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4 Jun 2007 : Column 86W—continued
Arts: Taxation
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of deduction of tax at source from the remuneration payable to self-employed contractors in the arts field who were previously regarded as freelancers; and if she will make a statement. [140102]
Mr. Woodward: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no assessment of any impact of deduction of tax at source from the remuneration payable to self-employed contractors in the arts field who were previously regarded as freelancers.
BBC
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on the BBC Jam service prior to its suspension. [138838]
Mr. Woodward: This is a matter for the BBC. The BBC inform us that spend on BBC Jam to the end of March 2007 was £79 million.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she had with the BBC Trust prior to its decision to suspend the BBC Jam service. [138839]
Mr. Woodward: Government officials had discussions with the BBC Trust Unit about the European Commission’s request for a review of BBC Jam. However, the decision to suspend the service was a matter for decision by the Trust.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the implications for the BBC Trust’s public service broadcasting obligations of its decision to suspend its BBC Jam services; and if she will make a statement. [138840]
Mr. Woodward: None. It is the responsibility of the Trust to determine, within the framework of the Charter and Agreement, how the BBC’s obligations are best fulfilled. It is disappointing that the Jam service has been suspended but we understand the reasons for the Trust’s decision.
British Library
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the visitor numbers recorded for the British Library were for the latest year for which figures are available; and what change this represents from (a) the previous year and (b) each of the previous five years. [139766]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is as follows.
| Number of visits to reading rooms( 1) | ||
| Visits | Percentage increase | |
| (1 )Comprising manual tickets issued to readers at St. Pancras; headcounts taken three times a day for the open access reading rooms at St. Pancras; daily counts of visitors to reading rooms at Boston Spa, Colindale and Philatelic Section. | ||
| Number of visits to on-site public access facilities( 1) | ||
| Visits | Percentage increase | |
| (1) Comprising number of visits to the exhibitions, auditorium events for the public and piazza events. 2005-06 Exhibition gallery visits adversely affected by terrorist activities in the vicinity. | ||
| Number of learners attending educational sessions( 1) | ||
| Visits | Percentage increase | |
| (1) Number of individual learners (schools/FE colleges) who have participated in a workshop, outreach visit or project activity. | ||
| Website visitors( 1) | ||
| Visits | Percentage increase | |
| (1) Best approximation of the use made of the BL website by individuals. Figures not available for 2001-02 | ||
Broadcasting Programmes: Children
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what response she has made to the recent Ofcom report on the trend in levels of spending on domestically-originated television programming for UK children; and if she will make a statement. [140105]
Mr. Woodward: None. The data on spending on domestically-originated programming for UK children represent one strand of the Ofcom review of children's television. I await the conclusion of the review with interest.
Cultural Heritage: Barwick in Elmet
Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action English Heritage is taking under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 to protect and enhance the Barwick in Elmet Earthworks. [139508]
Mr. Woodward:
In July 2006, using its powers under Section 17 of the Act, English Heritage provided a grant for the site to be cleared of scrub and rubbish, for fencing to be erected, steps to be repaired and access improved. These works were completed satisfactorily. The site was also successful in attracting Heritage Lottery funding for a Local Heritage Initiative to, among other
things, increase access. A programme of community involvement is in development to supplement this and a Scheduled Monument Consent application is currently being considered for the installation of notice and information boards.
Cultural Heritage: Climate Change
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will take steps to include measures required to accommodate the effects of climate change on heritage sites and the historic environment in future heritage protection legislation. [139825]
Mr. Woodward: We do not envisage that any future heritage protection legislation to enact the reforms proposed in the White Paper, Heritage Protection for the 21st Century, will include specific measures on climate change. However our proposals for reform will enable more flexible management arrangements for historic assets and allow for a wider range of historic assets to be protected. Both of these measures could be used to accommodate measures to address the effects of climate change.
DCMS is also looking to initiate a project in consultation with its NDPB's, including English Heritage, which will record and summarise their current activities to mitigate and support adaptation to climate changes and produce an estimate of the Department's and NDPB's carbon footprint.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will issue guidance to relevant organisations to which her Department provides funding on matters concerning the impact of climate change on heritage sites and the historic environment. [140130]
Mr. Woodward: DCMS is currently scoping a project to address potential climate change impacts on all our sectors, including heritage sites and the historic environment. The findings from the project will help to shape any recommendations to the organisations to which DCMS provides funding. English Heritage, the Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment, is developing a website tool to help the public understand the implications of climate change for older buildings in private ownership, and is planning a major conference on climate change early next year.
Cultural Heritage: Seas and Oceans
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will take steps to consolidate and update legislation on the protection of marine heritage. [139824]
Mr. Woodward: The White Paper, Heritage Protection for the 21st Century, published in March, set out our policy to develop an improved system of UK-wide marine heritage protection. We will be seeking parliamentary time for legislation to introduce these reforms. DCMS has also been closely involved with DEFRA throughout the development of proposals for a Marine Bill.
Departments: Data Protection
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times her Department was found to have been in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [139208]
Mr. Woodward: DCMS has not been found in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in any of the last five years.
Departments: Epilepsy
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people with epilepsy are employed by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [139105]
Mr. Woodward: Personal health records are confidential. 2 per cent. of people working in DCMS have declared a disability. DCMS is a very small Department so we are unable to provide specific information about epilepsy requested, on the grounds of confidentiality.
Departments: Legal Costs
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by her Department on legal fees in each of the last five years. [139407]
Mr. Woodward: On the basis of available records, the total cost to the Department of external legal advice in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
| Financial year | £ |
Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisors
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of her Department’s special advisers were on (a) paid and (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers on 16 May 2007; and how many days’ leave each adviser was granted. [140121]
Mr. Lammy: Special advisers’ involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, including section 22 (iii), and the guidance issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.
Departments: Non-Departmental Public Bodies
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what operating grants were allocated to each of the non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible in each of the last five years; and what change this represented in each case from the previous year. [139966]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Operating grant allocated to DCMS non-departmental public bodies | |||||||||
| £000 | |||||||||
| Body | 2003-04 | +/- | 2004-05 | +/- | 2005-06 | +/- | 2006-07 | +/- | Plans 2007-08 |
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