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28 Nov 2006 : Column 614W—continued
Renewable Energy
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much energy consumed by her Department is acquired from renewable sources. [106144]
Mr. Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 21 November 2006, Official Report, columns 58-59W.
Somalia
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which (a) Iran and (b) other countries have broken the United Nations embargo by supplying weapons to Somali rebels; and whether she plans to raise this matter within the United Nations. [101755]
Mr. Hoon: The report of the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia warns of an increasing military build up, attributed to a number of states which have violated the arms embargo. Some of these states, including Iran, have denied the allegations. Together with our UN Security Council partners, we will consider action to ensure compliance and look for ways to strengthen the embargo's application. We urge all states in the region to respect the UN arms embargo and refrain from any activity, which might provoke violence in Somalia.
We recognise that the UN Security Council may, at the request of an appropriate regional, multi-national body, consider specific relaxations of the embargo for peace-keeping and security building purposes, although no such decision has yet been made.
Sudan
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2006, Official Report, column 65W, on Sudan, which UK officials General Salah Abdallah (also known as Al Ghosh) met during his visits to the UK in (a) March and (b) August 2006; what matters were discussed; and whether General Abdallah met any Government ministers in this period. [104519]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade (Mr. McCartney) gave to him on 21 November, Official Report, column 65W.
The Government do not divulge the names of officials involved in meetings.
General Salah Abdallah did not meet any Government Ministers while he was in the UK.
Syria
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the Prime Minister's bilateral talks with President Assad of Syria in 2002; what the objectives are of the visit of Sir Nigel Sheinwald to President Assad; and what agreements with Syria she is proposing. [103104]
Dr. Howells: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at the conclusion of President Bashar Al Assad's visit to the UK in 2002,
"there are obviously going to be differences between us and we condemn totally anybody who is engaged in terrorist activity of any sort at all wherever in the world. I do however believe that it is important to engage with Syria because Syria is going to be an important part of building a peaceful and stable future in the Middle East, and no matter what the level of our disagreement, it is still important that we continue that dialogue".
My right. hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, visited Damascus on 30 October 2006. Our message to Syria was that it has a strategic choice to make. The UK hopes it will choose the constructive role in the region that it can undoubtedly play.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administration costs of the Arts Council England were in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) staff costs and (b) non-staff costs. [102466]
Mr. Lammy: The information is as follows:
| (a) Staff administration costs | |
| Total (£) | |
| (b) Non staff administration costs | |
| Total (£) | |
The rises in 2001-02 reflect the merger of the 10 regional arts boards into a single organisation.
Cultural Observatories
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) funding and (b) support (i) her Department and (ii) its agencies is giving to assist the establishment of regional cultural observatories. [104307]
Mr. Lammy: Responsibility for the establishment of regional cultural observatories rests with the regional cultural consortiums which are executive non departmental public bodies funded by the Department and other regional organisations. Funding and support for the regional cultural observatories is provided by the consortiums and their regional partners.
Government Art Collection
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in which Government Department the Government art collection's copy of Julian Trevelyan's Bulldozer artwork is on display. [104305]
Mr. Lammy: The Government art collection's impression of the print Bulldozer (1973) by Julian Trevelyan is currently on display in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (British embassy, Bangkok).
Olympic Games
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) proportion and (b) total of collected London council tax will be used to pay for the 2012 London Olympic Games. [101005]
Tessa Jowell: Details of the £2.375 billion Public Sector Funding Package are published in “Olympics—Government Response to ‘A London Olympic Bid for 2012’ (HC 268) Report of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Session 2002-2003”.
Within the package the proportion and total is as follows:
| £ | Percentage | |
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total estimated cost is of staging the 2012 Olympic Games in London; and how this figure was arrived at. [101010]
Tessa Jowell: The operational budget of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) was prepared at the time of the bid by London 2012 Ltd. The budget summarised in the Candidate File is supported by further detailed analysis which was provided to and reviewed by the IOC as part of their Evaluation Commission visit. In January of this year LOCOG restated the budget in out-turn prices (from 2004 prices as required for the Candidate File). LOCOG estimate the operation budget in out-turn prices to be approximately £2 billion.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the costs of staging the 2012 Olympic Games in London will be met; and if she will make a statement. [101011]
Tessa Jowell: As set out in the London 2012 Candidate File, the costs of staging the Games are estimated at £2 billion.
Revenues are to be gathered from a mixture of sponsorship, ticket sales, licensing and merchandising.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the cost of securing the 2012 Olympics. [101947]
Tessa Jowell: We established London 2012 Ltd. to co-ordinate our bid for the 2012 Olympics at a cost of around £28 million. They were funded as follows:
DCMS grant, £9.5 million
LDA grant, £9.5 million
Private funding and value in kind, £9 million
The organisation was wound up in August 2006. Copies of its accounts can be obtained from Companies house.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Treasury on the payment of VAT in relation to the 2012 Olympics. [101950]
Tessa Jowell: Discussions with HM Treasury about the tax position of the 2012 Olympics have been ongoing and the outcome will be reported in due course.
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the Heritage Lottery allocation to the Olympics has been to date; and what projections have been made for any future transfers from the fund. [103498]
Mr. Lammy: There has been no Olympic contribution from funds drawn down by the Heritage lottery fund (HLF) from the national lottery distribution fund (NLDF), or from money held on behalf of HLF in the NLDF. However, non-Olympic lottery distributors, including HLF, may see a reduction in income because of sales diversion from non-Olympic lottery games over the period 2005-06 to 2012-13, and the redirection of £410 million of non-Olympic lottery proceeds between 2009 and 2012.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London provides that in the event of a shortfall in funds the Government, using lottery funds, and the Mayor may enter into an agreement to share the costs. The Government are in discussion with the Mayor as to how the additional increase in expenditure on the Olympic park, mentioned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November, will be met.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department grades or classifies written parliamentary questions according to (a) political sensitivity and (b) potential for political embarrassment. [104477]
Mr. Lammy: No, questions are not graded or classified in this manner.
Renewable Energy
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much energy consumed by her Department is acquired from renewable sources. [106158]
Mr. Lammy: The Department is supplied by 100 per cent. renewable energy via the OGC Buying Solutions Energy Contract.
Television Licences
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Northern Ireland were convicted of not having a valid television licence during the first three months of (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. [104018]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not held centrally.
Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioner households in the wards of (a) Aylestone, (b) Castle, (c) Freemen, (d) Eyres Monsell, (e) Stoneygate, (f) Spinney Hills and (g) Knighton in Leicester have received a free television licence. [104259]
Mr. Woodward: TV Licensing administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC. They are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Leicester, South constituency in 2005-06 was 4,740, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.
Terrorism Victims
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to make an announcement on the operation of the charitable fund to provide compensation for British victims of terrorism abroad. [102354]
Tessa Jowell: As indicated in my previous answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, columns 47-48W, details of the fund are still being finalised but I will write to the hon. Member once we are in a position to make an announcement.
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