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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1548W—continued
Road Traffic Offences
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many vehicles have been seized from (a) disqualified and (b) uninsured drivers in each of the last two years. [254265]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not collected centrally. Available information is held on the Motor Insurance Database maintained by the Motor Insurers' Information Centre and relates to vehicles seized from those reasonably believed to be driving without appropriate insurance. In 2007 there were approximately 150,000 vehicles seized and in 2008 approximately 185,000.
Shoplifting: Fixed Penalties
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to limit shoplifting offences in relation to which a penalty notice for disorder can be issued to first time offences. [253684]
Mr. Straw: There are already limits on the issue of penalty notices for disorder for shoplifting offences. Operational guidance makes it clear among other things that the disposal will be appropriate for first-time offences and not those who repeatedly offend. However the length of time since a previous shoplifting offence has been committed should be taken in account in considering whether a second penalty notice may be appropriate.
Following representations form the hon. Lady and from retail organisations, operational guidance covering shoplifting is being reviewed; a revised version will be issued shortly.
Television: Licensing
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in (a) the ceremonial county of Hampshire, (b) Test Valley borough and (c) the City of Southampton were prosecuted for not having a television licence in each of the last five years. [254017]
Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons proceeded against for television licence evasion in the Hampshire police force area from 2003 to 2007 (latest available), is in the following table.
From information held centrally, it is not possible to provide borough or city level data.
These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
| Number of persons proceeded against for television licence evasion in Hampshire police force area, 2003-07( 1, 2, 3) | |
| Number | |
| (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The TV licensing provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 were replaced by new provisions in section 363 of the Communications Act 2003 which came into effect 1 April 2004. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform. | |
Culture, Media and Sport
Creativity and Business International Network
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what level of financial support he expects the private sector to provide to the Creativity and Business International Network in each of the next three years; [254380]
(2) how many organisations have agreed to become a strategic partner of the Creativity and Business International Network to date; and when he expects to announce these partnerships. [254388]
Andy Burnham: Discussions about financial support from the private sector, including strategic partnerships, are ongoing, and details will be announced in due course.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what offers of support his Department's Creativity and Business International Network has received; and how many organisations have pledged to support the initiative with (a) technology and equipment and (b) travel. [254438]
Andy Burnham: The Creativity and Business International Network has been offered support from a large number of creative and business organisations, including the commitment of 24 international ‘ambassadors’. A range of public sector bodies, trade organisations, businesses and individuals have also offered help and advice.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations have provided his Department with media training services in each of the last five years. [254607]
Barbara Follett: In each of the last five financial years the following organisations have provided media training services for DCMS.
Angela Coles
Angela Coles
No media training services provided.
No media training services provided.
No media training services provided.
Heathrow Airport: Listed Buildings
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of listed buildings which will be lost as a result of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport. [253693]
Barbara Follett: Based upon the information provided by the Department for Transport from its consultation document “Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport” (2007), English Heritage estimates that six listed buildings will be lost as a result of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow airport. The consultation document is available at
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/heathrow consultation/consultationdocument.
Malvern St. James School
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to make a decision on the listing of the Edinburgh Sports Dome at Malvern St. James School. [254708]
Barbara Follett: Additional advice had to be sought from English Heritage before the assessment process on the Edinburgh Sports Dome could be completed. Consequently, it did not prove possible to reach a decision by the end of November 2008. The case is given high priority, and the Secretary of State will reach a decision as soon as possible. I will notify the hon. Member as soon as a decision has been made.
Members: Correspondence
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 28 January 2008 on behalf of Mr. Richard Cleaver in respect of Pandora Radio, a second copy of which was faxed to his office on 18 June 2008. [254292]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 4 February 2009]: I offer the hon. Member an apology for the administrative error in dealing with this correspondence. The issues raised in the letter are the policy responsibility of the Intellectual Property Office, and I understand that a reply will be sent soon from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Memorials: World War II
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Second World War pillboxes have been given statutory designation; and if he will make a statement. [254923]
Barbara Follett: A total of 148 individual second world war pillboxes have been given statutory designation.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to (a) record and (b) preserve defence structures from the Second World War; and if he will make a statement. [254924]
Barbara Follett: The Defence of Britain Project (1995-02) has recorded nearly 20,000 20th century military sites in the United Kingdom, including pillboxes. As well as recording the 20th century militarised landscape of the United Kingdom, the project also informs heritage agencies at local and national level with a view to the future preservation of surviving structures. Full details of the project are at:
English Heritage has undertaken a series of research projects to improve our understanding of second world war defences in the context of the many other sites that represent our defence heritage. Options for preservation include statutory designation, although it would not be appropriate to designate all of the many thousands of surviving pillboxes—careful selection is necessary. Alternatively, many of these structures have local significance and their recording on local authority Historic Environment Records is another way of improving understanding and protection.
Music: Education
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many mentors have taken part in the music mentoring programme in each of the last three years. [254434]
Barbara Follett: The pilot music mentoring programme began in 2006-07 and is led by Youth Music. Youth Music advises that the number of mentors that have taken part in the programme is as set out in the following table.
| 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people took part in the music mentoring programme in each year since 2006. [254437]
Barbara Follett:
The pilot music mentoring programme began in 2006-07. This is led by Youth Music and has engaged over 1,000 young people in one to one, small group and large-scale mentoring activity in 14 areas in England. More than 700 positive outcomes have been
recorded from the pilot phase, with around 180 of those linked to further education, training or employment or other transferable skills.
Music: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps the Government have taken to promote access to music for young people in the north-east. [249576]
Barbara Follett: In November 2007, the Department for Children, Schools and Families announced a £332 million investment in music education. A share of that is automatically allocated to local authorities in the north-east. Since September 2005, the Government have also provided time-limited funding of £1.26 million to the Sage Gateshead to work in partnership with local authorities and other music education providers to enhance opportunities for children and young people across the north-east through its ‘Access to Excellence’ work. A significant proportion of the ‘Access to Excellence’ programme has been delivered through Redcar Community College.
Since September 2006, the Department for Children, Schools and Families' Music and Dance Scheme (which provides means-tested support for children with exceptional potential in music and dance) has invested £638, 000 to enable children to access specialist provision via the Sage Gateshead.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides financial support for the arts through Arts Council England which has supported a number of projects that have helped promote music to young people in the north-east. This includes Youth Choir at Brinkburn Music Festival 2008 (Grants for the Arts Award of £22,000); Monumental Music CIC, Sunderland Music Club (Grants for the Arts Award of £13,420); and Interopera (Grants for the Arts Award of £13,420).
Since 1999, Youth Music, a regularly funded organisation of Arts Council England, has invested £4,583, 071 in the north-east, through open programmes, the Youth Music Action Zone (CoMusica) and the MusicLeader network for the region. Youth Music has provided a further £40,000 of direct investment in the north-east through Sing Up, the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme, of which Youth Music and the Sage Gateshead are partners.
Support has also been provided via other Arts Council England regularly funded organisations. This includes Jazz Action, which has set up the Milestones Project providing talented young musicians from the north-east with the opportunity to showcase their music in front of a live audience, and Monster Productions, based in the north-east, which run early year musicals throughout the country, including the north-east area.
Newspapers: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to provide financial support to local newspapers in the north-east. [254896]
Andy Burnham:
My Department has no plans at present to provide financial support to local newspapers in the north-east. The Digital Britain Interim Report, published on 29 January 2009, recognised that at a local
level, the challenges for news organisations are intense. One of the actions recommended in the report is for Government to invite the Office of Fair Trading, together with Ofcom and other interested parties, to undertake an exploratory review across the local and regional media sector and make appropriate recommendations. I will consider any findings or further recommendations arising from this action.
Religious Buildings
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of English Heritage's performance in facilitating the conservation of churches and places of worship. [253910]
Barbara Follett:
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides financial support for the historic environment through English Heritage, which makes
funding decisions independently of Government. It is for English Heritage to determine where money is spent depending on its assessment of relative need across the wider historic environment. The Department is satisfied with English Heritage's performance on facilitating the conservation of churches and places of worship.
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