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UK Trade and Investment

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when UK Trade and Investment consulted the Association of Trade Organisations on proposed changes to the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad scheme; and if he will make a statement. [10480]

Ian Pearson: UK Trade and Investment consulted the accredited trade organisations, including members of the Sponsors' Alliance, in writing in autumn 2004; at an open forum in November 2004; and in small working groups and larger format meetings in the first three months of 2005. UK Trade and Investment is continuing to discuss the implementation of changes to the SESA scheme with the Sponsors' Alliance and accredited trade organisations who are not members of that association.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how UK Trade and Investment plans to help existing exporters who want to expand their export activities into new markets to gain access to these markets; and if he will make a statement. [10481]

Ian Pearson: Advice and access to a range of UKTI services is available, through international trade advisers based in regional trade teams, to existing exporters who want to expand their export activities into new markets. Support is also available for sectorally based initiatives from which both new and existing exporters will benefit.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC Freeview (East Sussex)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that East Sussex receives 100 per cent. coverage of BBC Freeview; and if she will make a statement on BBC Freeview targets for the county. [10871]

 
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James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 170–71W.

The vast majority of households in East Sussex can, with the appropriate equipment, receive BBC digital television services via either digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.

The Government are committed to ensuring that at digital switchover everyone in the UK who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

Big Lottery Fund

Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria will be used to allocate funding from the Big Lottery Fund for a play programme; and when she expects allocations to be made. [10497]

Mr. Caborn: This is a matter for the Big Lottery Fund which is currently undertaking development work on the new play fund.

Departmental Staff

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available. [11508]

Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to table C of the annual publication Civil Service Statistics" which provides staff numbers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agency in each year from 1998 to 2004, copies of which are laid in the Libraries of both Houses. 2004 figures have been published on the Cabinet Office website.

Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment she has made of the likely impact the new evaluation methodology of the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme will have on the review of area heritage grant schemes; and if she will make a statement; [10457]

(2) what assessment she has made of the impact of the Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas programme; when a decision will be taken on extending the programme to other areas; and if she will make a statement. [10458]

Mr. Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 28 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1390–91W.

English Heritage's Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) was replaced by Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas in April 2005. This reflected its decision to devolve management of its grant schemes to its regional offices. As with HERS, the scheme applies to any conservation area in an area of deprivation.
 
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English Heritage is reviewing the method by which such schemes are evaluated as part of its work on the Heritage Dividend. Together with the Heritage Lottery Fund and other grant giving agencies, it is also exploring the possibility of a joint area- based grant scheme.

Resale Rights

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings her Department has held with ministerial colleagues at the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss artists' resale rights since 5 May. [11531]

Mr. Lammy [holding answer 11 July 2005]: There have been no meetings between the Department for Culture Media and Sport and ministerial colleagues at the Department for Trade and Industry to discuss artists' resale rights since 5 May.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Vote Office Print Unit

Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the publications produced by the vote office print unit since its inception. [10877]

Nick Harvey: Since its inception in 1994 the vote office print services unit has produced over 48,000 publications. A list of them all in a readily intelligible form could only be produced with disproportionate effort.

Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what his estimate is of the savings to the House by the use of the vote office print unit since its inception to produce publications previously printed by other sources. [10878]

Nick Harvey: It is not possible with precision to calculate the total savings to the House by use of the print services unit since its inception. On the basis of prices obtained from external printers relating to the production of a sample of 11 documents currently printed in-House it is estimated that savings in the order of £6 million have been achieved over the 10 years of operation of the unit.

Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff are employed by the vote office print unit; and at what grade. [10879]

Nick Harvey: 10 staff are currently employed in the vote office Print services unit (two grade B; three grade C and five grade D), under the overall direction of another member of staff (grade A) as part of her duties. Six of these members of staff work a rotating shift system to provide a production capability from 7.30am to midnight on Mondays to Thursdays and 7.30am to 7pm on Fridays, in weeks that the House is sitting.

Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the average printing costs of the vote bundle per printed page were during the 2004–05 financial years. [10920]

 
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Nick Harvey: The average printing costs of the vote bundle per originated printed page during financial year 2004–05 were £74.15.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Allowance

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the local housing allowance rates are for each rental category in each of the original pathfinder authorities. [8864]

Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins) on 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1558W.

Housing Benefit

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of housing benefit paid to council tenants was in the last year for which figures are available. [9662]

Mr. Plaskitt: The 2003–04 expenditure for housing benefit rent-rebate cases is £5,037 million.

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