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Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) her Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii)Executive agency for which her Department is responsible and (c) each independent statutory body, organisation and body financially sponsored by her Department in each year since May 1997; [39102]

(2) if she will list the public relations companies that have had contracts with (a) her Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) Executive agency for which her Department is responsible and
 
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(c) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by her Department andother such organisations since May 1997. [39103]

Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has over 60 sponsored bodies/Executive agencies and the figures for them could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the annual expenditure on vehicles for (a) her Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii)Executive agency and (iii) other public body for which she is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C)each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06. [39994]

Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) lease five cars from the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). Four for our Ministers and one for our permanent secretary.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has over 60 sponsored bodies/Executive agencies and the figures for them could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

For details of expenditure on ministerial vehicles provided to the Department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency I refer the hon. Member to the letter of 20 December 2005 from the chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker). Copies of this letter are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Property

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the items valued at over £100 that have been reported as stolen from buildings occupied by her Department in the past 12 months. [43429]

Mr. Lammy: In 2005 the items reported stolen, valued at over £100 were: 1 desktop PC and 1 mobile phone.

Departmental Staff (Disciplinary Actions)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many disciplinary actions against civil servants employed in her Department (a) were commenced and (b) resulted in a sanction being applied in each of the last five years. [43499]

Mr. Lammy: The Department commenced disciplinary actions against eight civil servants during the last five years; one in 2000–01, one in 2001–02, four in 2003–04 and two in 2004–05. Seven of the disciplinary actions resulted in a sanction being applied.

Departmental Targets

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State forCulture, Media and Sport (1) whether (a) opera, (b) (i) classical, (ii) jazz, (iii) blues and (iv) choral music and (c) folk singing is recorded as participation in an arts activity for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement; [44022]
 
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(2) whether attending a (a) book or poetry reading,(b) street performance, (c) musical, (d) film, (e) cultural festival and (f) carnival is recorded as an attendance for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement; [44026]

(3) whether attending a (a) world, (b) dance, (c) rock, (d) alternative, (e) blues, (f) electronica, (g) hip-hop, (h) rap, (i) rhythm and blues, (j) soul, (k) bangra, (l) jungle, (m) punk, (n) folk and (o) choral music event is recorded as an attendance for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement; [44027]

(4) whether designing (a) clothes and (b) websites is recorded as participation in an arts activity for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement; [44035]

(5) whether (a) directing, (b) stage designing and (c) costume designing for (i) plays, (ii) television programmes and (iii) films is recorded as participation in an arts activity for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement. [44036]

Mr. Lammy: The information requested can be found in the 2005–08 Public Service Agreements (PSA) Technical Note, which is on my Department's website at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications/archive_2005/psa_tech_note.htm

This Technical Note sets out how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will measure progress towards its PSA targets.

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has responded to the conclusion in the Statistics Commission's report that her Department's reporting against Public Service Agreement performance target 4 uses low level results from a sample survey which is not taken into account in target setting; and if she will make a statement. [44029]

Mr. Caborn: The Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA) Technical Note publishes information about the data used to measure target 4 and its limitations. The issues raised by the Commission will be considered in the setting of future targets.

In reporting progress against PSA target 4, the Department does currently produce cumulative averages and trends for HMT as additional background information.

The target is measured using data from the Office for National Statistics' Annual Business Inquiry. This survey provides detailed information about the industries covered by the target and is the best source available.

Digital Television

Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when she estimates digital television will be accessible to all people living in Dundee through household aerials; [44045]
 
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(2) when she plans to switch off the analogue signal in Dundee. [44046]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 January 2006]: 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 can receive them on digital without needing to pay a subscription.

Switchover for the Grampian region will happen in the first half of 2010.

Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in the UK had access to digital television through their household aerial in each of the past three years. [44048]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 20 January 2006]: Around 73 per cent. of UK households can access Freeview services via their aerial, with the right equipment. The figure is the same for each of the past three years.

Football Foundation

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what schemes have been financed by the Football Foundation in (a) the Tees Valley and (b) the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency area. [43806]

Mr. Caborn: In the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland area, the Football Foundation has funded four junior kit schemes for schools and is currently considering two applications under the Barclays Spaces for Sport Coaching Pack and one under the Barclaycard Free Kicks schemes.

To date, the Football Foundation has not funded any schemes in the Tees Valley area.

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