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21 May 2007 : Column 1118W—continued
Cultural Heritage: Protection
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department is conducting into protecting the setting of historic landscapes and heritage sites. [137992]
Mr. Lammy: English Heritage is carrying out a major national programme of historic landscape characterisation that provides the basis for evaluating impacts of development on the setting of historic landscapes. In addition, they are in the process of commissioning a strategic study of setting in the context of the forthcoming Heritage Bill and their developing conservation principles.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will incorporate means of protecting the setting of historic landscapes and heritage sites into future heritage protection legislation. [137993]
Mr. Lammy:
Any future heritage protection legislation to enact the reforms proposed in the White Paper, Heritage Protection for the 21st Century, will contain provisions to manage the protection of registered buildings and archaeological sites through a unified heritage asset consent, to be administered by local planning authorities. It is intended that when considering whether to grant planning permission or heritage asset consent for development or works which affect a registered building or archaeological site the local planning authority (or the Secretary of State, as the case may be) shall be obliged to have special regard
to the desirability of preserving the historic asset or its setting or any features of special architectural, archaeological or historic interest it possesses.
Cultural Heritage: Seas and Oceans
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what advice her Department gave to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on marine heritage during the drafting of the Marine Bill; [137986]
(2) how many meetings were held between officials in her Department and officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on marine heritage during the drafting of the Marine Bill. [137988]
Mr. Lammy: DCMS has been closely involved throughout the development of proposals for a Marine Bill and the preparation of the Marine Bill consultation document. Officials also worked closely on the drafting of their respective White Papers. DCMS officials are also members of DEFRA’s inter-departmental Marine Bill steering group.
Departments: Sovereign Strategy
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006. [136856]
Mr. Lammy: A search of DCMS’ ministerial diaries revealed no such engagements for current Ministers since their arrival in the Department. To search diaries of former DCMS Ministers for the period 1997 to 2006 would incur disproportionate cost. We have received nil returns from the Department's officials.
Gambling: Legislation
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received on the impact on local authorities of the Gambling Act 2005; and if she will make a statement. [138088]
Mr. Caborn: The Department has worked closely with local authorities and their representative bodies on the implementation of the Gambling Act. We have received many representations from local authorities in this context.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent estimate is of the cost to business of implementing the requirements of the Gambling Act 2005. [138089]
Mr. Caborn:
The estimated costs to business were set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which was published in April 2005 with the Gambling Act 2005. In addition, we prepare impact assessments for each element of the secondary legislation required to implement the Gambling Act 2005 and these are published with the related Explanatory Memorandum
document on the Office for Public Sector Information website and separately in the Better Regulation section of the Department’s website www.culture.gov.uk.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward proposals for an extension to the deadline for compliance with the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure that businesses do not have to make physical changes to premises until after peak season 2007. [138090]
Mr. Caborn: It remains the Government’s intention to bring the Gambling Act 2005 fully into force on 1 September 2007.
Sports: Finance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what resources the Government have provided to the Sport for All initiative; and what resources have been allocated for the initiative in each of the next three years [138147]
Mr. Caborn: The Government are not aware of a current initiative called Sport for All. Therefore the Government have provided no resources and have no plans to provide any resources to this initiative. However, “Sport for All” was the equivalent of the “brand name” for The Sports Council before the Sport England brand was launched in 1999.
Prime Minister
European Union: Conferences
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer will accompany him to the EU Summit in June. [138426]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 17 May 2007. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website http://pm.gov.uk/output/Pagell737.asp, and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
European Union: Treaties
Mr. Cash: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to sign a European Treaty before he leaves Office. [138326]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe gave to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 16 May 2007, Official Report, column 779W.
Ministerial Responsibility
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister which Minister would take lead responsibility for the operation of Government in the event of the Prime Minister’s unforeseen incapacity; and, in the absence of that Minister, which Minister would then take responsibility. [138430]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 9 December 2003, Official Report, column 374W.
Treasury
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on the future of the Treasury drawn up by Lord Birt in 2005. [137477]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 20 January 2005, Official Report, columns 1037-8W.
Duchy of Lancaster
10 Downing Street: Smoking
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans she has to implement regulations on the requirement of displaying no smoking notices in relation to the entrance to No. 10 Downing Street; and if she will make a statement. [138523]
Hilary Armstrong: The Downing Street complex forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office estate. From 1 July 2007, the Cabinet Office intends to fully comply with the requirement of the Health Bill 2006 for displaying no smoking notices.
Charities: Cultural Heritage
Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many cultural and heritage organisations were registered as charities in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997. [137980]
Edward Miliband: This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the Government department responsible for the regulation of charities in England and Wales. The chief executive of the Charity Commission will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library. Charity law and regulation in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter, and is the responsibility of the relevant Parliament and Ministers.
Charities: Finance
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment she has made of the likely effect on third sector organisations of the reallocation of lottery funding to pay for the 2012 Olympics. [138054]
Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 16 May 2007, Official Repo rt, column 795W.
Department of Health: Standards
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2007,
Official Report, column 1393W, on Department of Health: Standards, who the members are of the capability review group of the Department of Health. [137272]
Hilary Armstrong: The members of the Department of Health Capability Review team are:
Margaret Aldred, Director General, Cabinet Office; Mark Lowcock, Director General, Department for International Development; Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham; Keith Satchell, former Group Chief Executive, Friends Provident plc; Mike Clasper, Non Executive Director, ITV plc and former Chief Executive, BAA plc.
Departments: Manpower
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in the Cabinet Office funded by the public purse are classified as people without posts. [137084]
Hilary Armstrong: There are 20 Cabinet Office staff who are technically between posts as their positions have been abolished, and are thus members of the Department’s Priority Talent Pool (PTP). All of these are engaged in either their existing role or on project work until a new permanent position is identified.
Departments: Paper
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of waste paper from 10 Downing street has been recycled in each of the last 10 years. [137147]
Edward Miliband: The Downing street complex forms part of the Cabinet Office estate. Since the Cabinet Office began recording comprehensive waste data in 2002-03, 100 per cent. of waste paper generated is recycled. This is achieved through encouraging Cabinet Office staff to use the recycling facilities provided. In addition, the Cabinet Office materials recovery facility is able to capture and recycle any paper that is placed in general waste bins.
Departments: Training
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) which firms and external consultants the Cabinet Office has used for (a) anti-bullying training and (b) diversity awareness training in the last 12 months; [137081]
(2) how much the Cabinet Office spent on (a) anti-bullying training and (b) diversity awareness training in the last year for which figures are available. [137082]
Hilary Armstrong: In the last 12 months, the following external firms have been used by the Cabinet Office to raise awareness of diversity, which includes bullying and harassment:
Berkshire Consultancy Ltd
Symetra Ltd.
In the last 12 months Cabinet Office has spent £32,000 in raising awareness of diversity, including bullying and harassment.
Members: Correspondence
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when she expects the Minister for the Third Sector to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells of 4 April 2007. [138504]
Edward Miliband: I replied to the hon. Member on 17 May 2007.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: West Bromwich
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to tackle alcohol misuse in West Bromwich East constituency. [136715]
Caroline Flint: The Government are committed to tackling alcohol misuse and reducing alcohol related harms and this was reaffirmed in the “Choosing Health” White Paper. The “Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England” was published in March 2004 and the Department subsequently published “Alcohol Misuse Interventions—Guidance on Developing a Local Programme of Improvements” in November 2005, to support local delivery of alcohol interventions.
Currently, some £217 million is being spent by primary care trusts (PCTs) on alcohol treatment; and an additional £15 million has been allocated to PCTs to improve alcohol interventions from 2007-08 onwards. NHS West Midlands reports that Sandwell PCT will be investing nearly £1 million over the next three years to double their capacity in alcohol counselling services as part of their local area agreement stretch target. Sandwell PCT also has extensive programmes in place for prevention of alcohol related ill health and crime.
Antibiotics
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the (a) total consumption of antibiotics in the NHS and (b) net cost to the NHS of prescribing antibiotics in each year since 1997. [135753]
Caroline Flint: Most antibiotics are classified under sections 5.1, 11.3.1 and 13.10.1 of the British National Formulary. Information on antibiotics dispensed in the community in England is provided in the table on this basis.
| Prescription items (thousand) | Net ingredient cost (£000) | |
| Source: Prescription Cost Analysis system | ||
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