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20 Mar 2007 : Column 772W—continued
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what evidence on the merits of doorstep and destination casinos the Casino Advisory Panel were offered; and what use of such evidence they made in their considerations. [126742]
Tessa Jowell: The chairman of the panel explained in his foreword to the panel's report to me that in the course of its work the panel received a large amount of evidence, including on issues relating to the merits of doorstep and destination casinos.
The panel carefully considered all this evidence before finalising its recommendations to me.
The documents submitted to the panel are listed at Annex H of the report, which is available at www.culture.gov.uk/cap. The report is also available in the House Libraries.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions were held between her Department and the Casino Advisory Panel on the panel's refusal to allow hon. Members to give oral evidence at their Examinations in Public. [126743]
Tessa Jowell: None. The panel operated entirely independently of the Government and it was important that the panel was free to decide for itself who it consulted during the course of its work.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what discussions were held between officials in her Department and members of the Casino Advisory Panel on the definition of social impact for the purposes of the panel's enquiry; and when such discussions took place; [127176]
(2) what discussions her officials held with members of the Casino Advisory Panel on how to assess willingness to license in respect of applicants in the regional casino category; [127177]
(3) what discussions took place between her officials and the Casino Advisory Panel to determine (a) what tests should be applied by the panel to ascertain willingness to licence in each local authority area for regional casino applications and (b) how such tests should be discussed consistently with each short-listed local authority at the examinations in public for the regional casino applications. [127622]
Tessa Jowell: The Casino Advisory Panel was set up to operate entirely independently of the Government. As a consequence, it would not have been appropriate for the Government to intervene in its work, or to interfere in the way in which the panel interpreted and applied its terms of reference.
The factors which the panel took into account when assessing each of the proposals before it against its remitted criteria are set out clearly in the panel report.
In the Government's assessment, the panel has taken its terms of reference seriously, it has applied them in a balanced and consistent way and it has tested its results back against the original terms of reference.
The Government are satisfied that it has arrived at robust recommendations as a result.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Casino Advisory Panel discussed the (a) definition and (b) merits of destination as opposed to doorstep casinos at its meeting on 24 May 2006. [127178]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 13 March 2007]: The Casino Advisory Panel did not meet on 24 May 2006. The minutes of all the panel's meetings are available on its website at:
Departments: Standards
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include sustainability criteria in her Department’s Public Service Agreement targets in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review. [127944]
Tessa Jowell: [holding answer 19 March 2007]: DCMS is working with HM Treasury and other Departments to develop new PSA outcomes as part of the comprehensive spending review. Cross-governmental PSAs will be published as part of the CSR. I am aware of the importance of reflecting sustainability within the relevant priority areas.
Gaming Clubs: Greater Manchester
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings have taken place between (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department and (i) officers and (ii) councillors of Manchester city council since 30 January. [126764]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 12 March 2007]: There have been no meetings between officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport responsible for gambling policy, and officers and councillors of Manchester city council since 30 January 2007. At the request of the hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd), I had a brief informal meeting with the leader and chief executive of Manchester city council on 5 February 2007.
Gaming Clubs: Licensing
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings took place between (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department and the Casino Advisory Panel immediately prior to the announcement of the short-list of casino licence candidates; and if she will publish the minutes of such meetings. [126765]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 12 March 2007]: No meetings took place between Ministers and officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Casino Advisory Panel immediately prior to the panel's announcement of the short list of casino licence candidates.
The panel made a written progress report to me, prior to the announcement of its short list. A copy of the report is available on the panel’s website at www.culture.gov.uk/cap and in the House Libraries.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential for issues of competition to arise in cases of the siting of (a) regional, (b) large and (c) small casinos in the same town or city as a casino licensed under the Gaming Act 1968. [128419]
Tessa Jowell: A full competition assessment of the impact of the Gambling Act 2005 on the casino market was included in Annex A of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for the Act published on 21 April 2005. Copies of the RIA are available in the House Library.
Monuments: Agriculture
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of designated monuments that have been damaged by agricultural cultivation in the last 10 years. [127647]
Mr. Lammy: My Department does not hold such information. However, English Heritage is currently undertaking a programme of regional Scheduled Monuments at Risk studies which will help to quantify the number of Scheduled Monuments under continuous or periodic cultivation, and the proportion of these considered to be at risk of damage. The outcomes of this research will be published by English Heritage later this year.
Olympic Games
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budgeted cost is of advertising for posts for London 2012. [118745]
Tessa Jowell: From 1 April 2006 to 31 January 2007, the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) total actual advertising cost, including recruitment advertising, search and selection activity, and response handling, was £769,570. The ODA is a start-up organisation and has been recruiting permanent staff from its inception.
The London Organising Committee for the Olympic games and Paralympic games (LOCOG) is a privately funded commercial organisation and will be recruiting up to 2,500 posts between now and 2012. It is not possible at this stage to determine exactly the cost of recruitment as it will be spread over the next five years. LOCOG uses a number of resources to recruit including their website, newspaper adverts and recruitment specialists depending on the posts to be recruited.
Olympic Games: Football
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will seek discussions with (a) the FA, (b) the Scottish FA, (c) the Welsh FA and (d) the Northern Irish FA on providing a British football team for the 2012 Olympics. [128685]
Mr. Caborn: Any decision on whether a Great Britain team participates at the London 2012 Olympic Games is a matter for FIFA, the four home nations’ Football Associations, and the organisers of the Olympic tournament.
The Secretary of State has discussed the issue of a Great Britain football team for the Olympics with the Football Association of England on a number of occasions.
The Government believe that a GB Olympic football team at a 2012 London Olympics could be very exciting for football fans and discussions between the various parties continue.
The Government also believe this should not affect the rights of the four home nations to compete separately in international football tournaments—an important part of our footballing tradition.
Olympic Games: Greater London
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed in the Government Olympic Executive; what the total salary bill was in the last month for which figures are available; how many people are expected to be employed by the end of 2007; and what the projected annual salary budget is for each year until 2012. [126208]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 8 March 2007]: As of the 28 February 2007, 44 full-time equivalents, including those on contracts, work in the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), with a total salary bill of £243,579 for this month.
By the end of 2007, the new director-general of the GOE will have been able, subject to affordability, to determine the appropriate staff numbers and associated salaries for the GOE for this and future years. The GOE works with Government Departments, agencies and other organisations to maximize the economic, social, health and environmental benefits the Games bring to the UK, and sponsors and supports the Olympic Delivery Authority, London 2012 Organising Committee, and Olympic lottery distributor.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will commission a cost benefit analysis of the Woolwich site for the standard shooting ranges for the 2012 Olympics compared with alternative sites which have existing facilities. [128861]
Mr. Caborn: A number of facilities were assessed during the bid stage to host the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich were agreed as the venue for the shooting events after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave feedback on the venue portfolio submitted as an applicant city in 2004. The Royal Artillery Barracks are, therefore, part of the host city contract agreement with the IOC. There are currently no plans to carry out any further assessments or analysis of other shooting venues in the UK.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to move the site of the standard shooting ranges for the Olympics away from Woolwich. [128862]
Mr. Caborn: The Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich were agreed as the venue for the shooting events after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave feedback to the London bid organisers on the venue portfolio submitted as an applicant city in 2004. The Royal Artillery Barracks are, therefore, part of the host city contract agreement with the IOC. There are currently no plans to move the Olympic shooting events to an alternative venue.
Education and Skills
Children's Centres
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of children's centres provide childcare places. [127685]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 15 March 2007]: Sure Start children's centres in the 30 per cent. most disadvantaged areas in England must provide integrated early learning and daycare as part of their core services. Based on information supplied by local authorities, 1,111 (97 per cent.) of the 1,137 designated Sure Start children's centres are offering this provision either on the same site as other children's centre services or at a site close by. Children's centres outside the 30 per cent. most disadvantaged areas may choose whether to provide integrated early learning and daycare depending on levels of local need.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of children's centres are based in schools. [127686]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 15 March 2007]: Local authorities are responsible for deciding the location of children's centres, and we do not routinely collect data on the numbers based on school sites. We estimate however that, based on an analysis conducted in 2006, around a third of the 1,137 centres currently designated fall into this category.
The proportion of children's centres based on school sites may increase as children's centres are rolled out across England and local authorities take full advantage of the opportunities for co-location and offering integrated services for children and parents from one place.
Children's Centres: Kent
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the criteria are for establishing children’s centres in Kent; [127954]
(2) which wards in Kent (a) have children’s centres and (b) he expects to have children’s centres by 2010. [128192]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 19 March 2007]: We have issued planning guidance for all local authorities which sets out the criteria for the location of children’s centres. We have asked them to ensure that these locations enable all children under five in the 30 per cent. most disadvantaged areas of England to have access to integrated services by March 2008. These areas are defined by Super Output Areas as developed by the Office for National Statistics. The exact location within these areas is determined by local authorities in consultation with local partners. When appropriate plans have been made to serve the most disadvantaged areas with children’s centre services, the local authority has the flexibility to decide where to locate further centres according to the resources available.
There are currently 18 designated Sure Start children’s centres in Kent and a further 52 planned by March 2008. By 2010 every ward in Kent will be served by a children’s centre as part of the Government’s commitment to offer Sure Start integrated services to every community in England. A breakdown of the designated and agreed Kent children’s centres by ward is as follows:
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