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Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether departmental special advisers have been responsible for authorising instances of departmental spending since May 1997; [203915]

(2) whether departmental special advisers have given instructions to permanent civil servants without the explicit authorisation of Ministers since May 1997. [203974]

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mr. Miliband) on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1258W.
 
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Travel Costs

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total travel costs to his Department have been for (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials for each year since 1997. [203786]

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed on 29 May 2002.

Since 1999, the Government publishes, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House.

For details on the cost of Ministers' domestic travel, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 July 2004, Official Report, column 568W, to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis).

Information on the travel costs for special advisers who accompany Ministers on overseas visits are included in the annual list on overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers. Information on domestic visits could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

For travel costs incurred by officials, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 201W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the "Ministerial Code" and the "Civil Service Management Code".

Working Time Regulations

Mr. Brady: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many officials working in ministerial private offices in the Department have worked more than a 48 hour week at any time in the last 12 months for which figures are available; how many of those had signed a waiver under working time regulations; and what percentage these figures represented of the total in each case. [204140]

Phil Hope: The working time regulations provide workers with the protection of a limit of an average of 48 hours a week working time. This is not an absolute cap of 48 hours in any one week. This average is normally calculated over a 17-week reference period, although this can be longer in certain situations (26 weeks) and can be extended by agreement (up to 52 weeks). Workers may choose to work more than 48 hours per week over this reference period by signing an opt-out agreement, but employers cannot force a worker to sign an opt-out, and workers cannot be subjected to detriment for refusing to sign an opt-out.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has 30 officials working in ministerial private offices who have signed a waiver under working time regulations.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

School Sport

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the additional
 
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£431 million given to expand school sport has been specifically allocated to targeting the participation of girls. [206692]

Mr. Caborn: On 14 December the Prime Minister announced that £519 million had been allocated to continue and build on the National Strategy for PE and School Sport in 2006–07 and 2007–08. None of that funding has been specifically allocated at national level to targeting girls' participation.

The national strategy is reaching out to all pupils and the target to ensure that 85 per cent. of five to 16-year-olds doing at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week by 2008 will be a key driver for schools to ensure that they are genuinely inclusive in their provision. At local level, we expect school sport partnerships to make provision for targeting girls, where that is necessary, by broadening opportunities and tailoring delivery to girls' needs. Over 40 different sports and activities—attractive to both boys and girls—are already offered across all partnership schools, with the average per school being 14. Dance is the most popular activity after football—it's offered in 94 per cent. of partnership schools.

To date, more than 1,200 secondary schools have benefited from the Youth Sport Trust/Nike Girls in Sport initiative. This seeks to encourage greater participation by girls through changing or relaxing kit specifications, extending the range of activities (e.g. aerobics or girls' football) and improving showers and changing rooms. All schools in school sport partnerships are encouraged to adopt these principles.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Security Co-ordinator

Dame Marion Roe: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire representing the House of Commons Commission what progress has been made in the appointment of a Parliamentary Security Co-ordinator to lead the implementation of the Security Review. [207047]

Sir Archy Kirkwood: Mr. Speaker and the Lord Chairman of Committees have appointed Mr. Peter Mason as Parliamentary Security Co-ordinator to carry out the duties described in my answer to the hon. Lady of 8 November 2004, Official Report, column 449W. Mr. Mason will be on secondment from the security service, and his appointment is for a period of two years.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the contract for the Physical Integrator role for the Future Aircraft Carrier project is worth. [203935]

Mr. Ingram: The initial contract for the Physical Integrator role for the Future Aircraft Carrier could be up to £5 million depending on timing and content.
 
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BAE Systems

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) contracted price and (b) in-service date was originally agreed with BAE Systems for the building of the Mount Bay and Cardigan Bay vessels at Govan; what the latest forecasts are; what the reasons for the changes are; and if he will make a statement. [199907]

Mr. Ingram: BAE Systems was awarded a contract for £122 million in November 2001 to build two Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary). The company is contracted to deliver the two vessels to the Ministry of Defence, which will then conduct user trials before declaring the ships to be "in-service". At the time of the original contract, Mounts Bay was expected to enter service in March 2005 and Cardigan Bay in October 2005. Technical difficulties with the design and construction of the first two Bay Class ships by Swan Hunter, the lead yard for the class, have had a knock-on effect on BAE Systems. The resulting delays mean that the latest forecast in-service date for the first of Class, Largs Bay, is 2006. The impact of the delays on the BAE Systems contract price and in-service dates is currently the subject of discussions with the company which are commercial in confidence and I am therefore withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 7a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Brigade of Guards

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to merge the regiments of the Brigade of Guards; and if he will make a statement; [201540]

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. [201485]

Mr. Hoon: I refer my hon. Friends to the statement I made on 16 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1195–218W.

British Army Bases

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British Army bases there are in England and Wales. [205914]

Mr. Caplin: This information is not held centrally and will take a little time to collate. I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

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