Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 21 June 2007
Culture, Media and Sport
Casino Advisory Panel: Expenditure
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total expenditure was of the Casino Advisory Panel. [144724]
Mr. Caborn: When the Casino Advisory Panel submitted its final report to the Secretary of State on 30 January 2007 its total costs were approximately £400,000.
Gambling
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of the Budd report on gambling. [144722]
Mr. Caborn: Full details of the total cost are not readily available. However, the cost to DCMS of publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (the Budd Report) was £12,200, as set out in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 332W.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what total costs were associated with the White Paper, A Safe Bet for Success—Modernising Britain's Gambling Laws. [144723]
Mr. Caborn: Full details of the total cost are not readily available. However, the cost to DCMS of publication of the White Paper was £12,000, as set out in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 332W.
Olympic Games: Greater London
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what recent discussions (a) she and (b) her Department have had with companies which have bid for the utilities contracts for the Olympic games; [144109]
(2) when (a) she and (b) a Minister in her Department last had a meeting with (i) Thames Water and (ii) EDF energy to discuss the utilities (A) contracts and (B) requirements for the Olympic games. [144110]
Mr. Caborn:
The utilities contracts for the Stratford city and Olympic games sites are being procured under a commercially confidential process by the Olympic
Delivery Authority (ODA). To maximise the commercial benefits of negotiation the names of those organisations that have submitted a bid are not widely known within the ODA and have not been released externally.
I can confirm that no DCMS Minister has held meetings with Thames Water, EDF energy or any of the companies which have bid for the utilities contracts for the Olympic games to discuss contracts and the requirements for the games.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) which bodies will be involved in making the decision on the contractors and companies which are awarded the utilities contracts for the Olympic games; [144111]
(2) what input the Mayor of London will have into the decision making process for the utilities contracts for the Stratford city and Olympic games site. [144112]
Mr. Caborn: The utilities contracts for the Stratford city and Olympic games sites are being procured under a commercially confidential process by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
Tenders are currently being sought and evaluated by the ODA, and in due course their recommendations for award will be considered by the Olympic Projects Review Group (OPRG), which includes representation from the Greater London authority (GLA).
The OPRG may then make recommendations to Ministers for formal approval to award the contracts.
Sports: Governing Bodies
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria she uses to decide which Olympic governing bodies of sport receive funding from her Department. [144596]
Mr. Caborn: Decisions regarding the criteria for and funding of Olympic governing bodies of sport are made by the Sports Councils, not by Ministers.
UK Sport is charged with delivering UK success at the Olympic and Paralympic games. To achieve this it takes a ‘no compromise’ approach to its investment, targeting resources and activity at those athletes and sports deemed most capable of medal winning performances. Individual sports are allocated their funding through the UK Sport World Class Pathway programme, with the amount determined by a formula that includes results from the previous games and current rankings, as well as future medal potential and the identification of talent.
In addition, some Olympic sports are funded by Home Country Sports Councils in pursuit of their wider aims and objectives; for example, increasing participation in sport. In England, Sport England provides funding to 21 Olympic sports to support delivery of their four-year strategic plans at community level. The sports apply the funding they receive to deliver against a range of key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs include increasing the number of accredited clubs, the number of club members and the numbers of coaches and volunteers working within their sport.
Furthermore, as a part of the joint DfES/DCMS National School Sport strategy, Sport England also funds a total of 18 Olympic sports to support delivery of school club links and volunteer and leadership opportunities for young people.
Wales
Departments: Home Working
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in his Department have been allowed to work from home for part of the week in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on his Department’s policy on home working. [143874]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office values diversity and accommodates different work patterns including home working.
Over the past year a number of staff have followed a flexible working pattern, working the occasional day or half day at home, whether to suit personal circumstances or to assist in the completion of a specific task. One member of Wales Office staff has a more formal arrangement for home working.
Departments: Manpower
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people granted (a) temporary part-time, (b) temporary full-time, (c) permanent part-time and (d) permanent full-time contracts of employment in his Department in each of the last three years were (i) male, (ii) female, (iii) registered disabled and (iv) aged 55 years or over. [143904]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office does not grant contracts of employment. Wales Office staff are either on loan from the Welsh Assembly Government or employed by the Ministry of Justice.
Scotland
Departments: Pay
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of his Department's staff received a bonus in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007. [142716]
David Cairns: The figure for 2006-07 was 25 per cent. the figure is not yet available for 2007-08.
Elections: Ballot Papers
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007, Official Report, columns 921-22W, on elections: ballot papers, (1) who chaired the Electronic Counting Project Board that negotiated the contract to deliver an electronic counting service; [144350]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract negotiated with DRS for delivery of an electronic counting service, redacted as necessary; [144351]
(3) which individuals were members of the Electronic Counting Project Board that negotiated the contract to deliver an electronic counting service. [144352]
David Cairns: The Electronic Counting Project Board was chaired by the Scottish Executive's Head of Local Governance and Licensing Division.
We do not intend placing a copy of the electronic counting contract with DRS in the Library at present but we will review this after completion of the Electoral Commission's independent review of the May elections. We have made it clear that Mr Ron Gould and his review team will have access to all the documents they require, including those relating to e-counting.
The members of the Electronic Counting Project Board were: the Scottish Executive’s Head of Local Governance and Licensing Division, an official from the Scottish Executive's Local Democracy Team, the E-counting Project Manager, the Scotland Office's Head of Elections and Social Policy Branch and the Scotland Office’s Elections Policy Advisor, the Returning Officer for East Renfrewshire, the Deputy Returning Officer for Edinburgh City Council, Head of Elections at DRS Data Services Limited, Project Manager from DRS Data Services Limited, and a representative of Electoral Reform Services.
House of Commons Commission
House of Commons Commission: Manpower
Mr. Maples: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2007, Official Report, column 1060W, on House of Commons Commission: manpower, if he will list the 85 posts which carry salaries in excess of £60,000; and what the salary is of each post. [144167]
Nick Harvey: Information about senior staff with salaries in excess of £60,277 was placed in the Library in January in response to a question from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns), 11 January 2007, Official Report, column 652W. I will write to the hon. Member with further details. Current pay ranges for all staff can be found on the parliamentary intranet.
Parking
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many car parking spaces there are on the Commons part of the parliamentary estate (a) in the underground car park and (b) elsewhere. [144356]
Nick Harvey: A total of 600 car parking spaces are available on the parliamentary estate, nearly 500 of which are in the New Palace Yard multi-storey underground car park.
Smoking
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on what date the Commission last discussed implementation of the forthcoming ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces on the parliamentary estate; and if he will make a statement. [145052]
Nick Harvey: As the minutes published on the internet http://www.parliament.uk/about_commons/house_of_commons_commission_hccfm120307.cfm show, the Commission discussed smoking on 12 March 2007. The policy on the subject is set out in a written answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran) on 20 March 2008, Official Report , column 757W.
The Health Act 2006 introduces a ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed or substantially enclosed public places from 1 July 2007. While the Act does not formally apply on the parliamentary estate, the Commission, on the advice of the Administration Committee, has decided that the House should comply with the principles of the legislation, as it is not desirable that those who work on or visit the parliamentary estate should be treated differently in this respect than in other workplaces and public places. The Commission recognises, however, that many who work on the estate are unavoidably present for long periods, particularly when the House is sitting. It is therefore desirable to make reasonable provision for those who wish to smoke to do so, provided that the health and safety of other users of the estate is not adversely affected.
With these principles in mind, the Commission has decided that smoking should cease to be permitted from 1 July 2007 in all internal areas of the House of Commons estate, including in bars and private offices. From that date smoking will, however, be permitted in four designated external areas: the Terrace, Commons Court (North West corner), North Terrace (between Portcullis House and Norman Shaw South), and in a designated area on the west side of Canon Row courtyard. Cigarette receptacles will be provided in these areas. “No Smoking” signs will be displayed at entrances to the buildings.
International Development
Asylum: Iraq
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has increased its presence in (a) Syria, (b) Jordan and (c) Egypt to assist Iraqi refugees; and if he will make a statement. [143780]
Hilary Benn: We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Iraq and the increasing numbers of people who have been displaced due to ongoing violence.
DFID has not increased its presence in Syria, Jordan or Egypt in response to the refugee crisis. We continue to work closely with international humanitarian partners to ensure agencies are adequately resourced and equipped to respond to needs such as food, water, shelter and medical assistance.
To date, we have contributed £1.5 million to the UN high commission for refugees' (UNHCR) appeal to help refugees in neighbouring countries. This was part of a £10 million package, which we have provided so far this year, to help vulnerable people inside Iraq and those displaced to other countries in the region. In total, DFID has provided £125 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq since 2003.
Democracy: Expenditure
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on projects promoting democracy in each of the last three years. [142608]
Mr. Thomas: DFID’s support to democracy programmes is part of our broader approach to good governance. One of the components of good governance is an open and transparent political system with strong political institutions. This means our democracy work includes support to civil society to improve their capacity to hold Governments to account; initiatives to build accountability into our health and education programmes to improve Government responsiveness to poor people; and work to strengthen political systems more broadly, including popular participation in the decision-making process. The latter includes direct support to elections and Parliaments.
In total, DFID's direct bilateral spend on governance programmes was £212 million in 2004-05, £322 million in 2005-06 and £286 million in 2006-07. Within this DFID spent £14 million directly on democratic elections in 2004-5, £17.1 million in 2005-06 and £15.5 million in 2006-7. Over the next five years, our support to governance will include an additional £100 million for the governance and transparency fund.
The aforementioned figures do not include our support to the UN, EU and other multilateral organisations some of which is used to fund governance and democracy promotion programmes. However, DFID does not hold details of what proportion of these contributions were used to assist with the promotion of democracy.
Note that the figures for 2006-07 are provisional estimates only.
Departments: Homeworking
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people in his Department have been allowed to work from home for part of the week in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on home working. [143880]
Mr. Thomas: DFID does not keep records of the number of home workers.
However, DFID operates a ‘one machine’ policy under which each member of staff chooses to be equipped with either a desktop computer or, subject to the approval of their Head of Department, a laptop computer. The laptop option enables staff to work from home or at other remote locations while travelling on behalf of the Department. Currently, 1,750 staff have been issued with laptops.
DFID is committed to improving work/life balance and accommodates a wide range of different work patterns including the use of home and remote working. DFID’s policy is set out both in the staff handbook, which is available to all staff electronically, and in two booklets, “Flexible Working”, and “Remote Working” which staff receive on appointment. In a
recent management survey, 84 per cent. of staff strongly believed that their line managers actively support flexible working.
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