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10 Dec 2008 : Column 110W—continued
Youth Alcohol Action Plan
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) yellow cards and (b) red cards have been issued to licensees under his Department's alert system referred to in the Youth Alcohol Action Plan. [240545]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The adoption of a yellow and red card approach to licensing reviews does not necessarily mean the physical issue of actual cards. The term is an illustrative one used to explain how enforcement and licensing officers can put irresponsible premises on notice that they face losing their licence if they do not improve. At first review (yellow card) tough conditions can be included on the premises licence. If, after another review, there has been no improvement or the licence conditions have been breached, the licence could be suspended or revoked (red card). We are working with licensing authorities to explore how they might use such an approach to take swift and firm action against problem premises.
Zoneparcs
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Zoneparcs are in operation; and how much funding for these projects has been (a) allocated and (b) spent to date. [240336]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Youth Sport Trust have advised that the budget for Zoneparc between 2004 and 2007 was £8,250,000 and has all been spent. This has resulted in a total of 425 Zoneparcs being set up.
Zoneparc was a playground project aimed at tackling social exclusion and increasing activity levels of young people by introducing innovative break time activities and playground management systems to make break times safer and more fun for everyone in the school.
There is currently no more planned funding. However, the Department for Children, Schools and Families Children’s Plan sets out a new agenda on how Government will support children with the biggest ever investment in play of £225 million. In April 2008 this was increased by an additional £10 million—a vital investment to support the development of more stimulating play facilities for children which children and families have told us they want to see.
An offer of capital funding will be made to every local authority in England to support the delivery of stimulating local places to play. The £235 million will fund 30 new adventure playgrounds or play parks, and up to 3,500 play areas nationally will be rebuilt or renewed. We expect these to be fun, stimulating, accessible places to play. We want these to be inclusive for all children, including disabled children, and aimed particularly at 8 to 13-year-olds and those living in disadvantaged areas.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Written Questions
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many questions for written answer tabled to his Department in Session 2007-08 did not receive a substantive reply; and if he will make a statement. [240404]
Mr. Woodward: Out of a total number of 1,720 questions received by my Department in the last Session, four questions did not receive a substantive reply. All four questions were tabled in November. Unfortunately, it was not possible to answer any of them prior to Prorogation.
A further seven questions received a Prorogation answer (these were tabled on or after 20 November).
Wales
Departmental Disabled Staff
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty. [240975]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office is included in the MoJ Disability Equality Scheme, published at:
Departmental Rail Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties. [242627]
Mr. Paul Murphy: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
I travel by train on a weekly basis. I last used a train on 9 December.
House of Commons Commission
Right of Search
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what information the Commission has on the time and date when the Clerk of the House was informed of the Metropolitan Police’s search of the Parliamentary office of the hon. Member for Ashford. [240996]
Nick Harvey: This is not a matter for the Commission. The House has decided to set up a Committee to review this matter.
Transport
Departmental Rail Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties. [242599]
Mr. Hoon: My official travel is undertaken in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code. The last rail journey I undertook on official business was today, 10 December 2008.
Driving Tests: Motorcycles
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many candidates took the motorcycle driving test in each of the last 18 months for which figures are available. [241526]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of candidates who took the practical motorcycle riding test in each of the last 18 months is in the following table.
| Month | Candidates (number) |
Railways: Fares
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average rise in regulated rail fares was from (a) Abbey Wood Station, (b) Barnehurst Station, (c) Bexleyheath Station, (d) Crayford Station, (e) Slade Green Station and (f) Welling Station to London in each year since 1997. [240414]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The office of Rail Regulation publishes “National Rail Trends” on a quarterly basis. This document contains a variety of industry information and statistics including a national fares index.
Roads: Accidents
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) other outcomes there were in road accidents in each county in England in each month of the last five years. [242270]
Jim Fitzpatrick: A table showing the numbers of reported personal injury road casualties in each county in England in each month of the past five years, showing (a) fatalities (b) seriously injured casualties and (c) slightly injured casualties has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Scotland
Devolution Settlement
7. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the operation of the devolution settlement. [240216]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues and others about the devolution settlement to ensure that it continues to deliver for the people of Scotland and maintain our place within the Union.
Pre-Budget Report
8. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect on the Scottish economy of the measures announced in the Pre-Budget report. [240217]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The package of measures represents a welcome £2 billion boost for Scottish families and businesses. This will provide the required fiscal stimulus while ensuring stability and readiness to take advantage once we enter the upturn in the economy.
Banking Sector
9. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on the future of the banking sector in Scotland. [240218]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I am in regular contact with the First Minister and discuss a variety of issues. The Scottish banking system is now well placed to combat these difficult times after the significant intervention by this Government to stabilise the market.
National Minimum Wage
10. Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring that businesses in Scotland are complying with the national minimum wage. [240219]
Mr. Jim Murphy:
I have regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues. We are committed to effective national minimum wage enforcement through new penalties contained within the Employment Act 2008, and initiatives such as the current “It’s Your Call”
roadshow, which I attended in Glasgow last month. The roadshow will give workers advice on their entitlements and on how to make a complaint if they have been underpaid.
Mortgage Lenders
11. Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with representatives of mortgage lenders in Scotland. [240220]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I met with Scottish representatives of the Council of Mortgage Lenders on 30 October to discuss steps to minimise house repossessions.
Scottish Water
12. Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the status of Scottish Water as a publicly owned company. [240222]
Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the status of Scottish water.
Income Support
13. John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likely effect of recent changes in entitlement rules for income support on vulnerable people in Scotland. [240223]
Mr. Jim Murphy: From 27 October 2008 employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers. From 24 November 2008 changes were introduced to income support for certain lone parents. Lone parents and other groups will continue to receive the same amount of benefit on jobseekers allowance as they do under income support. There will be no impacts on benefit payments. The modified JSA will cater for a wide variety of different support needs. As now, there will be no requirement for some groups (for example, carers) to engage in work-focused activity.
Debt Advice Services
14. Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish Executive Ministers on the provision of debt advice in Scotland. [240224]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I held a constructive meeting with the First Minister and Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, STUC and CBS Scotland on 21 October to discuss the actions being taken by the UK Government to address these difficult economic times. We agreed at that meeting to maintain regular contact and this has continued. I also convened a meeting with representatives of Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland to discuss how new measures in the pre-Budget report, such as the £10 million, with £1 million consequentials for Scotland, between now and March 2010 for the Citizens' Advice Bureaux, will help the most needy in society.
Bank Services
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Scottish banks on arrangements for public financial support for them. [241194]
Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend regularly meets representatives of the Scottish banking sector to discuss a range of issues.
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