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13 Jun 2006 : Column 1072W—continued
Sunday Trading
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people have responded to his consultation on Sunday trading; and if he will list the persons invited to his stakeholder conference on the subject. [74074]
Mr. McCartney: From 13 January to 14 April the DTI asked for views and evidence on all aspects of extending Sunday shop opening hours. We have received around 1,000 responses. We intend to publish a summary of the responses on the DTI website (www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/buying-selling/Sunday %20Shopping) within three months of the close of this consultation.
On 10 May we held a stakeholder conference, attended by a wide range of stakeholders, where Indepen Consulting Ltd. presented their cost-benefit analysis and participants discussed the assumptions and findings. This was followed by optional forums where we gathered views on the impact on society, the retail sector and employees, and also what can be learnt from international comparisons.
We wrote to around 150 organisations including retailers, trade associations, trade unions, faith groups and groups with an interest in family life to make them aware of the conference. Details of the conference and how to sign up were posted on the DTI website and we also placed an advertisement in a number of retail trade publications. A report of the conference with a list of the organisations that attended, will be published on the DTI website shortly.
Culture, Media and Sport
Casinos
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what methodology the Casino Advisory Panel is using (a) to consider the social impact of new casinos and (b) to assess local opposition to new casinos in its work allocating casino licences. [77062]
Mr. Caborn:
The role of the Casino Advisory Panel is to advise the Secretary of State on the areas for the 17 new casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005, which will provide the best possible test of social impact, not to measure that impact. The panel is also
required to ensure that the areas selected are willing to license a new casino and that they include areas in need of regeneration.
No earlier than three years after the award of the first premises licence, the Government will ask the Gambling Commission to advise on whether the introduction of the new types of casinos has led to an increase in problem gambling or is increasing that risk.
All local authorities who put proposals to the panel were asked to include details of their research into local opinion.
In announcing its short list of casino bids the panel has asked any interested members of the public to write to it expressing their views on the short listed areas, whether in support or in opposition.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations (a) she and (b) the Casino Advisory Panel has received in the last six months criticising the methodologies used by the Casino Advisory Panel in its work. [77063]
Mr. Caborn: There have been no representations criticising the methodology used by the Casino Advisory Panel.
Parliamentary Ombudsman
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list those occasions when the recommendations of a report from the Parliamentary Ombudsman have been (a) rejected and (b) partly rejected by her Department since 1997. [76263]
Mr. Lammy: There were no occasions where the Department rejected or partially rejected recommendations of a report from the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what incentives are available to encourage members of her staff to use public transport for travelling to and from work. [75120]
Mr. Lammy: The vast majority of staff already use public transport. There are no car parking spaces, other than for disabled staff. We provide interest-free loans for the purchase of public transport season tickets and the purchase of bicycles. We are currently upgrading on-site facilities for cyclists.
Tourism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to promote tourism in South East Essex; and if she will make a statement. [75652]
Mr. Woodward:
The Regional Development Agencies have had responsibility for tourism support
and promotion at a regional level since 2003. My Department contributes £3.6 million a year towards this in grant-in-aid.
The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) works with the Essex Development and Regeneration Agency (ExDRA), as the body delegated responsibility for promoting tourism in Essex by the county council.
Initiatives that are directly being supported by EEDA include a tourism strategy for Essex which incorporates the Thames Gateway and Haven Gateway areas of the county. In addition EEDA is working with the Arts Council on cultural development and tourism in the Southend borough.
Scotland
Biodiversity
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Minister in his Department is responsible for monitoring his Department's compliance with its duty under section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to have regard to the purpose of conserving biological diversity in carrying out its functions; and if he will make a statement. [73939]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office have no responsibilities in relation to section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department plans to take to monitor the extent to which public bodies which report to him comply, from October, with their duty to conserve biodiversity in exercising their functions, under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. [74397]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office have no responsibilities in relation to section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many illegal immigrants have been discovered to be employed by his Department in each year since 2001; in what capacities they were employed; how many were discovered as part of a criminal investigation; and what the nature of the charges brought against them were. [73964]
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what incentives his Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work. [73058]
David Cairns: All staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and, where appropriate, may avail themselves of the schemes offered by those Departments.
Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions Ministers of State in his Department stayed overnight in (a) five star, (b) four star and (c) three star hotels on foreign visits in each of the last three years. [69100]
David Cairns: There have been no Ministers of State in the Scotland Office during the last three years. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the terms of the “Ministerial Code” and “Travel by Ministers” which state that when travelling on official business, Ministers are expected to make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
Pensions
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the pension liability of his Department over the next 30 years. [75272]
David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the technical note which was placed in the Library of the House on 2 March 2006, Official Report, columns 388-90W, following a response at oral questions by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Pension liabilities are not estimated for individual departments but for individual pension schemes, as shown in the breakdown of liabilities per pension scheme given in Table 1 of the technical note.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of staff in his Department are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension. [73059]
David Cairns: Members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) can pay additional contributions to top up their pension either through the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme (CSAVCS), a money purchase arrangement, or by buying added years of service in the PCSPS. As an alternative to membership of the PCSPS recruits from 1 October 2002 have been able to join a stakeholder arrangement, the partnership pension account.
The number and percentage of staff in the department who are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension as at 31 May 2006 are shown in the following table.
| Number | Percentage | |
Staff Development
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total cost was of (a) staff away days and (b) staff team building exercises in his Department in each of the last three years. [69105]
David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs; both Departments provide access to training and development opportunities. The Scotland Office does not hold information in the form requested; however, the total direct expenditure on training was:
| £ | |
Communities and Local Government
Community Integration
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage community integration. [76450]
Meg Munn: The Secretary of State is developing the Commission on Integration and Cohesion’s scope to ensure that it contributes to the delivery of the new Department’s strategic priorities. We expect to make an announcement about the way ahead before the summer recess.
The creation of the new Department for Communities and Local Government gives a renewed impetus to our work of encouraging integration with its powerful new remit to promote community cohesion, equality and civil renewal along with its responsibilities for housing, urban regeneration, planning and local government.
Council Tax (Pensioners)
John Penrose: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many copies of council tax bills for 2006-07 he has received from pensioners. [65110]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
4,487 copies of council tax bills for 2006-07 have been received by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as at 21 April 2006.
Digital Challenge Competition
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to include the Digital Challenge Competition in the Transformational Government work programme. [75921]
Mr. Woolas: The Digital Challenge competition is an integral part of the programme outlined in Connecting the UK: the Digital Strategy, of which Transformational Government is also a part.
The Digital Challenge competition has the potential to make a real difference to people's lives. There are three overarching criteria for the winning bid which are fundamental requirements and which also reflect the principles outlined in Transformational Government:
The winning bid must show how they will use ICT to give new choice, voice and empowerment to citizens; it should be about enabling citizens to participate in their communities, as well as gaining access to services.
The winning bid must demonstrate innovation in changing how we offer services to people—using ICT to transform the way services are provided, used and experienced.
Local authorities must show that after year one their initiatives are sustainable and cost effective and be prepared to showcase these to other local authorities in years two and three, acting as the UK exemplar.
The Digital Challenge is supported across government by many departments. Learning and evaluation of the winning bid and runners-up will be used to inform the development of Transformational Government programmes.
Home Information Packs
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the legal status of home condition reports will be; when home information packs are introduced; and for how long the Condition Report will be valid. [73899]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 5 June 2006]: The regulations to be laid shortly will specify that Home Condition Reports will be valid documents once they are registered. The regulations will also specify that buyers, sellers and mortgage lenders can legally rely on Home Condition Reports. Home inspectors will be required to have in place suitable indemnity insurance.
The regulations will require that Home Condition Reports must be no more than three months old when marketing begins, but there will be no requirement for sellers to update them after this. We expect the industry to develop cheap solutions for updating packs where the seller wishes to do so.
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many home inspectors are in training; what qualifications are required to enter training; and how many home inspectors she expects to have in place in each local authority area in England by 1 June 2007. [73900]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 5 June 2006]: As of 30April 2006, over 4,400 potential home inspectors were in training. The current qualification, the ABBE Diploma in Home Inspection, is open to people with different levels of previous experience, but all candidates must satisfy all parts of the Diploma. This includes providing a portfolio of evidence demonstrating the required skills and experience, and passing the ABBE examination.
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