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Literacy and Numeracy

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002. [23358]

Mr. Hutton: The department did not run specific in-house training on either literacy or numeracy programmes in 2002 and 2003. Between June 2004 and March 2005, the department spent £7,200 on in-house literacy training. This training was embedded in events designed to improve business writing skills. The cost per head of these events was £100 per attendee. There was no specific training on numeracy skills in this period.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many employees in his Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002. [23378]

Mr. Hutton: Since 2002, two employees in the department have requested training to improve their literacy and numeracy skills via their union learning representative.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy amongst employees of his Department. [23402]

Mr. Hutton: The department has made information packs on skills for life available to all staff. These packs have promoted the initial assessment tests in literacy and numeracy. The tests have also been promoted through the department's union learning representative and at specific learning events such as learning at work day 2005. The departmental intranet is currently being updated to consolidate existing information about skills for life initiatives, including access to national tests.
 
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Parliamentary Ombudsman

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to reduce the delays in cases taken up by the parliamentary ombudsman; and if he will make a statement. [22688]

Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable), 19 October 2005, Official Report, 1063W.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what discussions she has had with the BBC in the context of Charter renewal regarding its planned move to Manchester; and if she will make a statement; [23926]

(2) if she will make a statement on the BBC's modernisation plans that are linked to charter renewal. [23927]

Tessa Jowell: I will set out the results of BBC Charter review in a White Paper, due to be published in the next few months.

Carbon Management Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme. [23727]

James Purnell: We have no current plans to join the Carbon Trust Carbon Management programme. My Department took advantage last year of the free energy survey then offered by the Carbon Trust and put their recommendations in place. We are also in the early stages of planning a major refurbishment of our headquarters building and will be using this opportunity to pursue further energy savings measures.

Cricket

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to support local amateur cricket clubs. [23958]

Mr. Caborn: The Government, through Sport England, makes Grant Awards to the English Cricket Board (ECB) to support their delivery of both the professional and amateur game in England and Wales. A key part of the ECB's strategy for the next four years, as laid out in their plan Building Partnerships—cricket's strategic plan" focuses on increasing participation especially among young people and from 2006 they will be investing £10.6 million to help achieve this including supporting more cricket facilities at local clubs.

Sport England also makes awards to the ECB under the Community Club Development Program (CCDP) under which £9.4 million has been earmarked for cricket. In the first year of the CCDP programme, more than 100 local clubs have been supported.
 
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The Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme, launched in 2002, has also been of significant financial value to amateur cricket clubs. In October 2005, cricket clubs made up the largest sporting sector registered under the scheme—over 600 of the 3,300 clubs with CASC status. CASC has been worth £7.5 million to sports clubs in total; so, an estimated £1.5 million has been put back into grassroots cricket through tax reliefs.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which individual is responsible for developing and implementing her department's skills development plan. [23853]

Mr. Lammy: The department's skills development plan is developed and implemented by a number of officials under the supervision of the department's head of human resources.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of her department's skills development plan. [23873]

Mr. Lammy: Yes.

Literacy and Numeracy

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of new recruits to her Department do not have a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics. [23781]

Mr. Lammy: The information requested is not recorded as we recruit on the basis of a competency assessment not qualifications.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what methods of assessment of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills are used as part of the recruitment process by employees of her Department. [23784]

Mr. Lammy: Recruitment is based on a competency assessment. The Department's core competences are people management, financial management, project and programme management, analysis and use of evidence and partnership working and stakeholder management.

London Olympic Games

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her latest estimate is of the (a) cost of and (b) completion dates for the construction of stadiums for the 2012 London Olympics; and if she will make a statement. [15587]

Tessa Jowell: Details of estimated costs and completion dates for the construction of stadia for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympics games can be found in chapters six and eight of the Candidature File, which was presented to the International Olympic Committee in November 2004. This information can be found at http://www.london2012.org/en/news/publications/Candidatefile/.
 
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Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the original budget was for site assembly for the London 2012 Olympics; and what the current estimate is of the money required. [22612]

Tessa Jowell: The original budget set by the London Development Agency for land assembly was £478 million. This budget is being reviewed to reflect the land assembly required and the level of remediation involved. It will continue to be re-appraised and re-assessed in accordance with the effective project management of a capital project of this scale.

Nazi Plundered Material

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the negotiations begun in 2001 to find the appropriate route to remove the legislative barriers preventing the return of Nazi plundered material. [23925]

Mr. Lammy: My Department is planning to issue a public consultation document in due course, which will contain the detailed proposals for legislation.

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