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5 Mar 2008 : Column 2490W—continued
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on (a) alcohol and (b) entertaining in the last 12 months. [187958]
Mr. Woodward: Expenditure on alcohol is not recorded separately by the Northern Ireland Office and to identify it could only be done so at disproportionate cost. Entertainment is included within the overall spend on hospitality.
The total hospitality spend for the Department and its agencies within the last 12 months is £307,000. This figure is net of any receipts relating to the recovery of costs, for hospitality provided to bodies outside of the Department.
Expenditure on hospitality is set out in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on “Regularity and Propriety”.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior civil service staff in his Department and its agencies in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [187544]
Mr. Woodward: Reimbursable expenses for senior civil service staff in the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies for the last 12 months covering February 2007 to January 2008 totalled £85,000.
Under the Civil Service Management Code Departments and agencies must:
reimburse staff only for expenses which they actually and necessarily incur in the course of official business;
comply with the additional conditions and rules on travel, relocation expenses, compensation for loss or damage to property, and overseas expenses set out in sections 8.2 to 8.6 of the Code; and
ensure that their rules provide for claiming recompense, including verification and authorisation.
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Labour Turnover
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers (a) left and (b) joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [191218]
Paul Goggins: The following table shows the numbers who have joined and left the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the last three completed financial years and current year to date.
| Recruitment (includes transfers from other forces) | Leavers( 1) | |
| (1) Leavers includes officers leaving under severance, medical and injury on duty retirements. | ||
Terrorism
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will consider prohibiting the Irish Republican Liberation Army under the Terrorism Act 2000. [185725]
Mr. McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
The following Irish organisations are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000:
Continuity Army Council;
Cumann na mBan;
Fianna na hEireann;
Irish National Liberation Army;
Irish People's Liberation Organisation;
Irish Republican Army;
Loyalist Volunteer Force;
Orange Volunteers;
Red Hand Commando;
Red Hand Defenders;
Saor Eire;
Ulster Defence Association;
Ulster Freedom Fighters; and
Ulster Volunteer Force.
As a matter of normal policy and practice we do not comment on organisations not on the proscribed list.
Wind Power
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to which wind farm proposals his Department lodged objection in each of the last three years; and for what reasons in each case. [191111]
Mr. Woodward: ( )The Northern Ireland Office has no responsibility for these matters, however the( )Secretary of State for Northern Ireland had responsibility for the Northern Ireland( )Departments until 8 May 2007 when devolution was restored.
I am advised by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister that no( )objections to wind farm proposals were made by the Northern Ireland Departments in( )2006 and in the period 1 January 2007 to 7 May 2007.
Young Offender Institutions
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many young people on average were detained in each young offender institution in Northern Ireland in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007. [191219]
Paul Goggins: The information is provided in the following table.
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre provides accommodation for young people aged 10 to 17.
HM Young Offenders Centre Hydebank Wood holds young people aged 16 to 21. Those( )males aged over 21 who are allowed exceptionally to complete their sentences at Hydebank( )Wood are also classed as young offenders.
Scotland
Postal Services
7. Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on postal services in Scotland. [190399]
David Cairns: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
Universities: Research
8. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on UK Government funding for research in Scottish universities. [190400]
Des Browne: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues. Scotland’s share of public funding for research is 12.5 per cent. as compared to a population share of 9 per cent.
Public Spending
9. Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much per capita was spent from the public purse in Scotland in the most recent period for which figures are available. [190401]
David Cairns: The latest Treasury public expenditure statistical analyses figures show that the planned spend in Scotland for 2006-07 was £8,623 per head. Public spending per head has increased at a faster rate for England than it has for Scotland in every year since 2001-02.
Armed Forces: Health Care
10. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the provision of health care for armed forces personnel based in Scotland. [190402]
Des Browne: I have had various discussions with the First Minister on a range of subjects including armed forces personnel. The Scottish Executive has the duty to ensure NHS boards in Scotland implement their responsibilities to the armed forces, service families, and veterans. The Ministry of Defence has numerous, regular discussions at various levels to assist the Executive and NHS Scotland in this respect.
14. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the recent Defence Committee report on medical care for the armed forces, HC327 of session 2007-08. [190406]
Des Browne: I have not discussed the recent Defence Committee report on medical care for the armed forces with the First Minister. The Scottish Executive has the duty to ensure NHS boards in Scotland implement their responsibilities to the armed forces, service families, and veterans. The Ministry of Defence has numerous, regular discussions at various levels to assist the Executive and NHS Scotland in this respect.
Financial Services
11. Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the financial services sector in Scotland. [190403]
David Cairns: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, and I have regular engagement with the industry’s significant employers in Scotland who continue to benefit from the UK’s economic, monetary and fiscal framework that has underpinned the stability of our economy for so long. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, is also a member of the Chancellor’s High Level Group on Financial Services.
Comprehensive Spending Review
12. Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the comprehensive spending review settlement provided to the Scottish Executive. [190404]
Des Browne: The results of the comprehensive spending review delivered an unequivocally good settlement for Scotland. By the end of the period, the money available to the Scottish Executive will reach £30 billion—more than double the 1999 figure of £14 billion which Donald Dewar had.
Broadcasting
13. Rosemary McKenna: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish broadcasters on the future of broadcasting in Scotland. [190405]
David Cairns: I recently addressed the Salford “Television from the Nations and Regions” conference, where I had discussions with a number of independent broadcasters from across the UK. I have also recently met with the Controller of BBC Scotland and the Chief Executive of Scottish Media Group.
Devolution
15. Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for Wales on the progress of devolution. [190407]
Des Browne: I meet regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a wide range of issues. Both the Secretary of State for Wales and I are members of the Cabinet’s Constitution committee which is chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice. The committee considers a wide range of constitutional matters.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what campaigns were undertaken by agencies of his Department in conjunction with external public relations companies in each of the last five years, broken down by lead agency; what the cost of each campaign was; and what public relations companies were involved in each campaign. [187579]
Margaret Hodge: The Department has only one executive agency—The Royal Parks Agency. They have used external companies for the following campaigns:
| Campaign | £ | |
Government Departments: Flags
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on his Department’s consultation on flying the Union flag from Government buildings. [189728]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 28 February 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1413W.
Overseas Visitors
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what forecast he has made of the number of inbound visitors to the UK in (a) 2008, (b) 2010, (c) 2012 and (d) 2020; [187688]
(2) how many inbound tourist visitors to England he estimates there will be in (a) 2008, (b) 2010, (c) 2012 and (d) 2020. [187494]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 21 February 2008]: Information on inbound tourist forecasts to England is not available.
VisitBritain only projects the volume of inbound tourism to the UK for the year ahead due to the large number of factors that can influence the volume and value of inbound tourism over the longer term.
The most recent forecasts estimate growth by around 2 per cent. during 2008, with 32.3 million visitors expected. This is an aggregate forecast regardless of purpose of visit.
Full details of the VisitBritain forecasts can be found at:
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