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Piracy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has commissioned research into the cost to British trade of piracy in international waters. [37923]

Dr. Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.

The UK Government take the issue of piracy extremely seriously and have published on the Department's website a counter-piracy strategy which sets out the actions that it has committed to taking to tackle the menace of piracy. However, neither the Department for Transport nor the Department for Trade and Industry have commissioned research into the cost to British trade of piracy in international waters.

Radioactive Waste Management

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications of the use of discarded cathode-ray tubes for vitrification of high-level nuclear waste; and whether he has discussed this with the Committee for Radioactive Waste Management. [41518]

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no assessment of the use of cathode-ray tubes for inclusion in the vitrification process of high-level nuclear waste.

I am advised by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority that obsolete cathode-ray tubes have been considered for vitrified glass, but were found to be unsuitable as they did not produce a product that met the high quality control specification for the vitrified glass waste form.

Renewable Energy

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the market value is of 1MW/hr of power under the renewables obligation certificate scheme; and what that value was in each year since the introduction of the scheme. [40880]

Malcolm Wicks: This is no single market value for renewables obligation certificates (ROCs). The renewables obligation is a market-based mechanism, and so the value of individual ROCs varies according to a number of different factors including volume, liquidity, supply and demand.

However, the Non Fossil Purchasing Agency operates, on behalf of its clients, a biannual ROC auction. The average price for a ROC in the last auction, which was completed on 20 October 2005, was £39.17.

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total traded value in (a) financial terms and (b) MW/hr of the renewables obligation certificate scheme has been since its introduction. [40881]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government do not hold information on the market value or number of renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) traded since the introduction of the renewables obligation in 2002.
 
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The renewables obligation is a market-based mechanism, and so the value of individual ROCs varies according to a number of different factors including supply and demand. In addition, not all ROCs issued by Ofgem will necessarily be traded. For example, electricity suppliers who are also renewables generators will have less need to trade ROCs than some other market participants.

Information on ROCs is published in Ofgem's Annual Report on the renewables obligation. A copy of which is available from the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Royal Mail spent on employment and recruitment specialists in each year since 1997. [41910]

Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail and the chief executive has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what executive performance bonus scheme Royal Mail operates; and if he will make a statement on its objectives. [41912]

Barry Gardiner: As with other public limited companies, Royal Mail directors' remuneration is required to be published in its annual report and accounts. The latest accounts (2004–05) were published in May last year and a copy is available in the Libraries of the House.

Shrewsbury Power Station

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are to replace the power station near Buildwas in the Shrewsbury constituency. [41376]

Malcolm Wicks: This is a commercial matter for the company concerned.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

2012 Olympics

Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what commitments the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has given to the International Olympic Committee with regard to enabling them to monitor and regulate betting on the Olympic Games. [42215]

Mr. Caborn: The International Olympic Committee did not request any guarantees of this sort from London 2012 during the bidding phase on betting and as such none were given. The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) is aware of its obligations under the Host City Contract and has discussed these with Government. LOCOG is also aware of the existing legal position relating to betting in the UK, where the onus remains on governing bodies and the organisers of sporting events to protect the integrity of their own events. The Gambling Act 2005 makes it a key objective of the Gambling Commission to
 
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keep gambling crime free. The Gambling Commission will work closely with sporting and Olympic authorities to minimise potential threats to the integrity of Olympic events.

2012 Paralympics

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department plans to provide to disabled athletes to enable them to compete in the 2012 Paralympics; and if she will make a statement. [41475]

Mr. Caborn: Financial support to our very best disabled athletes to enable them to compete at the highest level is provided through UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme. The investment for Paralympic Sport in the build up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympics is £22.4 million, including £2 million for the British Paralympic Association. In addition, the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme and 2012 Scholarships provide financial assistance to talented athletes, including disabled athletes, who are committed to combining their sport and education to help fulfil their sporting potential. £17 million is being provided to support these schemes over the period 2004–08. The level of financial support to our very best athletes, including disabled athletes, beyond 2009 in the build up to Games in 2012 has yet to be determined.

Administrative Costs

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which functions of her core Department are carried out in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Wales; and what administration costs were associated with these functions for each area in the last year. [39944]

Mr. Lammy: Although DCMS retains policy and legislative responsibility for a number of functions in Wales and Northern Ireland none of these functions are carried out in the devolved countries themselves and therefore no administration costs are incurred directly by the Department.

Art/Sport (Disabled People)

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to meet its target for increasing the take up of arts and sports opportunities by people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement. [41474]

Mr. Lammy: The Department is taking significant steps to increase participation in the arts and sports by people with disabilities.

In Sport, through Sport England, the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) receives £1.05 million funding each year. The EFDS is an umbrella organisation which brings together five disability sport bodies and disburses grants to other disability sport organisations and programmes.

There is also Lottery support for disability sport. The Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI), has received an initial £1 million in lottery money to make health and fitness facilities accessible to disabled people.
 
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In November 2004, the Equality Standard was launched as a framework for assisting sports organisations to widen access and reduce inequalities in sport and physical activity from under-represented individuals, groups and communities. This includes people with disabilities.

In the Arts, several of the Arts Council's Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs) produce work specifically with or for disabled people—the Shape network, the Disability Arts Forum network, Vocal Eyes, Theatre Resource and StageText. RFOs also provide training and participatory sessions aimed specifically at disabled people.

In February 2004, the Arts Council allocated capital investment totalling £4.3 million to six disability-led organisations from the Grants for the Arts Capital programme. This represents 7 per cent. of the total allocation through the programme.

The Arts Council also supports the National Disability Touring Network which works with a range of venues and promoters to help expand arts participation and attendance by disabled people.

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