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Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases have been brought against her Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what the cost has been in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments. [202345]

Mr. Caborn: There have been two cases involving the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport founded wholly or chiefly on a claim for breach of the Human Rights Act 1998, one of which included the Secretary of State as a defendant and one as an interested party. One case was dismissed, the other withdrawn by consent. The total legal fees incurred were £14,167.30 including VAT.

My Department's investigations have revealed one other case involving the Secretary of State where a claim for breach of the Human Rights Act 1998 was made but only in support of other causes of action. The legal fees incurred were £8,305.27 including VAT but it is not possible to apportion them between the different causes of action.
 
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Family Planning Booklet

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether lottery funding was used in the publication of the Family Planning Association booklet, Girls Out Loud. [204397]

Estelle Morris: The Family Planning Association was awarded £55,000 by the community fund to produce educational materials to enable young women to make more informed decisions about their personal and sexual lives. Girls Out Loud consists of a video, and a handbook funded by the lottery grant and a further booklet called 4 Girls, which was originally paid for by the Department of Health, although this is now self-funding.

Staff Gyms

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many gyms are available to staff in the Department; and what the cost of providing them was in the last year for which figures are available. [204375]

Mr. Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has one on site gym available to staff. The facility has recently been upgraded and the YMCA now manages the gym with members also benefiting from free access to the Central YMCA gym. The gym is funded through membership fees and the Department will meet the annual management fee of £60 per year per member. No figures will be available until the end of the first year's operation.

Park Refurbishment (Liverpool)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant has been paid to Liverpool city council by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the refurbishment of the Victorian parks at Sefton, Newsham, Stanley and Botanic since 1997. [203646]

Mr. Caborn: Since 1997, the Heritage Lottery Fund has made one award to parks in Liverpool. The award of £2,442,000 was made in 1998 to Liverpool city council for the restoration of the Grade II* listed Palm House in Sefton Park.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Contracted Professional Services

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost to his Department was of contracted professional services in each of the last five years. [201679]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last two years. [200824]

 
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Mr. Stephen Twigg: For the financial year 2002–03 I refer the hon. Member to the response given by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 November 2003, Official Report, columns 397–98W and the letter that was deposited in the Library in relation to this response.

For the financial year 2003–04 my hon. Friend the Minister of the Cabinet Office has asked Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to write to the hon. Member with details of the cost of Ministerial vehicles provided to this Department in 2003–04.

The costs of taxis could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

School Sport

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what funding has been allocated to sport in secondary schools for 2005–06 to develop potential medal winners for the 2012 Olympic games; [204389]

(2) what investment was made in secondary schools in advance of the 2004 Athens Olympics aimed at increasing the UK medal total; [204484]

(3) what investment into secondary schools is planned for 2005 with the intention of producing medal winners at the 2016 Olympic Games. [204485]

Mr. Stephen Twigg [holding answer 13 December 2004]: As part of the national strategy for PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL), we are investing some £2 million per year into the development and support of very talented children and young people. This funding—which benefits pupils in primary and secondary schools—began in 2003–04 and will continue until at least 2007–08. It is part of the overall expenditure on the wider PESSCL programme of £459 million to 2006 to ensure that at least 75 per cent. of 5 to 16-year-olds have at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week. This target extends to 85 per cent. by 2008. An additional £686 million is being invested to improve school sports facilities across England. We will be announcing total funding for the next phase of PESSCL shortly.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Rwanda

6. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what recent assistance he has given to Rwanda. [204701]

Hilary Benn: DFID's assistance to Rwanda is helping the Government implement its Poverty Reduction Plan. Our commitment to Rwanda is £42 million for 2004–05 (two thirds is Poverty Reduction Budget Support). So far this financial year, we have spent £26.25 million, of which £20.25 million is Poverty Reduction Budget Support. Our commitment rises to £46 million for 2005–06.
 
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11. Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Rwanda; and what assistance his Department is giving to address it. [204707]

Mr. Thomas: The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Rwanda is estimated at 5.1 per cent. ¹ A comprehensive national plan has been developed that aims to provide anti-retroviral therapies to all Rwandans by 2010.

We have committed £8,700,000 to HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, focusing on capacity building and provision of anti-retroviral therapies. UK assistance is provided to the national co-ordinating body, UNAIDS, and the Ministry of Education, for anti-retroviral therapies to genocide survivors and for nationwide reduction and prevention activities.

¹ Source:

UNAIDS

Palestinian Security Forces

7. Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government are giving to, and what progress has been made with, the reform of Palestinian security forces. [204702]

Hilary Benn: The Government are working closely with the Palestinian Authority on security reform. We have helped set up operations rooms to co-ordinate security work and are providing both technical assistance and equipment.

DFID is funding a police officer to help the Palestinian Authority reform the civil policing structures. We are also supporting a Central Intervention Force to provide security during the forthcoming election period. Progress is being made, but more could be done under the transitional government.

Northern Uganda

8. Valerie Davey: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian situation following the recent ceasefire in Northern Uganda. [204703]

Hilary Benn: The recent announcement of a ceasefire in part of northern Uganda and contact between a mediator and LRA commanders is welcome news. This has resulted in a reduction in violence in the north. As a result, humanitarian agencies are achieving greater access to the 1.6 million displaced people.

The humanitarian situation is an emergency, but overall mortality and malnutrition rates suggest it is currently under control. Sustained improvements remain critically dependent on the conflict being resolved. We are, therefore, doing what we can to support peace efforts, as well as providing substantial humanitarian support, including a further contribution of £2 million to the World Food Programme agreed earlier this month.
 
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