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11 July 2006 : Column 1760W—continued
Departmental Staff
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many disabled staff in her Department received support through the Access to Work scheme (a) in each of the last five years and (b) in 2006-07. [82223]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport received support through the Access to Work scheme for the following numbers of people:
| Number | ||
Engagements
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she next plans to visit Coventry Cathedral. [83334]
Tessa Jowell: I have no specific plans to visit Coventry Cathedral. However when I am next in the West Midlands I would be pleased to do so.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the official engagements of the hon. Member for St. Helens South from the date of appointment as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Media and Tourism) to 14 July. [83484]
Mr. Woodward: The information is as follows:
I have undertaken the following public engagements:
25 May—Speech at Digital Switchover Conference in Cumbria
6 June—Speech at UK Inbound Parliamentary Reception
8 June—Arena: Men of the Year Awards.
13 June—Speeches at Film Birmingham debate and reception
19 June—Speech at Clore Conference on Culture and Creative Enterprise
21 June—Introductory Speech at Annual Media Lecture
29 June—Speech at the Westminster Media Forum
30 June—Presented an Award at the Commercial Radio Awards
4 July—Speech at the Skillset TV Skills Launch
4 July—Speech at the IPPR event: The Long Tail—Opportunities in a new marketplace
5 July—Speech at Tourism Alliance AGM
6 July—Speech to Royal Television Society
I have undertaken the following parliamentary commitments:
5 June—DCMS questions
14 June—Westminster Hall debate on digital switchover
21 June—Opposition day debate on the future of the BBC
3 July—DCMS questions
6 July—Westminster Hall debate on digital switchover
10 July—Government debate on the BBC
11 July—Westminster Hall debate on TV licensing
13 July—SI debate on TV licensable content services order and the radio multiplex order
I have undertaken the following meetings with the following external parties:
24 May—Competition and IP Breakfast—Many Industry representatives
5 June—ITV
5 June—Motion Picture Association
6 June—Microsoft
12 June—Technology Breakfast—Many Industry representatives
12 June—London Development Agency
12 June—Music Business Forum
22 June—Chinese Minister for Radio, Film and Television
22 June—Intellect
27 June—NBC
27 June—Apple
30 June—Minister President of Baden-Wuerttenberg
5 July—Digital TV group
The following meetings with external parties are scheduled and subject to parliamentary business:
11 July—Brooks Lapping productions
12 July—BskyB
12 July—O2
12 July—Historic Houses Association
I have also carried out a full schedule of engagements with internal stakeholders, other Ministers, MPs, DCMS sponsored bodies, cabinet committees and business with the EU commission.
Hyde Park Events
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the events held in Hyde park during the last 12 months for which an attendance fee was payable and for which an area of the park was enclosed; how much (a) income was generated and (b) expenditure was spent by the Royal Parks Agency relating to each such event; what arrangements are in place between the Royal Parks Agency and relevant local authorities to reduce the impact of these events on local residents; and whether payments were made to any local authority in relation to these events. [81328]
Mr. Lammy: The following table show the number of events that were held in Hyde park, the income derived from them and the cost to The Royal Parks (TRP).
Under the 2003 Licensing Act The Royal Parks are, from 24 November 2005, required to obtain a licence for events from the local authority. In the case of Hyde park, that is Westminster city council. It is for the local authority to set the limit on the number and size of events and any other conditions it feels relevant. In addition, TRP holds meetings with the local authority, police, transport and other emergency services to agree the arrangements for each event. Details like noise levels are subject to existing guidance and are monitored by the council and the promoter at each event.
In addition to day-to-day liaison with Westminster city council, TRP officials attend many meetings of residents and amenity societies, and write to local residents and neighbours advising them of the dates, times and other arrangements relating to events.
The only payment made to any local authority in relation to these events was the fee for the licence, which amounted to £48,100.
Official Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions she has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months. [83910]
Tessa Jowell: I have made 34 regional visits in the last 12 months. Details are given in the following table.
| Regions | Times visited |
Post Office
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with (a) other Government departments, (b) the BBC and (c) Post Office Limited on the effect on the sub-post office network of the loss of television licence renewal income. [82865]
Mr. Woodward [holding answer 6 July 2006]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such discussions. The award of the contract for over the counter sales of television licences is a commercial decision for the BBC (as television licensing authority). Prior to the announcement of the corporation's decision, DCMS officials had been briefed by the BBC, and liaised with officials at the Department of Trade and Industry.
Television Licences
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received regarding the withdrawal of television licence savings stamps. [81927]
Mr. Woodward: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport had received 13 representations primarily about the withdrawal of TV licence savings stamps at the end of June 2006. A small number of representations about other aspects of the licensing system also referred to savings stamps but are not recorded separately. The Department has also answered two other recent parliamentary questions about the withdrawal of savings stamps.
Televisions, Leicester
Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in Leicester have television receiving equipment; and what proportion receive a signal from (a) Waltham television transmitter (BBC), (b) Sutton Coldfield television transmitter (BBC) and (c) other BBC transmitters. [83986]
Mr. Woodward: Nationally, an estimated 97.6 per cent. of households have television reception equipment. We do not have local figures for Leicester.
Most viewers in Leicester can get signals either from the Waltham transmitter or from a small transmitter in the city which relays Waltham’s signals. The Sutton Coldfield transmitter does overlap Waltham across most of the city and there are a few parts (notably the Wigston area of the city and a section to the south-west of the city centre) where only Sutton Coldfield provides adequate signals.
Northern Ireland
Allegations against Teachers
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences there have been of pupils making serious allegations against teachers in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and in how many of these cases the allegations were proved to be false or unfounded. [82701]
Maria Eagle: The Department does not collect the information on the basis requested.
The Department has undertaken an audit recently with all employing authorities to collect information about staff, both teaching and non-teaching, who have been suspended from duty following allegations of child abuse. This information has been collected to inform the work of a review group established to look at the use of precautionary suspension when allegations of child abuse are made against members of staff. I expect to receive a report of the findings, including an analysis of this data, and proposals for new guidance from the review group in the autumn and I intend to publish both the report and the proposals later this year.
Census 2011
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when preparatory work began in Northern Ireland for the 2011 Census; and what it will involve. [81859]
Mr. Hanson: Preparatory work for the 2011 Census began in Northern Ireland during 2003, in line with developments across the rest of the UK. The work involved includes (i) reviewing and evaluating key aspects of the 2001 Census operation, (ii) developing, testing and evaluating new topics/questions, enumeration procedures and statistical methodologies, (iii) procuring systems and services to assist with the data collection, processing and output phases of the Census and (iv) consultation with users. Proposals for the 2011 Census will be brought forward in a White Paper in 2008.
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