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3 Feb 2009 : Column 1179W—continued
Catz Club
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 1124W, on Catz Club, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with Catz Club representatives since April 2005. [249949]
Mr. Byrne: Ministers in my Department have not held any meetings with Catz Club representatives since April 2005.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 1124W, on Catz Club, whether a copy of the confidentiality agreement between Futurebuilders and Catz Club is held by the Cabinet Office; and if he will place in the Library a copy redacting commercially sensitive elements. [249950]
Mr. Byrne: This is not a matter for the Cabinet Office. I am therefore unable to place a copy in the Library.
Death: Asthma
Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many asthma-related deaths were recorded in each of the last five years. [252156]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 February 2009:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many asthma-related deaths were recorded in each of the last five years. (252156)
The attached table provides the number of deaths where asthma was mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributing factor, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
| Table 1: Deaths from asthma( 1,) ( 2) in England and Wales( 3) , 2003-07( 4) | ||
| Deaths (persons) | ||
| (i) Underlying cause | (ii) Any mention | |
| (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J45-J46. (2) Figures shown as ‘any mention’ (column ii) include those where asthma was recorded as the underlying cause’(column i). (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | ||
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) special advisers have allocated desk space in the Prime Minister’s office in No. 12 Downing Street. [252361]
Mr. Watson: The Prime Minister works alongside his Private Office, with space allocated for Cabinet Office Ministers and advisers.
Departmental Courier Services
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on (a) courier services and (b) venue hire in the most recent year for which figures are available. [249966]
Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Land
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 783W, on departmental land, whether any of the land held for development within the Duchy of Lancaster’s (a) Crewe and (b) Yorkshire Survey is (i) green belt and (ii) green field land. [249945]
Mr. Byrne: Some areas within the Duchy’s Crewe estate are designated as green belt land. However, none of this land has been identified for development.
Within the Yorkshire Survey, all sites held for development fall within green field land. At Pontefract, representations have been made for three small allotment sites which fall within green belt land.
Departmental Pensions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 785W, on departmental pensions what account was taken of the (a) new FRS 17 accounting standard and (b) abolition of dividend tax credits in the decision to close the Duchy of Lancaster staff pension scheme to new entrants. [249942]
Mr. Byrne: The abolition of dividend tax credits came into force in 1997 and there was no reference to this in the minutes relating to the decision made on 6 February 2002 to close the Duchy of Lancaster staff pension scheme to new entrants. The FRS 17 accounting standard came into force after the aforementioned decision.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 785W, on departmental pensions, what percentage contribution the Duchy of Lancaster makes to staff pensions for staff who are not in the final salary scheme. [249943]
Mr. Byrne: A contribution equivalent to 10 per cent. of the gross salary of a Duchy of Lancaster employee not within the final salary scheme is made to those younger than 50 years of age. Staff who have attained in excess of 50 years of age receive a contribution of 13 per cent. of the applicable gross salary.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 785W, on departmental pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which it was decided to close the Duchy of Lancaster Staff Pension Scheme to new entrants. [249944]
Mr. Byrne: The decision to close the Duchy of Lancaster Staff Pension Scheme was made by the Duchy Council on 6 February 2002. However, as the Duchy of Lancaster is a private body the minutes of meetings are confidential and it would not be appropriate for these to be placed in the Library.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much the Cabinet Office spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; what proportion of this expenditure related to training for staff employed in the Prime Minister’s Office; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) the Prime Minister’s Office attended at least one such training course. [252262]
Mr. Watson: All Cabinet Office Units (including No. 10) have delegated responsibility for spend against their training budgets. No payments were made to the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2007-08 year.
There was no centrally organised digital media training provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau for Cabinet Office staff in 2007-08 year.
Futurebuilders
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 43W, on Futurebuilders: Catz Club, for what reasons the Who Cares? Trust is no longer a Futurebuilders investee. [250362]
Mr. Byrne: Futurebuilders England informs me that they withdrew further investment in Who Cares? Trust in July 2006 because Who Cares? Trust was unable to meet its 2006 revenue targets.
Government Departments: Disclosure of Information
Jenny Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance his Department has provided to other Government departments on procedures to be followed in cases of unauthorised disclosure of information since the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford; and if he will make a statement. [249463]
Mr. Byrne: Guidance to Departments on procedures to be followed in cases of unauthorised disclosure of information has not changed since the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green).
Higher Civil Servants: Retirement
Mr. Mudie: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which permanent secretaries have retired since 1997; and which of these have subsequently accepted salaried positions paid from the public purse. [250660]
Mr. Watson [holding answer 2 February 2009]: Information relating to permanent secretary retirements will be accounted for in departmental annual reports and accounts.
Data are not centrally held by the Cabinet Office on their subsequent employment, but where the “Rules on the Acceptance of Outside Appointments by Crown Servants” required that permission be sought before an appointment was taken up the details of these appointments are outlined in the annual reports of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), copies of which are available in the Library of the House and on their website:
I-Monitoring Security Co-ordination Centre
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the written ministerial statement of 25 November 2008, Official Report, columns 76-78WS, on departmental expenditure limit (2008-09), what the functions and activities of the (a) i-Monitoring Security Co-ordination Centre and (b) Information Assurance Technical Programme are. [249951]
Mr. Byrne: The Government Security Zone (GSZ) i-Monitoring Security Co-ordination Centre, now referred to as the Government Security Zone-Information Room (GSZ IR), is a key deliverable from the GSZ programme. This programme is a linked series of projects intended to improve the collective physical security of Government Departments and other specified establishments located within the zone, by enhancing existing security arrangements.
The GSZ IR has three main functions:
Proactive use of CCTV to identify threats (particularly terrorist-related threats) and suspicious activity within the zone;
Co-ordination of security information between the Government departmental security community and the Metropolitan Police Service and other police units;
Provide Government Departments with a 24/7 link to the police for immediate advice on counter-terrorism and security issues and to initiate a response to incidents.
The Information Assurance Technical Programme is a common good programme which aims to provide a sustainable UK Information Assurance capability benefiting the whole of UK Government. The IATP is run by CESG, the national technical authority for Information Assurance, and an arm of GCHQ, in partnership with industry. Governance of the programme has recently moved from the CSIA in the Cabinet Office to the Ministry of Defence. More information on the work of the IATP can be found at:
Lobbying: Registration
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will bring forward legislation to establish a mandatory register of lobbyists as recommended by the Public Administration Select Committee; and if he will make a statement. [253509]
Kevin Brennan: The Report from the Public Administration Select Committee was published on 5 January. The Government will respond in due course.
Official Cars
Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what cars of what engine cubic capacity are (a) owned and (b) leased by the Cabinet Office. [250031]
Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office owns one car, which utilises both a petrol engine, with a cubic capacity of 1497, and 500V electric engine.
For cars leased by the Cabinet Office, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (Mr. Hoon) on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 10W, about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
Place and Prosperity Seminar
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts prepared for the Strategy Unit seminar on Place and Prosperity held on 11 December 2008. [252474]
Rural Payments Agency
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 785W, on Rural Payments Agency, how much the Duchy of Lancaster received in payments from the Rural Payments Agency in the last year for which figures are available. [249946]
Mr. Byrne: No further payment has been received from the Rural Payments Agency since that for 2007 reported in the answer given on 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 785W. Receipt of the 2008 payment is expected by March 2009 but due to fluctuations of exchange rates the figures are unavailable at present.
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