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14 Jun 2006 : Column 1248W—continued
Production of a public information film costs approximately £60,284 (based on an average of all public information films produced during the last three years).
Screening costs for a public information film are: broadcast tape copies, £2,500; annual marketing of film to broadcasters, £7,650; and airtime, free of charge.
We expect a public information film to recoup both production and marketing costs in equivalent airtime value within the first three months in circulation.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at what times of day public information programmes have been scheduled in each of the past three years. [76757]
Mr. McFadden:
The Central Office of Information (COI) is not responsible for scheduling public information films. They are scheduled in donated airtime at the discretion of broadcasters. The COI does, however, promote the usage of public
information films to broadcasters, requesting relevant time slots and programming environments, where possible.
In each of the past three years, public information films have been shown on broadcast television in ratios shown in the following table.
| Time | Percentage of films shown | Number of transmissions |
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions her Department has had with public service broadcasters on the (a) screening and (b) scheduling of public information films; and if she will make a statement. [76758]
Mr. McFadden: The Central Office of Information (COI) meets with public service and commercial broadcasters regularly to discuss both the screening and scheduling of public information films. COI also maintains regular contact with broadcast contacts via telephone, e-mail and via a monthly paper and electronic newsletter, which highlights the availability of material or related statistics to support the case for transmission. There is an online catalogue to facilitate broadcasters’ selection of appropriate materials for slots they have available.
In the last three years, this activity has resulted in 2,127,007 transmissions, across 122 different television channels, in airtime worth an estimated £75,335,000 (based on average ITV station rate card).
Additionally, the COI also targets owners of out-of-home media. For example the 5-A-DAY campaign was screened free of charge on “Tesco TV”, in shopping centres including Trafford Centre, Lakeside and Metro Centre, gyms such as Holmes Place, Cannons and David Lloyd and some doctors’ surgeries. Out-of-home ratecard airtime value was estimated at £1.5 million for this film.
House of Commons Commission
Administration Estimate
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons
Commission pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2006 to Question 73851, how much was spent from the administration estimate on clothing and uniforms for (a) Clerks at the Table, (b) Serjeants at Arms and (c) the Secretary and Assistant Secretary to the Speaker in each of the last 3 years; and if he will make a statement. [77466]
Nick Harvey: The information requested is as follows:
| £ | |||
| Clerks at the Table | Serjeants at Arms | Speaker’s Office | |
| Note: These figures include the uniform allowance for the Assistant Secretary to the Speaker. | |||
Dining Facilities
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission (1) what guidance has been issued to hon. Members on the use of House dining room facilities for party political fundraising; [75843]
(2) on how many occasions in the last 10 years a booking for dining room (a) A, (b) B, (c) C and (d) D has been refused due to the intention of the sponsor to use the booking for party political fundraising. [75844]
Nick Harvey: The Banqueting Regulations, which are issued to all Members at the time of booking, state that the private dining rooms
“are not to be used for direct financial or material gain by a Sponsor, political party, or any other person or outside organisation”.
The banqueting booking confirmation requires Members to state whether they have a declarable interest relating to their sponsorship of the function and, if the interest is not registered, to provide details. Members in any doubt about the need to register an interest are given further guidance in paragraph 4.4 of the Banqueting Regulations, which states that
“any Sponsor in doubt about the requirements to declare any interest should consult the Parliamentary Commission for Standards”.
Furthermore, the Code of Conduct for Members, as approved by the House on 13 July 2005, provides that:
“Members shall at all times ensure that their use of expenses, allowances, facilities and services provided from the public purse is strictly in accordance with the rules laid down on these matters, and that they observe any limits placed by the House on the use of such expenses, allowances, facilities and services”.
No record is kept of advice provided to Members when enquiring about the use of the private dining rooms, and so there is no record of any booking being refused due to the intention of the sponsor to use the booking for party political fundraising.
Refreshment Department
Mr. Drew: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what information the Refreshment Department collects on the quantity of (a) organic food and (b) food sourced within 50 miles of London for use in the House of Commons dining rooms. [76278]
Nick Harvey: The Refreshment Department can generally identify from its purchasing records the quantity and value of organic meat, poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables purchased over the past year, and the quantity and value of some organic grocery and counter-line products readily identifiable as organic (for example, certain brands of sandwiches, salads, yoghurts, biscuits, cakes, etc.). However, the Department does not keep a comprehensive list that specifically identifies the quantity of all organic foods used. No record is kept of the quantity of food sourced within 50 miles of London.
Spoiled Pre-paid Envelopes
Mr. Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the Answer to Question 74325, if he will (a) take steps to remind users that the House can recover the cost of postage of spoiled pre-paid envelopes and (b) make visible collection points available for such envelopes; and if he will make a statement. [77474]
Nick Harvey: The Serjeant at Arms leaflet entitled “Stationery post paid envelopes and the use of the crowned portcullis” asks Members to send back spoilt envelopes to the Postmaster. A notice will be placed in the All Party Whip as a reminder. It would not be practicable to provide collection points as the incidence of spoilt envelopes is likely to be small.
Tours
Mr. Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many tours of the Palace each hon. Member has requested in the last 12 months. [76009]
Nick Harvey: Between June 2005 and May 2006 inclusive, 7,374 tours ran for 620 Members of the House of Commons. By mixing smaller groups together (up to each tour slot’s maximum capacity of 20), this accommodated 7,911 Member groups. The highest number of tour slots supplied to an individual Member was 89. It is not the practice to publish details of the use made by individual Members of such facilities.
Works of Art Collection
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many works of art from the Works of Art Collection have been reported (a) missing and (b) stolen in each year since 1997; and what their estimated value was in each case. [76312]
Nick Harvey: There have been no reports of missing or stolen works of art in the House of Commons since 1997. The Parliamentary Art Collection (Lords and Commons) has approximately 7,500 works of art, spread widely throughout the parliamentary estate. Some 5,000 are currently recorded as being within the House of Commons buildings.
Northern Ireland
999 Calls
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many emergency 999 calls were made in Northern Ireland in the last year, broken down by emergency service requested. [77346]
Paul Goggins: The numbers of emergency 999 calls received by emergency services in Northern Ireland in the last calendar year was as follows:
| Calendar year 2005 | |
Alcohol Consumption
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department plans to take in response to the recent report by the European Commission which identified Ireland as having the fifth highest consumption of alcohol per person in the EU. [76629]
Paul Goggins: There are no comparable figures for Northern Ireland as currently such data are collected and presented on a UK basis. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland launched the New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs 2006-11 on 8 May 2006. It contains a number of regional and local outcomes aimed at reducing the overall level of harm caused by alcohol in Northern Ireland, including reducing the level of binge drinking and the amount of under-age drinking.
Ambulance Service
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of (a) the facilities and (b) the extent of ambulance cover in the Strabane district council area in each of the last three years; and whether ambulance service staff usually employed in the Strabane area have been redeployed to Derry since the opening of the new Northland Road base. [76220]
Paul Goggins:
Ambulance cover in the Strabane district council area is provided from stations in Strabane and Castlederg. A 2004-05 Estate Appraisal, carried out by the Health Estates Agency, identified the need for separate male and female facilities at Strabane ambulance station and some minor alterations at
Castlederg ambulance station. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is currently making arrangements to carry out this work.
During the last three years, ambulance cover has been provided as follows:
| Days | |
|
17.00 to 23.00 hours (cover provided by Strabane and Omagh stations) | |
|
08.00 to 23.00 hours (cover provided by Strabane and Omagh stations) | |
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