Information
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister whether Ministers are required to (a) consult and (b) notify other Ministers before deciding not to comply with recommendations by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration under the Code of Practice on access to Government information. [186609]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
Consultation between Ministers is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.
2012 Olympic Games
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what plans he has to create a new ministerial post with specific responsibility for London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games; whether the post will carry Cabinet status; and if he will make a statement; [187183]
(2) what discussions regarding the creation of a new ministerial post with specific responsibility for London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games he has held with (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (b) London 2012 and (c) other bodies; and if he will make a statement. [187184]
The Prime Minister:
Current ministerial arrangements already provide for a Cabinet Minister with explicit responsibility for the Olympic bid. In this capacity, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport represents the Government, alongside the Mayor and the Chairman of the British Olympic Association, on the Stakeholders Panel, which is overseeing the delivery of the bid.
7 Sept 2004 : Column 1154W
EU Army
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister what his policy is on the French Government's position on the establishment of an EU army. [186597]
The Prime Minister: The framework for the European Security and Defence Policy was set out in the European Council Conclusions from Nice in December 2000. These were unanimously agreed by all member states. They explicitly say that this policy "does not involve the establishment of a European army".
Intelligence Services
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister what research his Office has commissioned regarding reform of the United Kingdom's intelligence services. [186595]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 14 July 2004, Official Report, column 1431.
Iraq
Mr. Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Prime Minister on what date he was informed of the withdrawal of the Iraq intelligence reports to which paragraph 405 of Lord Butler's report refers. [186799]
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Prime Minister which official at No.10 Downing Street was first informed, by whom, and on what date, of the withdrawal of the intelligence on Iraqi production of chemical and biological agent referred to in paragraph 405 of the Butler Report. [186804]
The Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. and right hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Mr. Adam Price), on 21 July, Official Report, column 285W.
7 Sept 2004 : Column 1155W
Ministerial Visits
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the local authority areas he has not visited as Prime Minister. [186994]
The Prime Minister: The information is not held in the format requested. For visits I undertook during 2003, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Norman Baker) on 26 April 2004, Official Report, columns 829–30W.
North Korea
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister if he will meet representatives from North Korea to discuss (a) its nuclear weapons programme and (b) security on the Korean peninsula. [186973]
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so.
US Presidential Elections
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to meet (a) Mr. John Kerry and (b) President George W. Bush before the US presidential elections. [186593]
7 Sept 2004 : Column 1156W
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister what research he has commissioned into the threats from weapons of mass destruction programmes in hostile countries. [186974]
The Prime Minister: The Government keep such threats under constant review.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to meet leaders of other United Nations Security Council member states to discuss methods of resolving the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. [186596]
The Prime Minister:
I have regular discussions with members of the United Nations including on Zimbabwe. We are considering the next steps at the UN with colleagues on the Security Council and in the General Assembly.
7 Sept 2004 : Column 1157W
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
House Prices
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the percentage change in house prices in Suffolk was in each of the last seven years. [187211]
Keith Hill: The annual average property prices in Suffolk and the year-on-year percentage price changes for the past seven years have been as follows:
| Annual average price (£) | Year-on-year percentage change | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 62,205 | — |
| 1997 | 68,377 | 9.9 |
| 1998 | 73,669 | 7.7 |
| 1999 | 81,221 | 10.3 |
| 2000 | 93,495 | 15.1 |
| 2001 | 106,018 | 13.4 |
| 2002 | 129,167 | 22.3 |
| 2003 | 149,167 | 15.1 |
Notes:
1. The figures reflect prices at the completion stage.
2. Purchases by sitting tenants (under "Right-to-Buy" schemes) are excluded because the prices are below market value.
3. Prices below £1,000 or above £20 million are also excluded—so that the average prices are not affected by outliers.
4. The average prices are simple averages, not mix-adjusted averages. The reason for this is that the number of transactions obtained through the Survey of Mortgage Lenders is relatively small for a single county. Consequently Land Registry figures have been used instead. However, these can only be presented as simple averages. It should be noted, however, that changes in simple average prices from one period to the next may reflect both actual price change and change in the mix of properties sold in the respective periods.
Source:
Land Registry
7 Sept 2004 : Column 1158W
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list average house prices by region in each year since 1997. [187325]
Keith Hill: The mix-adjusted average house prices by region for each year since 1997 have been as follows:
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 56,503 | 58,965 | 63,866 | 66,599 | 69,656 | 82,391 | 94,590 |
| North West(77) | 62,951 | 67,555 | 72,158 | 77,923 | 85,059 | 99,122 | 108,956 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 60,874 | 63,312 | 67,644 | 71,416 | 77,833 | 94,116 | 107,325 |
| East Midlands | 62,656 | 68,907 | 71,532 | 80,259 | 89,226 | 111,511 | 133,215 |
| West Midlands | 69,598 | 75,840 | 81,315 | 92,055 | 99,200 | 120,618 | 132,898 |
| East | 84,306 | 95,478 | 102,525 | 118,718 | 129,666 | 158,248 | 181,494 |
| London | 107,968 | 123,921 | 150,909 | 174,727 | 188,342 | 206,960 | 236,476 |
| South East | 98,329 | 113,194 | 124,490 | 147,220 | 161,049 | 187,562 | 213,115 |
| South West | 75,064 | 83,269 | 92,171 | 106,202 | 118,902 | 146,784 | 170,560 |
| England | 79,814 | 89,714 | 100,012 | 114,335 | 123,149 | 144,081 | 165,834 |
(77) Published figures for the whole of North West region are not available prior to 1999. So the figures shown for 1997 and 1998 are estimates derived from a weighted combination of published prices for Merseyside and for "North West excluding Merseyside".
Notes:
1. Mix-adjustment nullifies the effect of changes in the mix of properties sold from one period to the next through the use of fixed weights. New weights are introduced in January each year.
2. The above figures are based on mortgage completions only—i.e. they exclude purchases for cash.
3. Up to 2002, the figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of completions obtained through the Survey of Mortgage Lenders. From 2003, the figures are based on a substantially larger sample.
Source:
Survey of Mortgage Lenders
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