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27 Nov 2006 : Column 278W—continued
Departmental Statistics
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which statistics have been put forward by her Department for consideration to become new national statistics in each of the last five years; and how many statistics sets her Department has produced in total in each of the last five years. [101654]
Mr. Lammy: The current list of National Statistics produced by DCMS can be found on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/ns_ons/nsproducts/default.asp
A list of changes to the scope of National Statistics (additions and withdrawals) in each of the last five years can be found in the relevant National Statistics annual report available on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051
In addition to National Statistics, DCMS publishes a wide range of other numerical information in a variety of forms including other data produced from the management and administration of the department and in research reports. There is no consistent definition of the term “statistics sets” and no centrally held information on the total published in each year on this basis.
Digital Dividend Review
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which industry representatives Ofcom (a) plans to consult and (b) has consulted in the period prior to publication of the proposals from the Digital Dividend review; whether Ofcom intends to hold further meetings on its proposals following publication; and if she will make a statement. [103173]
Mr. Woodward: The Digital Dividend review is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator. I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply. Copies of the chief executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) current and (b) future spectrum usage estimates are being used by Ofcom in the preparation of its consultation paper on the digital dividend. [103476]
Mr. Woodward: The digital dividend review is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator. I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Listed Buildings
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) barns and (b) other agricultural buildings are listed grade II and above in each county in England. [102475]
Mr. Lammy: There are currently 19,937 barns listed at grade II and above. A breakdown by county is shown in the table.
Information on other agricultural buildings is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, figures from “Heritage Counts”, the annual report on the state of England's historic environment, show that in 2005 there were 69,000 agricultural buildings, including barns, with list entries.
| County | Number of listed barns |
Secondments
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which staff in her Department are (a) seconded from organisations with charitable status and (b) have (i) costs and (ii) salaries met (A) in part and (B) in whole from (1) public funds and (2) by the charity from which they are seconded. [102407]
Mr. Lammy: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) there are four staff seconded from organisations which have charitable status. All costs and salaries are met in full from public funds by DCMS.
Television Licences
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of tracing people who had moved house and not informed TV Licensing in each of the last five years. [103041]
Mr. Woodward: The BBC, which is responsible for the administration of the television licensing system, has indicated that no special measures are taken to trace licence holders who do not inform TV Licensing of a change of address. Their new address, if unlicensed, would be identified by TV Licensing in the same way as any other unlicensed address.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the maximum fine is which may be imposed for failing to possess a valid television licence; and what the average cost was of bringing a prosecution for failure to possess a valid television licence in the latest period for which figures are available. [103042]
Mr. Woodward: The maximum fine which may be imposed for installation or use of a television receiver without a television licence is £1,000. Information on the average cost of bringing a prosecution for television licence evasion is not held.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many detector vans are in use by TV Licensing. [103129]
Mr. Woodward: The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration under contract to the corporation. I have referred the question to the BBC's Head of Revenue Management and asked him to reply directly. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Theatre Finance
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with Arts Council England on funding for local theatre in relation to the 2007 comprehensive spending review; and if she will make a statement. [104155]
Mr. Lammy: No decisions have yet been taken on the Comprehensive Spending Review. Arts Council England has substantially increased funding for theatre in each year since 2001-02, when it was £58.6 million. In 2006-07, it will allocate an estimated £97.5 million to regularly funded theatre organisations.
TV Quiz Channels
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent consideration has been given to the further regulation of television quiz channels which offer cash prizes. [102317]
Mr. Woodward: Responsibility for the regulation of television quiz channels rests with the independent regulators, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) and the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).
Ofcom and ICSTIS produced detailed new rules and guidance in 2006, aimed at ensuring best practice in the industry and providing appropriate consumer protection. As a result there have been significant changes in the way Call TV quiz shows operate—with increased transparency for the viewer.
On 10 October 2006 ICSTIS announced a further review of the Quiz TV sector, covering all services within the sector, as well as current safeguards.
On 3 August the Gambling Commission consulted on the possible need for some Call TV Quiz Services to change how they are currently operated to ensure compliance with the new rules under the Gambling Act 2005 which will come into force in September 2007. The consultation, which closed on 31 October, received a significant response. The Commission will be issuing its response in the new year.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 in regulating television quiz channels that offer cash prizes. [102318]
Mr. Woodward: The Government are firmly committed to maintaining the long standing convention that lotteries should be held only for good causes and not for private gain, and have strengthened the definition of a lottery in the Gambling Act 2005.
The Act, which will come into force in September 2007, creates a new definition of a lottery and a complex lottery.
The Gambling Commission is the independent regulator responsible for monitoring compliance with the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976.
The Gambling Commission is currently consulting on television quizzes.
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which digital television quiz channels are entitled to broadcast in the United Kingdom. [102319]
Mr. Woodward: All digital television channels which hold an Ofcom broadcasting licence or are appropriately authorised in an EU member state are entitled to broadcast in the UK whether or not they offer quiz shows. ITV Play, Quiz Call, iPlay and Big Game TV are dedicated quiz channels. A number of other channels offer substantial quiz TV programme breaks.
Public Accounts Commission
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission (1) what the causes have been of the delay in finalising and publishing the National Audit Office report into the use by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of public funds in relation to the management of staff including the handling of grievance-type issues; when meetings were held between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the National Audit Office (NAO) to discuss the draft report; on what dates correspondence was exchanged between the FCO and the NAO on the contents of the draft report after the NAO submitted the draft to the FCO in August; and if he will make a statement; [102726]
(2) when the National Audit Office expects to publish its report into the use by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of public funds in relation to the management of staff including the handling of grievance-type issues. [102727]
Mr. Alan Williams: The National Audit Office received complaints from three employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the Department’s handling of grievances. Following discussions with the Department the National Audit Office has reviewed the Department’s procedures. The National Audit Office has provided the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with its provisional audit findings, setting out its recommendations to management for improvement. These are being discussed with the Department and are expected to be finalised in December, The review is not part of the programme of major studies on which the Comptroller and Auditor General reports to Parliament under the National Audit Act 1983.
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