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16 Nov 2004 : Column 1277W—continued
Equine Passports
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on equine passports and the effect of the regulation on the population of wild Welsh cob ponies; and if he will make a statement. [195730]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Implementation of the European Commission Decision on passports for equines is a matter for Defra in England. In Wales, this Decision will be implemented by the National Assembly for Wales.
I am advised that the ponies living on the hills and commons in Wales are semi-feral and are owned by individuals. It will be the responsibility of owners to ensure that they hold a passport for each of their ponies.
EU Maps
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations to the European Commission on ensuring that Wales is included in all relevant maps produced by the Commission. [197830]
Mr. Touhig: Wales Office Ministers, in our dealings with the European Commission, always ensure that European legislation and policies reflect the needs of Wales, as evidenced by the fact that Wales is currently benefiting from the largest ever package of support under the European Structural Funds Programme.
Public Relations (Expenditure)
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money his Department has spent on public relations in each of the last three years; and how much is projected to be spent in each of the next three years. [197987]
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Mr. Touhig: The Wales Office runs no publicity campaigns and hence has spent nothing on public relations in the last three years. This is also expected to be the case in the next three years.
St. David's Day
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the United States Administration regarding next year's St. David's Day celebrations. [197988]
Mr. Touhig: None. The former US ambassador has generously hosted a St. David's Day reception in London, which has been very well received since its inception.
Wales Office
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes in expenditure led to the changes in the total cost of the Wales Office between April 1999 and April 2004; and if he will make a statement. [196842]
Mr. Touhig: Detailed information about the cost of the Office since 1999 can be found in the Wales Office Annual Report 2004 (Cm 6228).
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Computer Workstations
Mike Gapes: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many computer workstations for staff there were in the Serjeant at Arms Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [198758]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: Departmental records show that at the end of the 2003–04 financial year the Serjeant at Arms Department had 379 personal computers and 45 laptops. These figures exclude the number of personal computers and laptops used in the Parliamentary Communications Directorate (PCD) which is the main IT Directorate for both Houses of Parliament. Due to the nature of their work, some PCD staff have more than one personal computer or laptop and others are not allocated to specific individuals since they are either shared or used for system administration, management and testing purposes. Figures for years prior to 2003–04 are unavailable.
Mr. Hogg: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what cost benefit analysis has been carried out on the use of computer workstations by staff in the Library of the House. [198398]
Sir Archy Kirkwood:
Staff of the House of Commons Library have relied on the use of computer workstations since the introduction of on-line information retrieval systems in the late 1970s. Personal computers are now essential to all aspects of the work of Library staff, including information retrieval, preparation of written and on-line material for Library users, and for communicating with Library users as well as colleagues inside and outside Parliament. The Library's investment in the development and use of IS/IT systems is subject to formal appraisal.
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A recent study of computer desktops in all House of Commons departments recommended that their life could be extended from three years to four years and the Board of Management has accepted this recommendation. Future spending on IT desktop equipment will reflect this decision.
Mr. Key: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what cost-benefit analysis has been carried out on the use of computer workstations by staff in the Finance and Administration Department. [198492]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: Computer workstations are a vital part of the work of staff of the Department of Finance and Administration in connection with electronic processing, storage and retrieval of data on the House Administrative Information System (HAIS). This forms the core of the House's financial and human resource management, running payments, payroll and producing management accounts, for example.
A recent study of computer desktops in all House of Commons departments recommended that their life could be extended from three years to four years and the Board of Management has accepted this recommendation. Future spending on IT desktop equipment will reflect this decision.
Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission whether value for money studies are planned in respect of computer workstation procurement for the use of staff of the House. [198829]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: Personal computers and other IT equipment are currently purchased using one of two Government procurement frameworks which have been prepared to ensure value for money. As part of our plans for the future renewal of IT equipment, the House recently began an EU procurement project for the provision of computers to Members, their staff and staff of the House, to ensure that value for money continues to be achieved. Only those staff of the House requiring computer access to undertake their work are provided with one.
Department of Finance and Administration
Mr. Hogg: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff in the Department of Finance and Administration work from home. [198396]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: The Department of Finance and Administration has seven members of staff whose working arrangements involve an element of working from home, under flexible working arrangements introduced from 6 April 2003 under the Employment Act 2002. No staff work from home full-time, as most tasks involve handling confidential information and/or providing services to those based on the Parliamentary Estate.
Peter Bottomley: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what plans there are to relocate staff in the Finance and Administration Department outside London. [198700]
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Sir Archy Kirkwood: The Commission has no plans to relocate the Department of Finance and Administration outside London. Such a move would inconvenience those who rely on the services provided by the Department, including Members and their staff.
Mr. Pound: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many computer workstations for staff there were in the Finance and Administration Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [198830]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: 207 computer workstations are currently in use by the Department of Finance and Administration: the figures in each of the two previous years are not readily available but will have been similar. This includes workstations for full-time and part-time staff based in the Department's offices, and additional workstations for training, development projects, contractors, auditors and the trade union office.
Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make an estimate of the potential savings of relocating staff in the Finance and Administration Department outside London. [198831]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: There are too many variables to be able to make a realistic estimate of the potential savings of relocating staff in the Department outside London; costs, such as loss of staff, recruitment of new staff and travel costs, and savings would depend heavily on the location. The House of Commons Accommodation Strategy includes an assessment of occupancy by administrative departments of space on the parliamentary estate, and usage of office space is kept under review.
Mike Gapes: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff were employed in the Finance and Administration Department and its predecessor in (a) 1974, (b) 2000 and (c) at the latest date for which figures are available. [198759]
Sir Archy Kirkwood: Numbers of staff employed in the Department of Finance and Administration have been as follows:
| 1979(10) | 60 (complement) |
| 2000 | 131 (complement) |
| 2004 | 147 (average full-time equivalent) |
(10) No published data is available before this date. This figure is taken from the first Annual Report of the Commission, and refers to the then Administration Department.
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