| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
11 Mar 2009 : Column 442W—continued
Western Sahara: Fisheries
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice his Department issues to the fishing fleet on fishing in waters off (a) Western Sahara and (b) Morocco. [262831]
Huw Irranca-Davies: UK vessels that fish in the waters off Western Sahara and Morocco do so under the provisions of the EU/Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement. DEFRA advises that they should ensure compliance with the agreement at all times while fishing in these waters.
Olympics
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many and what percentage of letters sent by her Office were given to (a) the Royal Mail and (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [259979]
Tessa Jowell: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not record the number of mail items sent by individual Ministers or their offices. 100 per cent. of mail items sent by the Department are given to the Royal Mail.
Scotland
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date. [260361]
Ann McKechin: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department’s resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.
Wales
Devolution
9. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the constitutional settlement on devolution for the interests of Wales. [261332]
Mr. David: The Government’s position on the devolution settlement for Wales is clearly set out in the 2006 Government of Wales Act. The Act has delivered on clearer responsibilities, fairer Assembly elections, simplified legislative process and enhanced powers in agreed matters. The powers conferred on the National Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government are working well.
Welsh Economy
10. Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government on the state of the Welsh economy. [261333]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government on the state of the Welsh economy, through my membership of the National Economic Council and my attendance at the all-Wales economic summits.
11. Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had on the situation of businesses in Wales in the current economic climate. [261334]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Working in close partnership, the UK Government and the Welsh Assembly Government are doing all we can to help Welsh businesses and households through these challenging times.
Prisons: Drugs
12. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to discuss the matter of drugs in prisons in Wales with ministerial colleagues and the Welsh Assembly Government. [261335]
Mr. David: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and Welsh Ministers on a range of issues affecting Wales including prisons.
Since 1997, we have increased investment in drug treatment in prisons tenfold and greatly strengthened enforcement. As a result of this, results in mandatory random drug tests have improved from over 20 per cent. testing positive 10 years ago to 9 per cent. now.
Digital Inclusion
13. Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made on the Government’s plans for digital inclusion. [261336]
Mr. David: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched ‘Delivering Digital Inclusion: an Action Plan for Consultation’ in October 2008, setting out over 70 actions taking place across Government to tackle digital inclusion.
The consultation has now finished and the responses are currently being analysed to inform further progress. My right hon. Friend will be making an announcement in the spring on the outcome of the consultation and the appointment of a digital inclusion champion and taskforce.
Flooding: Severn Plain
14. Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister on cross-border flooding on the Severn plain between Caersws and Shrewsbury. [261337]
Mr. David: My right hon. Friend has regular bi-lateral meetings with the First Minister on a range of issues including environmental matters.
The Assembly Government takes flooding in Wales very seriously. It has more than doubled funding since 1999 with £5.8 million per year for local authorities and over £12 million for the Environment Agency Wales for capital improvement projects.
The Assembly Government also secured an additional £30 million from convergence funding to invest in flood and coastal erosion risk measures across Wales, £8 million for flood risk management activities and £575,000 available to the Environment Agency Wales between 2009 and 2011 to take forward a number of initiatives.
Welsh Language
15. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to meet members of the Welsh Assembly to discuss the promotion of the Welsh language in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [261338]
Mr. David: I have regular meetings with Welsh Assembly Government colleagues to discuss matters relating to Wales including the promotion of the Welsh language.
Hon. Members will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State laid the proposed Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order in Parliament on 9 February for pre-legislative scrutiny. The proposed LCO, when made, will enable the National Assembly to legislate in order to deliver the Welsh Assembly Government's commitments in respect of the language.
Christmas
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it is his Department's policy to offer staff (a) additional leave entitlement for Christmas shopping and (b) Christmas bonus payments. [262804]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has no policy entitling staff to either (a) additional leave for Christmas shopping or (b) Christmas bonus payments.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his office in 2008-09 to date. [260318]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.
Transport
A15
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received any proposals to dual the A15 in the last 12 months. [261800]
Paul Clark [holding answer 10 March 2009]: The Department for Transport has not received any proposals to dual the A15 in the last 12 months.
BAA
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 532W, on Heathrow Airport, on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) departmental officials met BAA representatives to discuss proposals for Heathrow Airport expansion in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [254949]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Since January 2006, Ministers have met regularly with BAA to discuss general aviation issues. These meetings covered a wide range of topics, which may have included the expansion of Heathrow.
| Date (week commencing) | Minister |
In addition to these meetings, there were other occasions on which Ministers met with BAA to discuss issues such as airport security or surface access; or to discuss airports other than Heathrow.
Due to IT changes, officials' diaries are not available before April 2008, or July 2008 in some cases. Meetings with BAA have taken place as follows:
Again, these meetings covered a wide variety of topics, which may have included the expansion of Heathrow.
Note that officials and ministers have met with BAA following the closure of the Heathrow consultation; but none of these meetings have discussed Heathrow.
Departmental Postal Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to (a) the Royal Mail and (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [259967]
Mr. Hoon: The information requested is in the following table.
| (a) Royal Mail | (b) Other postal service | |||
| DF T organisational unit | Items | Percentage | Items | Percentage |
| (1) Includes letters and other articles (parcels, packets etc) transmitted by post. (2) No record kept of number of items sent. (3) 100 per cent. of the mail despatched to the public is sent via Royal Mail. The only other provider is Secure Mail Services which is used to securely transport mail internally to local office. (4) The requested information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, DSA estimates that around 99 per cent. of its letters are given to Royal Mail for delivery. (5) The Highways Agency does not maintain number counts for the posting of letters. Above is an estimate. (6) The Information requested is not collected in the format requested. Cost analysis would not reflect numbers and/or percentage as the cost element is not fixed between couriers. | ||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |