| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
22 Feb 2008 : Column 1049W—continued
Departmental Retirement
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's staff retired on the grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years. [187889]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The number of staff who retired on the grounds of stress related illness in each of the last three years is nil.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for all employees and guidance is available for staff and managers on how to manage stress effectively.
As part of our attendance, health and well being programme for staff we have a range of policies in place to reduce work related stress. These include: stress management policy and sickness absence policy, which includes guidance on making reasonable adjustments. We also offer a full range of flexible work patterns to support work-life balance and have health awareness pages on our Intranet. We have appointed a DCMS Board member as the Health and Well-Being Champion. In addition staff have access to our Employee Assistance Programme (counselling service) and on-site gym with a programme of exercise and yoga available.
Departmental Sick Pay
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of sickness pay to staff within his Department was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [187508]
Mr. Sutcliffe: From the 2006-07 financial year, the average cost of sick pay per staff member who has taken sick leave is £468.
As part of our attendance, health and well being programme for staff we have a range of policies in place these include: Sickness Absence policy, which includes guidance on making reasonable adjustments. We also offer a full range of flexible work patterns to support work-life balance and have health awareness pages on our intranet We have appointed a DCMS board member as the Health and Well-Being Champion. In addition, staff have access to our Employee Assistance Programme (counselling service).
Film
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures are in place to encourage British film companies to collaborate with foreign film companies. [187358]
Margaret Hodge: The UK Government currently have active bi-lateral film co-production agreements with Australia, Canada, France, Jamaica, New Zealand and South Africa. The aim of these co-production agreements is to encourage cultural and economic collaboration between film makers from signatory countries.
The UK has also ratified the European convention on cinematographic co-production, the Council of Europe fund established to promote co-operation
among European states in the field of film production. 38 Council of Europe states have signed up to the convention, including all 27 European Union member states. The UK Government are also in the process of negotiating further film co-production agreements with a number of countries including India and Morocco, in order to secure increased inward investment for the UK and encourage communities and cultures in both participating countries to share and develop ideas.
Tourism: North East
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who were involved in work-based training in the tourism sector in the North East in each of the last five years. [184978]
Margaret Hodge: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East has provided data for each of the last five years on the number of people “starting” and “completing” work-based learning in travel and tourism and in hospitality and catering. This includes apprenticeships and advanced apprenticeships, where the learner gains a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), and also training in the workplace which results in an NVQ. The LSC has also provided data on the number of people “starting” and “completing” learning through “Train to Gain” since it was rolled out nationally in 2006.
| Learners involved in work-based learning in travel and tourism and hospitality and catering in the North East | |||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Learners involved in travel and tourism and hospitality and catering through Train to Gain in the North East | |||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
People 1st are currently conducting an in-depth analysis of apprenticeships in the sector, which will include an identification of the job roles of apprenticeships, the content of learning and how to improve completion rates. This work will be outlined in an Apprenticeships Strategy in April 2008, and forms part of the industry-led National Skills Strategy for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, which my Department actively supports.
Government have recently committed to a new measurement for apprenticeships. Whereby we measure the number of starts and the number of successful completions. This replaces the historic “Average in Learning” which takes an average of the numbers on an apprenticeship at any point in a given year. Further details about these measurements can be found in the January 2008 report outlining the findings of the Government's Review of Apprenticeships:
“Train to Gain”—the national skills service for employers—will be vital for work-based learning in the tourism sector and will play a key role in transforming the nation's skills base. In November 2007, Government published a “Train to Gain Plan for Growth”, setting out our ambitions on better meeting employer needs. This includes tailoring the service to meet the skills needs of employers in each sector through a sector compact with Sector Skills Councils, including one with People 1st for the tourism sector. My Department is actively involved in supporting this work as part of the sector's National Skills Strategy.
VisitBritain: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant-in-aid his Department provided for VisitBritain in each year since its establishment; and how much he expects his Department to provide to VisitBritain in each of the next three years expressed in 2007-08 prices. [186235]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 18 February 2008]: VisitBritain's total allocation of grant in aid, from its establishment in March 2003 to the end of the next spending review period, was (and will be) as follows:
| £ million | ||
| Actual grant-in-aid | At 2007-08 prices | |
The figure for 2006-07 is part of the £350 million invested by the public sector in tourism support, across the UK (based on figures returned to DCMS). Of that £350 million, £101.1 million was central Government funding for VisitBritain and the regional development agencies. Central Government funding for tourism in 1997-98 was £44.7 million.
Defence
Armed Forces: Deployment
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen and women are serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. [187931]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As at 18 February 2008, there were 4,100 service personnel in Iraq and 7,100 in Afghanistan.
The number of personnel in theatre will naturally fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including leave (rest and recuperation), temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and other factors.
Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were involved in disciplinary or criminal proceedings as a result of (a) firearms and (b) other military equipment being sold illegally in each of the last five years. [187367]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Available information is shown in the following tables. Because data are captured using different methods for each of the three services, the definition of the “Firearms” category is not wholly comparable across all three.
The figures provided are based upon individuals dealt with summarily or by courts-martial. Other military equipment has been considered to be any MOD asset.
| Army | ||
| Firearms | Other military equipment | |
Information on the illegal selling of ‘Other Military Equipment’ is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Firearms | |
| Royal Air Force | ||
| Firearms | Other military equipment | |
Disciplinary offences by other ranks which were dealt with summarily are not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Armed Forces: Foreigners
Mr. Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are citizens of countries other than the UK, broken down by nationality. [184708]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 February 2008, Official Report, columns 72-73W, to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison).
Armed Forces: Publications
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the joint service publications (a) JSP 567, (b) JSP 584, (c) JSP 70 and (d) JSP 712. [175455]
Derek Twigg: JSP 567 (Contractor Support to Operations (CSO): Policy Overview) is currently being considered for release and a version will be available shortly. I have placed copies of JSP 584 (New Financial Assistance Regulations for Reservists and their employers) and JSP 712 (Working with databases) in the Library of the House. JSP 712 provided guidance on working with databases for all the IT systems that were currently in use in 2001. With the advent of the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) in 2005, no further updates were made to existing IT systems or applications and the decision was made to mothball JSP 712.
JSP 70 is not recognised as a JSP document.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |