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10 Mar 2008 : Column 148W—continued
Take It Away Instrument Scheme
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on the Take It Away instrument scheme in each of the last three years; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the scheme in promoting learning a musical instrument; how many outlets were participating in the scheme on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many people have participated in the scheme since its inception. [191398]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 3 March 2008]: Take it Away is an Arts Council initiative and was launched as a national scheme in July 2007. Through ArtCo Trading Ltd, the Take it Away scheme has received £165,000 in 2006-07, and £625,000 in 2007-08, in grant funding.
There are currently 91 member retailers across England. This is expected to increase to 250 from April/May 2008.
For the first six months (July to December 2007) a total of 3,849 loans have been taken out by customers.
The scheme is open to anyone but has the following target groups:
Those buying an instrument for a child or young person under 18;
Those buying an instrument for the first time (of any age);
Those on lower than the average national income (£22,500).
The first six month report shows that 82.72 per cent. of customers to date fall within at least one of the three priority groups: Over a quarter (29.8 per cent.) of instruments have been bought for a young person; almost half (46.03 per cent.) of all loans have been taken out by customers on incomes less than £22,500 per annum; and almost half (47.93 per cent.) of all loans have provided instruments for people who have classed themselves as a beginner or adult re-starter. 57.6 per cent. of customers fall into the socio-economic grade A, B and C1 and 42.4 per cent. fall into socio-economic grades C2, D and E collectively.
The Arts Council's view is that it is too early at this stage to assess the longer term impact and effectiveness of the scheme in promoting the learning of musical instruments. However, the strong uptake in the first six months suggests that the scheme is having an impact in generating interest and engagement from a broad cross section of the community.
Irish Television Channel: UK
Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with the Irish Government on establishing a dedicated Irish television channel for Irish people living in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [181764]
Andy Burnham: My right hon. Friend the Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (James Purnell) met with Eamon Ryan TD, the Irish Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, on 22 January 2008, to discuss a number of issues. The subject of establishing a dedicated Irish television channel for broadcast in the UK was raised, but no firm decisions have been made.
Television: Advertising
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what restrictions are in place on the advertisement of (a) alcohol, (b) food high in fats, salt and sugar, (c) gambling and (d) 18 classified content on television (i) during programmes for children and young people, (ii) before the watershed and (iii) at all other times; what assessment he has made of the prevalence of these types of advertising during these times; and if he will make a statement. [191016]
Andy Burnham: Under the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice rules, regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), strict controls are in place prohibiting the advertising of all these products in or adjacent to children’s programmes.
Foods high in fat, salt and sugar may not be advertised in or adjacent to programmes commissioned for, principally directed at or likely to appeal particularly to audiences below the age of 16. This prohibition is extended to audiences below the age of 18 for alcohol and gambling products. In addition to these rules, the gambling industry has drawn up a voluntary code for socially responsible advertising which includes a ban on all broadcast gambling advertising before the 9 pm watershed.
Trailers for films or videos carrying an 18- or 15- certificate may not be advertised in or adjacent to programmes which are of particular appeal to children under 10. However, depending on the content and, in particular, the extent and nature of any portrayal of violence or sexual activity, an alternative timing restriction such as post 7.30 pm or post 9 pm may often be appropriate for such material.
Advertising of all these products is permitted at other times with the exception of a specific restriction on the advertising of alcohol products in or between religious programmes.
Both Government and Ofcom are committed to review the impact of the new rules on broadcast food promotion to children. The ASA has also recently carried out monitoring and compliance surveys for alcohol, food and drink and gambling advertising. In addition to this specific work, the ASA will be undertaking a review of all advertising codes during 2008.
Justice
Administration of Justice: Fees and Charges
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether charges to newspapers to supply court lists to them reflect the cost of collating the information. [192906]
Maria Eagle: Statutory fee charges in HM Courts Service are set to recover full cost for the work undertaken by both administrative staff and judiciary. Photocopying fee charges are calculated by averaging out the time spent by admin staff when conducting any form of photocopying function requested by the court user. The magistrates courts are the only court that provides extracts of the court register (regarding criminal outcomes) for publication in a newspaper. The cost covers the time spent to undertake this duty.
Constituencies
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008, Official Report, column 1109W, on constituencies, what the timetable is of the review of legislation on boundary rules. [192189]
Bridget Prentice: We are currently considering the arrangements for this review and will be making an announcement shortly. We estimate that, once it starts, the review should take about a year to complete.
Coroners: Armed Forces
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to exclude inquests relating to deaths in the course of military operations from use of the powers in the Counter-Terrorism Bill to appoint a specially appointed coroner. [191868]
Bridget Prentice: It is proposed that the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism Bill, which amend the Coroners Act 1988, will apply to all inquests. These provisions enable the Secretary of State to certify that an inquest will involve consideration of material that could not be disclosed publicly without damaging the public interest and this could include inquests relating to deaths arising from military operations. However, it is anticipated that these proposals will affect a very limited number of cases in exceptional circumstances, and they would have had no application to inquests already held into deaths arising from military operations as none have been held with juries. The proposals allow for an inquest to be held without a jury and for the appointment of a security vetted coroner who will only be appointed if the coroner who would ordinarily have jurisdiction is not among those who have received such clearance. These provisions will ensure that the small number of inquests which engage both article 2 of the ECHR and involve material that cannot be disclosed publicly can proceed.
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to exclude inquests relating to deaths caused by friendly fire from use of the powers in the Counter-Terrorism Bill to (a) certify that a coroner’s inquest be held without a jury and (b) appoint a specially appointed coroner. [191869]
Bridget Prentice: It is proposed that the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism Bill, which amend the Coroners Act 1988, will apply to all inquests. These provisions enable the Secretary of State to certify that an inquest will involve consideration of material that could not be disclosed publicly without damaging the public interest and this could include inquests relating to deaths arising from friendly fire incidents. However, it is anticipated that these proposals will affect a very limited number of cases in exceptional circumstances, and they would have had no application to inquests already held into deaths arising from friendly fire incidents as none have been held with juries. The proposals allow for an inquest to be held without a jury and for the appointment of a security vetted coroner who will only be appointed if the coroner who would ordinarily have jurisdiction is not among those who have received such clearance. These provisions will ensure that the small number of inquests which engage both article 2 of the ECHR and involve material that cannot be disclosed publicly can proceed.
Departmental Consultants
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much was spent by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on (a) consultants and (b) agency staff in the financial years (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07; [191882]
(2) how many (a) consultants and (b) agency staff were employed by the Department for Constitutional Affairs at the end of the financial year 2004-05. [191952]
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his predecessor Department on (a) consultants and (b) agency staff in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07. [192505]
Maria Eagle: Expenditure and the number of contracts let with external consultants, in the years 2004 to 2007, were as follows:
| Number of consultancy contracts let | Expenditure (£ million) | |
The Department has a national framework agreement for the provision of administrative, secretarial and clerical staff. Expenditure and average number of agency workers engaged via that framework, in the years 2004-07, were as follows:
| Average number of agency workers | Expenditure (£ million) | |
Expenditure relating to workers engaged outside this framework, with other employment agencies, is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on (a) alcohol and (b) entertaining in the last 12 months. [187960]
Mr. Straw: It is not possible to list the amount spent on alcohol in the last 12 months without incurring disproportionate costs as it is not separately identifiable within the Department's accounts.
Entertainment costs for the last financial year can be broken down as follows:
| Entertainment costs (£) | |
NOMS, HMPS, and OPG cannot separately identify entertainment costs from their accounts. These costs may be identified only at disproportionate cost.
All expenditure on alcohol and hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety which is based on
the principles set out in Government Accounting and supported by the Department's published internal guidance.
All expenditure, including that on hospitality, has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Departmental Older Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people over the age of 55 have been recruited by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last three years. [191526]
Bridget Prentice: The requested figures are in the following table.
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