| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
3 Mar 2008 : Column 2115W—continued
Expenditure information for 1997-98 and information on the number of overseas visits and countries visited by officials is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects to answer Question (a) 181540 and (b) 181595 on departmental travel, tabled on 21 January 2008 by the hon. Member for Taunton; and what the reason for the time taken to respond is. [191406]
The Solicitor-General: These questions have been answered today (3 March).
Departmental Vehicles
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Solicitor-General (1) how many vehicles were (a) owned and (b) purchased by her Department in each of the last 10 years; [183303]
(2) how many (a) parking tickets and (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by the Law Officers’ Departments in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year. [183355]
The Solicitor-General: My Department has neither owned nor purchased vehicles in this period.
The Serious Fraud Office is aware of one parking ticket for £100 issued in April 2006.
The Law Officers’ Departments do not routinely hold such records as it is not their policy to reimburse fines incurred by employees. There has therefore been no cost to the public purse in this period.
HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor: Manpower
David Howarth: To ask the Solicitor-General what posts (a) have been and (b) are expected to be created as a result of increases in expenditure on HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor in the Spring Supplementary Estimate 2007-08. [188192]
The Solicitor-General
[holding answer 22 February 2008]: In 2007-08 the Chief Secretary to the Treasury agreed an additional 10 posts for the Treasury Solicitors
Department Agency. In the Attorney General’s Office increased funding is for 4.5 posts in the Attorney General’s Office itself and creation of a further 2.5 posts for establishing the National Fraud Strategic Authority. The increases in expenditure in the spring supplementary estimate only in part cover increases in posts.
Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office: Finance
David Howarth: To ask the Solicitor-General from which projects funding has been withdrawn as the result of the increase of £1,000,000 in capital spending to cover establishment costs for the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office IT project and the capitalisation of the majority of refurbishment costs, as announced in the Spring 2007-08 Supplementary Estimates. [188500]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 22 February 2008]: The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office has not withdrawn funding from any projects as a result of its increase in capital spending. The additional capital budget has been drawn from unallocated reserves established under end year flexibility procedures.
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeology
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect that the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council’s decision to fund the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) at the existing level in 2008-09 may have on the existing number of jobs at the PAS; and if he will make a statement. [187827]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 21 February 2008]: The decision of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to maintain current levels of funding for the portable antiquities scheme in 2008-09, in the context of a tight spending review, recognises the importance of the scheme. Any assessment of the effect of future funding provision on the scheme is a matter for the MLA, which is working together with other stakeholders to ensure the scheme’s continued success.
Archaeology: Finance
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been made available for the portable antiquities scheme in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. [189829]
Margaret Hodge: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
In recognition of the importance of the scheme, the MLA has undertaken to maintain current funding levels for the PAS for 2008-09. This represents a good offer in the context of a tight spending review for the MLA. Any decision on future funding for the scheme is a matter for the MLA.
Archaeology: Wales
Lembit Öpik: 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 future of the portable antiquities scheme in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [189830]
Margaret Hodge: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the portable antiquities scheme and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met the chief executive of the MLA to discuss this matter. In my capacity as Minister for Culture I have regular meetings with MLA's chief executive. 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 them.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many archaeological finds made in Wales have been recorded under the portable antiquities scheme. [189990]
Margaret Hodge: As of 26 February 2008, 17,702 Welsh archaeological finds found by the public have been recorded with the portable antiquities scheme.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many funds liaison officers (FLOs) cover Wales; what recent assessment he has made of FLOs’ performance in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [190202]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 28 February 2008]: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is committed to the continued success of the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) and is working together with other stakeholders to ensure that this is achieved.
One finds liaison officer covers Wales. The PAS also makes small grants to four Welsh Archaeological
Trusts (Cambria-Dyfed Archaeological Trust, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust) to record archaeological finds found by the public. The finds liaison officers for Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside and Herefordshire and Shropshire also visit metal-detecting clubs in Wales and record finds made by Welsh finders.
The PAS is funded by the 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.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of the portable antiquities scheme in Wales in each of the last three years; what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [190203]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 28 February 2008]: The total costs for the portable antiquities scheme (PAS) in Wales in the last three years were £47,556.02 in 2004-05; £59,325.78 in 2005-06; and £47,863.87 in 2006-07.
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.
Arts
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, columns 313-4W, on the arts, how many people each percentage figure in the tables represents. [189972]
Margaret Hodge [pursuant to the reply , 18 February 2008, Official Report, c. 313-4W]: The tables previously supplied are repeated with additional information relating to population. The tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who did not attend or participate in the arts during the 12 months prior to interview. Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.
| Arts non-participation | ||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |||
| Priority group | Percentage | Thousand | Percentage | Thousand |
| Arts non-attendance | ||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |||
| Priority group | Percentage | Thousand | Percentage | Thousand |
Using the latest data available, the following tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who currently did attend and participate in the arts in the 12 months
prior to interview. Again, these are the tables previously supplied but with additional information relating to population.
| Arts participation | ||
| 2006-07 | ||
| Percentage | Thousand | |
| Arts attendance | ||
| 2006-07 | ||
| Percentage | Thousand | |
All data are taken from the DCMS ‘Taking Part’ survey, which provides national data on participation in arts activities and attendance at arts events by adults aged 16 and over.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, columns 314-5W, on the arts, how many people each percentage figure in the tables represents. [189973]
Margaret Hodge [pursuant to the reply, 18 February 2008, Official Report, c . 313-5W: The tables previously supplied are repeated with additional information relating to population.
The tables show the percentage of people from our priority groups and the population as a whole who attended and participated in the arts at least twice during the 12 months prior to interview. This relates to the frequency of engagement rather than the number of activities attended/participated in. Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.
| Arts participation | ||||
| 2005-06( 1) | 2006-07 | |||
| Priority group | Percentage | Thousand | Percentage | Thousand |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |