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8 May 2006 : Column 44W
At present there are no yards which meet UK Environmental Agency standards for recycling. A number of UK yards have, however, applied for Waste Management licences. The MOD continues to explore options for recycling at yards within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In the meantime, Intrepid, having been identified as being suitable only for recycling, remains at Portsmouth Naval Base.
A range of disposal options are under consideration for the Type 42 ships Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Culture, Media and Sport
Act of Union
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what activities the Government are planning to mark the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union. [69202]
Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans at present to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Act of the Union.
BBC Licence Fee
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consideration her Department will give to the interests of the commercial broadcasting sector when examining the BBC's licence fee bid. [68067]
Tessa Jowell: The Government are currently conducting a funding review to determine the level of the television licence fee from April 2007. All relevant issues will be taken into account as part of this review. The process has been designed to include an opportunity for stakeholders, including commercial broadcasters, to comment on the BBC's bid as part of a public seminar on May 5 chaired by Lord Burns, who has served as my independent advisor on Charter Review.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultation process will be carried out in advance of her making a decision on the level of the BBC's licence fee; and who will be included in that consultation. [68068]
Tessa Jowell: Lord Burns, the independent adviser on the BBC Charter Review, will be chairing a public seminar on the BBC licence fee on 5 May 2006 to which other broadcasters have been invited including ITV, Channel 4, Five and BSkyB. The debate generated by this seminar will form part of the evidence base for setting the future level of the licence fee. In preparation for this seminar, we have invited written submissions on the future funding of the BBC from interested parties. We are also commissioning survey research on the public's willingness to pay for the BBC.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will invite (a) the National Audit Office and (b) the Public Accounts Committee to assess the cost-effectiveness of the BBC's licence fee bid. [68072]
Tessa Jowell: In line with the commitment in the Green Paper, "A strong BBC, independent of government", to take independent advice as part of the review of the BBC's future funding needs, the Government commissioned PKF to examine the assumptions underlying the BBC's future funding proposals. On 26 April the Government published PKF's report "Review of the BBC Value for Money and Efficiency Programmes"—subject to genuine issues of confidentiality. We see no need to duplicate that work.
Children's Services
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many nursery and crèche places are provided for people working in her Department; what charges are made for the provision of such services; and what other facilities are provided for children of employees of her Department. [67371]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides a range of support for people with childcare needs.
The Department participates in the Westminster Holiday Playscheme, costing £25 per day per child, of which the Department subsidises half. There is not a set number of allocated places to the Department and places for this scheme are offered on a first come, first served basis.
The Department offers childcare vouchers through a salary sacrifice scheme to provide parents with maximum flexibility in choosing the childcare most suited to their needs. DCMS meets the cost of administration which is 5.5 per cent. of the value of vouchers taken by staff. Currently there are nine members of staff who take advantage of this scheme.
The Department has also introduced the Family Life Solutions service for all staff (a free and confidential telephone helpline service offering support to people with caring responsibilities and information on a range of issues, including childcare). The cost of this for the Department is approximately £1,500 per year for 520 staff.
Corporate Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions she has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months. [67524]
Mr. Lammy: Paragraph 5.28 of the ministerial code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.
Departmental Staff
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) women and (b) men are employed in the Department; what the average pay was for (i) women and (ii) men in the Department in (1) 1997 and (2) 2006; what women's average pay is as a percentage of men's average pay;
and how many (A) women and (B) men the Department employed in each of the last five years, broken down by grade. [67788]
Mr. Lammy: The following table present the average salary for men and women in DCMS and women's salary as a percentage difference to men's for the years 2002 and 2006. Data for 1997 is unavailable.
| Grade | Men (£) | Women (£) | Percentage difference |
| (1) Permanent Secretary and SCS paybands 2 and 3 have been excluded under the Data Protection Act, to avoid identification of individuals where numbers are less than five. |
The following table show the breakdown of men and women by grade in each of the last five years:
| Grade | Male | Female |
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in her Department have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate numbers in each of the last five years. [67981]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not disciplined or dismissed any staff for inappropriate use of the internet at work in the last five years. Access to premium rate numbers is barred.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) EU foreign nationals and (b) non-EU foreign nationals have been employed in her Department in each of the last five years; what vetting procedures are in place for each category of staff; and whether these include liaison with foreign law enforcement agencies. [68017]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has employed one EU foreign national since September 2004 and one non- EU foreign national since July 2005. Both individuals underwent national security vetting up to counter terrorist check (CTC) level, which includes liaison with foreign law enforcement agencies. In addition identity checks were made on their arrival to the Department.
The non EU-foreign national was appointed under an aliens' certificate under sections 1 (1) (b) and 1 (2) (a) of the Aliens Employment Act 1955, which is valid for five years.
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