| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
16 Oct 2006 : Column 978W—continued
Winter Fuel Allowance
Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to index the winter fuel allowance to fuel prices. [93774]
James Purnell: The Winter Fuel Payment has risen from £20 in winter 1997-98 to £200 from winter 2000-01 and to £300 for those aged 80 or over from winter 2003-04.
Scotland
Age Discrimination
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he plans to take to ensure the enforcement of anti-age discrimination measures in Scotland. [92616]
David Cairns: I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 10 October 2006, Official Report, column 146.
Departmental Child Care Facilities
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what childcare (a) provision and (b) assistance is available to his Department's staff; [89585]
(2) whether there are waiting lists for places at childcare facilities which his Department provides for its employees. [89587]
David Cairns: All staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and are able to access any initiatives operated by their parent Departments.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of his Department's premises have childcare facilities on site. [89586]
David Cairns: None. Scotland Office staff have access to a nursery at the Scottish Executive's Victoria Quay building in Edinburgh. Scotland Office staff in London have access to the DCA's arrangements.
Departmental Expenditure
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) other persons in each year since 2001-02. [91893]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not record the information in the form requested. All travel and subsistence is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code.
Information relating to overseas travel by Ministers is published on an annual basis. Information for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2006 is available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current financial year.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02. [91894]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not record the information in the form requested.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of (a) staff and (b) new staff employed since April 2005 in his Department is recorded as disabled. [92168]
David Cairns: Staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) who retain any self-declared and voluntary information on disability. The Office's recent Annual Report indicated that we have a small number of staff with disabilities but, for privacy reasons, the actual numbers are considered confidential. Further information is available through the Cabinet Office website at this link:
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are employed in the Scotland Office. [94174]
David Cairns: Staffing numbers are shown in the Office's Annual Report (Cm 6834).
Departmental Staff (Bicycles)
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier. [90056]
David Cairns: All staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and are able to access any initiatives operated by their parent Departments.
Prime Minister
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Michael Gove: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr. Brown) holding office as Chancellor of the Exchequer. [90501]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 264W.
Engagements
Hywel Williams: To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with the First Minister for Wales in each of the last three years. [93589]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings with the First Minister for Wales on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest.
India
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions took place in his recent meetings with the Prime Minister of India on caste and descent-based discrimination in India and other countries; [94798]
(2) what (a) matters were discussed and (b) decisions were taken at the UK-India summit on 10 October. [94055]
The Prime Minister: I discussed a wide range of issues with Prime Minister Singh during the third annual UK-India summit. I also refer the hon. Member to the speech I made at the Investment summit at Lancaster House, and to the press conference I held with Prime Minister Singh on 10 October 2006. Transcripts of these are available on the No. 10 website and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Peerages
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister who has been made a life peer within two years of previously having been an hon. Member since 1 May 1997, broken down by party. [93786]
The Prime Minister: Details of all peerages are published in the London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
Social Exclusion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister (1) whom he consulted before making his speech in September 2006 on social exclusion; who wrote his speech; what input he had into its writing; what percentage of the speech he wrote; which (a) individuals and (b) organisations he consulted before delivering his speech; and if he will make a statement; [93155]
(2) what representations he received from (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public about his speech made in September 2006 on social exclusion; how many (i) supported and (ii) opposed the contents of his speech; and if he will make a statement; [93156]
(3) what the evidential basis was for his statement that it is possible to identify children who could grow up to be a potential risk to society before they are born; and if he will make a statement. [93157]
The Prime Minister: I wrote my speech following submissions from a wide range of individuals and organisations.
Chapter 3 of ‘Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion’ sets out the Government's approach on social exclusion and the topic of early identification. Further detailed information on the research papers on risk and protective factors and early intervention were published at the time of my speech and are available on the Number 10 website. Copies have also been placed in the Library of the House.
Since my speech I have received 28 letters about the issue of social exclusion. Given the volume of correspondence I receive, thousands of letters each week covering a broad spectrum of issues, my office records letters by subject rather than by the view expressed.
Culture, Media and Sport
2012 Olympics
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made with the KPMG review of the costs for the 2012 Olympics; when she expects to announce their final conclusions; and if she will make a statement. [94234]
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the KPMG report on the funding review of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics is expected to be published. [94294]
Mr. Caborn: KPMG are providing ongoing advice to the Government to help with analysis of the costs associated with the Olympic programme. This advice will inform the development of the Olympic Delivery Authority's Corporate Plan, which is due to be published in 2007.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the Government regeneration budget is for the 2012 Olympics broken down by programme. [94235]
Mr. Caborn: The budget for the 2012 Olympics has yet to be finalised. It will encompass spending on a number of items of regeneration the context for which is the Government's wider spending plans for the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley and Thames Gateway.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the funder of last resort is of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics should it go over budget. [94295]
Mr. Caborn: In accordance with the requirement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the costs of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are underwritten by HM Government. However, the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London provides for a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate between them.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the London 2012 Legacy Guidelines. [94296]
Mr. Caborn:
The overall objectives for the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games clearly outline that we must plan to achieve a sustainable legacy for London and the UK. Considering the legacy impact is
therefore an integral part of our planning for the Games. A copy of these objectives will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
For each issue, ranging from the “hard” physical legacy of the Park to the “softer” social, economic and environmental legacy, the most relevant organisation has been tasked with maximising the benefits before, during, and after the Games. In addition, an Olympic Park Legacy Group, involving all the key partners, has been set up to understand, influence and advise on proposals for the legacy of the Olympic Park.
Departmental Expenditure
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on taxis in the last 12 months. [93120]
Mr. Lammy: All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook.
For the period October 2005 to September 2006 my Department's expenditure on taxi travel was £23,473.41. It represents expenditure on taxis provided by the Department's contracted agent, black cabs and taxis in London and elsewhere.
Disability Discrimination Acts
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the progress of leisure and tourism facilities in complying with the Disability Discrimination Acts. [93138]
Mr. Woodward: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires all providers of tourism and leisure services to address physical barriers faced by disabled people in using their services. Beyond this my Department is working with the tourism industry to ensure that access is available to all.
My Department fully supports VisitBritain in its operation of the national accessible scheme. The scheme covers the full range of visitor accommodation in three main areas of disability—mobility, hearing impairment and visual impairment.
The need to greatly improve disability provision is also prominent in Welcome: Legacy, my Department's current consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. The consultation seeks views on how best to increase participation in the accessible scheme from the present 435 providers, and on the possible use of the general national accommodation quality schemes to improve levels of provision for disabled visitors. The consultation ends on 17 November.
Free TV Licences
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioner households qualified for free television licences in each constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available. [93869]
Mr. Woodward: TV Licensing, which administers free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, information on the number of households in each constituency in Great Britain (with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment as at winter 2005-06, compiled by the Department for Work and Pensions,) is available in the House Libraries.
Gambling Act
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the criteria are by which casino pilot schemes introduced under the Gambling Act 2005 will be judged; and if she will make a statement. [93913]
Mr. Caborn: No earlier than three years after the award of the first premises licence we will assess whether the introduction of the one regional, eight large and eight small casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 has led to an increase in problem gambling or is increasing the risk. We will also assess what the regeneration and other economic outcomes have been. It will then be for Parliament to decide whether to permit any further casinos, and we will ensure that Parliament has the full facts available to it when it debates this issue.
We will undertake a baseline study next year, once the areas where the new casinos are to be located have been approved by Parliament. Following a tendering process, the Department has recently awarded a contract to a group of academics to advise on the appropriate methodology for carrying out the necessary monitoring and evaluation. I expect them to report in early December.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |