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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 29 June 2005
PRIME MINISTER
Laptop Computers
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Prime Minister how many laptop computers have been used by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials in his Office in each year since 1995; how many have been (i)lost and (ii) stolen in that period; what the cost was of the use of laptops in that period; and if he will make a statement. [4112]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster today.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Consultants
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to issue guidance on effective commissioning for those in the public and voluntary sectors who are commissioning work from external consultants. [7019]
Mr. Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to her on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1286W by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Libraries (London)
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many books were borrowed from libraries in each London borough in each year since 1997. [7475]
Mr. Lammy: The aggregate number of books issued by library authorities across inner and outer London for each year between 1997–98 and 2003–04 is shown in the following table. These figures are drawn from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's annual Public Library Statistics (Actuals) which also contain figures for individual library authorities. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.
| Number of books issued | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 55,246 |
| 1998–99 | 52,667 |
| 1999–2000 | 48,142 |
| 2000–01 | 45,771 |
| 2001–02 | 42,626 |
| 2002–03 | 41,727 |
| 2003–04 | 39,774 |
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National Lottery
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on differences in amounts received by constituencies from grants to good causes from the national lottery. [8073]
Mr. Caborn: Policy directions issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport state that lottery funding must be accessible to all sections of the population and all areas of the country (especially those at risk of social exclusion).
Ensuring equality of access does not, however, mean that every constituency will receive exactly the same amount. And nor should it. The distribution of national lottery funds was always intended to respond to particular needs and to ensure that areas of significant disadvantage are first to benefit.
Women's Football
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to promote women's football in England. [8378]
Mr. Caborn: The Government have sought to help promote the women's game by working closely with the football authorities and other sporting organisations to raise its profile in this country.
Sport England on behalf of the Government funds the Football Foundation which invests in a wide range of projects that benefit women's football. Sport England has also directly funded girls' football in recent years through the Active Sports programme which has contributed to the 53 per cent. increase in the number of girls playing the game since 2001.
The Government place much importance on women's football and football in general. The sport is a key deliverer of our aims to increase participation in sport, improve social inclusion, community cohesion and the health of the nation.
Work-related Stress
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation was paid to employees in each year; how many work days were lost due to work-related stress in each year; at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress; at what cost; and if she will make a statement. [7858]
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Mr. Caborn: The Department records the number of stress related absences, but the records do not distinguish between stress and work-related stress. The number of stress related cases identified for the last three years are as follows:
| Number of cases | Days lost | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 9 | 712 |
| 2003–04 | 6 | 251 |
| 2004–05 | (1)— | 176 |
(1)This information has been suppressed on grounds of confidentiality.
DCMS has a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for all employees and guidance is available for staff and managers on how to manage stress effectively.
No compensation has been paid to employees for any stress related cases in the last three years.
As part of our larger managing attendance, health and welfare programme for staff we have a range of policies and procedures in places to reduce work-related stress.
These include: Stress Management policy: Sickness Absence policy, which includes guidance on making reasonable adjustments; full range of flexible work patterns to support work-life balance; dedicated stress management channel on DCMS Intranet; health awareness pages on Intranet; access to welfare services, onsite gym and yoga classes.
The Department does not hold details of costs for absences resulting from work-related stress or procedures put in place to tackle it.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Animal Welfare
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the welfare conditions of animals used in circuses; and if she will make a statement; [7035]
(2) what plans she has to bring the welfare standards for circus animals up to the same standard as for animals kept in zoos; and if she will make a statement. [7036]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government are aware of anecdotal evidence that there are certain welfare problems associated with circuses. The Government's preliminary conclusion is that any such problems can be addressed through better regulation.
Proposals under the Animal Welfare Bill will improve significantly the welfare of animals in circuses. The Bill will introduce a 'duty of care' requiring that the owner or keeper of an animal takes reasonable steps to ensure its welfare and enables action to be taken before any suffering occurs. This will strengthen protection for circus animals.
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It is also our intention, through secondary legislation under the Bill, to regulate all trainers of performing animals. No decisions have been taken as to what form the regulation will take but any proposals will be subject to public consultation.
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the legislative position in other European countries in respect of the use of wild animals in circuses; and if she will make a statement. [7448]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is aware that animal welfare laws, including those relating to circuses, vary across Europe.
Badger Deaths (Surrey)
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish statistics on roadside badger deaths in Surrey; and if she will make a statement. [7360]
Mr. Bradshaw: As Surrey is not one of the seven counties in which DEFRA is conducting its Road Traffic Accident survey, we do not have data on the numbers of badgers killed on Surrey roads.
Energy Technology List (Kilns)
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to include kilns on the Energy Technology List of the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme; and if she will make a statement. [7395]
Mr. Morley: The Carbon Trust is responsible for providing the Government with technical advice on technologies for the Energy Technology List (ETL). Each proposal for a new technology group is considered and prioritised based on the potential to save carbon dioxide emissions and ease of incorporation within the scheme. To date we have not received any detailed or quantitative proposals to include kilns on the ETL from the relevant industry representatives and our own market assessment indicates that kilns offer relatively low EGA accessible abatement potential compared to other technologies not yet listed. Therefore we have no plans to undertake a detailed evaluation of kilns for the ETL at the moment.
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