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15 Jan 2009 : Column 897W—continued
Culture, Media and Sport
Archaeology: Manpower
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of field archaeologists made redundant in 2008; and what assessment he has made of the effects of such redundancies on the implementation of planning guidance. [243552]
Barbara Follett: Neither the Department for Culture, Media and Sport nor English Heritage collates data on the employment of field archaeologists. However, the Institute for Archaeologists, a professional institute for the study and care of the historic environment, is collating data on redundancies in 2008 and will make the information available in the future. The impact of any redundancies may include the potential loss of skills from the sector and pressure on standards in implementing planning guidance.
Arts: Finance
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery funding Arts Council England has (a) received and (b) distributed in each year since its inception. [245889]
Barbara Follett: The table shows the total Lottery income and the amount of Lottery money drawn down by Arts Council England for each complete financial year, since the distributing body’s inception. Drawdown from the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) is used to pay funds to successful grant applicants and meet administrative expenses.
The figures are taken from the NLDF Annual Accounts. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
| Rounded to the nearest £000 | ||
| Financial year | Total income | Drawdown |
Convergence Think Tank
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date the Convergence Think Tank was (a) set up by his Department and (b) wound down. [247425]
Andy Burnham: The Convergence Think Tank was launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 21 December 2007. It was superseded by the Digital Britain project, announced by my noble Friend Lord Carter of Barnes on 17 October 2008.
Creativity and Business International Network
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on (a) travel and (b) overnight expenses for (i) Ministers and (ii) guests attending the Creativity and Business International Network event held in Liverpool on 20 November 2008. [242437]
Barbara Follett [holding answer 11 December 2008]: The total amounts spent were as follows:
(a) Travel: (i) Ministers was £85 by train (ii) guests was £11,330 by air and train
(b) Overnight expenses: (i) Ministers was nil (ii) guests was £3,257.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on hiring the venue for the Creativity and Business International Network event held in Liverpool on 20 November 2008. [242587]
Barbara Follett: The venue costs for the Creativity and Business International Network event held in Liverpool were £5,500.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the expenditure his Department will incur in supporting the Creativity and Business International Network in Hertfordshire in 2009; how much of that expenditure he expects to be incurred in relation to venue hire; and how the rest of the expenditure breaks down among budget headings. [242734]
Barbara Follett: The exact costs of venue hire and other areas of expenditure for the Creativity and Business International Network event at the Grove in Hertfordshire have yet to be finalised and will depend on many factors, including the number of delegates.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what agenda has been set for the Creativity and Business International Network event to be held in Hertfordshire in 2009; [242736]
(2) what conclusions were reached at the inaugural meeting of the Creativity and Business International Network; and if he will publish the minutes of the meeting. [242737]
Barbara Follett: There was no formal minute taken of the meeting but a summary of the main outcomes will be put on www.cabinetforum.org in due course. The discussion at the first meeting of the Creativity and Business International Network in Liverpool on 20 November 2008 will be used to determine the broad themes for the network in 2009. This in turn will inform the agenda for the event in October 2009 which will be published in the new year at: www.cabinetforum.org
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department have duties relating to the Creativity and Business International Network. [242738]
Barbara Follett: A full-time equivalent of 1.4 staff within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have duties relating to the Creativity and Business International Network.
Culture: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps the Government has taken to promote cultural activities in Coventry. [242639]
Barbara Follett [holding answer 15 December 2008]: Arts Council England advises that, in 2007-08, it invested £1,722,974 in Regularly Funded Organisations in Coventry, and £215,463 in Grants for the Arts there.
English Heritage has invested more than £2 million improving the visitor experience at Kenilworth Castle, which annually receives nearly 100,000 visitors and over 12,000 people participating in educational activities.
The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum is receiving on-going investment from central Government, principally from the Renaissance programme that is managed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what expert advisers have been commissioned by his Department and its agencies since 1997; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the advisers so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case. [246665]
Andy Burnham: The full information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual ‘Public Bodies’ publication. Copies of ‘Public Bodies’ dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from the following websites:
1999-2006: <http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies .asp>;
2007: <http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications /3599.aspx>;
2008: <http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications /5125.aspx>.
Copies are also available up to 2007 in the Library for the reference of hon. Members.
Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the appointment of special advisers.
Departmental Public Consultation
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on which occasions his Department has convened a citizens’ jury or randomly drawn panel of people to aid the Department’s policy making since 2000; whether the participants were paid in each case; and if he will make a statement. [243046]
Barbara Follett: My Department has not used citizens’ juries or randomly drawn panels to aid the Department’s policy making since 2000.
Disability Reference Group
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects his Department’s Disability Reference Group to report to his Department’s Board on progress in addressing actions on disability. [240950]
Barbara Follett: The Department’s Disability Reference Group met twice in 2008 and provided comments on the draft DCMS Secretary of State report on Disability Equality, published on 1 December 2008, which reported on progress in all DCMS policy sectors. The experience of members covers a broad range of sectors, including arts, sport, architecture, media, tourism and general access issues.
The Disability Reference Group has drawn attention to a number of issues and will submit a formal paper on progressing disability equality to the DCMS Board in early 2009, for discussion by April 2009.
Internet
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on creating the cabinetforum.org website; what the expected annual running cost of the website is; and how many staff have responsibility for the site. [242586]
Barbara Follett: The website will develop and evolve over the course of the next 10 months in the lead up to the first Creativity and Business International Network Event in October 2009. The total cost up to that point, including development and running costs is expected to be £150,000. A full-time equivalent of 0.25 staff within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are responsible for the website.
Internet: Bullying
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government plans to take to address incidences of cyber-bullying. [244891]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
The Government have introduced a comprehensive programme of work to prevent and tackle cyberbullying. We introduced legal provisions in the 2006 Education Act which gave school staff new powers to confiscate
mobile phones, and to discipline pupils for bad behaviour outside the school gate, including cyberbullying. We published detailed guidance for schools on how to prevent and tackle cyberbullying in September 2007, and have more recently produced a resource pack for school staff which includes a DVD and a booklet for teachers. We ran a digital information campaign on cyberbullying last year aimed at 12 to 15-years-olds, and re-launched the campaign as part of this year's Anti-Bullying Week. We are currently working with the Cyberbullying Taskforce including industry representatives, law enforcement agencies, the teacher unions and children's charities to produce new guidance to prevent and tackle the cyberbullying of school staff, which we plan to launch in spring 2009. We have asked the Anti-Bullying Alliance and National Strategies to work with local authorities and schools to ensure the cyberbullying guidance is effectively implemented on the ground, and that schools make effective use of the other materials.
Mass Media
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to publish the Convergence Think Tank’s interim report on the future policy and legislative framework for the communications industries; and if he will make a statement. [240943]
Andy Burnham: The Convergence Think Tank (CTT) will report shortly on the key issues identified through its engagement with stakeholders. As announced on 17 October 2008, the CTT’s work, together with other related initiatives, is being taken forward as part of the Digital Britain Report.
Media: Standards
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to send a substantive reply to the hon. Member for Torbay’s letter of 14 July 2008 on the display of nudity in television programmes and in mainstream magazines. [245100]
Andy Burnham: The hon. Member’s letter of 14 July was received in DCMS addressed to my predecessor on 17 October. I understand my noble Friend the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting wrote to the hon. Member on the 30 November.
Museums and Galleries: Fees and Charges
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the entry fees for the Cabinet War Rooms have been reduced to reflect the reduction in VAT to 15 per cent. [244785]
Barbara Follett: The Imperial War Museum has advised that the reduction in VAT to 15 per cent. has not been applied to admission prices for its branches that charge an entry fee: the Churchill Museum/Cabinet War Rooms; HMS Belfast; and Imperial War Museum Duxford. To apply the reduction would incur costs in re-printing publicity material and revising contracts with third-party ticket partners. Wherever possible, prices will be held at December 2008 levels and planned rises postponed. Where prices are increasing, these will be modest and in line with other market forces.
The Imperial War Museum has passed on the VAT reduction at shops in its branches and online, through collections licensing, corporate hospitality and for audio guides. Any increased revenue resulting from the VAT reduction will be directed towards the Museum’s programmes of exhibitions, events, education and outreach work, and to maintaining its permanent displays and archives.
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