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12 Dec 2005 : Column 1636W—continued
Tuberculosis
Mr. Burrowes:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of funding
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allocated to direct budget support in 2005–06 in each country is attributable to the control and treatment of tuberculosis. [26072]
Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the response given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Julie Morgan) on 14 November 2005, Official Report, columns 870–71W.
Zimbabwe
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value of grants in aid made to Zimbabwe were in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [30160]
Hilary Benn: DFID has not made grants in aid to Zimbabwe in the last five years.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Audio Signing Services
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which broadcasters covered by the Ofcom Code on Television Access Services did not broadcast (a) audio description and (b) signing during the first half of 2005. [36208]
James Purnell: The matter raised is the responsibility of Ofcom, as independent regulator. Accordingly, officials have asked the chief executive to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Broadcasting (Illegal Jamming)
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) representations she has received from broadcasters and (b) discussions she has had with the Office of Communications on the jamming of UK satellite communications system Telstar 12 and the European system Hotbird; and if she will make a statement. [34922]
James Purnell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not received any direct representations from broadcasters nor has she had discussions with the Office of Communications about the jamming of UK satellite systems.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the interruption within the UK of television services provided by (a) BBC World, (b) CNN, (c) Euro News, (d) JSTV and (e) others since September; and if she will make a statement. [34924]
James Purnell: The Office of Communications (OFCOM) received a report from Arquiva, the network operator responsible for transmission of Channel 5 television services in the UK on 25 October. This report notified the regulator of interference to the Telstar 12 satellite service.
The Telstar 12 satellite provides programme feeder links for Channel 5 television broadcasts. No detailed assessment of the interference is available but it is
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known that it caused interruption to Channel 5 broadcasts for several hours on a number of occasions over a period of approximately two weeks.
There were no complaints to OFCOM or DCMS officials of interference to any other UK broadcasting services sharing the satellite during the same period.
The interference has now ceased and there have been no further reports of interruption to Channel 5 or any other UK television broadcast stations using the affected satellite. DCMS officials nevertheless remain in touch with OFCOM and FCO officials to monitor the situation and will take appropriate steps should there be a re-occurrence of the problem.
Communion Wine
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has received from groups whose only alcoholic product on sale is communion wine; and when she received such representations. [34418]
James Purnell [holding answer 5 December 2005]: The Government has received letters from two hon. Members, which enclose correspondence from their constituents on this matter. One is from a business that engages in the sale of communion wine and the other from a churchwarden. These letters were received on September 8 and 15, 2005, respectively.
My Officials are currently investigating the points raised and I will reply as soon as all the information has been collated.
Departmental Property
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid by her Department in 2004–05 in rent for properties in (a) total, (b) each (i) region and (ii) nation of the UK and (c) London. [35941]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport paid rents for properties in London as follows in 2004–05. (This is the net figure after receipt of rental income from private sector tenants.)
The Department did not pay any rent outside London in 2004–05.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid by her Department in rates to each local authority in the UK in 2004–05; and how much was paid in (a) each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK and (b) London. [35988]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport paid rates as follows in 2004–05.
The Royal Parks Agency paid rates as follows in 2004–05.
The Department did not pay any rates outside London in 2004–05.
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Departmental Staff
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff are employed by her Department in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK; and if she will make a statement. [35905]
Mr. Lammy: As at 1 December 2005 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had 517 employees (502 full-time equivalents), which are all based in Central London.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of each civil service grade in her Department is located in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK; what the average salary is for each grade; and if she will make a statement. [35906]
Mr. Lammy: All 517 staff (502 full time equivalents) in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are based in central London.
The average salaries for each grade at 1 December 2005, are shown in the following table.
| Grade | Civil service equivalent | Head count | Average salary (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCS payband 2 and above | — | 10 | 101,067 |
| SCS payband 1 | — | 20 | 63,794 |
| A(U) | Grade 6 | 21 | 54,150 |
| A | Grade 7 | 96 | 43,577 |
| B | HEO/SEO | 175 | 29,509 |
| C | EO | 128 | 21,490 |
| D | AA/AO | 67 | 17,524 |
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value is of (a) pay supplements, (b) bonuses and (c) other incentive packages that are payable in her Department on the basis of geographic location; how many people are in receipt of each payment; and what the total cost to her Department of each payment was in 2004–05. [35907]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not pay supplements, bonuses or any incentive package to staff on the basis of geographical location.
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are taken by the Department to support staff with mental ill-health. [36267]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a range of measures in place to support staff with health problems, including mental ill-health. These include guidance for managers on supporting staff with mental health problems, and the services of a professionally trained staff counsellor and occupational health adviser. The Department also has a stress management policy to provide staff and managers with guidance on how to recognise and manage stress effectively, and offers a range of flexible working patterns to accommodate the individual needs of its staff.
The Department would also make reasonable adjustments for staff suffering from mental ill-health in compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
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