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18 Dec 2006 : Column 1581W—continued
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by the social fund in attempting to recover payment from defaulting payers. [106024]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Unclaimed Benefit
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of (a) all people and (b) pensioners entitled to claim (i) income support, (ii) housing benefit, (iii) council tax benefit, (iv) jobseeker's allowance and (v) pension credit and minimum income guarantee failed to claim each benefit in each of the last five years; and what the total value of the unclaimed benefit was in each case. [109828]
Mr. Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for North Tyneside (Mr. Byers) on 3 March 2006, Official Report, column 1034.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will review the time limit for making late claims for winter fuel allowance. [107255]
James Purnell: The vast majority of winter fuel payments are made automatically without the need to claim, using information held on the departmental computer systems. For people who need to claim, claim forms are available from July for the oncoming winter and can be submitted up to 30 March the following year. We have no plans to review the time limit for claiming a winter fuel payment.
The number of late claims received in respect of the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 is in the following table.
| Late claims received to date | Total winter fuel payments made | |
| Notes: 1. Figures for late claims received are the cumulative total to date. 2. Figures for winter fuel payments made rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Claim forms for these years are still being received. Source: Winter Fuel Payment Centre | ||
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure pensioners receive advice in winter 2006-07 about the grants and benefits available for heating costs. [102473]
James Purnell:
The Pension Service is currently sending out notifications to approximately 11,500,000 customers aged 60 and over to inform them that they
have been awarded a winter fuel payment. Winter fuel payments have been promoted via press advertising and communications to welfare rights advisers.
The advertising invites customers who may be entitled to a winter fuel payment but have not received one in the past, to apply.
The Pension Service internet site carries full details on winter fuel payments as well as advice about other benefits that customers may be entitled to, such as cold weather payments (which are operated by Jobcentre Plus). The website also carries useful information
about other schemes and grants to help pensioners heat their homes such as the warm front scheme administered by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Pension Service works with the Department of Health and other Government Departments on the annual “Keep Warm Keep Well” campaign, which offers advice to pensioners and other vulnerable groups about keeping warm over the winter months. This provides a range of practical information and contact details for a range of grants and services.
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 18 December 2006
Deputy Prime Minister
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to public funds was of his Department ordering (a) a sign to the entrance to his office and (b) business cards. [102781]
The Deputy Prime Minister: The sign cost £644.93. Business cards cost £726.15.
Kerzner International
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether any representatives of Kerzner International were present at his meeting with the Anschutz Entertainment Group at their Canary Wharf offices on 17th August 2005; [103913]
(2) for what reason he visited the Canary Wharf offices of Anschutz Entertainment Group on 17th August 2005. [104096]
The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 11 July 2006, Official Report, column 1794W.
Culture, Media and Sport
Public Appointments
9. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what criteria her Department uses to appoint members of non-departmental public bodies; and if she will make a statement; [109415]
10. (2) what her Department’s criteria are for appointments to non-departmental public bodies; and if she will make a statement. [109416]
Mr. Caborn: Selection criteria are published at the beginning of each competition. They comprise the qualities, skills and experience required for that particular role. All applicants are considered by a selection panel. All appointments are based on merit.
Digital Television
11. Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent progress has been made in developing the Government’s plan for targeted assistance in the move to digital television; and if she will make a statement. [109417]
Mr. Woodward: Good progress has been made on the Digital Switchover Help Scheme—and discussions with the BBC about its establishment and funding are continuing. The Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill will be read a second time today. The Bill would enable the scheme to receive social security information in order to target those eligible for assistance and so help to increase take-up among those eligible. There will also be extensive communications to raise awareness about the scheme and we continue to work closely with the Digital Switchover Consumer Experts Group, which includes a number of leading voluntary sector organisations including Age Concern, RNIB and RNID, to explore how best to communicate with eligible groups.
12. Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to raise public awareness in West Lancashire of the Government’s plan for digital switchover; and if she will make a statement. [109418]
Mr. Woodward: Digital UK is the independent, non-profit organisation leading the process of digital switchover in the UK. Its communications provide impartial information on what people need to do and when they need to do it.
In May 2006, Digital UK launched its first nationwide campaign of communications and assistance. A second campaign, still ongoing, started in October.
Digital UK is committed to begin targeted regional campaigns three years in advance of switchover in the region. These have started in the first four areas: Border, West Country, Wales and Granada.
Information on levels of awareness is not available by county or Parliamentary constituency, although according to Digital UK, at 30 September, awareness of Digital Switchover in the Granada ITV region was 71 per cent.
Sport: Participation
13. Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate she has made of the level of participation in sport; and if she will make a statement. [109419]
Mr. Caborn: Participation in sport starts at school. The 2005-06 school sport survey showed that 80 per cent. were doing at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport per week, exceeding the 75 per cent. target.
Data from the national Taking Part Survey published last week estimate that 54 per cent. of adults participated in at least one active sport in the past month and 21 per cent. of adults participated in moderate intensity level sport for at least 30 minutes on three separate occasions in the past week.
Remote Gambling
14. Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on an agreed communiqué following the international summit on remote gambling. [109420]
Mr. Caborn: Good progress has been made. Responses received to date have been positive and have welcomed our plans to set up an international expert group to advise on the development of worldwide standards for regulation.
We plan to publish the communiqué, and provide further information about the expert group, early next year.
Television Quiz Channels
15. Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions regulate television quiz channels; and if she will make a statement. [109421]
Mr. Woodward: Television quiz channels are regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) and the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) under provisions in the Communications Act 2003.
Cricket
16. Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to promote cricket among young people. [109422]
Mr. Caborn: Cricket is one of the 22 key sports within the National School Sport Strategy. The national governing body for cricket is receiving £1.24 million over the four years to 2007 to deliver its objectives for the club links and step into sport programmes.
The 2005-06 school sport survey found that cricket is the fifth most popular sport, with 89 per cent. of schools offering it to their pupils. The survey also found that cricket was the second most popular sport in terms of club links, with 52 per cent. of schools having links with a local cricket club.
Since 2003, the English Cricket Board has committed £9.6 million of exchequer funding to 264 community sports clubs for the development, or redevelopment, of their sports facilities.
Sport England has awarded £2 million of Sports Lottery Fund money over two years (2005-07) to the “Chance to Shine” initiative for young people.
Theatres
17. Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met representatives of those working in the cultural sector to discuss the funding of local theatres; and whether she has supported additional funding for theatres in discussions on the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review. [109423]
Mr. Lammy: No decisions have yet been taken on the Comprehensive Spending Review.
I fully support the role theatre plays in our nation’s cultural life and have regular meetings with people
working in the cultural sector, including theatre and other art forms. 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 over 230 regularly funded theatre organisations.
BBC
18. Miss Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport What recent research she has undertaken into public support for the BBC and the licence fee as a means of funding it. [109424]
Mr. Woodward: The extensive research and public consultation we have undertaken as part of Charter Review has confirmed that there is widespread public support for the BBC and acceptance of the licence fee as the ‘least worst’ method of funding it.
2012 Olympics
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she is planning to put in place to combat performance enhancing drugs use in the 2012 Olympic Games. [109306]
Mr. Caborn: The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is aiming to put in place an anti-doping programme of the highest standards for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012.
A Chief Medical Officer will be appointed whose responsibilities will include putting in place appropriate testing procedures to combat the use of performance enhancing drugs at the Games. It is anticipated that up to 5,000 athletes will be tested over the period of the Games. Testing procedures will be in accordance with standards set down by the IOC and WADA.
In the meantime, LOCOG continues to work very closely with UK Sport, which, as the country's national anti-doping organisation, will continue to run and implement the national anti-doping strategy in accord with the World Anti-Doping Code, in order to combat the use of performance enhancing drugs within the United Kingdom in the lead-up to 2012.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she is planning to encourage engagement with the 2012 Olympics from countries with historically low participation rates. [109316]
Mr. Caborn: In Singapore, London 2012 said that the welfare of athletes would be at the very heart of planning for a London Games.
In order to deliver on this, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will put in place a range of measures and policies to enable smooth and straightforward engagement of overseas countries through their National Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
LOCOG has already announced that it will make contributions of up to £26,000 to all National Olympic Committees / National Paralympic Committees that use approved facilities in the UK (those included in the Guide that LOCOG will publish in 2008). This will also help teams and athletes from small nations who would not otherwise have the financial resources to prepare their athletes for the 2012 Games.
In Singapore, Lord Coe promised that a London Games would "reach young people all around the world and connect them with the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to choose sport”.
The Department is taking forward work with key partners as to how best to improve the sporting experiences of young people globally, particularly in developing countries, and realise this aspiration with sustainable sports development.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions have taken place on involvement of the Millennium Dome site in 2012 Olympics planning. [109572]
Mr. Caborn: The O2 Dome is a confirmed London 2012 venue which will host the basketball finals, artistic gymnastics and trampolining events. The London 2012 Organising Committee, the body responsible for the preparation and staging of the Games has an ongoing dialogue with the owners of the O2 Dome.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was of the summer 2006 Olympic Roadshow. [109573]
Mr. Caborn: The 2012 Roadshow was funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), with contributions from Camelot (benefits in kind), Transport for London (£9,000) and Sport England (£5,000).
Aside from staff (and travel, accommodation and related) costs, the Department’s expenditure was approximately £22,600. The vast majority of this arose from the hire of the Roadshow bus from Arriva plc, associated expenses and a contribution towards the cost of ‘wrapping’ the exterior of the bus.
LOCOG contributed a similar amount of money as well as providing event management and planning support, with colleagues from the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group.
Camelot provided creative services during the design of the bus’s wrapping and elite athletes to support Roadshow activities during the three-week tour, which coincided with the launch of the National Lottery’s Dream Number game in support of the 2012 Games. Transport for London contributed to the cost of wrapping the bus, while Sport England made a contribution towards the cost of printed material, merchandise etc.
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