House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Mar 2007 (pt 0012)

27 Mar 2007 : Column 1427W—continued

Cultural Heritage: Conferences

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007, Official Report, column 1158W, on the Institute for Public Policy Research, on what date the Identity, Culture and the Challenge of Diversity research was commissioned; on what dates the conference and seminar fees were paid; what the titles
27 Mar 2007 : Column 1428W
were of the conferences and seminars; what the purpose was of the secondment; and what the dates were of the secondment. [129338]

Mr. Lammy: Arts Council England did not commission the Identity, Culture and the Challenge of Diversity research; this was an IPPR project to which the Arts Council made a charitable donation.

The following table shows the title and date on which fees were paid for other conferences and seminars:

Title	Date
Oxford Media Convention	9 January 2003
Oxford Media Convention	13 January 2004
Race equality event	19 July 2004
Breakfast debate—“For Art's Sake: Society and the Arts in the 21st Century”, Labour Party conference	27 September 2004
Oxford Media Convention	12 May 2005
Breakfast debate—“Creating Communities: Arts, Housing and regeneration”, Creating Communities	26 September 2005
Oxford Media Convention	17 January 2006
Seminar—“Trusts: A new future for schools”, Sponsorship of Trusts	2 February 2006

The purpose of the secondment was to cover a vacancy in the Arts Council's research team. The secondment was from 13 February 2006 to 31 January 2007.

Digital Broadcasting

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what measures have been put in place in order to ensure that the targeted assistance scheme in Whitehaven is delivered effectively and that all of those persons assessed by her Department as eligible under the terms of the scheme (a) are contacted in a suitable format and (b) receive assistance appropriate to their needs; [129170]

(2) by what measures those eligible for the targeted assistance scheme are to be identified in Whitehaven. [129171]

Mr. Woodward: The Government and BBC are jointly conducting the procurement process to appoint an operator to deliver the help scheme in Whitehaven and more generally.

Digital UK is responsible for generic communications and has written to households in Whitehaven explaining the Help Scheme and asking those who think they are eligible to apply. This will be supported by local advertising. The letter and leaflets are available in large print, audio or Braille, or in another language.

Once appointed, the operator will confirm eligibility of those who have responded to the Digital UK letter and contact them about the support available.

Subject to parliamentary progress, DWP data released in accordance with the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill will be used to verify eligibility in Whitehaven.

27 Mar 2007 : Column 1429W

Gambling

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of online casinos that will be based in the UK from September 2007; what the Gambling Commission's most recent estimate is of the number of remote casino operators based on-shore from September 2007; what discussions she has held with Ministers at HM Treasury on the taxation of online casinos; and if she will make a statement. [130036]

Mr. Caborn: Neither DCMS nor the Gambling Commission has made a formal estimate of the number of online casinos that will be based in Great Britain from September 2007. However, from September 2007, the Gambling Commission will have records of all new holders of remote operating licences. The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide range of subjects with Treasury Ministers.

Licensed Premises

Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many licensed premises there are in England and Wales, broken down by (a) off licence and (b) on licence. [129179]

Mr. Woodward: The Licensing Statistical Bulletin published by DCMS in 2004 showed that there were 159,952 licensed premises in England and Wales at 30 June 2004. Broken down, there were 113,370 on-licensed premises and 46,582 off-licensed premises.

Under the former licensing system, premises with an on-licence would usually also include permission to
27 Mar 2007 : Column 1430W
make off-sales. We expect most of these would have converted those permissions to their new licence.

Information for the next Licensing Statistical Bulletin is expected to be collected later this year.

Licensed Premises: Reviews

Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what response her Department has made of the Licensing Review Panel's conclusions; and which recommendations she expects to be implemented. [130128]

Mr. Woodward: Copies of the Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel's final report were placed in the Libraries of the House on 25 January. We are currently assessing the implications of all the panel's detailed conclusions and recommendations and will provide a response shortly. Before reaching a final decision about implementing any changes to the fees regime and related issues, we will undertake a full public consultation so that fee payers, local authorities and the public can help to inform future policy.

Lottery Funding

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the awards made for sports-related activities in Rotherham in each of the last two years. [129848]

Mr. Caborn: The table shows the Exchequer and Lottery funding which Sport England and Sportsmatch have awarded to Rotherham in each of the last two full years.

	Organisation name	Project title	Amount (£)	Exchequer/Lottery funding
2004-05	Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council	Active Ages	199,614	Lottery
2004-05	Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council	Community Athletics Refurbishment Programme	57,000	Lottery
2004-05	National Rounders Association	Rounders (Whole Sport Plan)	450,000	Lottery
2004-05	Rotherham Town Cricket Club	—	24,090	Exchequer
2005-06	Welbeck Tennis Club	—	12,000	Exchequer
2005	Rotherham Metro Swimming	—	3,250	Exchequer—Sportsmatch
2005	Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club	—	50,000	Exchequer—Sportsmatch
2006	Sheffield Sharks	Rugby league project based in Rotherham	6,000	Exchequer—Sportsmatch
2006	Rotherham United Football Club	Football in the Community	3,000	Exchequer—Sportsmatch

Museums and Galleries: Gloucester

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made in her consideration of the case for providing funding for the Waterways Museum at Gloucester to enable it to provide free entry; and if she will make a statement. [129285]

Mr. Lammy [holding answer 22 March 2007]: The Waterways Trust is an independent charitable trust that runs three Waterways Museums, including the one at Gloucester. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council has provided substantial support and advice to the Waterways Trust and Museums which could help them to realise their potential to support learning and community activities.

As with other independent museums, it is for the trustees of the Waterways Museums to identify the most appropriate business model to secure their financial viability and the preservation of their collections. My Department has no plans to provide funding for the Waterways Museums.

27 Mar 2007 : Column 1431W

Defence

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether mine clearing vehicles (a) are and (b) are planned to be in use in Afghanistan. [128283]

Mr. Ingram: During war-fighting operations, minefields are not cleared but are breached in circumstances where they are an obstacle to the freedom of manoeuvre of our armed forces or present a potential threat to our troops. Comprehensive mine clearance is generally undertaken by humanitarian organisations on non-war-fighting operations, rather than by the armed forces. As the armed forces are not involved in clearance, there is no requirement for mine clearing vehicles in Afghanistan. The UK Task Force
27 Mar 2007 : Column 1432W
does, however, have a specific Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Task Force, which includes vehicles than can convey the EOD team to a mine incident.

Armed Forces

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are (a) attached to and (b) working in his Department, broken down by rank. [128327]

Derek Twigg: It is not possible to determine how many service personnel are attached to or working in the Department. Data are held giving the strength of the UK regular forces broken down by budgetary area and rank, which broadly show the number of service personnel working in each operational and support area. All data are shown by paid rank.

UK regular forces officers by top level budget and NATO rank^{( 1)} at 1 April 2006
Number
	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1	OF-(D)	Total
Operational TLBs	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	18,800
Commander-in-Chief Fleet⁽²⁾	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	40	120	490	1,600	2,400	730	50	5,440
Commander-in-Chief Land	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	20	50	160	550	2,180	3,340	1,280	⁽³⁾—	7,580
General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	40	160	230	60	⁽³⁾—	500
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Strike Command	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	20	70	330	1,220	2,540	280	⁽³⁾—	4,470
Chief of Joint Operations	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	10	40	140	310	260	30	⁽³⁾—	800
Support TLBs	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	13,750
Adjutant General	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	50	160	440	1,480	950	500	880	4,480
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	20	80	320	600	1,130	720	80	2,970
Defence Logistics Organisation	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	30	130	360	700	470	20	⁽³⁾—	1,730
Central	⁽³⁾—	10	30	100	400	1,220	1,300	820	50	⁽³⁾—	3,930
Defence Estates	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	20	20	10	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	60
Corporate Science and Technology	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—
Defence Procurement Agency	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	30	120	320	110	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	590
Trading Funds	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	20	60	10	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	90
Defence Science and Technology Laboratories	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	20	60	10	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	80
Meteorological Office	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—
UK Hydrographic Office	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—
Defence Aviation Repair Agency	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10
Army Base Repair Organisation	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—
Unallocated	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	10	20	30	⁽³⁾—	⁽³⁾—	60
^{(1 )}No Service have personnel at NATO Rank OF-10. ⁽²⁾ 2^(nd) Sea Lord/Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command TLB has closed, personnel now belong to Commander-in-Chief Fleet TLB. Operational and support personnel are therefore consolidated within the one Navy TLB. ⁽³⁾ zero or rounded to zero. Notes: 1. Due to the introduction of a new Personnel Administration System for RAF, 1 April 2006 RAF Budgetary data are provisional and subject to review. 2. Due to the rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Source: DASA (Tri-Service)

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