Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 10 May 2007
Communities and Local Government
Departments: Costs
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of establishing the predecessor to her Department the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [134811]
Angela E. Smith: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) was created following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. No additional public expenditure would have been incurred as a consequence of establishing the ODPM. Any costs, such as relocation of incoming staff from other Departments’ buildings and changes to signage and stationery, would have been met from existing budgets. A breakdown of such costs by cost area is not available.
Part-time Employment: Females
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to increase the availability of high quality part-time work for women. [135606]
Meg Munn [holding answer 8 May 2007]: The Government are working closely with employers from both the public and private sector to open up more quality jobs on a part-time basis. On 2 April we announced the projects awarded funding from a £500,000 quality part-time work initiative. This is a new initiative by Communities and Local Government which is designed to support projects across the UK that increase the number of senior and quality jobs that are available part-time.
The 13 successful projects include transforming big organisations, working with young people to create awareness of quality part-time working, setting up a national job-share register, and opening up part-time opportunities for senior women investigators in the police force. All projects are required to have good arrangements for disseminating the lessons learned to other employers and we believe they can have a real impact.
Playgrounds
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on the (a) installation and (b) maintenance of (i) rubberised surfaces and (ii) loose fill surfaces in public playgrounds in each year since 1997. [136539]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally.
Culture, Media and Sport
Betting Shops
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many representations her Department received on the Gambling Commission and local authority fees for betting shops in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007; and if she will make a statement. [136430]
Mr. Caborn: The formal responses to the consultation exercises relating to implementation of the licence fees under the Gambling Act 2005 and associated follow-up queries were as follows:
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
We also had a number of meetings with betting shop representatives including with the Association of British Bookmakers.
Departments: India
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Ministers in her Department have visited India in the last 12 months; on how many occasions each Minister visited India; and what the length was of each visit. [135541]
Tessa Jowell: The Government publish an annual list of Cabinet Ministers’ travel overseas costing over £500 along with the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006 and is available in the Library of the House. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready.
All travel is in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.
A detailed list of visits by all UK Ministers to India since 2003 can be found on the British high commission website at:
Gaming Machines
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2007, Official Report, columns 1119-20W, on gaming machines, what the critical milestones are for finalising the testing regime for ensuring that gaming machines comply with the technical standards required under the Gambling Act 2005. [136183]
Mr. Caborn: The testing regime is the subject of ongoing discussions between the Gambling Commission and the industry, test houses and other stakeholders. The Gambling Commission will publish final machine technical standards by 1 June 2007. At the same time, it intends to publish its high-level approach to the testing of gaming machines. Detailed process requirements will be developed with the industry and test houses beyond this date.
National Lottery: Arts Council of Wales
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much the Arts Council of Wales received from the National Lottery in 2006; and how much it is expected to receive in 2007; [136167]
(2) what the investment returns were for the Arts Council of Wales from National Lottery funding (a) in August 2006 and (b) in the most recent period for which figures are available. [136168]
Mr. Caborn: The following table shows the Arts Council of Wales income from the National Lottery Distribution Fund for the financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07; for August 2006 alone, and estimated figures, based on the Department’s latest income projections, for 2007-08.
| Arts Council of Wales | |||
| £ | |||
| Operated related income( 1) | Investment Income( 1) | Total Income( 1) | |
| (1 )To the nearest £1,000 (2 )Estimated | |||
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery-funded money is yet to be allocated by the Arts Council of Wales; and what that figure was in August 2006. [136169]
Mr. Caborn: The Arts Council of Wales provides my Department with data on the level of unpaid commitments at the final day of each quarter of the financial year. The closest figure to August 2006 that we have available is September 2006.
On 30 September 2006 the Arts Council of Wales balance in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) was £18,501,937. Its forward commitments including both contractually binding and “in principle” commitments totalled £22,309,580. It was therefore overcommitted on its NLDF balance by £3,807,643.
On 31 March 2007 the Arts Council of Wales balance was £16,625,562. Its forward commitments, including both contractually binding and “in principle” commitments totalled £18,001,516. It was therefore overcommitted by £1,375,954.
Olympic Games: Greater London
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what events in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held outside London. [136288]
Mr. Caborn: The 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will see several events held outside London.
The football tournament will include games in Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham. The sailing will be in Weymouth and Portland; rowing will be in Eton Dorney; whitewater canoeing will be in Broxbourne (Hertfordshire) and mountain biking in Weald Country Park (Essex).
In addition, the Cultural Olympiad will take place across the UK, with events and festivals outside London over the four years up to and including 2012. The 2012 Torch Relays are likely to involve many major cities and towns throughout the UK in the run up to the 2012 Games. The route for the Torch Relays will be devised in order to maximise the opportunities for as much of the UK population to be involved as possible.
Communities can also benefit from hosting sports events or pre-Games training camps for overseas teams in the run up to the Games.
The London 2012 website includes further details of venues:
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of construction training programmes set up to ensure adequate numbers of skilled contractors to work on the construction stages of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. [136290]
Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry has developed the ConstructionSkills Network, a cross country alliance to provide the industry with a comprehensive model for forecasting capacity, productivity and skills to help employers and others plan for the impact of future trends on the construction workforce. Details of the numbers of people and the roles they will fulfil in the Olympics and Paralympics and other major projects such as the Thames Gateway are currently being refined and as plans are finalised for planned developments so the Network will be able to produce more accurate figures.
The newly established National Skills Academy for Construction (NSA) will support work-based learning centres for major construction projects including Olympics and Paralympics projects. This work-based learning approach will enable employers more easily to train local people. In Greater London 26 quality training providers have joined in partnership with the National Skills Academy in order to meet the customised needs of employers.
In addressing the skills needs of the Olympics and other major projects in London and the South East of England ConstructionSkills has set the following targets.
To deliver a NSA base on every Olympic project.
To deliver over 4,500 apprenticeships by 2012.
To provide specialised training at the National Construction College for Plant Operators and other identified skills gaps.
Using both On Site Assessment and Training (OSAT) and the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) programmes to deliver over 33,000 people qualified by 2012.
Sports: Sponsorship
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines her Department has issued to national sports governing bodies on the sponsorship of sports events and competitions involving children by commercial organisations. [136282]
Mr. Caborn: Neither the Department nor Sport England provide specific guidance to governing bodies on the sponsorship of sports events and competitions involving children by commercial organisations.
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's policy is on the sponsorship of sports events and competitions involving children by commercial organisations that produce food and drink products that are high in fat, salt and sugar. [136283]
Mr. Caborn: Neither my Department nor Sport England provide specific guidance on the sponsorship of sports events and competitions involving children by commercial organisations.
However, the Public Health White Paper “Choosing Health”, published in November 2004, sets out the Government's commitment to help people lead healthier and more active lives. In particular, my Department shares with the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills a Public Service Agreement target to
"halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole".
In line with its corporate social responsibility, the food industry is an important partner in our cross-Government programme of work to achieve this.
World Heritage Sites
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the applications from the UK which are under consideration for the status of World Heritage Site; and if she will make a statement. [136132]
Mr. Lammy: The current UK nominations being considered by UNESCO for World Heritage inscription are Darwin at Downe, which will be considered by the World Heritage Committee in June 2007 and The Antonine Wall, which will be considered in summer 2008.
In addition, on 10 October 2006, I announced that Pontcysyllte Aqueduct would be nominated in 2008 for consideration in 2009 and the twin Monastery of Wearmouth and Jarrow would be nominated in 2009 for consideration in 2010.
Excluding the sites named above, 13 sites remain on the UK’s Tentative List and some 46 sites, including Colchester, have expressed their interest in being considered for inclusion on a possible revised List.
Defence
Armed Forces: Mass Media
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued on the making of statements to the media on policy matters by spouses of military members of the Army Board. [134175]
Des Browne [holding answer 26 April 2007]: No guidance has been issued to the spouses of military members of the Army Board.
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