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30 Jan 2007 : Column 167W—continued
Hilary Benn: The infant mortality rate in Zimbabwe is currently 60 per 1,000 live births. Five years ago it was 37 per 1,000 live births. Almost 40 per cent. of infant deaths occur in the first month after birth. DFID has committed £25 million to a programme to reduce maternal and infant mortality. This programme aims to improve access to lifesaving obstetric and newborn care, especially those affected by HIV and AIDS, and to maintain access to family planning services, including secure provision of contraceptives. DFID has also provided UNICEF with over £2 million to support the national vaccination programme to decrease the number of vaccine-preventable deaths among children.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of (a) life expectancy and (b) child mortality rates in Zimbabwe in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2006. [111624]
Hilary Benn: The World Health Organisation estimated life expectancy in Zimbabwe in 2006 as 37 years for men and 34 years for women, compared with 42.9 years (overall average) cited in the UN Human Development Report for 2001.
The child mortality rate (age 12 months to four years) was most recently estimated at 24 per 1,000 live children (preliminary results of the Demographic Health Survey, 2005-2006). Five years ago this rate was 17 per 1,000 live children suggesting that child mortality is rapidly worsening in Zimbabwe. The overall mortality rate for children under five years is 82 per 1,000 compared with 54 per 1,000 five years ago.
Culture, Media and Sport
Channel 4
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last discussed the regulations regarding the broadcasting of (a) offensive and (b) racist language and behaviour with the chief executive of Channel Four. [111104]
Mr. Woodward: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with the chief executive of Channel 4 on a wide range of topics relating to Channel 4 and the broadcasting sector as a whole.
Digital Switchover
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the merits of enabling social services, children's services or health professionals to make referrals of households to the targeted help scheme for digital switchover; and whether the identification in this way of vulnerable people who should receive help under the scheme will be allowed. [115082]
Mr. Woodward: Help will go to those aged 75 or over, or who have a serious disability (defined as being in receipt of disability living allowance, attendance allowance or registered blind and partially sighted).
Our research showed that older pensioners and disabled people would have the most difficulty during digital switchover which is why we have targeted help on these groups, focusing on installation and use.
People not eligible for the scheme will still have access to help and advice from Digital UK. Together with Digital UK we are working with charities and other key stakeholders to ensure that hard-to-reach groups get the support they need.
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions have been made to facilitate digital switchover in North-East Fife; and if she will make a statement. [112121]
Mr. Woodward [holding answer 29 January 2007]: Between now and Switchover, DigitalUK will communicate with every TV viewing household in North-East Fife to ensure they can prepare for the change. 9,000 households in North-East Fife will qualify for assistance under the Help Scheme.
Elite Sports
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding is available for elite sportsmen and sportswomen preparing for the (a) Beijing and (b) London Olympic games. [111571]
Tessa Jowell: For the Beijing Olympic ‘cycle’ (2005-09), UK Sport, the Government’s lead agency for high-performance sport, will make a total of £215.4 million available for all aspects of the training and preparation of elite athletes on its World-Class Talent, World-Class Development and World-Class Podium Programmes, which are collectively known as the World-Class Performance Pathway (WCPP). Of this figure, £191.9 million will be invested in summer Olympic sports, and £23.5 million will be invested in summer Paralympic sports.
The funding available for the London Olympic ‘cycle’ will not be finalised until after the completion of the Beijing games. However in its submission to Government for additional funding for the London Olympic and Paralympic games, UK Sport anticipated investing around £400 million in its WCPP between 2009-13.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in raising the £100 million from private sponsors for elite sports announced in the 2006 Budget; and if she will make a statement. [112511]
Mr. Caborn: The Government, supported by UK Sport, is in the process of exploring a number of options to raise £100 million from the private sector to help support our most talented athletes. We have held recent discussions with a number of representatives from the private sector to help us develop these options.
We have also discussed the options with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) to ensure that these options do not conflict with its objective to raise funds from the private sector to help stage the games in 2012.
Free Television Licences
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Hemsworth constituency received a free television licence in the most recent year for which figures are available. [112251]
Mr. Woodward: TV Licensing, which administers free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, is 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 Hemsworth constituency in 2005-06 was 5,080, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.
Gambling
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the extent of the availability of dedicated treatment, counselling and advice for problem gamblers; and if she will make a statement. [111672]
Mr. Caborn: Any person who seeks help from the NHS for a gambling problem will be offered support, and if necessary, treatment to help them overcome their addiction. There are also a number of specialised addiction services outside the NHS, some of which are dedicated to the prevention of problem gambling and treatment of problem gamblers. The charity GamCare, runs a 24-hour helpline and provides face-to-face counselling. Its services are open to all problem gamblers, and makes special provision for women, such as female-only group counselling.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department holds any data on the prevalence of problem gamblers in different age groups; and if she will make a statement. [111673]
Mr. Caborn: The National Prevalence Survey conducted in 1999 found that young adults aged 16-44 exhibited an above average rate of problem gambling and older people, aged 45 and above, below average rates. However, the numbers of problem gamblers in each age group were small and the differences between them may not be statistically significant. The Gambling Commission is conducting a further prevalence study and will report in September 2007.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has held with the Department of Health about gambling addiction; and if she will make a statement. [111674]
Mr. Caborn: My Department has regular discussions with the Department of Health on a number of issues including joint action on tackling gambling addiction.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the prevalence of gambling addiction; and if she will make a statement. [111675]
Mr. Caborn: The current estimate is that 0.6 per cent. of the adult population of Great Britain are problem gamblers. This figure is drawn from the most recent authoritative research: Kerry Sproston, Bob Erens and Jim Orford, “Gambling Behaviour in Britain: Results from the British Gambling Prevalence Study” (National Centre for Social Research, June 2000).
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of services designed to tackle problem gambling. [111676]
Mr. Caborn: I am confident that those organisations dedicated to the prevention and treatment of problem gambling are providing an effective service for those seeking help. The Department of Health has made an assessment of the level of provision within the NHS and is confident that all those seeking help are receiving support and if necessary treatment.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department is planning an awareness campaign highlighting the problem of gambling addiction prior to implementation of the Gambling Act 2005; and if she will make a statement. [111737]
Mr. Caborn: We work closely with the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT), which is funded by the gambling industry to raise awareness of problem gambling, and to commission treatment, prevention, education and research into problem gambling. I understand the trust intends to raise the public awareness of problem gambling in a number of ways over the coming months, and we will continue to support it in that aim.
The trust has brought together the Gambling Commission, the Department of Health, DCMS, academics, industry and GamCare to help advise on a campaign which will start this year with two objectives: first, to let the public know where they can access help services, and secondly, to let the public have well- publicised access to information on how to make informed consumer choices and avoid developing gambling addictions.
Olympics 2012
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to name regional training facilities for the 2012 Olympics. [111273]
Mr. Caborn: Responsibility for coordinating training camps lies with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).
LOCOG is putting together a ‘Pre-Games Training Camp Guide’ in which facilities in the UK that have been selected as providing a suitable training environment are listed by location and by sport.
LOCOG has released details on their website, inviting expressions of interest from potential host facilities. Applications can be made on the London 2012 website:
www.london2012.com/trainingcamps.
Submissions must be made by 31 January 2007. Applications will initially be assessed locally with selection coordinated by each nation and region. A proposed list of facilities will then be submitted to LOCOG for final selection. This guide will be the primary means of informing National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) when choosing where to stage their pre-Games preparation camps for 2012. The guide will be distributed to NOCs and NPCs in July 2008.
It will ultimately be the choice of individual NOCs and NPCs as to whether they want to stage pre-training camps for their athletes, and where those training camps will be.
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the revised Olympic budget will be published; and if she will make a statement. [111457]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 29 January 2007]: The budget for the Olympic Delivery Authority for the next financial year will be finalised in March. The overall budget is currently under discussion within Government and with other stakeholders and will be published in due course.
Sponsorship: Taxation
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from UK sports bodies on the tax position of overseas sportsmen and sportswomen in regard to the tax paid in the UK on their endorsement and sponsorship income; and if she will make a statement. [112513]
Mr. Caborn: I have not received any recent representations from UK sports bodies on the tax position of overseas sports stars in regard to the tax paid in the UK on their endorsement and sponsorship income. However, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club recently raised this matter with me and I have asked my officials to consider this in more detail.
If a non-resident visiting sportsperson carries out a relevant activity in the UK, they are liable to UK income tax on all directly or indirectly connected payments, including endorsement and sponsorship income.
Tourism
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of tourist visits abroad made by UK nationals in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [111874]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 January 2007:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of trips abroad made by UK nationals in each year since 1997. (111874)
Visits made abroad by UK residents are estimated from data collected on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). The survey is conducted at all major airports, and on major sea and tunnel routes. The data collected are weighted up to national estimates provided by CAA and BAA, Department for Transport, Eurotunnel and Eurostar. Note that it is normal for the IPS to quote results about UK residents (as published) rather than nationals.
| Number of visits by UK residents abroad, 1997 to 2005 | |
| Visits (Thousand) | |
Provisional figures for 2006 will be available from 7th February 2007.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Advertising
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much her Department spent on advertising with The Guardian newspaper, including online, in the last year for which figures are available. [114077]
Mr. Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent a total of £3,123.15 on advertising with The Guardian newspaper in financial year 2005-06.
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