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14 Jan 2008 : Column 909W—continued
For the period November 2006 to October 2007 inclusive I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 4 December 2007, Official Report, column 1206W.
Duchy of Lancaster
Admiralty House
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for how many months the official ministerial residences in Admiralty House previously occupied by the (a) right hon. Member for Ashfield and (b) right hon. Member for Derby, South have remained empty. [176344]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 December 2007, Official Report, column 1080W.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2007, Official Report, column 352W, on Admiralty House, what payments were made by other Departments to his Department for (a) repairs and (b) furnishing or refurbishing of official ministerial residences in each of the last three years; and of what value. [176762]
Gillian Merron: Occupying Departments are responsible for the relevant costs associated with the ministerial residencies in Admiralty House. Information on costs is not held centrally.
Charities
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to bring forward proposals for (a) primary legislation, (b) secondary legislation and (c) guidance on allowing charities greater freedom to campaign on changes to legislation; and what plans he has to issue a consultation paper on this matter. [175175]
Gillian Merron: The Government have no plans to consult or bring forward legislation to change the law in relation to campaigning or political activities by charities. In response to calls from charities for clearer guidance, the Charity Commission has agreed to revise its guidance on campaigning and political activities, which is expected to be published early in 2008.
Chequers
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the Government’s policy is on civil servants staying overnight at Chequers when the Prime Minister is not resident. [176512]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 December 2007, Official Report, column 825W.
Civil Contingencies Act 2004
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what Government funding has been made available to (a) local authorities and (b) fire authorities to meet obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004; and if he will make a statement. [177448]
Gillian Merron: Government funding for local authorities, including fire authorities to fulfil their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 was taken into account in the spending plans for formula grant (Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates) announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. The Government's proposals for funding local authority services for the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11, will see increases in total grant (formula grant, area-based grant and specific grants) of 4.0 per cent., 4.4 per cent. and 4.3 per cent. respectively.
In London, in addition to the grant paid to London boroughs, a separate grant is made to the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) to support London authorities in discharging their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act, including provision of a secretariat for London's Local Resilience Forums and other discrete emergency planning activities.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant. [168755]
Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. On 17 December, Official Report, column 98WS, the Cabinet Office published an interim progress report, which was laid before the House by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. A further report is expected in spring 2008.
Departmental Equality
Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by his Department (a) in total and (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose. [173820]
Gillian Merron: Diversity is integrated into all of the Cabinet Office’s policy and operational functions, and as such, it is not possible to isolate the total costs associated with this work.
Departmental Legal Opinion
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) the Prime Minister’s Office on legal advice in relation to police investigations in each of the last 12 months. [178564]
Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, North (Edward Miliband) to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) and the right hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 10 January 2008, Official Report, columns 755-56W.
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost to the public purse was of external legal advice provided to (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in relation to the police investigation into allegations of cash for peerages. [179329]
Phil Hope:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Edward Miliband) to the hon. Member
for Horsham (Mr. Maude) and the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 10 January 2008, Official Report, columns 755-56W.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many receptions were held by the Cabinet Office between 1 and 14 October 2007; on what dates they were held; 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. [165085]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 19 November 2007]: The Cabinet Office held two receptions between 1 and 14 October 2007. Details of each event are as follows:
| Date | Venue | Host | Estimated attendance |
The purpose of both events was the promotion of Government Gateway, a website for individuals and organisations to access online Government services.
Both events were funded by enGage, the managed service supplier for the Government Gateway. The service charges for the delivery of the Government Gateway, by enGage, are broken down and audited, and neither of these receptions formed part of these service charges.
Information on official and charity receptions held at No. 10 Downing street will be published in the usual way following the end of the financial year
Departmental Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. [174951]
Gillian Merron: The Department’s parliamentary branch has three members of staff who work on a range of matters connected with parliamentary business, including parliamentary questions (PQs) and legislation. It is not possible to distinguish the time the team spends on PQs from that of other parliamentary branch duties.
The parliamentary branch does not deal with Members’ or peers’ correspondence.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much (a) his Department and its agencies, (b) the Prime Minister’s office and (c) the Leader of the House’s office spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years. [171549]
Gillian Merron: The Prime Minister’s Office and the Leader of the House’s Office are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
For 2003, the cost of end year bonuses paid is not held centrally and therefore only available at disproportionate cost. For details of the cost of end-of-year bonuses in 2004-06 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 July 2007, Official Report, column 901W, to the hon. Member for Upper Bann (David Simpson). The cost of end year bonuses paid in 2007 will be available only when the Department’s resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2008 summer recess.
Departmental Property
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what the total cost of repairs to facilities and items in Number 10 Downing Street and the Prime Minister’s Offices has been since 27 June; [173135]
(2) how many (a) telephones, (b) computers and (c) doors in (i) Number 10 Downing Street and (ii) the Prime Minister’s Offices have been replaced due to malfunction or damage since 27 June; [173136]
(3) on how many occasions repairs have been made to (a) telephones, (b) computers and (c) doors in (i) Number 10 Downing Street and (ii) the Prime Minister’s Offices since 27 June. [173137]
Gillian Merron: Figures for the financial year 2007-08 will be available after the end of the financial year.
The Government maintain the Downing street complex to standards appropriate to its grade 1/2 listed status. Repairs to buildings and equipment are carried out as and when required to ensure continuity of business.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by the Prime Minister's Office on renovation and refurbishment of its property in each of the last five years. [164367]
Gillian Merron: The Government are legally required to maintain the Downing Street complex to standards appropriate to its Grade 1/2 listed status in consultation with English Heritage. In addition to providing office accommodation the building also fulfils an important representational role.
No significant refurbishment works have been undertaken at the Downing street complex since the large scale rebuilding works that took place between 1960 and 1963. As a result much of the infrastructure now needs to be renewed or upgraded. It has therefore been recommended that essential improvements are undertaken through on-going annual maintenance works.
For details of the total costs of refurbishment, maintenance and structural improvements between 2002-03 and 2004-05, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. Liddell-Grainger) on 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 2393W. For details of the total costs of refurbishment and maintenance for 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right
hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham, then Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong), to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 12 March 2007, Official Report, column 97W.
For 2006-07 work commenced on replacing the failed cooling and heating systems, part of a rolling programme of refurbishment that will take several years to complete. The cost in 2006-07 was £734,631. The cost of refurbishment, maintenance and other structural improvements in 2006-07 was £648,614. This expenditure was funded out of existing budgets to maintain the fixed assets, plant and machinery, the fabric of the building, floors, walls and ceilings and the upkeep and repair of heritage assets, and to ensure a safe working environment for staff and visitors.
Departmental Redundancies
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost was of redundancies in his Department in the 12 months preceding (a) 30 June 2004, (b) 30 June 2005 and (c) 30 June 2006. [175325]
Gillian Merron: In the 12 months preceding 30 June 2006, the redundancy cost to the Cabinet Office was £72,199 arising from voluntary departure.
There were no redundancy costs in the 12 months preceding 2005.
The Cabinet Office is unable to provide costs for redundancy in the 12 months preceding 30 June 2004 as the relevant figures are not separately identified.
Disclosure of Information: Public Sector
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the terms of reference are of the review into data sharing in the public sector. [176335]
Mr. Wills: I have been asked to reply.
The terms of reference for the independent data sharing review being led by Richard Thomas and Doctor Mark Walport are:
The review will consider whether there should be any changes to the way the Data Protection Act 1998 operates in the UK and the options for implementing any such changes. It will include recommendations on the powers and sanctions available to the regulator and courts in the legislation governing data sharing and data protection. It will also make recommendations on how data sharing policy should be developed in a way that ensures proper transparency, scrutiny and accountability. To inform its recommendations, the review panel will consult with:
(a) the devolved administrations;
(b) the European Commission;
(c) the academic and legal community and the media;
(d) representatives of the IT community and the private sector;
(e) a representative sample of Government Departments and agencies with an interest in data sharing and privacy;
(f) other parties identified by the review team.
The recommendations will seek to take account of technological advances and strike a balance that ensures appropriate privacy and other safeguards for
individuals and society, while enabling sharing information to protect the public, increasing transparency enhancing public service delivery as well as the need to minimise the burden on business.
English Language
Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last year for which figures are available. [177432]
Gillian Merron: The Department does not centrally run English language classes. Information on whether individual management units have supported staff to attend any English language classes is not held centrally and therefore can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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