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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1556W—continued
Tourism: Greater London
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to promote London as a tourist destination over the next 18 months; and if he will make a statement. [247214]
Barbara Follett: Visit London has advised that it undertakes a range of tourism marketing campaigns to promote the capital internationally, nationally and to Londoners themselves.
In December last year, Visit London, in partnership with the London Development Agency and the Mayor of London, launched a four-month marketing campaign to stimulate visits to the capital in the build-up to Christmas 2008 and the new year. This will run across the capital's key visitor markets including Britain, Europe and North America and will last until the end of March 2009.
Including match funding from the private sector, Visit London will in total spend £3.25 million in the four months to March on promotional campaigns, which it believes should deliver £70 million in economic benefit to the city. Further marketing activity to promote the capital beyond the end of March 2009 is due to be launched in February.
In addition, promotion of London will be included in the £6.5 million ‘Value for Money Campaign’ launched by VisitBritain and VisitEngland at the tourism summit held in Liverpool on 8 January. This will build on the current domestic and international Enjoy England campaign, which positions England and Britain as good value destinations.
Tourism: Olympic Games 2012
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding for tourism to harness the marketing opportunities of the Olympics. [254559]
Barbara Follett: There have been no direct discussions between DCMS Ministers and HMT on additional funding for tourism to harness marketing opportunities of the Olympics. However HMT has been invited to attend a cross-Whitehall Ministerial Group on Tourism to discuss priorities within the tourism industry.
World Creative Business Conference
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 14 October 2008, Official Report, column 1210W, on the World Creative Business Conference, how much his Department has paid to (a) Edelman and (b) Acclaim to date; and how much he expects to pay each company in each of the next three years. [250317]
Andy Burnham: The cost of Edelman and Acclaim is included within the £1 million allocated towards the running of the World Creative Business Conference in each of the next three years, including 2008-09.
World Heritage Sites
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in respect of which World Heritage Sites he has submitted a progress report to the World Heritage Committee for examination at its 2009 session; and on what dates such reports were submitted. [255601]
Barbara Follett: My Department has submitted State of Conservation reports to UNESCO's World Heritage Centre for the City of Bath World Heritage Site on 30 January 2009; Edinburgh Old and New Towns World Heritage Site on 30 January 2009; Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site on 30 January 2009; and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site on 2 February 2009.
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which World Heritage Sites he expects to be considered by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion on its list of world heritage in danger in 2009. [255602]
Barbara Follett: My Department has no plans to put forward any UK World Heritage Sites for consideration by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion on the World Heritage in Danger List in 2009.
Olympics
CompeteFor
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether there was an open tender process for the CompeteFor website contract. [251304]
Tessa Jowell: The London Development Agency used an existing list of approved companies who had successfully tendered for selection on the Office of Government Commerce's Catalist Framework for CompeteFor. The OGC framework is itself developed through an open competitive process. Its framework agreements are let using an Official Journal of the European Union procurement process that shortlists suppliers by category, which any business can tender for, and which helps to speed up the procurement process.
Departmental Lobbying
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she received representations from ( a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. [255243]
Tessa Jowell: I have received no representations from any of the noble Lords in question.
Departmental Manpower
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many officials work directly for her. [254041]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 3 February 2009]: In my Private Office I have five officials and a special adviser.
In addition, the Government Olympic Executive which reports to me through the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comprises 87.3 full-time equivalent staff, a total which includes both established civil servants and agency and interim staff.
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the job description is of each official who works for her in her capacity as Minister for the Olympics. [254454]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 5 February 2009]: My Private Office comprises five officials and a special adviser. In addition, the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) which reports to me through the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comprises 87.3 full-time equivalent staff, a total which includes both established civil servants and agency and interim staff.
The GOE is responsible for ensuring the Games are delivered on time, on budget and to the benefit of the whole of the UK. It works extensively with other organisations, such as the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA),
providing important oversight, management and accountability for the games as a whole. GOE is the only body overseeing the entire Olympic project.
There are five teams within GOE:
Build and finance—responsible for ensuring the delivery of the Games infrastructure and venues remains on time, and that the whole programme remains on budget and provides value for money;
Staging—responsible for the myriad Government commitments and legislative changes necessary to host the world’s largest sporting event and assurance of LOCOG’s plans and finances in Government’s role as funder of last resort;
Legacy—responsible for ensuring that the Government’s ambitious legacy commitments are delivered, including getting 2 million people more active, transforming the heart of east London and inspiring a generation of young people;
Operations—responsible for overseeing the entire Olympic Project, identifying risks and issues across organisations, managing the Olympic Board and ensuring we are accountable to Parliament and the public; and
Communications—a small team responsible for working across Government to ensure events and activities are co-ordinated to avoid duplication and wasted resource.
Job descriptions for each official in my Private Office and in the GOE could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the average cost is of the units being built in the Olympic Village. [254843]
Tessa Jowell: Confidential commercial negotiations are continuing about the costs of the various elements of the Olympic Village. Therefore it is not possible to provide build cost information until those negotiations have concluded.
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much private sector funding for construction of the Olympic Village she expects. [254844]
Tessa Jowell: Confidential commercial negotiations are ongoing between the Olympic Delivery Authority, the preferred developer, Lend Lease, banks and Registered Social Landlords regarding investment for the Olympic Village. Therefore it is not possible to provide detail of the investment arrangements until those negotiations have concluded.
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions she has had with (a) the Mayor of London and (b) universities over proposals for the legacy use of the Olympics media centre as a university. [254847]
Tessa Jowell:
My Department is working closely with the Mayor, the London Development Agency, London borough of Hackney and other partners to explore proposals for the legacy use of the International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre (IBC/MPC) to ensure that we are able to leave a positive sustainable legacy for the site and for local communities. As part of this work programme, we are working with the Greater London Authority, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Higher Education Funding Council
for England to undertake a feasibility study on the need, size, scope and specialisms for a potential new university on the IBC/MPC site, or elsewhere on the Park, as part of the legacy planning for the Park site.
Olympic Games 2012: Waste Disposal
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which sites have been used for disposal of materials and soil from the new Olympic stadium site in London; and if she will make a statement. [253644]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 4 February 2009]: In the construction of the Olympic Park, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will transform a previously contaminated site into an integral part of the long-term regeneration of east London and the wider Thames Gateway. Across the whole site the ODA continues to exceed its 90 per cent. target of reclaiming demolition material for reuse or recycling.
Where possible, all excavation and demolition waste from the Olympic stadium site is treated at source and the cleansed material, where appropriate, reused or recycled in the landscaping and foundations work of the Olympic Park.
Where this has not been possible, waste material has been transported off-site for landfill disposal at Environment Agency approved sites across the UK. The locations of those sites are:
Kings Cliff, Cambridgeshire (Augean Kings Cliff)
Dudley, West Midlands (Himley Quarry)
Teesside, North Yorkshire (Impetus Waste Management ICI 3)
Barling Magna, Essex (Barling Landfill)
Purton, North Wiltshire (Parkgate Farm Landfill)
Middlesbrough, Cleveland (Augean Middlesbrough)
In addition, a small amount of arisings from the stadium site were identified in summer 2008 as containing—or potentially containing—asbestos above the agreed levels. This waste was taken off-site for safe disposal to Powerday landfill facilities at Old Oak Sidings in London.
Northern Ireland
Assets Recovery Agency
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on the continuation of work undertaken by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) in Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to ensure that casework initiated by the ARA in Northern Ireland is taken up by SOCA. [255271]
Paul Goggins: As chair of the Organised Crime Task Force I receive regular updates on the assets recovery work of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in Northern Ireland. Since the merger in April 2008 SOCA has adopted, and will continue to adopt, new civil recovery cases in Northern Ireland. Civil recovery is one of a number of tools at SOCA's disposal to tackle criminal finances and profits and it will ensure that the most effective and appropriate asset recovery powers (criminal, civil or tax) are used in each case.
Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the defence in (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the total sum awarded was in each case. [254257]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
Information on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the defence in Crown court in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years was not centrally recorded prior to the introduction of a new IT system in October 2006. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the requested information prior to this date.
There were no orders for wasted costs made against the defence between October 2006 and 31 January 2009 in Crown court in Northern Ireland.
The magistrates court in Northern Ireland has no power to make a wasted costs order.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the Public Prosecution Service in (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the total sum awarded was in each case. [254262]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
There were no orders for wasted costs made against the Public Prosecution Service in a Crown court in Northern Ireland over the last five years.
The magistrates court in Northern Ireland has no power to make a wasted costs order.
Crime
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted for (a) sexual crimes involving minors, (b) rape, (c) arson, (d) fuel smuggling, (e) cigarette smuggling, (f) credit card fraud, (g) bank fraud, (h) burglary, (i) driving under the influence of alcohol and (j) vehicle theft in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [254939]
Paul Goggins: In 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available) there were:
(a) 36 convictions for sexual crimes involving minors. Court datasets do not include victim information in relation to an offence and it is therefore possible only to give the number of convictions for those offences which, by their definition, identify a child as the victim.
(b) 11 convictions for rape; and
(c) 66 convictions for arson offences.
(d) and (e) Data relating to prosecutions for fuel and cigarette smuggling are the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs from whom this information should be sought.
(f) and (g) The Northern Ireland court datasets do not contain background information in relation to an offence and it is not possible therefore to separate those convictions for fraud which related to credit card or
bank fraud. It is, however, possible to determine the total number of convictions for fraud and forgery and in 2006 there were 333 such convictions.
(h) 532 convictions for burglary;
(i) 2,809 convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and
(j) 350 convictions for vehicle theft.
Data are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
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