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7 Feb 2008 : Column 1297W—continued
Official Engagements
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many engagements he and his predecessor undertook in each month since January 2007. [185653]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.
Church Commissioners
Theft
8. Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will estimate the value of losses resulting from theft from parish churches in each of the last three years. [185169]
Sir Stuart Bell: Based on insurance claims received by the main church insurer, I estimate losses amounting to £1.5 million in 2005, £2.4 million in 2006 and £8.7 million in 2007. The hon. Lady will be interested to note that around two-thirds of these claims related to the theft of lead from church roofs.
Investment Policy: Africa
10. Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what discussions the Church Commissioners have had on their investment policy towards Africa. [185171]
Sir Stuart Bell: The Commissioners regularly consider potentially suitable investment opportunities in the region but they currently have no direct investments in Africa.
Parsonage Houses
11. Mr. Benyon: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the transfer of the ownership of parsonage houses to diocesan boards of finance. [185172]
Sir Stuart Bell: As I said in my answer to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Robert Key), this proposal, recognising that housing is an important element in the terms of service of office holders, seeks the provision of appropriate accommodation and the establishment of a suitable framework governing the relationship between housing providers and office holders.
By way of a statement, I am aware that this particular provision is the most contentious part of the draft legislation. General Synod will consider it in some detail next week.
Public Accounts Commission
Comptroller and Auditor General
9. David Taylor: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what assessment the Public Accounts Commission has made of the arrangements for declaring and publishing the details of corporate hospitality received by the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if he will make a statement. [185170]
Mr. Alan Williams: The Commission established in July 2007 a system of six-monthly reports on hospitality given or received by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the information is also to be placed on the NAO's website at six-monthly intervals, at the middle and end of the financial year. The information so far published covers the period to the end of September 2007. In addition, the chairman of the NAO's Audit Committee, who is briefed in advance on planned expenses of the C and AG, has direct access to the Commission if there are issues he wishes to discuss. The Commission believes these arrangements will ensure transparency regarding the hospitality given or received by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeology
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will conduct a feasibility study into the effect of likely changes to staffing levels within the Portable Antiquities Scheme in 2008-09 on its (a) finds recording and (b) educational outreach activities; and if he will make a statement. [185521]
Margaret Hodge: The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any study regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum. The MLA recognises that the PAS is of national importance and intends to conduct a review of the scheme in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure it can continue to thrive and evolve in the future.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the number of posts in the Portable Antiquities Scheme if funding for 2008-09 is maintained at current levels. [185522]
Margaret Hodge: I have made no assessment of the likely effect on staffing levels at the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) if funding is maintained at current levels. The PAS is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and administered on their behalf by the British Museum. Any assessment regarding the scheme is therefore a matter for the MLA and the British Museum. The MLA recognises that the PAS is of national importance and intends to conduct a review of the scheme in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure it can continue to thrive and evolve in the future.
Casinos: Licensing
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many casinos were open and operating under licences granted through the Gaming Act 1968, in each year since 1996-97. [184637]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The list shows the number of casinos open and operating, under licences granted through the Gaming Act 1968, 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 |
Christmas
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department’s agencies spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in each year since 1997. [182450]
Margaret Hodge: The information has been provided by The Royal Parks. Information for years prior to 1999 is archived and available only at disproportionate costs. The available figures for cards are as follows:
| £ | |
The Royal Parks does not have a specific Christmas card postage code within its chart of accounts and is unable to provide accurate postage costs.
In 2007-08 The Royal Parks issued an e-card as an alternative to a traditional printed card and therefore there were no postage costs for 2007-08.
Gambling
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of gambling addiction since 1997. [182000]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Gambling Act 2005 places the protection of children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling as one of the principle objectives of gambling regulation for the first time.
The Act also establishes a powerful new regulator, the Gambling Commission, responsible for ensuring UK gambling operators are meeting the Government’s licensing
objectives. All gambling operators must comply with tough social responsibility measures, including procedures to prevent underage gambling and a commitment to contribute to research, education and treatment of problem gambling, or risk losing their licence.
The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 showed that the overall level of problem gambling remained unchanged since 1999 at 0.6 per cent. of the adult population. However, if there is evidence of increased problem gambling, or the objectives of the Act are not being met, the Government have wide-ranging powers to introduce further regulations and restrictions.
Horse Racing: Betting Levy
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many written representations on the horserace betting levy he has received from hon. and right hon. Members in the last 12 months. [184494]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department's records show that we received 28 written representations from hon. and right hon. Members that relate specifically to the 47th Levy Determination. We have received other written representations that relate more broadly to the work of the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
Northcott Theatre
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions (a) he, (b) his Department and (c) his predecessor have had with the Minister for the South West on funding for the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. [Official Report, 28 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 20MC.] [Official Report, 4 March 2008, Vol. 472, c. 23MC.] [183845]
Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions on this matter with the Minister for the South West.
The Department has received two letters from the Minister for the South West my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) in his capacity as a constituency Member about the Northcott Theatre and there has been one telephone conversation between the Minister for the South West and a senior official at the Department.
My right hon. Friend the Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (James Purnell) and the Minister for the South West briefly discussed the matter in December.
It has been explained in all discussions that the Arts Council operates at arm’s length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them.
Olympic Games 2012
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to bring forward proposals to develop the legacy for mass participation in sport which is expected to result from the London 2012 Olympics. [184386]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 4 February 2008]: The Government have set a clear target of getting two million more people more active by 2012.
The Legacy Action Plan will set out the Government's high level strategy for delivering this ambition through sport and physical activity.
Sport England are developing a new strategy for a world-class community sports infrastructure and will produce a detailed business plan in late spring.
Sport England's work will feed into the wider cross-Government review of sport and physical activity led by the Treasury, which will be published in the spring.
This will clarify the roles and responsibilities of all the key organisations to meet the Government's two million target.
Performing Arts: Music
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government plans to take to support those performing live music. [181580]
Margaret Hodge: Following the Live Music Forum’s recommendations, we have asked Feargal Sharkey, the ex-Chair of the forum, to work with local authorities, the music industry and other partners over the next two years to establish a number of pilot music rehearsal/performance spaces across the country. We have committed £500,000 to help kick start this initiative. At the same time we will work with the Mayor to see what can be done to ensure key music venues in London are not closed down, and helping the National Union of Students to re-establish a live music network. We are also exploring the scope for allowing live music performances which are unlikely to have an impact on the licensing objectives to be exempt from licensing requirements.
Public Libraries
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what records his Department and its agencies holds of the size of the book stock of municipal libraries. [184641]
Margaret Hodge: Public libraries are a locally managed and delivered service, but at a national level my Department continues to advocate for the valuable role they play in every community. Public library statistics 2006-07, published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) on 14 January 2008, reports that England's public libraries held 81,215,800 books in stock at 31 March 2007. Copies of the report for previous years are held in the House Library.
Secondary Education: Sports
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2008, Official Report, column 1906W, on secondary education: sports, what sports and activities are covered by the terms (a) high quality PE and school sports and (b) inter-school competition. [184804]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The annual PE and School Sport Survey is accompanied by guidance to support the completion of the questionnaire. The definition of high quality PE and out of hours school sport is:
“this produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities, in line with their abilities, as set out in the ‘High Quality PE and Sport for Young People’ guide.”
The definition of inter-school competition is:
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