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Information and Communication Specialists

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Leader of the House how many information and communication technology specialists are in full-time employment in his office. [189592]

Mr. Woolas: None. The Privy Council Office provides administrative support to the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons. There are currently no full-time or part-time information and communication specialists employed by the Privy Council Office (PCO). ICT services are provided to PCO by the Cabinet Office, under a Service Level Agreement.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Civil Service (Job Losses)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which services within her Department will be (a) affected by and (b) subject to job losses consequent on the cuts in the civil service announced in the Spending Review. [189643]

Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 16 September 2004, Official Report column 1659W.

Council of Ministers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will provide a Written Ministerial Statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which her Department is represented in advance of each meeting; [188206]

(2) if she will provide a Written Ministerial Statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which her Department is represented as soon as is practicable following that meeting (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by hon. Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting. [188207]

Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 13 September 2004, Official Report, column 1451W.

Digital Television

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department
 
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has allocated to digital television switchover (a) in the financial year and (b) for each of the next three financial years. [189210]

Estelle Morris [holding answer 16 September 2004]: The Department has to date allocated approximately £380,000 (excluding staff and administrative costs) to digital switchover in the current financial year.

Decisions have yet to be made on allocations for future years.

English Heritage

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many official meetings she has had with English Heritage in the last 12 months. [189201]

Mr. Caborn: In the last 12 months my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had three formal meetings with the Chairman and Chief Executive of English Heritage. The Minister for Heritage has meetings with them on a regular basis, both formally and informally.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many English Heritage sites she has visited in the last 12 months. [189202]

Mr. Caborn: The Secretary of State has not had an opportunity to visit any English Heritage sites in the last 12 months, but the Minister for Heritage has visited a number of English Heritage managed sites and visited their East of England regional office.

Freeview Service

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the population are able to access Freeview; and what steps she is taking to speed up the availability of Freeview. [189442]

Estelle Morris: At present around 73 per cent. of UK households can access Digital Terrestrial Television services. This figure cannot be increased before Switchover.

The Government are committed to ensuring that at Digital Switchover everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

Much progress has been made in the discussions between the Government, Ofcom and the Public Service Broadcasters and while the broadcasters have not reached a full consensus on the optimum timetable, some—including the BBC—have suggested that 2012 may be the most appropriate date for the completion of Switchover. This has been reflected in the draft Digital Replacement Licences, which Ofcom have issued for Channels 3, 5 and Teletext.

Grade II Listed Buildings

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was given in grants to Grade II listed buildings in the last financial year. [189199]

 
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Mr. Caborn: During 2003–04 English Heritage offered £300,000 in grants to Grade II listed buildings.

English Heritage also offered a further £9.8 million in grants through their Heritage Economic Regeneration schemes, which principally target Grade II and unlisted buildings in conservation areas.

Heritage Economic Regeneration

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on heritage economic regeneration schemes. [189226]

Mr. Caborn: English Heritage launched its Heritage Economic Regeneration scheme in 1999. Since then some £50 million has been invested in the regeneration of run down and deprived conservation areas. English Heritage has recently reviewed the scheme and it has been renamed Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas. New applications will now be considered against regional priorities.

Mobile Libraries

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to increase the use of mobile libraries. [189206]

Estelle Morris: Mobile libraries are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the services that they can offer, and can be particularly useful in providing access to library services for those in outlying communities, or as an outreach tool to the socially excluded by visiting housing estates, but it is for local authorities responsible for library provision to decide how to allocate funding. We are encouraging authorities to understand better and meet the needs of their local communities.

Princess Diana Memorial Fountain

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether compensation has been paid to those injured at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. [189198]

Mr. Caborn: Compensation has not been paid.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money has been spent on the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain since its opening; and what the projected maintenance costs are for the next 10 years, in real terms. [189205]

Mr. Caborn: £83,000 has been spent on the fountain since it opened.

Maintenance costs are expected to be £140,000 in the first year and £118,000 per annum in subsequent years.

Royal Parks

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on security measures in place in the Royal Parks. [189203]

Mr. Caborn: From 1 April 2004, policing the Royal Parks passed to the Metropolitan police, working
 
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alongside the Royal Parks police in the Royal Parks Operational Command Unit (RPOCU). It would be inappropriate to go into detail about their security measures but these are commensurate with the perceived level of threat at any given time.

The new policing arrangements involve the deployment of Community Support Officers in addition to the police officers and this has made it possible to provide higher visibility policing in the Royal Parks.

Switchco

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made towards the establishment of Switchco. [189211]

Estelle Morris [holding answer 16 September 2004]: Discussions are taking place between the Government, broadcasters, and other stakeholders under the Digital Action Plan, on the role and structure of the organisation that will be responsible for co-ordinating Digital Switchover. An announcement will be made on the outcome of these discussions in due course.

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