| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
14 Jun 2006 : Column 1221W—continued
Student Finance
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the total value of payments made by people repaying student loans via the income contingent repayment model but not allocated to student loan accounts has been for each year since 2002; [75322]
(2) what total amount of payments collected via the income contingent model was not allocated to student loan accounts in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [75323]
Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 June 2006.
Student Income and Expenditure Survey
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he plans to repeat the Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2002-03. [75229]
Bill Rammell:
The most current Student Income and Expenditure Survey was carried out in the 2004-05 academic year and was published on the 30 March. It
can be found on the internet at: www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR725.pdf. The Department plans to repeat the survey in the 2007-08 academic year.
Culture, Media and Sport
2012 Olympics
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding she estimates will be spent on improving hotel facilities for the 2012 London Olympics. [76941]
Mr. Woodward: Improving the quality of the UK’s hotels, and other visitor accommodation, is a key aim for my Department and its partners in the tourism sector. The grading schemes operated in England, Scotland, and Wales are central to that process of improvement, and to consumer certainty in the quality of the British tourism product.
VisitBritain’s net expenditure on accommodation quality grading work in 2005-06 was £2,374,600 (after Value Added Tax). This figure represents payments to the Quality in Tourism division of GSL, which operates VisitBritain’s quality scheme under contract, less participation fees received. These figures will change over time, but it is likely that a net minimum of £12.5 million will be spent on the quality scheme by VisitBritain from its grant in aid resources over the life of the 5 year contract, to 2010. VisitScotland and the Wales Tourist Board additionally invest significant amounts in their own quality schemes, which have been fully standardised with those of VisitBritain and the Automobile Association since May 2005.
My Department will shortly start a major consultation of the tourism sector, to inform a comprehensive strategy for making the most of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games of 2012. Funding for any new work on accommodation quality, which may arise as a result of that consultation, will be considered before the tourism strategy is issued.
British Slave Trade
Ms Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations have received Government funding for events relating to the 200th anniversary of the Act which abolished the British slave trade; and what events and activities are planned. [77449]
Mr. Lammy:
Among other support, my Department is contributing £250,000 per year to the new International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, due to open in 2007. In addition, museums in Hull, Bristol, Liverpool and London will, by 2008, have received £910,000 from my Department and DfES to encourage more informed and effective teaching about slavery as part of the Understanding Slavery Initiative education project, working with schools and communities. Many other museums, galleries, arts organisations, heritage sites, archives and libraries are currently planning their contribution and how best to
involve their local communities. There are plans by faith leaders for a commemoration service in Westminster Abbey; and commemorative stamps and coins. The Heritage Lottery Fund has also funded the following community organisations:
Action Force Africa
African Caribbean Emancipation Trust
African Forum
Anti Slavery Arch group, Stroud
Anti Slavery International
Birmingham and District Local History Association
Birmingham City Archives
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (working with The Equiano Society)
Bristol City Council—Bristol Museums and Art Gallery
Diversity Arts Incubation programme
Durham University
Global Education Milton Keynes
Harewood House Trust
High Street Ltd.
Hull Museums and Art Gallery
Kender Primary School
Kingston upon Hull City Council (City Arts)
Lyric Theatre Hammersmith Ltd.
Merton Black Educational Forum
Milton Keynes Council
National Maritime Museum
National Museums Liverpool
Open Doors Forum
Rendezvous of Victory
St. Pauls Church, Mill Hill
Streetbase
Stroud Brunei Group
Trafford Youth Service
Watford African Caribbean Association
Windrush Foundation
Women in Jazz
Consultations
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2006, Official Report, column 979W, on consultations, why the cost of public consultations is not recorded and kept; and if she will now do so. [77196]
Mr. Lammy: The costs and demands of a public consultation can vary considerably, and as such would be difficult to quantify. As an integral part of policy development, the costs associated with public consultations are met from divisional budgets. I have no plans to record or keep the costs of public consultations.
Criminal Offences Legislation
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department since April 2005, broken down by Act. [76908]
Mr. Lammy: Criminal offences are created by the following provisions of the Gambling Act 2005:
s.33(1); s.37(1); s.41(1); s.42(1); s.43 (1); S.44(1); s.46(1); s.47(1), (4), (5), (6) and (7); s.48(1); s.49; s.50(1); s.51(1); s.52; s.53; s.54(1) and (2); s.55(1) and (4); s.56(l); s.57 (1); s.58; s.59(1); s.101(6); s.105(3); s.108(2); s.109(4); s.122(5); s.134(2); s.138(3); s.139(2); s.185(2); s.186(6); s.229(2); s.242(1) and (2); s.243(1) and (2); s.244(1); s.245(1); s.258(1); s.259(1); s.260(2); s.261(2); s.262; s.275(7); s.281(7); s.301(2); s.316(5); s.326(1); s.328(5); 5.330(1); s.331(1); s.337(5); 5.342(1); s.345(5); schedule 10 paragraph 20; schedule 12 paragraphs 13(1) and 15(6); schedule 13 paragraph 10(1); schedule 14 paragraph 20.
Members should consult the texts of the Gambling Act 2005 for full details of the offences.
Gaming Machines
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact on seaside economies of the freeze in gaming machine stake and prize levels. [77259]
Mr. Caborn: There is no policy to freeze stake and prize limits. We announced in October 2004 that our policy has been to increase the maximum stake for amusement with prizes (AWP) machines from 30p to 50p, and for jackpot machines in bingo halls from 50p to £1. This would be on full implementation of the Gambling Act in September 2007. The Government made their position clear during the passage of the Gambling Bill through Parliament that these changes would need to be connected with measures to improve social responsibility.
The stake and prize limits are only one factor amongst many affecting seaside economies. The Government are conscious of the issues facing the machine manufacturing industry, and the pubs, clubs and entertainment centres to whom AWP machines, in particular, are so important.
Survey Databases
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people have been interviewed by her Department as a result of (a) Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport and (b) surveys undertaken by her Department since 1997. [76230]
Mr. Lammy: The information is as follows.
(a) To date approximately 22,000 people have been interviewed as a result of Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture Leisure and Sport.
The total, annual sample size for this survey will be about 30,000. This large sample size is needed to measure changes of 2-3 percentage points in participation rates with a high degree of confidence (95 per cent.), in support of the Department’s Public service agreement target 3.
Until the launch of Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport in 2005, several of our non-departmental public bodies commissioned their own surveys, for example the sport and leisure module within the General Household Survey. Taking
Part is a collaborative cross-sectoral survey and in many cases replaces the need for our partner bodies to undertake additional surveys.
(b) Aside from Taking Part, the main quantitative surveys of members of the public to which the Department has contributed funding comprise:
the International Passenger Survey of 250,000 people a year from 2000-01. This is run by the Office for National Statistics and funded mainly by a consortium of Departments. These data are required to meet requirements of the European Union directive on tourism statistics.
the General Household Survey of 20,000 people a year between 2000-01 and 2004-05, also run by the Office for National Statistics. This provided the Department with data on specific issues such as digital television; and our funding enabled our non-departmental public bodies to commission a more substantial module of questions on sport and leisure; and
several smaller surveys of 7,500 or fewer, which in total amount to about 50,000 interviews since 1997.
Tourism Tax
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) assessment she has made of and (b) research she has commissioned on the potential impact that a bed tax on tourist accommodation would have on the tourism industry. [77531]
Mr. Woodward: I have commissioned neither an assessment nor research on the potential impact of a bed tax. Sir Michael Lyons is considering a wide range of local government role and funding issues, including the potential for local taxes and charges. The Government will not take any decisions on changes to local government finance, until it has had the chance to consider and reflect on Sir Michael’s report and recommendations, due at the end of 2006. I will fully assess the potential impact of Sir Michael’s recommendations once he has made them, as is appropriate in the case of an independent review, and respond accordingly.
TV Licences (Outlets)
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make representations to the BBC in favour of the continued sale of (a) television licences and (b) television licence saving stamps at post offices. [77450]
Mr. Woodward: Contractual arrangements for the sale of television licences are a matter for the BBC as licensing authority, taking into account both value for money and the convenience of licence fee payers. It would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene in such matters.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assumptions she has made about the future growth of the number of households in assessing the level of the new BBC licence fee. [77533]
Mr. Woodward: The Government are considering this issue as part of the current review of the future funding of the BBC. Our conclusions will be announced in due course.
International Development
Budgetary Support (Developing World)
7. Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on providing direct budgetary support to Governments in the developing world; and if he will make a statement. [77026]
Hilary Benn: DFID provides budget support—either direct budget support or sector support—to countries where:
the partner Government's planned budget priorities support the reduction of poverty;
there is commitment to strengthening administrative, financial and technical systems so that UK funds help to reduce poverty effectively and where,
giving aid in this way produces benefits that would be unlikely to be achieved through other forms of aid delivery.
Currently, budget support counts for only 25 per cent. of the UK's bilateral aid programme.
HIV/AIDS
8. Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the recent UN General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS. [77027]
Hilary Benn: The United Nations General Assembly high level meeting agreed a political declaration which met virtually all of the UK's objectives, including: committing countries to develop, by the end of 2006, ambitious national plans to work towards universal access by 2010; drawing up comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and support, with interim targets for 2008; ensuring that no credible, sustainable national plan should go unfunded, recognising the need to provide from donor countries, national budgets and other sources $20-23 billion annually by 2010 for AIDS responses; and intensifying efforts to develop new technology, especially microbicides and vaccines.
Overseas Aid
9. Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK aid delivered by his Department compared with that channelled via the European Union. [77028]
Mr. Thomas: Evidence shows that the European Commission has improved its effectiveness substantially since 2000, when a major reform programme commenced. Today, delivery is faster, with implementation undertaken by strengthened field offices. The European Commission is also more active internationally, supporting the UK's push for increased aid volumes. However, there is still a case for further reform, with a focus on impact, quality and more devolution.
Climate Change
10. Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to assist developing countries to tackle the impact of climate change. [77029]
Hilary Benn: DFID is working to improve the availability and use of climate risk information in Africa through the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), contributing £5 million over 5 years. We have launched a research programme, with Canada, which aims to improve African countries' capacity to adapt to climate change by building a body of knowledge and research skills which can be incorporated into planning processes, contributing £24 million over 5 years. We are contributing £20 million over 3 years through the United Nations to help countries develop national adaptation strategies. We have started to carry out climate risk assessments of DFID country programmes, starting with Bangladesh.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |