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21 Oct 2004 : Column 822W—continued

Historic Sites (England)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost to public funds has been of overseas education programmes at historic sites in England in each of the last five years. [192614]

Mr. Caborn: There is no cost to public funds of overseas education programmes at historic sights in England. English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces offer a wide range of educational activities and facilities, which are available to all. They will, if requested, make special arrangements for overseas groups but have no dedicated programmes for overseas students.

Tourism (Yorkshire)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) visitors from abroad and (b) UK tourists visited (i) York and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1997; and how much they spent. [192426]

Mr. Caborn: The available statistics on visits to and expenditure in Yorkshire and the Humber since 1997 are shown in the table. Statistics are only available on visits that included a stay of at least one night.
Visitors from abroad
UK tourists(2)
Visits (thousand)Expenditure (£ million)Visits (thousand)Expenditure (£ million)
1997947304n/an/a
1998925286n/an/a
1999874240n/an/a
200091825913,1001,691
200180326211,0001,452
200286230312,2001,595
200391629413,1001,930


(2) Regional data from the UK Tourism Survey is only available back to the start of 2000 due to a significant change in the survey methodology in 1999.
Sources:
International Passenger Survey, UK Tourism Survey.



 
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Statistics on visits to and expenditure in York are only available for visitors from abroad and are shown in the table.
Visitors from abroad


Visits (thousand)Expenditure (£ million)
199732856
199831456
199927450
200030857
200124271
200223062
200321451



Source:
International Passenger Survey.


Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government funding the Yorkshire Tourism Bureau received in each year since 1994. [192428]

Mr. Caborn: The York Tourism Bureau is a non-profit making organisation funded by the private sector.

In 2003–04, funding of approximately £710,000 passed from the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, to Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB). Prior to this, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport provided grant in aid to the English Tourism Council (ETC) between 1994–95 and 2002–03. Grant in aid was paid by the ETC to the Yorkshire Tourist Board as shown in the following table. Unfortunately, figures for 1994–95 are not available:
Grant in aid (£)
1995–96431
1996–97766
1997–98506
1998–99513
1999–2000469
2000–01563
2001–02730
2002–03655

HOME DEPARTMENT

Domestic Violence

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned into the links between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and domestic violence. [192254]

Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.

No such specific research has been commissioned.

Fixed Penalty Fines

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for British citizens living in Northern Ireland, holding a driving licence issued in Northern Ireland, to be able to pay fixed penalty fines for driving offences occurring in Great Britain without having to appear in court in Great Britain for prosecution. [192533]


 
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Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

On 11 October the necessary legislation to provide for fixed penalty fines issued in Great Britain to Northern Ireland licence holders was commenced. This was part of a package of legislation that also provides for the recognition of driving disqualifications between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the ability to revoke Northern Ireland licences in Great Britain on medical grounds. The provisions match those commenced in Northern Ireland on 11 October.

MOT Certificates

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were of drivers within the Greater London area who did not have a current MOT certificate for the motor vehicle they were driving in each of the last three years. [192674]

Caroline Flint: The Home Office Court Proceedings Database cannot separately identify the specific offence of driving a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate. The table shows total proceedings for all vehicle test offences. Data for 2003 are expected to be published in early 2005.
Proceedings at magistrates courts for vehicle test offences(3)within Greater London(4), 2000–02

Total proceedings
200020,105
200119,623
200221,508


(3) Offences aiding, abetting, causing or permitting vehicle test offences (except fraud) under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 47(1), 51(2), 53(1)—(3), 63(1), 63(2), 67(9), 76(8), 165(3) and175; Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles Act 1972 s.3(1) (c); Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 Regs. 70 and 73.
(4) The Metropolitan and City of London police combined.

Secure Training Centres

Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff injuries sustained during training in physical restraint techniques at secure training centres have been recorded in the last five years. [190224]

Paul Goggins: Secure training centre operators record that there have been 17 staff injuries during training.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Emissions

2. Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will undertake an assessment of the proposed emission levels at the Quinn Glass factory in Ince, Cheshire. [192819]

Margaret Beckett: An application has been made by the Quinn Glass factory for a permit under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999. The local authority, Chester city council, is determining it in the usual way and if it grants a permit it will include conditions which represent the Best Available Techniques, including any appropriate emission levels.
 
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Village Halls

15. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the availability of capital funding for major repairs to village halls. [192834]

Alun Michael: Financial help for village halls from national sources has been high in recent years. Since 1995 the Community Fund has awarded over £130 million to around 3,400 village hall projects. Consultation is under way on the priorities for the new Big Lottery Fund.

Global Warming

18. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has for increasing public awareness of the (a) causes and (b) effects of global warming. [192837]

Mr. Morley: Tackling climate change is at the heart of Government policy and raising awareness of the links between climate change and the choices and behaviour of every individual, business and public sector organisation will be vital for the UK to deliver a low carbon economy. Government are considering ways to communicate better about climate change at every level and have, as part of this, commissioned independent consultants to report by November on an evidence-based climate change communications strategy.

Sewage Pollution

22. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to ensure that water companies take action to reduce sewage pollution. [192842]

Mr. Morley: The Government attach a high priority to reducing sewage pollution not least because of the distress caused by flooding due to the capacity and general condition of existing sewer systems. We are working closely with water companies and the regulators in order to deliver an holistic approach to all sources of flooding.


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