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21 Mar 2005 : Column 548W—continued

Ministerial Visit (Beijing)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with the Chinese Government during his recent visit to Beijing concerning the position taken by China on the UN Security Council over Sudan and Darfur. [221014]

Mr. Gordon Brown: In Beijing I had discussions with Premier Wen and Finance Minister Jin, on a wide range of issues including foreign policy.

Official Entertainment

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individuals who have been officially entertained at number 11 Downing street since 1997. [218419]

Mr. Timms: The information requested could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

Official Residences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the current occupants make towards the
 
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running costs of each; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i)domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment at each was in 2003–04. [213609]

Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answers he received from the Prime Minister on 20 January 2005, Official Report, column 1037W, and the former Financial Secretary (Ruth Kelly) on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 1097W, and to my answer to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk) on 16 November 2004, Official Report, column 1267W. I very much regret that my answer inadvertently contained an incorrect figure: the running costs of the Treasury's residential property in 2003–04 were in fact £127,428 (and not £162,858).

Information relating to expenditure on flowers and plants, wine and entertaining, food, telephone bills and electricity and gas is not available. No maintenance or domestic staff are employed by the Treasury in respect of the flat at 10 Downing Street.

Red Diesel

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will be bringing forward, with the Treasury, plans to reform the use of red diesel by excepted vehicles. [222319]

John Healey: HM Treasury and HM Customs and Excise have recently closed a consultation exercise on excepted vehicles entitled to use red diesel. A number of responses have been received, raising a range of issues, and these are currently being analysed. Decisions on whether or not to proceed with changes to the excepted vehicle schedule will be taken once this consideration is complete.

Tax Credits

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants were penalised for failing to report changes in circumstances which must be reported within three months in the (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05 tax year. [222782]

Dawn Primarolo: Families are required to inform Inland Revenue of any change in the adults heading the family within three months of the change. They are also required to inform Inland Revenue within three months if use of qualifying child care ceases or if child care costs fall by £10 a week or more for a period of at least four weeks.

(a) In order to give families time to adjust to the requirements of the system, in 2003–04 the Inland Revenue did not issue penalties to families who failed to report such changes in the required time period or before their award was finalised.

(b) It is not possible to distinguish how many penalties were issued in respect of current awards for 2004–05 following a failure to report a required change in circumstances from those issued as a result of a misrepresentation on the original claim. The total number of penalties issued for these reasons is 33.

 
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Regional Museums (Funding)

10. Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on funding for regional museums. [222745]

Tessa Jowell: Over the period 2002 to 2008 the Government are providing £147 million in funding for regional Museums through the Renaissance in the Regions programme devised and delivered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. I am pleased that the additional £15 million we are providing in 2007–08 will enable the benefits of Renaissance to be rolled out to all nine English regions.

National Lottery (Unclaimed Prizes)

11. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total amount of unclaimed Lottery prizes is; and what the largest single unclaimed amount is. [222746]

Mr. Caborn: As at 25 February 2005, the total payments to the National Lottery Distribution Fund in respect of unclaimed prizes were £711.1 million. The largest single unclaimed amount is £7,039,469.

Footballers' Behaviour

12. Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has made to football ruling bodies on the impact of players' behaviour on young people; and if she will make a statement. [222747]

Mr. Caborn: I wrote to all Football Club Chairman at the start of the current season to remind them about the issue of fair play and the responsibility their players have in being positive role models for the game. It is important that the Football authorities take a tough stance on this issue and ensure that match officials have their full support when dealing with poor behaviour during games.

Licensing Act 2003

14. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on how the issue of saturation is being dealt with under the Licensing Act 2003. [222750]

Mr. Caborn: On 7 July last year, we published our Guidance to licensing authorities and this is available in the House Library and also on our website www.culture.gov.uk. Our advice on assessing the local cumulative impact of licensing applications made under the 2003 Act can be found in sections 3.13–3.28 of the Guidance.

Women in Sport

15. Ms Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives she is taking to promote public recognition of the role of women in sport. [222751]

Tessa Jowell: The Government strategy to promote the role of women in sport involves: boosting participation, ensuring continued success for women
 
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elite athletes and putting women in leadership positions in British sport. The public recognition of the role of women in sport is most evident in the bi-annual Honours Lists. The most recent examples of the recognition of women being the award of Damehoods to Kelly Holmes, Tanni Grey-Thompson and Ellen MacArthur.

18. Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what strategy her Department is using to increase the number of women on the decision-making boards and committees of sporting bodies. [222755]

Tessa Jowell: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport carries out targeted search to encourage women and other under-represented groups to put themselves forward for consideration for public appointments in all areas.

Tote Privatisation

16. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the privatisation of the Tote. [222752]

Mr. Caborn: We remain committed to the sale of the Tote to a racing trust, subject to clearance of the sale terms by the European Commission.

Binge Drinking

17. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what contribution her Department is making to the Government's efforts to tackle binge drinking. [222754]

Mr. Caborn: The Government believe that the current licensing regime exacerbates binge drinking by encouraging people to drink as much as possible before last orders—our licensing reforms will put an end to this practice. More widely, and in support of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, in January we announced further proposals to tackle the culture of binge drinking, including Alcohol Disorder Zones; new penalties for disorder; and closure powers related to underage drinking.

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