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10 Mar 2009 : Column 214W—continued
Olympic Games 2012
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009, Official Report, column 1115W, on the Olympic games 2012, when each of the key stakeholder forums to design and deliver the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies is to take place; what the location of each is; who has been invited to each; what account the London Olympic Committee plans to take of the outcome of each event; and if she will make a statement. [261677]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 6 March 2009]: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has scheduled a number of ceremony forums in every nation and region across the UK in February and March of this year.
Confirmed locations include Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Brighton, London, Newcastle, Wakefield, Cambridge, Leicester, Manchester, Cardiff and Plymouth. Each forum includes around 10-15 diverse creative industry experts selected by the creative programmers in each nation and region, and there will also be special ones for young people.
These are initial fora to scope the ambition of the ceremonies and how to get the whole country involved—they will not finalise the content of the four opening
and closing ceremonies to take place in 2012. The results of the fora will inform LOCOG's decision-making processes on the creative brief for the ceremonies in due course.
Olympic Games 2012: Air Pollution
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will include reduction of air pollution as an objective for the Olympic legacy. [259333]
Tessa Jowell: The Government have set out how the UK aims to meet EU air quality limits in their Air Quality Strategy. We have no plans to set targets outside that strategy specifically for the 2012 Games.
However, we recognise that good air quality could make the Games a platform for demonstrating long-term solutions for improving air quality. Measures being taken include: the Olympic sites aiming to meet the stringent requirements in the London Best Practice Guidance to reduce emissions from demolition and construction; energy efficient buildings acting to lessen emissions; and improved public transport services to reduce the need to travel by car.
Olympic Games 2012: Construction
Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what procedures (a) the Olympic Delivery Authority and (b) its contractors follow in employing persons to work on the Olympic Park site; and if she will make a statement. [258716]
Tessa Jowell: Vacancies within the Olympic Delivery Authority will normally be advertised on the London 2012 website and recruitment decisions will be based solely on the basis of the applicant's abilities and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the job as set out in the person specification.
The vast majority of employment opportunities that will arise will be contractor's own vacancies. This recruitment is undertaken by the contractors who place vacancies with local job brokerage services across in the five host boroughs. Vacancies are offered exclusively and equally to each of the five host borough employment brokerages for a period of two days. The local brokerage services work in partnership with contractors and the on-site employment and skills managers who match candidates to vacancies.
If, after the first two days, vacancies are not filled, they are then made available to job brokerage services across London for a further two days via Relay London Jobs, and then nationally through the JobCentre Plus network.
Guidance for people interested in seeking work is available on the London 2012 website. The ODA and its partners are constantly improving the access for residents to training and job brokerage around the Games.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will make it her policy to require construction projects for the London 2012 Olympics to be zero carbon. [259399]
Tessa Jowell:
We are aiming for a 50 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions from the built environment of the Olympic Park, by 2013, through a number of initiatives
including: making permanent venues 15 per cent. more energy efficient than 2006 Building Regulations standard; and making the homes in the Athletes' Village 44 per cent. more energy efficient than 2006 Building Regulations standard.
A Carbon Management Strategy for the Games is being prepared currently by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Development Agency, supported by a technical advisory group, which will look at the carbon impact of hosting the Games.
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps her Department is taking to provide that half of the tickets for the London 2012 Olympics will be sold for less than £20; how many tickets for the London 2012 Olympics she estimates will be priced at under £20; and when the final price of tickets will be established. [262015]
Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the ticketing strategy for the London 2012 games. The strategy is currently being developed and information about tickets will be made public in 2010. Tickets will go on sale in 2011.1 have held detailed discussions with the chairman, Chief Executive and Head of Ticketing at LOCOG about the developing strategy.
I am absolutely committed to making sure that there are tickets for sale at affordable prices for all. LOCOG is committed to this principle too, and I know they are looking carefully at ticket prices as they develop their strategy.
Leader of the House
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which (a) she, (b) other Ministers in her Office and (c) her Office's senior officials undertook in 2008. [262175]
Chris Bryant: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the financial year 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 102WS and for the first time, included details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’.
No senior officials incurred costs in respect of overseas visits in 2008.
UK Youth Parliament
Mr. Greg Knight:
To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the answer of 25 July 2007 to the hon. Member for Stroud, Official Report, column 1124W, on the UK Youth Parliament, what plans she has to discuss the possible use of the Chamber of the House
by the UK Youth Parliament with (a) the Modernisation of the House of Commons Committee, (b) other committees of the House and (c) the House authorities. [261369]
Chris Bryant: The issues involved are ones of principle rather than of practice. It is therefore right that the whole House should decide.
I understand that the House authorities would be able to make appropriate practical arrangements if the House were to decide to allow the Youth Parliament to use the Chamber.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan: Detainees
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since April 2005 the Government has sought assurances from the US administration on the treatment of detainees, as referred to in the Government's Response to paragraph 131 of the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report on the Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantánamo Bay and Iraq, Cm 6511. [260259]
David Miliband: Conclusion of the Intelligence and Security Committee's Rendition Report of July 2007 notes that from April 2004
“assurances on humane treatment were properly and routinely sought in operations that involved any risk of rendition and/or U.S. custody.”
Detention issues are the subject of frequent and regular discussions with the US administration.
Because of the wide ranging nature of these exchanges we cannot provide statistics on this matter, but they include discussion of policy and processes in place to prevent any mistreatment, as well as detailed discussion of individual cases. Continued close co-operation with the US is absolutely critical to the UK's ability to counter the threat to the UK posed by global terrorism.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the National Security Committee has had in (a) the review of Afghanistan strategy led by the Prime Minister and (b) the 2008 periodic assessment of Afghanistan strategy; and on how many occasions since July 2007 the Committee has convened to discuss Afghanistan. [256064]
David Miliband: Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when, how often and for how long they meet, is generally not disclosed; as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
However, Ministers meet regularly under the auspices of the Ministerial Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development to discuss the United Kingdom’s policy towards Afghanistan, in light of the ongoing review of the Government’s Afghanistan
strategy. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the International Development Secretary, and the Defence Secretary are kept regularly informed of progress in implementing the strategy.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 362W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the main findings of the internal stock-take of Government policy in Afghanistan completed in December 2008 were. [260242]
David Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, column 1234W.
Burma: USA
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on its policy on Burma; and if he will make a statement. [261925]
Bill Rammell: We remain in close contact with the US and other like-minded international partners regarding the situation in Burma, bilaterally and in multilateral fora, including at the UN and EU. Recent discussions with the US administration have taken place at official level.
Our shared aim continues to be a credible transition to democracy in Burma that is inclusive. The US and the UK agree on the pressing need for the military regime to release political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi. We continue to work with the US and other partners to encourage the Burmese regime to engage with the UN Good Offices Mission.
Climate Change
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, columns 855-6W, on climate change, which new posts for (a) locally-engaged and (b) UK-based staff have been created in each of his Department's priority countries for the Government’s objectives on climate change. [256989]
David Miliband: The distribution of locally engaged and UK based staff in the priority countries for the Government’s objectives on climate change are as set out in the following table.
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