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19 Nov 2008 : Column 602W—continued
Security Guards: Licensing
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Security Industry Authority licence holders have had their licences revoked incorrectly following inaccurate information being provided by her Department on their right to work. [232343]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Security Industry Authority’s revocation process, which applied following right to work checks with the United Kingdom Border Agency on non-EEA SIA licence holders, incorporates a number of safeguards to ensure that licences are not revoked incorrectly. This includes written notification to the holder informing them that the SIA is minded to revoke their licence and allowing 21 days to respond with evidence of their right to work, during which the licence remains in force. Revocation follows if no such evidence is provided, but the holder retains the right of appeal through the courts for a further 21 days and a licence remains in force until the appeal process is completed.
There have been instances where licence holders have not responded to requests for information from the SIA, had their licences revoked and subsequently demonstrated a valid right to work at appeal. The latest information available shows that there have been just over 250 such cases since 1 January 2008, or 3 per cent. of the approximately 8,100 cases where revocation ensued after a warning letter had been sent following the right to work checks on almost 40,000 non-EEA licence holders at the end of 2007.
Sex Establishments
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to reclassify lap-dancing clubs as sex encounter establishments. [235650]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 13 November 2008]: We will be publishing proposals shortly.
Terrorism
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use has been made of the powers to search domestic hereditaments for weapons of mass destruction under section 52 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [222694]
Mr. Coaker: The Home Office does not collate or hold information on the use made of this power.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer question 195404 on routes to citizenship, tabled on 18 March. [206477]
Jacqui Smith: I replied to the hon. Member on 1 September 2008, Official Report, column 1533W.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer question 195037, on security passes, tabled on 13 March 2008. [206493]
Jacqui Smith: I replied to the hon. Member on 14 October 2008, Official Report, column 1073W.
Culture, Media and Sport
BBC: Standards
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent report on the inspection of the British Broadcasting Corporation by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner. [236617]
Andy Burnham: The report is a matter for the BBC.
It is the view of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner that for public authorities to disclose the contents of his reports would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs and the BBC does not therefore propose to place a copy of this report in the Library of the House.
Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received from representatives of people running bed and breakfast establishments. [233565]
Barbara Follett [holding answer 6 November 2008]: My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge) met my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. Dhanda) the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on 21 July 2008 to discuss concerns raised by VisitBritain, on behalf of small accommodation providers about the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and its impact on their establishments.
DCLG is working with stakeholders on providing guidance to accommodation providers which will help them understand what is required of them and give them practical advice. The industry, VisitBritain and my Department continue to work with DCLG on addressing this issue.
Churches: Theft
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support English Heritage has given to churches on tackling increases in thefts of lead from church roofs. [236514]
Barbara Follett: English Heritage is extremely concerned about the theft of metals from churches. A substantial proportion of its grant aid over many years has been given to re-roof parish churches, usually in lead which is the most robust and appropriate material. English Heritage has recently published a guidance note on its website
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/Advice_Note_on_Theft_of_Metal_Roof_Coverings_5_JS_.pdf
which provides information and advice on ways to minimise the threat of theft and suggests sensible precautions that congregations can take.
English Heritage scrutinises new methods of preventing theft when it is asked to do so. This work is undertaken by its national security adviser who tests for example, new devices and systems. English Heritage then disseminates findings on effective systems to all interested parties.
Community Development: Crosby
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of (a) the effectiveness of community sport and cultural activities funded by his Department in engaging young people most at risk of committing antisocial behaviour and (b) the effectiveness of community sport and cultural activities funded in Crosby constituency in meeting their objectives. [236716]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Through our agencies we have a wide range of programmes that offer young people most at risk of committing antisocial behaviour the opportunity to participate more in sport and culture. These include the Kickz Programme, and the Department's Youth Mentoring Programme for media, music and sport which includes 'Your Hired!' and the 'Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme'.
We have not undertaken a specific assessment of the effectiveness of such programmes in respect of engaging young people most at risk of committing antisocial behaviour, or the effectiveness of community sport and cultural activities in Crosby in particular.
Cultural Heritage
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department were employed to work on heritage issues in each year since 1997. [227202]
Barbara Follett: Such headcount information as is available is shown in the following table.
| Headcount | |
These figures represent the position at the end of each financial year.
Departmental Consultants
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many external consultants work for his Department. [232843]
Barbara Follett: From 1 April 2008 to date 10 external consultants have worked for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Departmental Data Protection
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that data are not lost; and what steps his Department takes to ensure that companies contracted to provide services for his Department take steps to prevent such losses. [237034]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department protects its information by complying with government security standards which are a mix of physical and logical controls.
Staff have been reminded of their responsibility to protect and secure information and to not copy sensitive data to removable media unless it is absolutely necessary. If they do they have been reminded that it should be safeguarded as if it was a large amount of cash.
Laptop hard drives are encrypted and only encrypted data sticks may carry departmental information.
My Department uses the standard terms and conditions provided by the OGC in its contracts. It also includes the specific mandatory requirements set out in the Cabinet Office review of data handling in its invitation to tender documentation. Compliance with all security requirements is a compulsory element of tender evaluation.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the data shared between his Department and companies contracted to provide services for it is routinely encrypted. [237169]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department does not hold large amounts of sensitive data that need to be shared with suppliers. Payroll information is shared with a supplier and passes across a secure Government Secure Intranet and is not encrypted.
Departmental Land
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much surplus land (a) his Department and (b) its agencies own; and what the (i) area and (ii) estimated monetary value of each site is. [236431]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Neither the Department for Culture, Media and Sport nor its agency The Royal Parks, own any surplus land.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05, (d) 2005-06, (e) 2006-07 and (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost. [235397]
Andy Burnham: The number of written questions tabled (and transferred) to DCMS is as follows
| Number | |
| (1) Excludes figures for written questions answered by the Minister for the Olympics. Information obtained from the DCMS parliamentary questions database. | |
Information on how many written questions were answered substantively and not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost is not readily available and could
be provided only at disproportionate cost. However all DCMS answers are a matter of public record and can be found in the Official Report.
Gambling Commission: Standards
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on the inspection of the Gambling Commission by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner. [236614]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The report is a matter for the Gambling Commission and the Commission considers that it is not in the public interest to make the document available in the public domain at this time.
In the Commission's view, disclosing the scale and nature of the Commission's processes would, or would be likely to, compromise the Commission's ability to perform its statutory functions, which include investigating the commission of offences.
Government Art Collection
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 817W, on the Government Art Collection, what the eight missing works of art are; when each was recorded as missing; what the monetary value of each is estimated to be; and how much has been spent to date on their recovery. [235993]
Barbara Follett: The information is as follows:
Horse Guards from the Old Entrance, Scotland Yard
Print after Michael Angelo Rooker
(GAC15039)
Recorded as missing on 1 November 2007
Estimated value: £400
Print by Ernest DUNN
(GACL90)
Recorded as missing on 28 July 2008
Estimated value: £120
The Wording of Police Charges 37/150 1970
(GAC12775)
(GAC12754)
Prints by R.B. KITAJ
Recorded as missing on 30 July 2008
Estimated value: £500 each
Yellow Square plus Quarter Blue 30/72 1972
Print by William SCOTT
(GAC11397)
Recorded as missing on 2 September 2008
Estimated value: £4,000
Print by Julian Trevelyan
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