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2 May 2006 : Column 1352W—continued
Nevada Nuclear Test Site
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of the Vito and Krakatau subcritical tests to the US programme to sustain and improve the readiness to resume nuclear testing at the Nevada test site; and if he will make a statement. [66676]
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John Reid: None. The purpose of tests such as Vito and Krakatau is solely to provide information to help maintain the safety and reliability of the existing nuclear weapon stockpile without the need to conduct underground nuclear tests.
Queen's Flight
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of the Queen's Flight in each of the last four financial years; how much of these costs were (a) fixed and (b) variable; and how many miles were flown by the Queen's Flight in each year. [64790]
Mr. Touhig: The total cost of the 32 (The Royal) Squadron in each of the last four financial years and the breakdown of these costs into (a) fixed and (b) variable costs are shown in the following table:
| Financial year | Fixed costs | Variable costs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 20.2 | 5.0 | 25.2 |
| 2003–04 | 14.5 | 4.8 | 19.3 |
| 2004–05 | 11.7 | 4.6 | 16.3 |
| 2005–06 | 11.4 | 5.8 | 17.2 |
We are not able to provide a figure on how many miles are flown by 32 (The Royal) Squadron as this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
US Missiles Projects
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with its counterparts in the US concerning (a) the W76–2 nuclear warhead design, (b) the Mk4A Reentry Body and (c) the Reliable Replacement Warhead project; and if he will make a statement. [66677]
John Reid: Officials from the Ministry of Defence regularly discuss a range of nuclear matters with their US counterparts under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement.
Warrant Officer Michael White
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the result was of the coroner's inquest into the death of Warrant Officer Michael White held on 22 January. [66930]
Mr. Touhig: Inquest verdicts in Northern Ireland take the form of a statement of facts surrounding the death. I shall send a copy of the coroner's findings in relation to the death of Warrant Officer Michael White to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library of the House.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Art Collection (Security)
Mr. Mark Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial losses have
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been suffered in each of the last five years from items having been stolen from the Government's art collection. [66826]
Mr. Lammy: Within the last five years, financial losses of £240,000 occurred in 2001 as a result of the theft of five works of art in the Government art collection. These were stolen from the British ambassador's temporary residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list items from the Government's art collection which have been recovered after having been stolen in the last five years. [66827]
Mr. Lammy: The works of art which have been reported stolen from the Government art collection in the last five years have not been recovered.
Capita Group
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tenders (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries have submitted to her Department in each of the last three years; and how many tenders were successful. [61472]
Mr. Lammy: DCMS has not awarded any contracts to Capita plc or its subsidiaries in the last three years. Information on the numbers of tenders submitted could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many contracts her Department holds with (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries which still have a potential duration of five years or more. [61473]
Mr. Lammy: DCMS has no contracts with Capita plc or its subsidiaries for this period of time.
Charitable Fund
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what the eligibility criteria will be of the charitable fund announced in the Budget to support British citizens affected by terrorist acts; and how the fund will operate; [66169]
(2) whether the charitable fund announced in the Budget to support British citizens affected by terrorist acts abroad will include financial help to the spouses of British soldiers killed in Iraq. [66168]
Tessa Jowell: I am replying as Minister responsible for humanitarian assistance of those affected by major emergencies. There is more work to be done on exactly how the fund will operate, and I continue to work in consultation with the voluntary sector, partners in Government and victims' groups to finalise the details. We hope to be able to make a further announcement in the summer.
Digital Television
Harry Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 11 April 2006, Official Report, column 63W, on digital television, which organisation supplies a television licensable content service licence; what its criteria are for so doing; what criteria Ofcom uses for deciding on an
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application for a digital programme service licence; if she will list the platform operators for carriage of a channel; whether the Government has a role in respect of the criteria for the contract; what procedures are in place to control the power of a platform operator over price for carrying a channel; whether there is an appeal process if (a) the licence applications are turned down and (b) the platform operator refuses to carry the channel; and if she will make a statement. [66780]
James Purnell: Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom is responsible for the licensing of television licensable content services and section 235(3) of the Act sets out the criteria for doing so. Section 18 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 (as amended by paragraph 90 of Part 2 of Schedule 15 to the 2003 Act), sets out the criteria for Ofcom's licensing of digital programme services. Essentially, Ofcom can refuse the application only if precluded from granting it because they consider that the applicant is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence; by the rules on media ownership; or (in the case of a television licensable content service) if they are satisfied that the service would involve a breach of the programme standards or fairness and privacy codes under the Act.
Having obtained a licence for the service, the licence holder then has to enter into a contractual agreement with a platform operator. Current platform operators are:
Digital Terrestrial Television Multiplexes: Digital 3 and 4 Ltd; SDN Ltd; BBC Free to View Ltd.; and National Grid Wireless plc
The price and conditions for carriage on a digital platform are based on contractual negotiations and subject to Ofcom regulation on certain aspects of the terms on which platform operators give access to programme service providers (in particular, to prevent discrimination). Further details are available from Ofcom. There is no right of appeal under broadcasting legislation if an application for a licence is refused, but there is the possibility of judicial review. Ofcom can consider a complaint if an operator refuses to carry channels on a platform if, for example, that is a breach of the operator's licence in the case of a multiplex, or if it raises an issue under competition law or the EU laws regulating access to platforms.
The Government does not have a role to play in the licensing of broadcast services. Nor does it have a role in relation to the contractual agreements between service providers and platform operators, except in the limited case of must-carry" arrangements on cable TV services under section 64 of the Communications Act 2003, but no must-carry obligations are currently in force.
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