| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
17 July 2008 : Column 546W—continued
Young Offenders: Children in Care
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of those detained in young offender centres have been at any time a looked-after child or otherwise in the care of the state. [218802]
Paul Goggins: The Prison Service does not record the information requested in Northern Ireland. However, research in England and Wales suggests about one in three have been in care as a child.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of children who have (a) been arrested, (b) appeared in court, (c) gone through youth conferences and (d) been imprisoned in young offender centres or prison in each of the last 10 years spent time in state administered care. [218834]
Paul Goggins: Information in the format requested for (a), (b) and (d) is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information available on (c) covers the proportion of initial admissions to the Juvenile Justice Centre, Northern Ireland, received from care homes:
| Proportion (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1, Figures exclude cases where looked after status is unknown at time of admission. 2. Figures are based only to children whose residential address is a care home at time of admission. 3. Figures are based on the first 10 months of 2007 only. | |
Culture, Media and Sport
British Grand Prix
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions his Department had with (a) the organisers of Formula 1, (b) Milton Keynes Council and (c) other interested parties on the proposed move of the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to Donington Park; and on what dates each such discussion took place. [219455]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The decision to move the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to Donington is a commercial matter for Formula One Management (FOM) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
I have not had any direct discussions with any party about this decision.
However, my officials and I have met regularly with representatives of Motor sport Development UK (MDUK), The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) and colleagues from Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to discuss the current redevelopment plans of the Silverstone circuit.
I also met with Bernie Ecclestone on the 18 March 2008 to discuss the British Grand Prix.
Departmental Sick Leave
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many working days have been lost due to sickness amongst employees for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1997. [218043]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Sickness absence figures are contained in the annual report ‘Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service’, published by the Cabinet Office. Website at
The sickness absence reports on the Cabinet Office website date back to 2004. DCMS only holds sickness absence data dating back to 2003.
The Department's sickness absence policy provides guidance to employees on the procedures to following in dealing with sick absence. It also details responsibilities
of individuals, line managers and human and business resources in monitoring and dealing with sickness absence and encouraging return to work—which includes guidance on making reasonable adjustments for employees.
As part of the Department's attendance, health and well-being programme for employees, there are also policies covering a range of flexible work patterns such as part-time/job share, flexible working hours and working from home to support work-life balance. There is support for employees who may wish to take a career break and/or special leave.
The Department also has an employee assistance programme, which is free to employees (their families and friends) and offers advice and counselling on both personal and work related issues.
Gambling
Mr. McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings the Gambling Commission has held with (a) Gala Coral, (b) William Hill and (c) Ladbrokes or their representatives on betting shops in the last 12 months; what matters were discussed; what the outcomes were of the discussions; and if he will make a statement. [219544]
Mr. Sutcliffe: As part of its work in regulating the gambling industry the Gambling Commission has various meetings with representatives of the gambling industry, including Gala Coral, William Hill and Ladbrokes.
These meetings can form part of a formal consultation process, formal liaison with the industry and compliance work. A wide range of regulatory matters have been discussed at the meetings which form part of the Commission's work to ensure effective regulation of the betting industry is maintained. Apart from the normal licensing processes and compliance visits to the operators' premises, the only specific meetings on betting shops with any of the companies have been induction visits for Commissioners and staff.
Reaching Communities Scheme
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of funding from the Reaching Communities Scheme has gone to projects in (a) rural areas and (b) urban areas. [213450]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The fund does not distinguish between urban and rural areas in awarding and recording these grants.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance is provided on funding of programmes in rural areas when deciding on grants from the Reaching Communities Scheme. [213451]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
Reaching Communities is managed by the Big Lottery Fund, which does not provide any specific guidance to applicants in rural areas but does work with partner or helper organisations to ensure that those groups who experience barriers to participation will be able to develop projects for funding from the
programme. Regional information is also provided to committee members who are involved in considering applications.
Sports: Bexley
Mr. Evennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department has provided to (a) amateur sports clubs and (b) sport
in schools in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency since 1997. [218397]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Departmental and Lottery funding to promote and invest in grassroots and community sport is allocated via Sport England. They hold information according to local authority rather than parliamentary constituency, and have itemised the following investment since 1997 in clubs and schools projects within the London borough of Bexley:
| Funding | Recipient | Project | Award date | Financial year | Award amount (£) |
| Funding | Recipient | Project | Award date | Financial year | Award amount (£) |
Innovation, Universities and Skills
Apprentices
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the opportunities for people completing apprenticeships to achieve higher education qualifications; and if he will make a statement. [219127]
Mr. Lammy: In World-class Apprenticeships we highlighted the need for clear progression routes for apprenticeships to maximise the apprenticeship experience, including higher education. Sector Skills Councils are developing a strategy for Level 4 Apprenticeships, enabling progression to higher education, including Foundation Degrees. They are mapping all apprenticeship frameworks to see where Level 4 apprenticeships may be required. Arrangements are already in place for apprentices who complete an engineering or e-skills apprenticeship to have their learning recognised through UCAS points to progress to higher education. A further eight frameworks are expected to be recognised by 2010.
We expect the number of opportunities to progress to higher education to rise once the planned mapping has been completed and the responsibility for maintaining progress will lie with the new National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) when it is operational in April 2009.
Departmental Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of staff in his Department and its predecessor have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years. [218716]
Mr. Lammy: Since the Department was formed in the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, 56 staff have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days. This applies from the date of establishment of the Department to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available). This equates to 6.8 per cent. of current staffing.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days since establishment. [218982]
Mr. Lammy: Since the Department was established in the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, 10 staff have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days. This applies from the date of establishment of the Department to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available). This represents of 1.2 per cent. of DIUS staff.
Home Information Packs
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many home information packs have been commissioned by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies to market a residential property; for which properties; at what cost; and whether a voluntary home condition report was purchased as part of the packs. [219013]
Mr. Lammy: This Department has not commissioned any home information packs. An answer in respect of all our agencies could be given only at disproportionate cost.
Leader of the House
Departmental Sick Leave
David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House (1) how many and what percentage of staff in her office have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years; [218713]
(2) how many staff in her Office have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years. [218980]
Helen Goodman: Data held by the Cabinet Office indicated that in 2007 there were no staff in the Leader's Office who had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days.
The number of staff with periods of sick absence lasting less than five days for the calendar year 2006 is already a matter of public record.
Sickness absence information for the previous years is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Electoral Commission Committee
Electoral Register: Marketing
Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission has spent on (a) its own voter registration campaigns and (b) voter registration campaigns run by non-governmental organisations in each of the last 10 years. [218986]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its public awareness campaigns both encourage voter registration and provide information about how to take part in elections, including different methods of voting and voting systems. The Commission is therefore not able to separate out its expenditure on voter registration specifically, from its expenditure on wider campaign activity.
The following table shows the total expenditure on the Commission’s campaign activity in each of the past four years for which the relevant financial records are readily available. Equivalent information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The costs include advertising costs, and expenditure on other campaign activity such as research, call centres, websites and publications.
| £ | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |