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18 Dec 2007 : Column 1410W—continued
Departmental Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff work in his Department’s parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with (a) Parliamentary Questions and (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers. [174957]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Five members of staff work in the DCMS parliamentary branch, and two of them deal solely with Commons and Lords written and oral questions. Correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is not dealt with by parliamentary branch.
Departmental Recycling
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department’s policy is on recycling. [174407]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department is committed to the sustainable operations targets for the Government estate. The Department is to increase its recycling figures to 40 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2010 and to 75 per cent. of their waste by 2020.
English Heritage: Pay
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) members of the management board and (b) other staff received a salary of more than £99,999 per annum pro rata in (i) his Department, (ii) English Heritage, (iii) the Big Lottery Fund, (iv) the Arts Council and (v) the Royal Parks in the last financial year for which figures are available. [175396]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the resource accounts published on the appropriate web sites for the year 2006-07. The links are shown in the
Gambling
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to assess the effect on business of regulations introduced under the Gambling Act 2005. [175195]
Mr. Sutcliffe: As part of the DCMS Simplification Plan 2007 (published on 11 December 2007) we are undertaking a measurement exercise to assess administrative burdens on the gambling industry under the Gambling Act 2005. We expect to conclude the exercise in spring 2008, after external scrutiny of the initial findings by an expert panel including representatives from the gambling industry.
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the current position and future prospects of the UK gaming machine manufacturing sector. [175237]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department is engaging in active and constructive dialogue with the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, the main trade body which represents the gaming machines sector, and other trade bodies with an interest in the sector, such as the Bingo Association and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, to gain a full understanding of the current trading conditions in the gaming machine sector.
I have made it clear to these organisations that I will be happy to consider any evidence they can provide, in relation to the difficult trading conditions that some operators say they are currently experiencing, and any proposals for remedial action.
However, the Government’s principal priority remains to protect the public. We will need to be satisfied that any proposals put forward for remedial action by the industry do not have an adverse impact in terms of the licensing objectives of the Act.
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Gambling Act 2005 on competition in the gambling market. [175238]
Mr. Sutcliffe: A competition assessment of the Gambling Act 2005 was included in the regulatory impact assessment which was published in April 2005 to accompany the Act. In addition, impact assessments were prepared for each piece of secondary legislation required to implement the Act. These are published with the related explanatory memorandum on the Office for Public Sector Information website (www.opsi.gov.uk), and separately on the Department’s website (www.culture.gov.uk).
Giant's Causeway
Mark Durkan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department’s responsibility is for ensuring the conformity of the planning application for a visitor’s centre at Giant’s Causeway with UNESCO’s requirement for World Heritage status; what his Department’s view is on whether the application is in conformity with that
status; what representations his Department received on the matter (a) before and (b) after 10 September; what discussions his Department has had with (i) UNESCO and (ii) the Northern Ireland Executive on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [174578]
Margaret Hodge: My Department’s responsibility for World Heritage issues is set out in the concordat with Northern Ireland reproduced as follows. This responsibility includes reporting to UNESCO on all UK World Heritage sites. Discussions on the planning application for a new visitor centre for the Giant’s Causeway are still under way and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
My officials were contacted by DOENI officials on 10 September on which date DOENI officials also wrote to the World Heritage Centre. My officials have remained in contact to discuss details of the planning application process and the responsibilities of my Department as State Party signatory to the World Heritage Convention.
DCMS officials briefed World Heritage Centre officials in Paris on 15 October. My Department will send a report to the World Heritage Committee by the end of January 2008 for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its meeting in July 2008.
I met the Northern Ireland Minister for Environment on 13 December.
World Heritage Site Concordat with Northern Ireland
World Heritage Sites: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will be responsible for the UK Government’s overall policy on World Heritage Sites and exercise a co-ordinating role in its relationship with UNESCO on this issue. Within this overall policy each of the devolved administrations will, however, continue to be responsible for identifying individual Sites within their territory, advising the UK Government on their suitability for nomination, and for dealing with issues which may arise about the proper management of those sites. DCMS will chair regular meetings to discuss World Heritage issues of mutual concern.
Government Departments: Flags
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost has been of the review of the rules of flying the Union flag on Government buildings. [173680]
Margaret Hodge: No estimate has been made of the cost of the review of the arrangements for flying the Union Flag on UK Government buildings which was carried out in the normal course of the Department’s business. The consultation document was produced internally and was published electronically on the Department’s website www.culture.gov.uk. We also plan to publish the summary of responses electronically.
Licensing
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment the Government have made of the effect of the introduction of late licensing on the work load of accident and emergency departments. [174827]
Mr. Sutcliffe
[holding answer 17 December 2007]: The Department has seen no evidence that longer
hours have been responsible for increases in alcohol related admissions. We understand that it is difficult to obtain accurate data as it is a subjective judgment as to whether alcohol is the cause of an accident or injury. However, research into violence related accident and emergency admissions last year concluded there had been a 2 per cent. drop and that licensing reform had not led to increases in violent crime in the night time economy.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to reduce the bulk sale of alcohol from off-licences and supermarkets to young people in town centres. [174829]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 17 December 2007]: It is unlawful to sell alcohol to young people who are under 18. The last test purchase campaign showed that the failure rate among high risk premises had dropped to under 15 per cent. from a high point of 50 per cent. and we are looking at what more can be done to drive home the message that sales to under 18s will not be tolerated.
The Government’s Alcohol Strategy includes an independent review on the impact of price and promotion on specific alcohol harms in England. The findings are expected to be reported in summer 2008 and the review is expected to include any necessary recommendations for further actions to better protect young people.
Members' Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many letters his Department received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997. [174939]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department does not hold this information in the format requested, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Some of the information required can be found in DCMS annual reports, which can be found online at:
In addition, the Cabinet Office announces to Parliament details of correspondence performance on an annual basis. The report for 2006 was published on 28 March 2007, Official Report, columns 101-04WS. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006, Official Report, columns 75-78WS.
Museums and Galleries: Visits
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) (i) UK and (ii) London residents, broken down by socioeconomic group and (b) non-UK residents who visited (1) museums and (2) art galleries in London in each of the last eight years. [169811]
Margaret Hodge: (a) (i) (1) The number of visits to DCMS sponsored museums in London in millions.
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
(2) The number of visits to DCMS sponsored art galleries in London in millions
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
These figures may contain some visits to museums and art galleries outside London as it is not always possible to disaggregate the data where institutions have branches both in and outside London. The Department holds a single aggregated figure for lower socio-economic groups only and did not collect these data prior to 2002-03. From 2006-07 onwards, socio-economic classification is measured using the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification. Figures prior to 2005-06 may include children.
(a) (ii) Figures for the number of visits made to London museums and art galleries by London residents are not held by this Department. However, the 2005-06 Taking Part survey carried out by this Department showed that 30 per cent. of respondents from lower socio-economic groups living in London had visited a museum or gallery at least once in the last year, compared to 28 per cent. of respondents from the same groups who live elsewhere in England. In addition, 61 per cent. of respondents from the higher socio-economic groups living in London had visited a museum or gallery, compared to 50 per cent. of respondents from the same groups in the rest of the country.
(b) The number of visits by all non-UK residents to DCMS sponsored (1) museums and (2) art galleries in London in millions
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
These figures may contain some visits to museums and art galleries outside London. Figures on the number of UK residents, London residents and overseas residents that visit all museums and art galleries in London each year are not available.
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