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8 July 2008 : Column 1453W—continued
Olympics
Departmental Television
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Olympics to what premium Sky, digital terrestrial or cable television channels her Office subscribes; and at what yearly cost in the most recent period for which figures are available. [215652]
Tessa Jowell: My private office does not hold an individual subscription to any premium Sky, digital terrestrial or cable television channels.
Olympic Games 2012: Northern Ireland
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many firms based in Northern Ireland have made unsuccessful bids for contracts through the Olympic Delivery Authority. [215286]
Tessa Jowell: To date, five businesses registered in Northern Ireland have responded to Invitations to Tender for Olympic Delivery Authority contracts above the Official Journal of the European Union threshold (according to EU legislation, all contracts from the public sector which are valued above a certain threshold must be published in the Official Journal of the European Union). Of these, three businesses have not been awarded contracts, and two are currently involved in live tenders.
For contracts below the OJEU threshold, six Northern Ireland businesses are at the Invitation to Tender stage in live procurements.
The London 2012 Business Network has been developed to open up opportunities in the London 2012 supply chains to businesses across the UK. Businesses in every constituency should be encouraged to sign up and get the support they need to compete for and win London 2012-related business.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on (a) the application of the public value tests to the BBC’s proposals for (i) local video news services and (ii) education sites and (b) the preparation of market input assessments of such proposals. [216986]
Andy Burnham: I have had no such discussions. This is a matter for the BBC Trust and there is no provision for Government to intervene.
BBC: Internet
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect on the market for advertising on UK-based news websites of the sale of advertising on bbc.com. [216988]
Andy Burnham: I have not made any such assessment. This is a matter for the BBC Trust and there is no provision for Government to intervene.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what IT contracts his Departments and its agency have entered into in the last two years. [215164]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department has entered into one IT contract with Atos Origin for covering ICT services for seven years, signed in December 2007, with a value of approximately £40 million.
Since 1 July 2006, the Royal Parks Agency has entered into seven contracts with Atkins and one with OGC Buying Solutions/Global Crossing and these are detailed as follows:
1. Contract with Atkins for IT Disaster Recovery implementation, let February 2007, for one year, at a cost of £44,000
2. Contract with Atkins for IT Strategy and Governance Development, let April 2007, for three months, at a cost of £35,000
3. Contract with Atkins for ICT Programme implementation—stage 1, let April 2007, for two months, at a cost of £100,000
4. Contract with Atkins for ICT Programme implementation—stage 2, let August 2007, for four months, at a cost of £219,000
5. Contract with Atkins for ICT Programme implementation—stage 3, let January 2008, for one year, at a cost of £721,000
6. Contract with Atkins for IT support services, let May 2007, for one year, at a cost of £7,000
7. Contract with Atkins for IT support services, let May 2008, for one year, at a cost of £7,000
8. Contract with OGC Buying Solutions and Global Crossing for a managed data communications service, let February 2007, for three years, at a cost of £218,000
Note:
All costs exclude VAT.
Departmental NDPBs
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2008, Official Report, columns 856-58W, on departmental non-departmental public bodies, if he will publish each of the funding agreements so far agreed with his Department’s non-departmental public bodies. [216505]
Andy Burnham: The funding agreements that have so far been agreed between DCMS and its NDPBs are listed as follows. These have been placed on the publications section of the Department’s website at: www.culture. gov.uk/1205.aspx Others will be added as they are finalised.
| Name of NDPB | Period of funding agreement |
Digital Broadcasting
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what evidence was submitted to his Department to inform the Digital Working Group interim report published in June 2008. [216522]
Andy Burnham: None. The Digital Radio Working Group is an independent body which sought and took account of a wide range of information in developing its interim report. I look forward to seeing its final report by the end of the year.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) the DAB+ system, (b) the DMB system and (c) the DVB-H system of digital radio transmission. [216535]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 7 July 2008]: As part of its remit, the independent Digital Radio Working Group which we have established has considered these and other technologies.
The Group’s interim report, published on 23 June, concluded that DAB is the most practical route to digital migration in the UK, but that the aim should be for all future radio receivers to be capable of receiving analogue, DAB and other variants of the Eureka 147 family. I look forward to seeing the final report towards the end of the year.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has made at EU level on harmonisation in digital radio technology. [216521]
Andy Burnham: I have made no such representations. However, my officials have discussed the need for harmonised digital technology informally with the Commission and member states. We have recently raised the issue in the EU Communications Committee Broadcasting Issues Sub Group and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Ofcom have jointly written to WorldDMB, the organisation responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of Eureka 147 technologies, which has agreed to take forward the question of harmonised receiver profiles. This is in line with the interim recommendations of the Digital Radio Working Group.
Sports: Handguns
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in what circumstances people can practise in the UK for international pistol tournaments; and if he will make a statement. [215071]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Firearms (Amendments) Act 1997 prohibited the possession of handguns in England and Wales, and Scotland without the specific authority of the Home Secretary or the Scottish Ministers. It does not prohibit the possession of handguns in Northern Ireland.
The Home Secretary has agreed to use her powers under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 to allow a small squad of elite GB Olympic pistol shooters to train in this county ahead of the Olympics in 2012. Scottish Ministers have agreed, in principle, to exercise their powers in a similar manner in relation to Scotland. In Northern Ireland, pistol shooters are free to practise their sport provided that they have the appropriate firearm certificate from the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Home Secretary will also use her powers under section 5 to ensure arrangements are in place to allow competitors and officials at the Olympic games in London in 2012 to possess their special competition pistols for the duration of the games and for any special warm- up events.
Television: Hearing Impairment
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the implementation of requirements for subtitling of digital and satellite television services. [216828]
Andy Burnham: I have had no such discussions. The Communications Act 2003 sets minimum targets for the signing, subtitling and audio description of programmes by licensees, including digital and satellite television services. However, it is the responsibility of Ofcom to ensure that broadcasters meet the requirements contained in their Code on Television Access Services.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Ancram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of British military engagement
in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq was in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08; [216826]
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department of operations in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan was in each year since 2001. [217007]
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the additional expenditure from the Defence Budget required for military operations and equipment in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each year from 2001-02 to 2008-09 which was additional to original allocations under those headings; how much has been allocated from the contingency reserve to fund such expenditure in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. [216902]
Des Browne: The MOD does not make provision for the net additional cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is recovered from the Treasury Reserve. Between 2001-02 and 2006-07 the costs for these operations were:
| Iraq | |||||||
| £ million | |||||||
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-44 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | Total | |
| Afghanistan | |||||||
| £ million | |||||||
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | Total | |
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