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15 Jun 2007 : Column 1345W—continued
Tate
The National Archives
Withers LLP
Fiona Fuller
Michael Heaps FRICS
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to publish the (a) summary paper of and (b) responses to her Department’s consultation on the restitution of cultural objects spoliated in the Nazi era. [142784]
Mr. Lammy: I intend to publish the responses to the consultation and a summary paper before the summer recess.
Departments: Advertising
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much revenue her Department received from advertisements on her Department’s (a) public information leaflets and (b) public websites in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [142727]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not receive advertising revenue from public information leaflets or public websites.
Departments: Sick Leave
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what average number of days per year was taken by staff in her Department as sick leave in each of the last five years for which records are available. [143057]
Mr. Lammy: Sick absence figures are contained in the annual report “Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service” published by the Cabinet Office. Table 3-4: AWDL for small and micro Departments of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the total staff years for each department. The most recent report for the calendar year 2005 is available in the Library of the House. This report and those from 1999 are available on the Cabinet Office website at:
Digital Broadcasting: BBC
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the BBC has spent on producing and broadcasting televisual content for digital transmission. [142845]
Mr. Woodward: This is a matter for the BBC. I have therefore asked the BBC's Director of Finance to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the BBC commenced broadcasting digital television. [142846]
Mr. Woodward: Sky Digital launched on 1 October 1998, followed by ONDigital on 15 November the same year. Both of these offerings included BBC services.
Digital Broadcasting: Copeland
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department has provided to residents of rural areas in Copeland in advance of digital switchover in October. [142802]
Mr. Woodward: According to the Digital UK/Ofcom Q1 2007 Tracker, awareness across the UK is higher in rural areas than in urban areas (88 per cent. in rural areas compared to 81 per cent. in urban areas). All households in the Copeland area will receive a doordrop in the next month as part of the ongoing communications campaign to drive up awareness in the final three months before switchover.
Digital UK run drop-in sessions in places throughout Copeland including the rural areas of Moor Row, Seascale, Parton and Eskdale.
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department has provided to tenants (a) of private landlords and (b) in social housing in preparation for digital switchover in Copeland in October. [142803]
Mr. Woodward: Private tenants cannot be identified by name or address. To communicate with tenants and residents, Digital UK has distributed a specific leaflet to libraries and CAB in the area, and on its website. Digital UK ran an advertising campaign targeting tenants in the Whitehaven News, letting them know where to find the leaflet. Digital UK provided particular information to tenants and residents in the Switchover supplement in the Whitehaven News on March 15, which is also available for download on the Whitehaven News website. In addition, Digital UK has written to the main lettings agents in the area with a letter and a factsheet about switchover, with a request to copy to their lists of tenants and landlords.
For tenants in social housing, all providers in the area have been contacted twice, including close contact with Copeland Homes, and followed up by a phone call or visit, if they had no plans. In addition, all care homes in the area have been identified, written to and contact made.
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department has provided to (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) other public facilities in Copeland in preparation for digital switchover in October. [142804]
Mr. Woodward: Digital UK have prepared a teaching pack for primary schools which 92 per cent. of schools in Copeland have agreed to use.
Digital UK and the relevant central Government Departments have also been proactively contacting local service providers, including West Cumberland hospital, to ensure they are aware of the need to prepare for switchover.
A number of other public facilities are used by Digital UK to convey communication material including local libraries, churches, the local newspaper Whitehaven News, social and community groups, West Cumbria Older People’s Forum, Copeland Disability Forum and the Women’s Institute.
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much revenue was raised by television licence fees in the area of Copeland in which digital switchover will take place in October in the latest period for which figures are available. [142840]
Mr. Woodward: The information requested is not held centrally. The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out day to day administration under contract to the corporation. I have therefore asked the BBC's Head of Revenue Management to consider the question raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Jamie Reed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the elderly population of
Copeland is (a) aware of the need to make their televisions digitally compatible, (b) assisted to undertake this exercise and (c) protected from unfair practices by digital television retailers and installers of related equipment; and if she will make a statement. [142757]
Mr. Woodward [holding answer 14 June 2007]: The Digital UK/Ofcom Tracker data for Q1 2007 shows that 97 per cent. of people in Copeland are aware of switchover. The indicative awareness figure for those aged 55 plus in Copeland is 98 per cent. compared to 92 per cent. of 16-34 year olds. In addition to working with major charities assisting elderly people such as Age Concern, Digital UK is communicating directly with elderly residents in the area.
All households in the area, including older people, have received the Border leaflet, a letter about the switchover, and will receive a leaflet three months out with detailed information on how to switch. Households will also receive a reminder one month prior to switchover. Captions are appearing on TV screens to remind people of the date of switchover.
Developed by the DTI and promoted by Digital UK, the ‘digital tick’ logo is used by all major electrical retailers and manufacturers to mark digital television equipment (TVs, set-top boxes and recorders). Retailers will be the first port of call for many consumers. Digital UK has developed a Switchover Training scheme for retail staff, which is being used by thousands of staff nationwide. Trained staff can be identified by badges carrying the ‘digital tick’ logo. All four retailers in the area have agreed to train all their staff in the next one-two months.
In order to contact those eligible for the Help scheme, all households and care homes were sent a Help scheme letter, leaflet and a form informing them about the Help scheme.
Digital UK recently held a seminar with senior representatives from Trading Standards, police, the Home Office, key charities and others in the consumer protection sector to give a thorough airing to consumer protection issues and to progress effective practices and protocols to counter sharp practice such as rogue trading, distraction burglary and scams. Further seminars are arranged for this summer and in the meantime a number of protection initiatives are under way.
Digital Broadcasting: Government Assistance
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of UK households eligible for assistance in switching over to digital television will be required to pay to access assistance; what type of assistance will be available to each group; and what charges will be made to those eligible. [142674]
Mr. Woodward [holding answer 14 June 2007]: Of the UK households eligible for assistance from the Digital Switchover Help scheme, we estimate that 55 per cent. will be required to pay for it. This help will comprise the provision of the appropriate equipment to convert one TV set and, where necessary, the relevant help to install and use such equipment and an aerial installation. The level of charge will be £40.
Newspaper Press: Competition
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward measures to increase competition in the newspaper industry; and if she will make a statement. [139649]
Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
The UK has in place a robust regime for the promotion of effective competition in all markets and for the effective control of mergers. The UK’s independent competition regulators, the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission, have powers to enforce the prohibitions in competition law on anti-competitive agreements and behaviour and to investigate markets and take appropriate action to remedy problems that may exist in those markets. They also have powers to assess the effect of mergers on competition in relevant markets. For mergers involving newspapers or other media enterprises, there is also provision under the Enterprise Act 2002 for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to intervene in order to require a separate consideration of the effect of the merger on the public interest—including on the plurality of different persons having control of media enterprises.
Sports: Clubs
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many (a) sporting, (b) aero-modelling, (c) bowling and (d) model flying clubs have opted out of accepting anyone under the age of 18 years old as a member in the last two years; [142464]
(2) how many instructors at model flying clubs have ceased to instruct children in the last two years. [142465]
Mr. Caborn: Neither my Department nor Sport England hold this information.
Defence
War Pensions/Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of (a) war pensions and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims were settled by the Veterans Agency within 50 working days in each year since 2001. [139621]
Derek Twigg [holding answer 4 June 2007]: The information requested for the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) was only introduced in April 2005, consequently information is only held from that date. From 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, 89.9 per cent. of cases were cleared within 50 days. For the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, 87.3 per cent. of cases were cleared within 50 days.
The WPS Key target for 2006-07; to reduce the average time it takes to issue decisions on claims to war pensions to no more than 53 working days, was exceeded with an achievement of 49 working days. The AFCS key target for 2006-07; to issue decisions on
AFCS claims in average of no more than 35 working days; was exceeded with an achievement of 34 working days.
Armed Forces: Housing
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for carrying out inspections of family accommodation at Pirbright barracks. [141843]
Derek Twigg: Inspections on Service Families Accommodation at Pirbright are carried out by representatives of Modern Housing Solutions, the Housing Prime Contractor.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of family accommodation at Pirbright barracks is (a) currently unoccupied and (b) unfit for occupation. [141844]
Derek Twigg: 21 per cent. of Service Families Accommodation (SFA) at Pirbright (105 properties) are currently unoccupied, of which 67 properties (13 per cent. of the total SFA stock at Pirbright) are unavailable for occupation.
The 67 properties include those under offer to or accepted by a service family; is awaiting return to Annington Homes Ltd in accordance with the 1996 Sale Agreement; is awaiting maintenance or upgrade work; or is held pending a future deployment of service personnel into the area.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average wait for repairs to be carried out on family accommodation at Pirbright barracks was in the latest period for which figures are available. [141846]
Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions newly arriving service personnel and their families have arrived at Pirbright barracks to find that their accommodation was uninhabitable in the last 12 months. [141851]
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reported break-ins to forces’ accommodation there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [142101]
Derek Twigg: From information held by the service police the reported break-ins for each year are:
| Reported break-ins | |
| (1) To date. | |
These figures do not include incidents which are not reported to the service police by the Home Department Police Forces or the Ministry of Defence Police, who do not differentiate service accommodation from other types of residence.
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