Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 6 June 2006
Prime Minister
Bonuses
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of his staff in each of the last three years; and at what total cost. [73044]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many of his staff did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case. [75093]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.
Information Technology
Chris Huhne: To ask the Prime Minister what the (a) originally estimated, (b) most recently estimated and (c) outturn cost was in each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed with outside suppliers over the last five years. [71775]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.
Scotland
Wave Technology
9. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on the use of wave technology for energy production in Scotland. [74961]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: Ministers and officials from the Scotland Office regularly discuss a wide range of matters with colleagues in the Scottish Executive.
Scottish/UK Parliaments (Relationship)
11. Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the relationship between the Scottish and UK Parliaments. [74963]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The relationship between the Scottish and UK Parliaments is defined in the Scotland Act 1998. However, the Government believe the relationship is strong and constructive.
Junior Football Clubs
12. Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the tax regime as it affects Scottish junior football clubs. [74964]
David Cairns: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor on a range of issues. I am aware that my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General, as Minister responsible for HM Revenue and Customs, responded to this morning’s Adjournment debate on this issue.
Renewable Energy
13. Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on funding for renewable energy in Scotland. [74965]
David Cairns: I refer to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett).
Unemployment
14. Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the figures for Scottish unemployment published during May. [74966]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Labour Market data published in May showed a slight rise in unemployment in Scotland. However, it remains the case that unemployment has been cut by nearly a third since 1997 and is lower than almost all other countries within the EU. Employment in Scotland remains close to record levels with over 200,000 more people in work today compared to 1997.
Businesses (Regulations)
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet representatives of the small business sector in Scotland to discuss the level of central Government regulation on businesses. [74954]
David Cairns: I regularly meet representatives from all business sectors in Scotland and am a member of the Small Business Consultative Group, chaired by the Scottish Executive.
Communities and Local Government
Local Government Reorganisation
15. Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish proposals on local government reorganisation. [74892]
Ruth Kelly: Local government restructuring raises complex and difficult issues. I will set out details of the approach I will take in the forthcoming local government White Paper, which I can today tell the House I intend to publish shortly after the summer recess.
Local Enterprise Growth Initiative
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to make announcements on the next round of the local enterprise growth initiative. [74902]
Mr. Woolas: On 31 March it was announced that £60 million will be available for the second round of the local enterprise growth initiative (LEGI) from January 2007. Given that LEGI is delivered through the Local Area Agreement framework the timetable for round 2 has been more closely aligned with the Local Area Agreement timetable. The deadline for applications is now the 14 September. We expect to be announcing which local authorities have successfully applied for round 2 in December 2006.
Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2006, Official Report, column 492W, on Brighton and Hove Albion, if she will list all other contacts with (a) Brighton and Hove council and (b) Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club since 25 October 2005 which she classifies as not relevant to the planning decision to which she refers. [72148]
Angela E. Smith [holding answer 18 May 2006]: The information requested is as follows.
(a) My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister met the Leader and Chief Executive of Brighton and Hove council, as well as a number of other councillors,
on 16 December 2005, for discussions about fulfilling Brighton’s potential as a centre of economic success.
(b) My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister met senior executives of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club on 16 December 2005, when he attended the ground for the Club’s game against Hull City.
Freedom of Information
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to reply to the letter of 27 April from the hon. Member for Vale of York on information requested under the Freedom of Information Act regarding which (a) companies, (b) contracting bodies and (c) local authorities have received monies in each of the last five years from the European regional development fund. [69923]
Angela E. Smith: I replied to the hon. Member on 5 June 2006.
I have made available in the Library of the House a spreadsheet containing the information requested by the hon. Member.
Government Offices for the Regions
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) total budget and (b) administrative costs were of each of the Government offices for the regions in each year since their creation; what the projected costs are for the next financial year; what Government grant has been allocated to each of the regional chambers in each year since their creation; and what estimate she has made of the (i) total budget and (ii) administration cost of regional chambers in 2005-06. [70635]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is as follows.
(a) Programme budgets administered by the Government Offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments. Information is however contained in GO Annual Reports, as was referred to the hon. Member on 17 November 2004, Official Report, column 1463W.
(b) The administrative running costs for each Government Office for the period since their creation are detailed in the table. The table includes the current expenditure recorded for the financial year just completed, 2005-06 and the initial budget allocation for 2006-07.
The total level of Government grant made to regional assemblies since 2001 is tabled as follows.
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
The grant supports the assemblies in the performance of their designated functions to scrutinise the work of the regional development agencies; fulfil their regional planning responsibilities; and for the development of their strategic regional role.
The increase in funding from 2003-04 was granted in recognition of the statutory responsibilities that were placed on them as regional planning bodies by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
For details of 2006-07 central Government grant to the eight regional assemblies outside London, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 121W.
The Government does not hold details of the administration costs of regional assemblies.
| Government office administrative running costs | ||||||
| £000 | ||||||
| GO | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 |
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