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25 Feb 2008 : Column 1170W—continued
Personal Information
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which (a) companies based in the United States and (b) UK subsidiaries of US companies were contracted to his Department and its agencies to provide services involving the use, storage, processing and analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens in each of the last five years. [183858]
Mr. Thomas: On (a) my Department is not aware of any contracts held by it with companies based in the United States to provide services involving the use, storage, processing and analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens. On (b) this information is not collected or held centrally by my Department.
I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. The review is now due to conclude in the spring.
Reconstruction: Iraq
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the value of contracts awarded to UK companies for reconstruction in Iraq since March 2003. [185811]
Mr. Thomas: British companies are not obliged to give Her Majesty’s Government any details of contracts won and there is no central organisation that publishes such information. A number of British companies have been awarded either contracts or subcontracts for the reconstruction process, but for confidentiality reasons we do not release their details.
Recruitment Agencies
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies in relation to departmental appointments in each year since 1997. [184921]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, excluding its agencies and NDPBs, can only provide spend on recruitment agencies from the financial year 2004-05. This information, which relates only to the former Department of Trade and Industry, has been extracted from the Department's finance system. Information for other years requested is not readily available on a consistent basis and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
The figures shown in the following table show the total amount paid to recruitment agencies, which includes both the costs for appointing staff to the Department and the salaries paid to these temporary staff members.
| Financial year | Recruitment agencies costs (£000) |
Recruitment agency staff are only employed when appropriately skilled permanent staff are not available to fill posts. Such appointments are closely monitored with regard to the continuing need.
Tribunals: Discrimination
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claims regarding discrimination on the grounds of (a) disability, (b) gender reassignment, (c) religion, (d) sex, (e) race, (f) age and (g) sexual orientation were made to employment tribunals in each year for which data are available; how many such cases were heard by tribunals in each year; and in how many cases heard by a tribunal the claimant was successful in each year. [172328]
Mr. Thomas: In the five-year period January 2002 to December 2007, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform had the following claims made to an employment tribunal:
(a) Disability
2003 One case submitted to ET withdrawn before hearing.
2004 Two cases submitted to ET one withdrawn before hearing one heard and was unsuccessful.
2005 One case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
2006 One case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
2007 Five cases submitted to ET, three withdrawn before hearing one heard and was successful one heard and was unsuccessful.
(b) Gender reassignment, no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007.
(c) Religion no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007.
(d) Sex 2006 One case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
(e) 2004 1 case submitted to ET, withdrawn before hearing.
2007 One submitted to ET Struck out by ET Judge.
(f) Age no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007
(g) Sexual orientation no cases submitted to ET between 2002 and 2007.
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeology
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on the funding levels of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. [188279]
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on the likely effect of funding the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the current level in 2008-09 on the number of posts; and if he will make a statement. [188625]
Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met the chief executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to discuss these matters. In my capacity as Minister responsible for Culture I have met the MLA’s chief executive regularly. During the course of these meetings we have discussed funding issues for the MLA as a whole. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is funded by the MLA, so the impact of funding levels on the Scheme is a matter for it. The MLA is committed to the continued success of the PAS and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that it is achieved.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Director of the British Museum on the effect of funding the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the current level in 2008-09 on the number of posts; and if he will make a statement. [188626]
Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met the Director of the British Museum to discuss this matter. In my capacity as Minister responsible for Culture, I have met the Museum's Director regularly. During the course of these meetings we have discussed the future of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). The British Museum is committed to the continued success of the PAS and is working with other stakeholders to ensure that it is achieved.
Arts Council of England: Expenditure
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by Arts Council England in the Bassetlaw constituency in each of the last 10 years. [187267]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 20 February 2008]: Arts Council funding for Bassetlaw for the past 10 years is as follows.
| Grant in aid | Lottery | |
Arts: Public Expenditure
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total public expenditure on the arts in (a) England and (b) Bassetlaw was in 2007. [187268]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 20 February 2008]: My Department expects to provide £422.2 million grant in aid for Arts Council England in 2007-08, following parliamentary approval of the spring supplementary estimate. Final outturn figures will be available in June 2008. Projected lottery income to Arts Council England (including investment income) in 2007-08 is £146 million. Final lottery figures will be available in mid April.
Bassetlaw received £13,716 in lottery funding between April 2007 and January 2008.
British Amusement Catering Trade Association
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 317W, on the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, what the outcome was of representations received from, and discussions held with, the Association. [188259]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 22 February 2008]: I am carefully considering the representations made to me by the British Amusement Catering Trades Association (BACTA), together with the evidence that has been provided by some of its members. I hope to be able to respond to BACTA’s campaign shortly.
Casinos
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the Casino Impacts Scoping Study; on what date the report (a) was commissioned, (b) was originally scheduled for publication and (c) is expected to be published; and what the cost of producing the report is. [188236]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 22 February 2008]: The Scoping Study for a UK Gambling Act, 2005 Impact Assessment Framework was commissioned in May 2006 and scheduled for completion in November 2006.
We did not stipulate a publication date but I expect that it will be published shortly. The cost of producing the study was approximately £50,000.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 317W, on casinos, how many adult gaming centres are in operation in England and Wales. [188258]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 22 February 2008]: No figures are currently available for the number of adult gaming centres (AGCs) or for any other type of licensed gambling premises in operation.
Licensing authorities are responsible for providing information on the number of AGC premises licences they have issued to the Gambling Commission but complete information is not yet available. The Gambling Commission will publish information on the number of AGC premises licences issued by licensing authorities in due course.
Mr. Ellwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, columns 317-18W,
on casinos, what assessment has been made of the financial impact of the operation of the Gambling Act 2005 on adult gaming centres in England and Wales since September 2007. [188260]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 22 February 2008]: I am currently considering representations that have been made to me by the British Amusement Catering Trades Association (BACTA) and others about what it is claimed has been the financial impact of the Gambling Act 2005 on adult gaming centres. I hope to be able to respond to BACTA’s campaign shortly.
Creative Sparks Initiative
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pupils have (a) performed music live to an audience, (b) taken part in a theatre production, (c) visited an art gallery, (d) visited a library and (e) visited an historic building under the Creative Sparks initiative since its inception. [187765]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 21 February 2008]: The DCMS Five Year Plan ‘Living Life to the Full’, published in March 2005, included a proposal to develop the Creative Sparks initiative by 2010.
From 2005 we trialled the idea of a cultural offer for children and young people in three areas of the country—Telford, Durham and Bournemouth and Poole—through the Cultural Hubs programme. We have also continued to develop our cultural programmes aimed at children and young people, including Creative Partnerships, the education element of Renaissance in the Regions and the Strategic Commissioning Programme for Museums and Galleries.
We will now take these programmes forward under the new title of ‘Find your Talent’. As announced on 13 February 2008 a series of ten regional pilots will be selected by the summer.
It is not possible to give figures for the number of pupils who have taken part in the activities listed in the question, but the ‘Taking Part’ survey shows that young people took part in the following levels of activity:
(a) Played a musical instrument to an audience: 21 per cent.
(b) Rehearsed or performed in a play: 38 per cent.
(c) Visited a museum or gallery: 55 per cent.
(d) Visited a library: 72 per cent.
(e) Visited a historic environment site: 72 per cent.
The data relate to activities done in and out of school by 11 to 15 year olds living in private households in England. The interviews were conducted between January and December 2006.
The 10 pilots under the ‘Find your Talent’ scheme will be asked to audit the level of provision and the take-up of cultural activities by children and young people.
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