| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 Feb 2008 : Column 1164W—continued
£458,519 for funds transfer through Capita which is paid to individuals who retire/leave the Department early (i.e. lump sum pension payments). The contract is set up by the Cabinet Office and the amount shown is not actually paid to Capita, they are simply used as a funding vehicle.
£8,842 for the provision of occupational health administration. Contract was set up by the Cabinet Office.
£1,627 for the provision of learning and development course.
£20,307 for the provision of travel services for flights.
Casinos
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many casinos there were in the UK in each year since 1997. [183325]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The list shows the number of casinos operating in Great Britain as at 31 March for each year since 1996-97 and at the latest available date.
| To 31 March | Number of casinos operating |
Departmental Data Protection
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what requirements his Department and its agency place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment. [176627]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department requires an annual audit of IT equipment by its outsourced IT providers. This is done on DCMS premises.
Personal data are audited on a monthly basis by our payroll contractors.
Secure point to point courier services are used to transfer data between DCMS and its service suppliers. The suppliers are contractually bound to keep data safe and secure, and limit access to personal data while in their custody.
The Royal Parks Agency does not have formal procedures but exercise caution when sharing sensitive data.
Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Copeland
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008, Official Report, column 1809W, on Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Copeland, when the detailed evaluation of the programme to switch off analogue television services in the Copeland area will be completed; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [184472]
Andy Burnham: Digital UK are conducting a rigorous evaluation of the switchover process in Copeland which they plan to publish around the end of March.
Olympic Games 2012: Tourism
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been ringfenced for promoting tourism in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics; and if he will make a statement. [181984]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 25 January 2008]: Following the publication of the DCMS-led Tourism Strategy for 2012 last September, VisitBritain is currently leading a Strategic Review of the £350 million spent by public bodies to support tourism.
The Review will consider among other things the best mechanisms for promoting the UK between now and the 2012 Games. The Review includes full consultation with devolved, regional, and local governments and the tourism industry, and is designed to maximise the impact of public funding for 2012-related tourism work. It is also considering the role of the industry itself in funding the tourism promotion of the Games.
Public Libraries: Closures
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which public libraries have closed in each London borough since 1997; and in which year each closed. [184175]
Margaret Hodge: This information is not compiled centrally. The total number of library service points within each local authority (but not their names or locations) is published annually in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) report Public Library Statistics. The House of Commons Library holds copies of the report for the period in question.
Video Games: Violence
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) people and (b) under 18-year-olds have participated in the Byron Review of the effects of video games to date; what percentage of the population this represents; how many people he expects to participate in the Review in total; when he expects the Review to be published; and what plans for further research on the effects of violent video games on (i) adults and (ii) children his Department has. [178684]
Margaret Hodge: Dr. Byron is expected to complete her independent review looking at risks to children from exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate material on the internet and in video games in March 2008.
Dr. Byron has engaged a wide range of stakeholders, largely through the involvement of around 150 umbrella organisations. Some of these groups have undertaken their own consultations or commissioned quantitative research.
In addition, Dr. Byron held two public calls for evidence, one specifically aimed at children and young people under 18, for which received around 350 responses. We expect the review to publish a list of contributors, including details of focus group research carried out with children and parents and discussions with children’s boards.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no current plans to conduct further research in this area, although we may reconsider this when we see the findings of the review, if it is deemed appropriate.
Wicksteed Park
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will visit Wicksteed Park in Kettering to discuss with the Wicksteed Trust how his Department might assist the promotion and development of the UK’s first leisure park for the benefit of the local and wider community. [184810]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 5 February 2008]: My Department and its partner non-departmental public bodies are of course keen to assist the promotion and development of attractions such as those provided by the Wicksteed Trust. Indeed, Wicksteed Park is promoted by VisitBritain’s websites (which promote Britain abroad and England to the domestic markets). The Park was also featured in the recent ‘Family Fun’ campaign.
The Wicksteed Trust has received funding from English Heritage, through a substantial grant in 2006 for the repair of the orangery. The Trust has also received grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2003 and 2006.
Regarding children’s play facilities specifically, the Children’s Play Information Service produces a fact sheet on potential sources of funding, ‘How to raise funds for children’s play’. It is available through the National Children’s Bureau website.
There are many projects and organisations across the Cultural sectors which deserve support. As outlined, the Trust does in fact receive support from my Department and its partners through existing programmes. If the Trust were to write to me with an invitation, I would be happy to consider visiting Wicksteed Park should other commitments permit it.
International Development
Afghanistan
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's performance against objectives in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq has been in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [184208]
Mr. Douglas Alexander [holding answer 4 February 2008]: The information requested can be found in the DFID annual report. Copies of this are available in both Libraries of the House.
Departmental Advertising
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years. [182998]
Gillian Merron: DFID does not hold a separate advertising budget and we do not hold figures for advertising expressed in financial years prior to 2002-03. The majority of our advertising relates to recruitment advertising in newspapers and journals. Since 2002-03 less than 0.02 per cent of DFID's total expenditure was on advertising.
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2008, Official Report, column 2080W, on departmental marketing, what the dimensions are of the display in the Palace Street offices. [184993]
Mr. Malik: The dimensions of the photographs and frames used in the display of former Ministers in Palace Street are in the following table. This display is not for, and has never been used for, any departmental marketing purposes.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |