| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
17 Mar 2006 : Column 2518W—continued
Tax Credits
Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average amount of working tax credit entitlement is, broken down by age of claimant. [57962]
Dawn Primarolo:
The average finalised annualised entitlement to working tax credit, for 2003–04, is tabled as follows.
17 Mar 2006 : Column 2519W
(5)The calculation of annualised 2003–04 entitlements includes awards that stopped or started during the year as they were contained in the snapshots taken throughout the year, which were used to produce the average entitlement per family. (For further details see introduction of 'Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics Finalised Annual Awards 2003–04').
Note:
Working tax credit will also include the child care element.
Tuberculosis
Julie Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage support for the implementation of the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis 2006 to 2015. [59334]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK fully supports the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis for 2006–15, which sets out a strategy to treat 50 million people and prevent 14 million deaths over the next 10 years. At the launch of the plan at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, the Chancellor called for G8 countries to designate tuberculosis a top priority at the St. Petersburg summit in July, and to pledge new funding to implement the Global Plan. At Davos, the Chancellor also announced £41.7 million of funding for India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme.
Throughout the preparations for the G8 meeting the UK will continue to encourage G8 partners fully to fund tuberculosis control as part of the comprehensive package of measures agreed at the Gleneagles summit in July 2005. In addition, the UK will push for long-term adequate financing to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria (GFATM), as well as the development of innovative financing mechanisms to scale up the resources available for development. Last year the UK doubled its funding to the GFATM, and will provide £100 million in both 2006 and 2007.
Julie Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a commitment was made at the meeting of G8 Finance Ministers in February on funding for the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis 2006 to 2015. [59344]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
There was no specific agreement or commitment at the G8 Finance Ministers' meeting in Moscow in February on funding for the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis for 2006–15, which sets out a strategy to treat 50 million people and prevent 14 million deaths over the next 10 years. The UK fully supports the plan and at its launch plan at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, the Chancellor called for G8
17 Mar 2006 : Column 2520W
countries to designate tuberculosis a top priority at the St. Petersburg summit in July, and to pledge new funding to implement the Global Plan. At Davos, the Chancellor also announced £41.7 million of funding for India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme.
Throughout the preparations for the G8 meeting the UK will continue to encourage G8 partners fully to fund tuberculosis control as part of the comprehensive package of measures agreed at the Gleneagles summit in July 2005. In addition, the UK will push for long-term adequate financing to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria (GFATM), as well as the development of innovative financing mechanisms to scale up the resources available for development. Last year the UK doubled its funding to the GFATM, and will provide £100 million in both 2006 and 2007.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
English Institute of Sport
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what independent assessment of the performance of the English Institute of Sport has been undertaken; and if she will publish the findings. [58478]
Mr. Caborn: An external review of the English Institute of Sport was conducted by KPMG in June 2003. No independent performance assessment has been carried out but a service level agreement exists between Sport England and the English Institute of Sport which includes Key Performance Indicators.
Financial Irregularity
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many cases of financial irregularities have been recorded in her Department in each of the last five financial years; and if she will make a statement. [57549]
Mr. Lammy: The available information for the Department and the Royal Parks Agency (RPA) is set out in the table.
| Financial year | Financial irregularities |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | 2 |
| 2003–04 | 1 (in the RPA) |
| 2004–05 | 0 |
Gambling
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department has conducted into the impact of the introduction of regional casinos. [59639]
Mr. Caborn:
Our intention is to ask the Gambling Commission to make an assessment of the impact of the introduction of all three categories of new casino permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 no earlier than three years after the award of the first premises licence. We will ask the Commission to advise on whether the
17 Mar 2006 : Column 2521W
introduction of the new types of casino has led to an increase in problem gambling or is increasing that risk. We will also want to assess what the regeneration and other economic outcomes have been.
Iran
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on cultural and sporting sanctions against Iran. [58872]
Tessa Jowell: The Department has received no such representations.
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she has taken to improve the UK's cultural links with the Iranian people. [59041]
Tessa Jowell: A number of UK cultural institutions have good working relations with their counterparts in many countries in the world, including Iran.
Public Libraries
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that her Department is kept fully informed of proposed public library closures and the reasons for them. [59142]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 16 March 2006]: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) are DCMS' lead advisors in this area and, through their regional office network, take a strong interest in the activities of the 149 library authorities in England.
My Department and the MLA are in contact with individual authorities as and when appropriate.
Sport
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) assessed on the financial contribution made by sport to the UK economy. [59663]
Mr. Caborn: No such research has been commissioned on a UK-wide basis. In June 2003, Sport England published the report, The Value of the Sports Economy in England", which presented a summary of the value of the sports economy to the economy in England. The data in the report relates to 2000, the last year for which comprehensive data was available. The report found that sport generated more than £9.8 billion in value added to the economy in England, approximately 1.5 per cent. of total gross value added (GVA) for England. The breakdown according to sector is as follows:
17 Mar 2006 : Column 2522W
Sport England has commissioned its Research Collaborating Centre for Sport and the Economy at Sheffield Hallam university to prepare an updated report of the economic value of sport in England and the English Regions to be published later this year.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |