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24 Jan 2005 : Column 41W—continued
CAB Funding
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much central Government funding was provided to Citizens Advice Bureaux in the last year for which figures are available; and how that funding is allocated. [209327]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This information is not held centrally in the Department and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, some limited information can be found in Citizens Advice's 2004 annual report.
Post Offices
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 421W, on the post office (rural subsidy), what the average assigned office payment to sub-postmasters is; and how many (a) rural, (b) urban and (c) urban deprived sub-post offices received assigned office payments. [210138]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Payment to individual sub-postmasters are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) urban and (b) rural (i) sub-post offices and (ii) directly managed post offices are loss-making; and what the total annual loss was in the last year for which figures are available. [210119]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Premium Telephone Numbers
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will refer the operators of premium telephone number 090 66 33 6929 to the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services. [209389]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
ICSTIS is already taking enforcement action against service provider who uses this telephone number as the services on this number are in breach of the ICSTIS Code of Practice. ICSTIS shut down services on this number on 14 January 2005. ICSTIS will adjudicate on this service in the next few weeks. ICSTIS has the powers to fine service providers who are in breach of its Code and bar them from providing services.
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WALES
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the contracts signed by his special advisers differ from the Model Contract for Special Advisers. [207231]
Mr. Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 753W.
Welsh Regiments
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet the Secretary of State for Defence to discuss the renaming of the Welsh infantry regiment to reflect more prominently the names of the Royal Regiment of Wales and the Royal Welch Fusiliers. [208693]
Mr. Hain: I am aware of the strong feelings on this matter and have discussed these with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. I will write to my hon. Friend if there are any developments.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Archaeology
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding her Department has provided for archaeology projects in each of the past seven years. [209894]
Mr. Caborn: Government funding for the historic environment is channelled through English Heritage. Since 1997–98, English Heritage has distributed the following amounts through its grants programme to support a wide range of archaeology related research, external capacity building and outreach projects:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 5,385,000 |
| 1998–99 | 4,673,000 |
| 1999–00 | 5,050,000 |
| 2000–01 | 4,557,000 |
| 2001–02 | 5,117,000 |
| 2002–03 | 5,473,000 |
| 2003–04 | 5,594,000 |
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English Heritage also receives additional funding from Defra's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. Since 2002–03 it has distributed the following amounts from the Fund to support archaeology projects:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 3,640,000 |
| 2003–04 | 5,184,000 |
Art Exports
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to place a temporary export licence ban on Damien Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (1991)—the Shark—and what reports she has received of attempts to keep the object in the country. [210110]
Estelle Morris: The export controls on objects of cultural interest apply only to objects manufactured or produced more than 50 years before the date of exportation. This means that Damien Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" will not require an export licence; and I, therefore, do not have the power to intervene in its export.
Clwyd, South Constituency
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Clwyd, South constituency, the effects on Clwyd, South of her Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [210327]
Mr. Caborn: Most of the matters for which the Department is responsible in England have been devolved in Wales to the National Assembly for Wales. However, there are some reserved areas in which the Government has introduced initiatives which affect the Clwyd, South constituency.
The Licensing Act 2003 (Commencement) Order 2003 repealed those parts of the Licensing Act 1964 which allowed the local government electorate in the counties and county boroughs of Wales to requisition polls to decide whether licensed premises should be allowed to open on Sundays. This has removed the uncertainty which businesses in Wales, including those in Clwyd South, faced, allowing them to exercise long-term planning. It also removes a costly administrative burden on local authorities and an artificial difference in licensing controls between Wales and England, which prevented businesses and customers exercising freedom of choice.
The Gambling Bill will, when implemented, transfer responsibility for licensing gambling premises to local authorities. Local people and businesses will be able to make representations about applications for licenses and local authorities will be able to decide not to issue licenses for casino premises. These changes will give local communities, including those in Clwyd South, a greater say in the regulation of gambling in their area.
Information from the National Lottery distributors indicates that since 2 May 1997 Clwyd, South has benefited from over 280 awards totalling over
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£5.6 million. Of these, 70 awards worth over £1.5 million were made by the New Opportunities Fund which was established by the Government in 1999.
DCMS/EU Co-operation
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the European Commission on the supporting, co-ordinating and complementary action which may be taken by the EU in the field of (a) culture, (b) tourism and (c) sport under article I-17 of the proposed EU constitution. [209586]
Mr. Caborn: My Department has not undertaken detailed discussions about the new competences in sport and tourism with the European Commission as such discussions would pre-empt the result of the referendum on the Constitutional Treaty.
(a) Culture: Concerning the future culture programmes of the EU, my officials have regular meetings with other Member States and the European Commission.
(b) Sport: DCMS has not had any bilateral discussions with the Commission. However, UK delegations have attended meetings of EU Sports Directors and meetings of EU Sports Ministers—where the Commission is also represented—at which discussions about future EU action in the field of sport have taken place.
(c) Tourism: DCMS has not had any bilateral discussions with the European Commission on the proposed new competence for tourism in the EU Constitutional Treaty. DCMS officials have been present at EU meetings when the topic of the new competence has been discussed in general terms.
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