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Water
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) foreign-owned and (b) British-owned businesses and consultancies have worked with his Department on water provision for the urban poor in the developing world since 1997. [85800]
Hilary Benn [holding answer 19 July 2006]: DFID does not maintain records of the ownership of businesses and consultancies that have worked with us in the urban water sector since 1997. Our investments are developed through close working with a range of stakeholders, such as national and local governments overseas, other donors, civil society organisations and private sector companies.
We provided a total of £221 million of development assistance in 2003-04 for water and sanitation. £131 million of this was bilateral expenditure, of which approximately one-fifth was spent on urban water supply, one-quarter on rural water supply and one-fifth on humanitarian assistance.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Drinking Water (Perfluorooctane Sulfonate)
9. Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of perfluorooctane sulfonate is allowed in drinking water. [86604]
Ian Pearson: In the light of current advice from the Health Protection Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s view is that to safeguard human health, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) should not be present in drinking water supplies above three microgrammes per litre (micro).
Wildlife Habitats
15. Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government monitors the loss of wildlife habitats in urban areas. [86613]
Barry Gardiner: The Government do not specifically monitor the loss of wildlife habitats in urban areas. However, the recently published report on progress under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan suggests that the last three years have seen more positive signs of progress. The list of priority species and habitats is also being reviewed to ensure that the UK Biodiversity Action Plan remains responsive to both new information and conservation needs.
Market Towns
16. Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many market towns have participated in his Department’s market town initiative. [86615]
Barry Gardiner: More than 230 towns have benefited from support through this initiative.
Recycling
17. Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the local government association on the setting of targets for recycling. [86616]
Mr. Bradshaw: We have had regular discussions with representatives of local government and others to discuss recycling and other waste matters. The LGA have also submitted a formal response to our current waste review.
Growth-promoting Hormones
18. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with non-EU countries on the use of growth-promoting hormones in raising livestock. [86617]
Mr. Bradshaw: None.
Warm Front Initiative
19. Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties in Burnley have received funding from the Department’s Warm Front initiative. [86618]
Ian Pearson: Some 5,530 households in Burnley have benefited from a range of financial support and help from the Government since the Warm Front programme began.
British Sugar Plant (Shropshire)
20. Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will visit Shrewsbury to discuss with local sugar beet farmers the closure of the main British Sugar plant in Shropshire. [86619]
Barry Gardiner: My noble Friend Lord Rooker has already met with growers’ representatives at both national and local level to discuss these planned factory closures.
Biodiversity
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support his Department gives farmers to manage land in ways that promote greater biodiversity. [86614]
Ian Pearson: The Government provides over £300 million a year to farmers through agri-environment schemes such as Environmental Stewardship to promote greater biodiversity.
Correspondence
Mrs.
Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will reply to the letters
from the Assistant Director for Planning of Bridgend county borough
council (BCBC) dated
9 August 2005, 26 August 2005 and 19 October 2005 and from the Chief
Executive of BCBC dated 7 December 2005, 11 January 2006 and 4
April 2006.
[81145]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, replied to Kerrie Lewis, the Chief Executive of BCBC on 27 June 2006.
This letter has been copied to both the hon. Member and the Assistant Director for Planning of BCBC.
Culture, Media and Sport
2012 Olympics
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the level of capital funding local authorities intend to spend on sports facilities in the period leading up to the 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement. [86347]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
It is estimated that local authorities in England plan to spend £621 million on sports and recreation services in 2006-07. No estimates of planned local authority spending on sports facilities are available for later years.
Analogue Radio Spectrum
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans there are to switch off the analogue radio spectrum. [86941]
Mr. Woodward: There are no current plans for a switchover to digital radio. However, section 67 of the Broadcasting Act 1996 requires the Secretary of State to keep under review the development of digital radio for the purposes of considering how long it would be appropriate for sound broadcasting services to be provided in analogue form. The first review in 2004 found that both the BBC and Ofcom agreed that it was premature to set a switchover date. We are, however, working with Ofcom and the industry to overcome the remaining potential barriers to digital radio.
Commonwealth Institute
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last visited the Commonwealth Institute building. [86218]
Tessa Jowell: I last visited the Commonwealth Institute building on 5 December 2002.
Departmental Emissions
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate she has made of the carbon emissions of her Department; what commitment she has made to reducing such emissions; and if she will make a statement. [81327]
Mr. Woodward: The most recent estimate for carbon emissions produced by my Department’s office estate is 799,616.74 kg in the year 2004-05.
We are fully committed to the cross-Government targets to reduce carbon emissions by 12.5 per cent. by 2010 and by 30 per cent. by 2020 (relative to 1999-2000 levels).
Food Advertising (Children)
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps Ofcom took to elicit responses to its consultation on television advertising for food products targeting children from those (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to restrictions. [87011]
Mr. Woodward: The matters raised are the responsibility of the Office of Communications as independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly to my hon. Friend. Copies of the Chief Executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Outsourcing
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what administrative functions for which her Department is responsible are outsourced overseas; and what assessment she has made of the merits of outsourcing further such functions overseas. [81549]
Mr. Lammy: None of the Department’s administrative functions has been outsourced overseas, nor are there any plans to do so.
Sports Funding
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the percentage of local authority (a) capital and (b) revenue funding that will be spent on sport in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and if she will make a statement. [86356]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The percentage of local authority (a) capital and (b) revenue net current expenditure that will be spent on sport in the current financial year is tabled as follows. The figures for 2007-08 are not yet available.
| Percentage | ||
| Financial year | Capital | Revenue |
The capital figures are based on forecast data from Capital Estimate Returns (CER) for 2006-07.
The revenue data are as reported by local authorities and are taken from Revenue Account budget (RA) returns for 2006-07.
The
definition of council revenue net current expenditure used here is that
expenditure on employees and running
expenses net of sales, fees and charges, internal recharges, other
non-grant income (such as receipts from other authorities), but gross
of expenditure funded by specific grants and interest
receipts.
Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities and method of reporting the information. In particular, budget data for 2006-07 have been calculated on an FRS 17 basis. Hence, figures for different years may not be directly comparable.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the percentage of local authority (a) capital and (b) revenue funding that was spent on sport in each of the last five financial years; and if she will make a statement. [86357]
Mr. Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
The percentage of local authority (a) capital and (b) revenue net current expenditure that was spent on sport and recreation in each of the last five financial years is tabled as follows:
| Percentage | ||
| Financial year | Capital | Revenue |
The capital figures are based on final outturn data from Capital Outturn Returns (COR) for 2001-02 to 2004-05 and on provisional outturn data from Capital Payments Returns (CPR4) for 2005-06.
The revenue data are as reported by local authorities and are taken from Revenue Outturn (RO) and Revenue Summary (RS) returns for 2001-02 to 2004-05, and Revenue Account budget (RA) returns for 2005-06.
The definition of council revenue net current expenditure used here is that expenditure on employees and running expenses net of sales, fees and charges, internal recharges, other non-grant income (such as receipts from other authorities), but gross of expenditure funded by specific grants and interest receipts.
Comparisons across years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities and method of reporting the information. In particular, the revenue outturn data for 2001-02 to 2002-03 have been calculated on a non-FRS (Financial Reporting Standard) 17 basis while the outturn data for 2003-04 to 2004-05 have been calculated on an FRS 17 basis. The budget data for 2005-06 are a mix of FRS 17 and non-FRS 17. This is because for their 2005-06 budget forms local authorities, after consultation, were given the option to complete their forms either on a non-FRS 17 basis or on an FRS 17 basis. Hence, figures for different years may not be directly comparable.
Solicitor-General
Information Technology
Chris Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General 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. [71778]
The Solicitor-General: I am answering this question on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, the Treasury Solicitor's Department, the Serious Fraud Office, the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.
For the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the figures available are as follows (all figures include VAT):
The COMPASS programme is a 10 year public finance initiative partnership between the CPS and LogicaCMG to modernise information technology within the CPS.
(a) When the COMPASS contract was awarded (December 2001 to begin April 2002) the value was estimated at approximately £240 million over the period of the contract, based on the parameters at the time such as the number of sites and users and the legislative environment.
(b) The estimated outturn cost to the end of the contract is £408 million.
(c) The outturn cost as at 31 March 2006 is £122 million.
The difference between the original estimate and the most recent estimate of the cost of the contract reflects: higher staff numbers, a larger number of locations where COMPASS is available, improvements in service levels and the development of a new system to support witness care units, none of which could have been anticipated when the contract was let.
Finance and accounting record management system (FARMS)
FARMS is the CPS’s finance and accounting record management system.
(a) Original estimate for full life costs based on “best and final offer” September 2003: £9.723 million.
(b) Revised estimate for full life costs based as at March 2005: £10.195 million.
(c) Outturn to 31 March 2006: £6.103 million.
Managed service and support costs are indexed at 3 per cent. pa. The five year managed service contract commenced August 2004 and finishes July 2009.
Other, smaller contracts (for example the payroll and HR systems and the corporate information system) began over five years ago and have subsequently been incorporated into the wider COMPASS programme.
For the Treasury Solicitor's Department the following table shows the originally estimated, most recently estimated and outturn cost of the five largest IT contracts agreed in with outside suppliers over the last five years.
The following table shows the five companies that the Serious Fraud Office has made the largest payments to from financial year 2001-02 to 2005-06 inclusive.
| Total expenditure 2001-05 | |
| Company | £ |
These contracts are all for ongoing IT or technology related services and not for discrete projects. Expenditure is controlled by purchase orders and annual budgets, so the question of estimated and outturn expenditure does not arise.
The
Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office was established as a new
Department on 18 April 2005. Since it’s creation RCPO has
procured the majority of its information technology services from HM
Revenue and Customs. The outturn cost of these services during 2005-06
was £1.9 million. In addition to these services RCPO has used IS
consultants in relation to specific
projects. Their total cost during 2005-06 was £0.13
million. The Department has recently created a new post, Head of
Information Services, and this was filled on 3 May 2006 initially on a
six month by an IT professional with 18 years experience in the IT
industry and with technical, project management and service delivery
expertise. He also has considerable experience in working with UK
central Government. As well as receiving a considerable amount of
technical and professional training from a previous employee, IBM, he
has a Diploma in Business
Studies.
The information technology requirements of HM Crown Prosecution Services Inspectorate are provided through the services of CPS service desk and their provider Logica.
The only IT investment undertaken through our own budget relates to the design/development and improvement/updating of the HMCPSI website. Over the last four years a total of £22,264 (incl. VAT) has been spent on this work.
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