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9 Dec 2004 : Column 670W—continued
Public-Private Partnership Consultants
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total external spending by her Department was on public-private partnership (PPP) consultants in each of the last two years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by her Department over this period; and if she will make a statement. [202348]
Mr. Caborn: DCMS has not been involved in any public-private partnerships and has not needed consultancy.
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many complaints were made by
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departmental civil servants regarding the conduct of special advisers between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [203464]
Mr. Caborn: There have been no complaints made by civil servants at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding the conduct of special advisers between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004.
Sports and Community Clubs
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to limit the increase in licensing fees for sports and community clubs under the Licensing Act 2004. [203704]
Mr. Caborn: Fees will be limited to full recovery by licensing authorities of their costs of administration, inspection and enforcement under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003. We are currently undertaking a consultation on the fee levels, which ends on 23 December 2004. We welcome the views of sports and community clubs as part of that consultation. All responses will be carefully considered before the fees are finalised.
Swimming
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance she is giving the Amateur Swimming Association to meet the costs of training swimming coaches. [203705]
Mr. Caborn: The Amateur Swimming Association's coaching qualifications are recognised on the National Qualifications Framework. This means that approved centres offering swimming coaching training can draw down mainstream funding through the Learning and Skills Council, to support training delivery. Swimming is one of the sports taking forward the UK Coaching Certificate. As such, the Amateur Swimming Association has been allocated funding for three years from 2004–05 by UK Sport to develop its coach education systems.
Theatre
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment has been made by the Arts Council West Midlands of the staging of innovative performances at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre since its opening; and if she will make a statement; [203347]
(2) what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the arts in Staffordshire of the Arts Council's publication, "A vision for the arts in the West Midlands 2003–06"; and if she will make a statement; [203348]
(3) what assessment she has made of funding for the arts in Staffordshire; and if she will make a statement; [203349]
(4) if she will make a statement on the Arts Council West Midlands policy regarding support for theatres owned by local authorities; and if she will make a statement; [203350]
(5) how many times representatives of the Arts Council West Midlands have visited the Lichfield Garrick Theatre since 1 July 2003; [203351]
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(6) what her Department's policy is towards the support of innovative art in the West Midlands; and if she will make a statement; [203353]
(7) what support has been given to the staging of new theatrical art in Staffordshire by the Arts Council West Midlands; and if she will make a statement; [203354]
(8) what support has been given in funding to theatres in Staffordshire by the Arts Council West Midlands since 1 July 2003. [203352]
Estelle Morris: Arts Council England (ACE) operates at arms-length from the Government. It delegates monies to the Regional Arts Councils which allocate funds in accordance with the strategic priorities of the Department and ACE.
Records relating specifically to grants for either new theatrical art or innovative art are not held by ACE. The £30,000 grant awarded by ACE to the Lichfield Garrick Theatre was for the production of new pieces of work to celebrate its opening. During 2004–05 the Lichfield Garrick became a regularly funded organisation (RFO) of ACE and is in receipt of £30,780. It is due to receive the same next year with subsequent funding to be decided following confirmation of ACE's future funding allocation. Since 1 July 2003, four official visits have been made by ACE to the Garrick Theatre.
Funding information is not collected for individual counties, neither has ACE a specific policy regarding support for theatres owned by local authorities. However, funding to theatres in Staffordshire has totalled £113,390 since 1 July 2003.
ACE's annual review for 2004, placed in the Library of both Houses, reports on its activity during both years including activity in the West Midlands.
LEADER OF THE HOUSE
Foreign Legislatures
David Burnside: To ask the Leader of the House what restrictions exist in UK law on the participation of hon. Members in the legislative chambers of foreign countries. [203701]
Mr. Hain: A member of the legislature of any country or territory outside the Commonwealth (other than Ireland) is disqualified from membership of the House of Commons under section 1(1)(e) of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, as amended by section 1 of the Disqualifications Act 2000. There is no restriction in UK law on the participation of hon. Members in the legislative chambers of foreign countries, while not member of that legislature.
Government Amendments
Bob Spink: To ask the Leader of the House how many Government amendments were accepted in the House of Lords in the last session. [202298]
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Mr. Woolas: Statistics for session 2003–04 under preparation in the House of Lords suggest that 2,915 Government amendments were made to Government Bills in the House of Lords last Session. This does not include amendments made on Consideration of Commons Amendments.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Abandoned Motor Vehicles
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many motor vehicles have been abandoned in Greater London in each of the last three years. [202729]
Alun Michael: Statistics for abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed were first compiled in the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey for 2000–01. Results for authorities in London are available for 2000–01 and 2001–02. Results for 2002–03 are supplemented by results from the Defra Abandoned Vehicle Survey 2002–03.
Numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed by each London Borough and Waste Collection Authority are listed as follows:
(13) for 2001–02 =GLA estimate
n/a = results not available
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