| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 Oct 2007 : Column 819W—continued
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister (1) which (a) hon. Members, (b) former hon. Members and (c) Peers who are not members of the Labour Party he has invited to Downing Street since becoming Prime Minister; [157813]
(2) if he will publish a list of all those he has invited to Downing Street since becoming Prime Minister. [157814]
The Prime Minister: Information on official and charity receptions held at Downing street will be published in the usual way following the end of the financial year.
Departments: Manpower
Chris Grayling: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many full-time members of staff are employed in Number 10 Downing Street; [152246]
(2) how many people are employed in the Prime Minister's Policy Unit; [152247]
(3) how many people are employed in the Prime Minister's Strategic Communications Office; [152248]
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister how many press officers are employed by his Office. [153164]
The Prime Minister: The total number of staff on the No. 10 payroll as at 1 April 2007 is set out in the following table:
| 1 April 2007 | |
| (1) This figure includes one secondee from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. | |
Figures for 2007-08 will be published after the end of the financial year.
General Election: Costs
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Prime Minister what contingency preparations were made by No. 10 Downing Street for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. [157054]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 October 2007]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.
Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what factors he took into account in deciding when to inform the Secretary of State for Defence of his decision to announce troop withdrawal from Iraq. [157215]
The Prime Minister: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to reply to the letter of 2 August 2007, on fighting poverty, from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [157433]
The Prime Minister: My Office replied to the hon. Member on 8 August.
Tony Blair
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister on what date he last met Tony Blair. [157791]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.
Duchy of Lancaster
ChangeUp Hubs of Expertise
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what the legal status is of the ChangeUp Hubs of Expertise and of any intellectual property or other assets associated with the hubs; [156943]
(2) for what reasons the decision was taken to abolish the ChangeUp Hubs of Expertise; and what input the Office of the Third Sector had in the decision. [156941]
Phil Hope: Six partnerships of national voluntary organisations make up the ChangeUp hubs of expertise. The hubs are partnerships of organisations rather than organisations constituted in their own right, and as such do not have a legal status.
Each of the six hubs has an accountable body that receives and administers funds on the hubs behalf. All of the hubs have protocols setting out governance, legal and financial arrangements between the accountable body and their partnership organisations.
As grant recipients the accountable bodies for the hubs have agreed to terms and conditions for their grant(s) which are governed by English law and the jurisdictions of English courts and include specific conditions relating to intellectual property rights and assets.
Shortly after being set up Capacitybuilders' Board committed itself to a programme of change in the future delivery of national support services (hubs). The board decided to undertake the review following stakeholder feedback on hub performance. The review addressed what local, sub-regional and regional third sector organisations need from a national set of services and what is the best way of delivering on these needs.
Following consultation with the sector Capacitybuilders board have agreed that Capacitybuilders will directly commission the national support programme and identified a range of priority themes.
Capacitybuilders have been established at arms length from the Government, and as such the decision regarding the future delivery of national support services is a decision for Capacitybuilders board. However, the Office of the third sector's interest is in ensuring that the appropriate mechanisms are in place to deliver the ChangeUP 2014 vision, and that capacity building of the third sector is handled in an effective manner.
Civil Service Appeal Board
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many cases were taken to the Civil Service Appeal Board in 2006; and how many of those related to (a) dismissals and (b) other disciplinary matters. [158229]
Gillian Merron: The remit of the board does not extend to appeals in relation to disciplinary matters which fall short of dismissal.
Statistics on the number of appeals heard in each of the last 10 years can be found in Appendix 3 of each of the board's annual reports. Copies can be found on the board's website at www.civilserviceappealboard.gov.uk.
Civil Service Commission
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the declared individual political affiliations are of the Civil Service Commissioners. [156719]
Gillian Merron:
The Civil Service Commissioners are an independent body. They undertake their role in accordance with their Code of Practice, which includes provisions for handling conflicts of interest. The Code
of Practice can be accessed via the Commissioner's website at www.civilservicecommissioners.gov.uk Copies are also available in the Libraries of the House.
Civil Service: Disclosure of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will amend the Directory of Civil Service Guidance to reflect the new Civil Service code in respect of the requirements of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. [158232]
Gillian Merron: We are in the process of updating the Directory of Civil Service Guidance. The new version will reflect the provisions in the new Civil Service Code.
Departments: Disclosure of Information
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to improve his Department’s arrangements on whistleblowing; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the current policy. [158230]
Edward Miliband: We are reviewing our Whistleblowing policy and will look to adopt good practice from other Departments. Once the policy has been reviewed we will place a copy in the Library.
Departments: Official Hospitality
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many receptions have been held by the Cabinet Office since January 2007; on what dates they were held and at which venues; what the purpose was of each; who (a) hosted and (b) paid for each; what the estimated attendance was of each; and what each cost his Office. [157767]
Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 October 2007, Official Report, column 2W.
Departments: Publicity
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media. [155884]
Gillian Merron: The only Cabinet Office campaign currently planned for 2007-08 is to encourage more and better quality nominations of ‘local heroes’ for official honours. The choice of media for this campaign has not yet been finalised.
My Department has not yet agreed budgets for any communication activity in 2008-09.
General Elections: Costs
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contingency preparations his Office made for the possibility of a general election being held in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations. [157055]
Edward Miliband [holding answer 11 October 2007]: The guidance covering the conduct of official business during a general election was last issued in May 2005. This guidance, and other relevant procedures and processes, are kept under constant review by the Cabinet Office and other relevant departments so that they are ready to be put in place when a general election is called.
Leader of the Opposition: Civil Servants
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what Civil Service support is available to the Leader of the Opposition. [157804]
Gillian Merron: The Directory of Civil Service Guidance sets out the circumstances in which there may be contacts between senior civil servants and members of the Opposition parties. Copies of the Directory are available in the Libraries of the House.
Non-Profit Making Associations
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what budget has been allocated to the commissioning of social enterprise think pieces as announced by the Office of the Third Sector on 8 February. [155626]
Phil Hope: The budget allocated for think pieces in 2007-08 is £50,000.
More information is available at
Olympic Games: Greater London
Janet Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether the Red Arrows will be appearing at the 2012 London Olympics; and if she will make a statement. [158443]
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what plans there are to include the Red Arrows in the opening or closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics. [158444]
Tessa Jowell: Newspaper claims that the Government have banned or advised against the Red Arrows’ involvement in the Opening Ceremony or any other celebrations associated with the 2012 games are completely untrue and unfounded.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for deciding what to include in the Opening Ceremony and other celebrations. No decisions have yet been taken about the content. The Red Arrows have already played a memorable role in the celebrations, when they flew over Trafalgar Square to mark London winning the games.
Voluntary Work
Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what definition his Department uses of a volunteering opportunity for the purposes of its policy to promote volunteering. [156940]
Phil Hope: For the purposes of volunteering policies the Cabinet Office defines volunteering and volunteering opportunities as any non-compulsory activity which involves spending time, unpaid, doing something which is of benefit to others (excluding relatives), society or the environment.
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeology
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) adults and (b) children came to events organised with the Portable Antiquities Scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement. [156938]
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) adults and (b) children came to events organised with the portable antiquities scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement. [157361]
Margaret Hodge: Of the people who attended events organised by the Portable Antiquities Scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007, (a) 4,193 were adults; and (b) 3,040 were children. This highlights the excellent work the PAS does in educating people about archaeology.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many finds were (a) identified and (b) recorded by the portable antiquities scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement. [157067]
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many finds were (a) identified and (b) recorded by the portable antiquities scheme as part of National Archaeology Week 2007; and if he will make a statement. [157362]
Margaret Hodge: During National Archaeology Week 2007, the portable antiquities scheme (a) identified 2,331 finds; and (b) recorded 659 finds. This highlights the excellent role the scheme is playing in helping us learn more about our past.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |