Written Answers to Questions
Monday 21 January 2008
House of Commons Commission
Parliamentary Recording Unit
Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what guidance it issues on posting material provided by the Parliamentary Recording Unit on external websites. [180452]
Nick Harvey: Members may obtain parliamentary material for use on their own parliamentary websites subject to the following conditions.
1. The permission is restricted to use of recordings of proceedings on a Member’s own parliamentary website (and not on any searchable third party hosting website).
2. A Member may only use material which features the Member, any reply from a Minister to a question asked by the Member, and any other contributions to the debate on an issue raised by the Member.
3. The recording will be supplied by the Parliamentary Recording Unit watermarked with a portcullis logo to show its origin and discourage its unauthorised use by others. The Member will be asked to acknowledge Parliamentary Copyright on his/her site and ensure the material is not downloadable.
The original webcasting licence from the Speaker and PARBUL was renewed in June 2006, and this permitted the use of the clean feed of proceedings to be used in a live webcast maintained or operated by the House of Commons. It specifically stated that the clean feed shall not be passed to any other person.
Following representations from Members, the licence was varied so the above guidelines could be adopted. This variance was noted by the Administration Committee on 12 December 2006.
Portcullis House: Escalators
Tom Brake: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many times the escalators in Portcullis House have been (a) replaced and (b) repaired since the building opened. [179727]
Nick Harvey: The escalators in Portcullis House were installed in 1999 and (a) were replaced during the summer recess of 2007 and (b) repairs and component replacements have been carried out from time to time notably on the handrails, the drive mechanisms and lighting.
Wales
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what products featuring departmental or Government branding were procured by his Department in each of the last five years. [179783]
Mr. Hain: In 2006 my Department procured pens bearing the Wales Office logo. However, as my Department records expenditure on total office supplies and not individual items, the cost can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years. [179851]
Mr. Hain: My Department does not currently have any posters or displays of Ministers.
In March 2007 posters were produced for a reception. However, as my Department records expenditure on total office supplies and not individual items, the cost can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
Trade Unions
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions. [179863]
Mr. Hain: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Birds of Prey
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many birds of prey there were in the UK in each year since 2001. [177727]
Joan Ruddock: Bird of prey populations are not assessed annually in the UK so it is not possible to provide figures for each year since 2001. The population of most species is assessed periodically by species-specific surveys of breeding numbers. The latest available results from these, together with the year/s of survey, are provided in the following table. The table also gives the estimated population trend since 2001.
A tentative estimate for the current total population of all birds of prey in the UK, based on the information in the table, is around 145,000 breeding pairs.
Climate Change Committee: Public Appointments
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to appoint the Chairman of the Climate Change Committee; and if he will make a statement. [180686]
Mr. Woolas: The process for appointment of the Chair designate of the Shadow Committee on Climate Change is under way and we aim to appoint as soon as it has been completed.
European Fisheries Fund
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007, Official Report, column 1269W, on the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), whether he has made a formal request to the Commission to allow the UK to carry over the 2007 EFF budget allocated to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [177687]
Jonathan Shaw: I have not made a formal request to the European Commission to allow the UK to carry over the 2007 portion of its European Fisheries Fund budget allocation, since it is not yet clear that any reduction in the overall budget will be imposed.
Fisheries: National Income
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the gross value added of (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Copeland was derived from commercial fishing over the last 20 years. [175938]
Jonathan Shaw: Estimates of gross value added are available only at UK level. The information we hold is presented in the following table.
| Details of current prices gross value added at basic prices for the UK fishing industry (including landings abroad) | |
| Gross value added (£ million) | |
| Source: Office for National Statistics, Series QTUF. | |
Fisheries: Penalties
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the possible penalties the UK could face for not submitting its European Fisheries Fund Operational Programme to the European Commission by 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement. [177686]
Jonathan Shaw:
There is no provision for penalties in relation to submission of Operational Programmes after 31 December 2007. I have therefore had no discussions with the European Commission on this matter. However, it is open to the Commission to take
action as noted in my answers of 21 November 2007, Official Report, columns 863-864W and 5 December 2007, Official Report, columns 1268-69W to the hon. Member.
Floods
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which five regions are most at risk of flooding. [179260]
Mr. Woolas: Rainfall does not, over the years, recognise Government administrative boundaries. At-risk areas cross regional boundaries.
Local Government Finance: Rural Areas
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the funding for rural community councils expressed in real terms in each financial year to 2012-13. [179581]
Jonathan Shaw: On 14 December, I announced a flat £3.45 million for the network of rural community councils in England for each of the next three financial years.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the method of allocating funding to rural community councils in England; and if he will make a statement. [179585]
Jonathan Shaw: On 14 December, I was pleased to announce that £3.45 million would be made available to support the network of rural community councils (RCCs) in England for each of the next three years. This funding will be channelled through Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the lead body for the RCC network, who will be responsible for making allocations to individual RCCs. ACRE is currently developing its plans for allocating the funding, in consultation with DEFRA, and will make this information available to the RCCs as soon as possible.
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