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6 Apr 2005 : Column 1465W—continued
Dee Estuary
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when a decision will be made regarding the Port of Mostyn's application to dredge the Dee Estuary. [223029]
Mr. Touhig: Decisions on the Port of Mostyn's proposals are matters for the National Assembly for Wales, the Environment Agency and the Department for Transport.
The regulators are considering a range of complex issues, including environmental factors. It is not possible to say when a decision will be reached.
Medical Staff
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales on joint initiatives to increase the numbers of medical staff in Wales. [219379]
Mr. Hain:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) earlier today, at Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales.
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Wildlife Management (Dee Estuary)
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has held with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales Government regarding the management of wildlife on the Dee Estuary. [224380]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Assembly Ministers. The Dee Estuary is a candidate 'Special Area for Conservation' under European Habitat Regulations. It includes two nature reserves and seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It supports a large bird population over the winter, and has a number of rare plants and animals, including 12 internationally important bird species.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter of 18 November 2004 from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford, concerning Mr. East of Essex County Cricket Club. [224477]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 4 April 2005]: The original letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford was not received in the Department. My office has however obtained a copy of the letter and I replied to the hon. Member on 5 April.
Sport England
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of Sport England's Exchequer grant in aid was spent on (a) staff costs, excluding those for national centres, (b) administrative costs, (c) publicity promotions and communications, (d) grants to national governing bodies, (e) grants to Sportscoach UK, (f) sports science and sports medicine, (g) national centres, (h) grants to other national sports bodies, excluding national governing bodies and (i) regional support, in each year from 2002–03 to 2005–06. [224522]
Mr. Caborn: The following table provides the percentage of Sport England's grant in aid spent on the costs listed (a) to (i).
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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Commission on Sustainable Development
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Minister from his Department will be attending the Commission on Sustainable Development in New York in April. [214552]
Hilary Benn: The Department will provide expert and senior policy support to the representatives of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who lead on this issue.
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he intends to reply to the letter dated 10 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. O. Brobdan, sent again on 22 February. [224864]
Hilary Benn: DFID has no record of a letter dated 10 January, from the right hon. Member on behalf of Mr. O. Brobdan. A reply to the letter of 22 February was issued on 5 April.
SCOTLAND
Asylum Seekers (Grants)
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the payments and grants made by the Government to each local authority in Scotland to reimburse the costs of supporting asylum seekers in each year from 1996–97 to the establishment of the Scottish Executive. [217878]
Mrs. McGuire: Immediately prior to 1 April 1999, the budget for support of asylum seekers was split between the then Department of Social Security and the Department of Health. The Department of Social Security was responsible for supporting applicants who made their application at a port of entry until such times as an initial decision was recorded on the claim for asylum. The Department of Health picked up the costs of supporting those claiming asylum after entry and also appellants (including those who made their original application on arrival).
The budget for adult and family asylum seekers transferred to the Home Office on 1 April 1999. The budget for unaccompanied asylum seeking children transferred to the Home Office on 1 April 2000.
For information on the costs to the Government in relation to asylum seekers prior to 1999–2000, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 May 2000, Official Report, column 331W by the then Home Secretary. The figures contained in the answer are global, and cover the entire of the UK. They cannot be broken down further into areas.
Departmental Budget
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the planned (a) capital and (b) resource budget for his Department is for 2011–12. [223438]
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Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 April 2005, Official Report, column 1170W by my hon. Friend, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present; [210549]
(2) if he will list the speeches his special advisers made in an official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, broken down by date. [210561]
Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1648W to questions 203460 and 203493.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Council Tax
John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria he has set for class R exemptions from council tax for narrow boat resident owners. [224870]
Mr. Raynsford: A mooring occupied by a boat which is somebody's sole or main residence is deemed to be a "dwelling" for council tax purposes and will therefore attract a council tax liability in the same way as other domestic types of property. Under class R of the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992 (as amended) a dwelling consisting of a mooring which is not occupied by a boat is exempt from council tax.
National House Building Council
Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what arrangements he has in place to monitor the building control and inspection procedures of the National House Building Council; and if he will make a statement. [224911]
Phil Hope: As approved inspectors, the National House Building Council has to satisfy the Construction Industry Council's requirements to continue to practice as a building control body. They are also obliged to apply 12 standards specified in our "Building Control Performance Standards" handbook.
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