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4 Feb 2008 : Column 768W—continued
These figures are for both British and dual British nationals. They include British nationals working for private security firms killed or injured in Iraq or Afghanistan, but do not include British nationals who were killed or injured in the armed forces.
To the best of our knowledge the figures provided are accurate. However, it is possible that we are unaware of some cases, especially injuries. Prior to 2001 we did not keep separate statistics for deaths and injury as a result of terrorist incidents.
Treaties: Ammunition
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the timetable is of the Oslo and UN Convention on Conventional Weapons organisations for the removal of all cluster munitions; and what progress is being made on such removal. [184532]
Dr. Howells: Neither the Oslo Process or the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) have the aim of the removal of all cluster munitions. The Oslo Process aims to conclude “by 2008” a legally binding instrument to prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. Detailed consideration of a draft text of a treaty will begin at a meeting in Wellington (18-22 February). Negotiations will conclude in Dublin (19-30 May). A signing ceremony is expected to be held in Oslo in the autumn.
At the CCW Meeting of State Parties in November 2007 a negotiating mandate on cluster munitions was agreed. Under this mandate a Group of Governmental Experts was tasked to negotiate a proposal to address the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions and report on progress to the next Meeting of State Parties in November 2008. Our aim, and that of our EU partners, is for the CCW to adopt a legally binding instrument by the end of 2008.
The UK’s active participation in both the CCW and Oslo Process demonstrates our continuing commitment to address the humanitarian concerns raised by cluster munitions.
Treaties: Nuclear Weapons
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives the Government plans to undertake to ensure the commencement of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. [184303]
Dr. Howells: The UK considers a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty to be a top priority for multilateral disarmament and we will continue to push for the start of negotiations without pre-conditions at the Conference on Disarmament (CD). As the holder of one of the six CD presidencies in 2008 we will work with like minded countries to bring on board those states unable to agree to the start of negotiations in 2007. We will also continue to lobby these states directly.
UK Visas: Finance
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget of UK Visas was in 2006-07; and how these resources were allocated by main budget heading. [183525]
Dr. Howells: UKvisas’ total costs of £202 million in financial year 2006-07 were fully recovered from income generated from visa fees and allocated under the following budget headings:
| £ million | |
UK Visas: Telephone Services
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long the UKvisas telephone service has been suspended. [183524]
Dr. Howells: The UKvisas telephone inquiry line has been suspended since 10 September 2007.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether alternative provision has been made to assist visa applicants following the suspension of the UKvisas telephone service. [183526]
Dr. Howells: The principle sources of information and advice for visa applicants, all of whom are overseas, are the central UKvisas website, posts’ websites, and our commercial partners’ websites and telephone inquiry lines. Some posts also have telephone inquiry services.
In the UK we now provide an enhanced e-mail service that aims to reply to e-mails within one working day. Most of these queries are from sponsors and other interested parties in the UK rather than visa applicants, who are guided to their local post or commercial partner. UKvisas website now has more and improved links. Its recorded telephone message now has more information, including referring callers to Border and Immigration Agency telephone numbers when appropriate.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to reinstate the UKvisas telephone service. [183527]
Dr. Howells: We are currently looking at the future for this service to callers from the UK and aim to conclude an internal review by the end of the financial year.
UN Resolutions: Frontiers
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1720W, on UN resolutions: frontiers, how many further notifications have been received by the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to UN Resolution 1737 (2006) from states reporting the entry into or transit through their territories of designated persons. [178905]
David Miliband: The answer given to the right hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) on 2 May 2007, Official Report, column 1719W, noted that two notifications had been received from member states of travel by individuals designated in the Annexes to UN Security Council Resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007), in March 2007. No further notifications have been received by the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to UN Resolution 1737 (2006) from states reporting the entry into or transit through their territories of designated persons.
Vasily Aleksanyan
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Russian government on the medical treatment of Vasily Aleksanyan; and if he will make a statement. [184391]
Mr. Jim Murphy: While there has been some improvement in recent years, conditions in Russian detention centres and treatment of prisoners continue to be below desirable standards, as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2006 Human Rights Annual report noted in some detail.
In EU and bilateral human rights consultations with the Russian government, the UK regularly raises concerns about ongoing human rights violations, including individual cases. We note that Russian human rights ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, has sent written representations to the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Federal Penal Service about the case.
Culture, Media and Sport
Active Places Website
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) total hits and (b) unique visitors the active places website had in each of the last three years. [182741]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Sport England does not record the number of ‘hits’ on the active places website. Instead, it records only the number of visitors who actually use the tools and applications on the site. In each of the last three years these figures have been as follows:
| Visitors | |
Arts
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to introduce free weeks for dance, music and theatrical performances at publicly-funded entertainment venues in England; what estimate he has made of the annual cost of free weeks; and how many venues he expects to participate. [183411]
Margaret Hodge: This is one of the recommendations in Sir Brian McMaster’s report on “Supporting Excellence in the Arts”, published on 10 January 2008. My officials are now considering the report in detail and considering how it could be implemented. No conclusions have been reached on the cost of free weeks or which venues would participate.
Arts Council
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultation was held about the criteria being used by the Arts Council to make funding reductions to certain organisations; when a full list of the organisations that are to receive funding reductions will be released; and how many organisations (a) serving rural communities and (b) in Oxfordshire are to receive funding reductions. [182759]
Andy Burnham: The Arts Council operates at arm's length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them. Their fundamental criteria are set out in their Royal Charter
“to develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts [and] to increase accessibility of the arts to the public in England.”
In February 2007 the Arts Council created detailed guidance on how they would develop their investment strategy for 2008/9-2010/11. That guidance said that the Council would give particular priority to the following:
achieving a portfolio of effective and thriving organisations;
increasing engagement in the arts across the population;
delivering greater arts activity and presence in our emerging priority places;
delivering the recommendations of Turning Point, the Arts Council's strategic review of the visual arts sector.
The Arts Council informed their regularly funded organisations of this in May 2007 and of their intention to provide the majority of organisations with at least an inflation increase in funding, and that this would be achieved by reducing the size of their portfolio of regularly funded organisations.
The Arts Council did not hold any consultation about these criteria specifically. However, it held a public value inquiry, the Arts Debate, between October 2006 and September 2007. The inquiry considered how people think and feel about the arts in England and their priorities for public funding. The Arts Council are incorporating the results of the enquiry into their corporate planning.
The Arts Council have said the following in response to requests to see the names of the organisations listed in their proposals:
“Our proposals for non-renewal of funding cannot be made available until our National and Regional Councils make final decisions. This information is considered confidential and commercially sensitive during the response period. This is especially so in the case of a recommendation that might be overturned by the National Council or a Regional Council. Regularly funded organisations who have a right to respond to our recommendation, should be able to do so freely without fear that our intention to reduce or stop their funding is potentially unnecessarily, and without their consent, released into the public domain. A full announcement will be made at the beginning of February.”
Betting: Taxation
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many fixed-odds betting terminals there are in use; and how much tax revenue was generated by such machines in each of the last three tax years. [184381]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission annual report 2006-07 reported that there were 24,500 fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) located in licensed betting offices in 2006. These are the latest available figures.
FOBTs are now classified as category B2 gaming machines under the Gambling Act 2005. Casinos can offer B2 gaming machines, as part of their entitlement to a maximum of 20 category B gaming machines. We do not hold figures for the number of B2 gaming machines that casinos make available.
Tax revenue generated by gaming machines is a matter for HM Treasury.
Broadcasting: Visually Impaired
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the merits of audio description on television programmes for people with a visual impairment; and if he will make a statement. [183332]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 31 January 2008]: The Communications Act sets minimum targets for audio description of programmes by broadcasters. However, it is the responsibility of Ofcom to ensure that these requirements are met
Ofcom have responsibility for assessing audio description usage on television programmes. Guidance and best practice for broadcasters on providing access services, which include audio description, is set out in Ofcom’s Code on Television Access Services.
Ofcom’s Television Access Services Review, published in 2006, stated that audio description was highly valued by those that had used it and had the potential to benefit many more people than those who currently used it. An Audio Description Awareness Campaign facilitated by Ofcom will be launched by television broadcasters and the RNIB on 1 February 2008 to encourage take up of this valuable service.
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will ( a) take steps to ensure broadcasters are aware of the benefits of audio description to viewers with a visual impairment and (b) encourage broadcasters to provide more audio-described programmes. [183333]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 31 January 2008]: The Communications Act sets minimum targets for audio description of programmes by broadcasters. However, it is the responsibility of Ofcom to ensure that these requirements are met.
It is also Ofcom’s duty to ensure broadcasters are taking effective steps to publicise awareness of their audio description services. In this regard, we welcome the Audio Description Awareness Campaign facilitated by Ofcom that will be launched by television
broadcasters and the RNIB on 1 February 2008. During the six-week campaign, more than 70 television channels will broadcast promotions explaining how to find out more about this valuable service.
Ofcom’s most recent report on the provision of access services shows that most channels continue to exceed (in many cases substantially) their obligations to provide audio description.
Departmental Sustainable Development
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department met the target in the sustainable operations on the government estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007. [176926]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has a detailed energy plan which identifies potential carbon savings of 562 tonnes by March 2009. We hope this will help us to be more successful in ensuring sustainability as we have not met the target set for April 2007.
Departmental Data Protection
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement. [176023]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department (a) does not store or (b) process any personal data overseas, nor does it have any plans to do so.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years. [176482]
Mr. Sutcliffe: This information could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
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