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9 Jun 2008 : Column 12W—continued
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the increase in aid provided by the UK to Yemen has been since the 2006 Yemen donor's conference in London. [208297]
Mr. Malik: In 2006-07 the aid programme to Yemen was £8.31 million. Following the 2006 donor conference where we pledged £117 million over four years, the aid programme was increased to £11.99 million in 2007-08 and will continue to rise in the coming three years to meet our total commitment.
Yemen: Poverty
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of Yemen's ability to fulfil its poverty targets for 2008. [208296]
Mr. Malik: The Government of Yemen's third Socio-Economic Development Plan for Poverty Reduction (SEDPPR) 2006 to 2010 aims to reduce poverty rates to 19.5 per cent. by 2010. However it contains no specific targets for 2008. A mid point review of the SEDPPR is due to be completed by September 2008, and will show whether Yemen is on track to meet its 2010 targets.
The UK helped to fund a poverty assessment based on a household budget survey which was undertaken in 2005-06 by the Government of Yemen, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme— UNDP. This assessment demonstrated that poverty rates have declined from 40.1 per cent. in 1998 to 34.8 per cent. in 2005. However recent World Bank figures estimate that these gains may have been fully reversed due to inflation and high food prices.
Scotland
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2008, Official Report, column 307W, on departmental official hospitality, what the (a) cost and (b) purpose was of each event held by his Department in 2007-08. [208119]
David Cairns: The nine events, objectives and expenditure are detailed in the following table.
These events continue to be popular with MPs of all parties with relevant Scottish constituencies taking the opportunity to engage with important stakeholders and groups in Scotland.
Food
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much food waste his Department generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [208148]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office has no in-house canteen or other catering facilities so therefore does not routinely generate food waste.
Wales
Fairtrade Initiative
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008, Official Report, column 953W, on the Fairtrade initiative, what Fairtrade products are offered at his departmental meetings and engagements. [209021]
Mr. Paul Murphy: In line with my answer given on 5 February 2008, my Department has offered Fairtrade tea and coffee at departmental meetings and engagements.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what sports facilities are due to be constructed on the Olympic Park; what sports each will host during the 2012 Olympic Games; who the contractor and what the budget is for each; and what progress has been made on construction of each. [209704]
Tessa Jowell: There will be five permanent venues in the Olympic Park: the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Handball Arena, the VeloPark and Eton Manor.
The Olympic Stadium is being constructed by Team McAlpine, a consortium made up of Sir Robert McAlpine, HOK Sport and Buro Happold, and the budget—as announced in October 2007—remains at the contract price £496 million. This venue will host all Olympic and Paralympic track and field events as well as being the finish point for the Marathon and the start and finish points for the Racewalk. Construction of the Olympic Stadium commenced in May 2008.
The Aquatics Centre is being constructed by UK firm Balfour Beatty and the budget, as announced in April, is £242 million. The venue will host Olympic swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon swimming events and Paralympic swimming events. Planning permission has been granted for the Aquatics Centre. Balfour Beatty took possession of the site in June 2008 and construction work is on track to commence in the next two months.
The Handball Arena will host handball events, as well as modern pentathlon fencing during the Olympic Games and goalball events during the Paralympic Games. The budget for the Handball Arena is in line with the overall venues budget already announced but further budget details cannot be released as sensitive commercial negotiations continue. The Olympic Delivery Authority expects to appoint a contractor for the Handball Arena in early 2009, ready for construction to start in the summer of 2009.
The Eton Manor site will host the Paralympic archery and wheelchair tennis events programme and provide athletes training facilities during the Games. As a contractor is yet to be appointed, budget details for this venue cannot yet be released but it remains within the budget for venues already announced. Stanton Williams were awarded the contract to design the venue in April 2008 and construction is due to begin in early 2010.
The VeloPark, of which the Velodrome is the main component, will host the Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events and the adjacent BMX circuit will host the BMX events. The budget for the VeloPark is £80 million. A consortium made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP and Grant Associates has been chosen to design the VeloPark and construction is due to begin in 2009. The contract for the Velodrome was awarded to ISG InteriorExterior in May 2008.
A number of sports, including basketball, waterpolo, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, will take place in temporary venues on the Olympic Park. The budgets for these facilities are included in the venues budget as announced at the end of 2007 and building contractors have yet to be appointed.
LOCOG ‘-London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games-’ have responsibility for the construction of a temporary hockey centre on the Olympic Park that will host hockey and paralympic football competitions.
Culture, Media and Sport
Departmental NDPBs
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when (a) he, (b) his predecessors and (c) other Ministers from his Department last met a representative from each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies. [207382]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 2 June 2008]: The information requested could be answered only at disproportionate cost. However, within a fortnight of my appointment as Secretary of State, I, together with my ministerial team hosted a breakfast seminar to which representatives from all of the Department's non-departmental public bodies were invited. In addition, since I have been Secretary of State, Ministers from this Department have met with representatives from the majority of our non-departmental public bodies and hope to meet with the remainder in the near future.
English Language: Hospitality Industry
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with the hospitality industry on minimum standards of spoken English among its employees. [208531]
Margaret Hodge: My Department is working with People 1st, the Sector Skills Council, and the British Hospitality Association to improve the skills and qualifications levels of managers, chefs and those involved in customer service through the implementation of the National Skills Strategy for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism. This includes looking at English language requirements where necessary to improve communication and customer service skills. We are also examining the barriers to training, including qualifications reform. I chair the Monitoring and Implementation (M&I) Group for this strategy, and the hospitality industry is represented on that body. Our work will be informed by research undertaken by People lst into English language requirements which will be completed later this year.
Tourism
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the productivity rate in the tourism industry was in each year since 2002. [208799]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 5 June 2008]: Productivity data for the tourism and leisure industry is estimated from the Annual Business Inquiry, run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The table shows the annual percentage productivity changes in the tourism and leisure industry from 2002 onwards.
| Annual percentage productivity changes 2002 - 06 | |
| Tourism and Leisure Industry | Percentage |
| (1) 2006 figures are provisional with the final figures being published in June 2008. Source: Department for Culture, Media and Sport using data from the Annual Business Inquiry (ONS). | |
For full details on how the PSA ‘-public service agreement-’ is measured, see the technical note 2005 to 2008 PSA Technical note (Revised) on the DCMS website
Leader of the House
Early-Day Motions: Internet
Lynne Jones: To ask the Leader of the House for what reasons it is not possible for hon. Members to e-table early-day motions. [209346]
Helen Goodman: This matter was considered by the Procedure Committee in its first report of session 2006-07 (HC 513) on public petitions and early day motions (paragraphs 93-96). Given the formal nature of an early-day motion and concerns about authentication of electronic tabling, the Committee considered that Members were not unduly constrained by present procedures for tabling and signing EDMs in this respect. They concluded that they could not recommend the introduction of e-tabling for EDMs. The House endorsed this approach in its debate on the Committee's Report on 25 October 2007.
Intelligence and Security Committee: Public Appointments
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Leader of the House if she will hold discussions with the Prime Minister to bring forward proposals to ensure that future appointments to the Intelligence and Security Committee are decided by the House. [208998]
Helen Goodman: I have nothing further to add to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's answer of 25 March 2008, Official Report, column 88W, in which he stated that the Governance of Britain White Paper (cm 7342) includes proposals to enable Parliament to play a fuller role in the appointment of members to the Intelligence and Security Committee.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Carbon Emissions: Advisory Services
Gregory Barker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his
Department has allocated to the Energy Saving Trust to fund activities as part of the Act on CO2 advice line. [208773]
Mr. Woolas: Government will be providing over £100 million in the next three years to the Energy Saving Trust to develop a proactive green homes service, based on the Act on CO2 advice line and a regional network of one stop shops. In this year alone, DEFRA is providing the Energy Saving Trust with £35.2 million, £24.5 million of which will be specifically for the Act on CO2 advice line and the roll out of the regional advice centres.
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amount
of verified emissions of carbon dioxide in tonnes there was from EU Emissions Trading Scheme installations in each sector in the UK in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [209480]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 6 June 2008]: The following table gives details of the sector level results against allocations for the UK in each of the last three years. We will provide analysis of the results in more depth and information on the results across the EU. Further information on EU ETS results can be found at the European Environment Agency website using their Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL) viewer.
DEFRA cautions against a simplistic analysis of this table.
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