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18 Mar 2009 : Column 1144W—continued
The impact assessment included an evaluation of the legislative options for product placement. Updated impact assessments will be published later this year, when the regulations to implement the AVMS Directive are introduced into Parliament.
The Government have decided to maintain the UK’s existing approach to product placement in television programmes, in so far as the directive allows. UK producers will be able to continue operating as they currently do.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures (a) are in place and (b) he intends to introduce to reduce product placement in programmes and films shown on television in line with the requirements of the Audiovisual and Media Services Directive. [264339]
Andy Burnham:
Section 10 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code includes rules governing the inclusion of products and services in television programmes. It prohibits television product placement in general, but excludes from that prohibition the inclusion of products and services in a
programme acquired from outside the UK and in films made for cinema, provided that no broadcaster regulated by Ofcom and involved in the broadcast of that programme or film directly benefits from the arrangement. It also requires that no undue prominence may be given to a product or service.
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) requires member states to implement a general prohibition on product placement. They may however decide to permit product placement in feature films, TV films and series, sports and light entertainment programmes, but not in programmes made for children.
The Government have decided to maintain the UK’s existing approach to product placement in television programmes, in so far as the directive allows. It will be for Ofcom to decide how to amend their code in order to ensure that is in accordance with the directive.
We plan to review the position on television product placement in 2011-12.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what evidence he has evaluated on (a) effects on viewer confidence in UK-originated programming and (b) effects on viewers of product placement in UK-originated film and television content. [264340]
Andy Burnham: We set out our initial assessment of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) in the preliminary impact assessments, published with our three month consultation, issued on 31 July 2008. This is available on the Department’s website at:
Updated impact assessments will be published later this year, when the regulations to implement the AVMS Directive are introduced into Parliament.
A list of the responses to the consultation, together with a summary report of the consultation report, are available on the Department’s website at:
(a) Consumer and viewer groups argued that allowing product placement in television programmes would bring about a blurring of the distinction between advertising and editorial content in television programmes and that this would undermine the trust viewers have in the integrity of UK-made programming.
(b) Programme makers, commercial broadcasters and advertisers argued that rules ensuring that products are not unduly prominent in programmes would make sure that product placement did not detract from viewers’ enjoyment.
The differing views put forward by respondents to the consultation indicate that there is no consensus on the potential effects of product placement on viewers.
Young People: Antisocial Behaviour
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of (a) the effects of community sport and cultural activities funded by his Department on young people at risk of committing antisocial behaviour and (b) the effectiveness of such activities in West Lancashire constituency in meeting their objectives. [261973]
Andy Burnham: DCMS supports a wide range of programmes that offer young people most at risk of committing antisocial behaviour the opportunity to participate in sport and culture. These include the Kickz programme, street games, and the Department's Youth Mentoring programme for media, music and sport.
All these schemes are evaluated in accordance with agreed performance indicators designed to capture impact on target groups.
We have not undertaken an assessment of the effect of such programmes specifically in West Lancashire.
Transport
Airports: Security
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential health implications of the use of advanced backscatter x-rays and millimetre wave technology in body scanners at airports. [261870]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has been engaging with a European Commission Working Group looking at the impact of body scanners in aviation security and addressing a number of issues including human health. Findings are expected in the next few months.
There are currently no operationally deployed body scanners in UK airports.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to allow travellers at airports who do not wish to be subject to a body scanner using advanced backscatter x-rays and millimetre wave techology to opt instead for a manual pat-down search. [261871]
Jim Fitzpatrick: No body scanner trials are currently ongoing at UK airports.
Passenger privacy is very important to the Government. If we were to consider any further tests of body scanner technologies, measures would be put into place to ensure protection of passenger privacy.
Bus Services: Concessions
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated deficit in funding of local councils is in respect of the concessionary fare for bus travel scheme in the East Midlands. [263598]
Paul Clark: The East Midlands region spent £45 million on concessionary travel in 2007-08. The region will receive an extra £14 million in special grant in 2008-09 (in addition to formula grant funding) to cover the cost of the new concession—representing an increase in funding of 31 per cent.
The Government are confident that the extra funding is sufficient to meet the total cost to local authorities, as it is based on generous assumptions around fares, pass take-up, extra journeys and additional costs.
The bulk of the funding for concessionary travel remains within the overall local government finance settlement and is not separately identified. It is not therefore possible to identify the totality of funding for the current concession in the East Midlands.
Departmental Civil Service Agencies
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how frequently his Department's executive agencies are required to discuss their accounting procedures with the Department's accounting officer. [264121]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 17 March 2009]: Each executive agency has its own accounting officer, the agency chief executive, who is appointed by the Department's accounting officer. It is the agency's accounting officer that is required to sign the agency's annual accounts. In signing the annual accounts the agency's accounting officer is confirming that the executive agency's accounts, which include accounting policies, have been produced in accordance with Treasury's Financial Reporting Manual (FReM).
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are in place for oversight of the (a) accounts and (b) expenditure of his Department's executive agencies. [264122]
Mr. Hoon [holding answer 17 March 2009]: The oversight role for an executive agency's annual accounts is embedded in the role of that executive agency's accounting officer who is appointed by the Department's accounting officer.
Executive agencies submit financial information, covering expenditure, on a monthly basis to the Department for Transport.
Departmental Publications
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons publication of the annual report entitled The Allocation of Road Track Costs was discontinued after 1996-97. [261872]
Paul Clark: The Allocation of Road Track Costs report was discontinued because the costs of vehicles using the road extended beyond the costs that were included in the report. For example, the report took account of the cash costs of capital expenditure on construction, and of current expenditure on maintenance, but made no allowance for a return on capital.
Fuels: Storage
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent consideration his Department has given to the safe storage and transportation of fuels around the Scottish Highlands and Islands, under the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO); whether his Department has received any representations expressing concerns about the applicability of the RTFO to the Highlands and Islands; and if he will make a statement. [263142]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) requires suppliers of fossil fuel to ensure a proportion of the fuel they supply is renewable. UK suppliers are mostly using biodiesel to meet their obligation and some smaller quantities of bioethanol. There will be distribution difficulties transporting bioethanol from the refinery at Grangemouth to remote areas such
as the Highlands and Islands as these areas are currently supplied with fossil petrol by ship. However, shipping is not suitable for transporting petrol blended with bioethanol due to its water attracting properties. This issue has not resulted in an immediate risk of petrol supply but in the future it is possible that bioethanol will need to be transported from Grangemouth to these regions.
In response to last year’s consultation about future obligation levels under the RTFO the Department for Transport received a number of representations from: the Highlands and Islands Council; The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) and the fuel supplier Ineos. All raised concerns about the practicality and cost implications of distributing and storing bioethanol to these regions. The Department for Transport and the Scottish Executive are considering possible solutions. We shall examine how a future consultation on the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive and an impact assessment might consider this issue and possible options to overcome these problems. As part of this process we shall continue to engage with those organisations that have raised concerns.
Great Western Railway: Rolling Stock
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Statement of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1531-3W, when he expects the Intercity Express Programme trains he announced to be operating on the Great Western line. [262417]
Paul Clark: Intercity Express Programme trains will begin operation on the Great Western Main Line from 2016 onwards.
Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what datasets on (a) noise and (b) air pollution his Department has drawn upon to support its work on the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation. [262935]
Jim Fitzpatrick: As explained in annex C to the November 2007 consultation document, the Heathrow work was underpinned by forecasts of air passengers up to 2030 by BAA, benchmarked against the Department’s own air traffic and fleet forecasts to quality assure them. The supporting technical reports explained how these forecasts translate into noise impacts and emissions. Road traffic modelling drew on a variety of data sources including the Highways Agency and Transport for London, as described in the technical report on surface access. All these reports are still available on the Department’s website at:
Heathrow Airport: Public Consultation
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent (a) on external consultants and (b) in total on the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation. [262453]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The Department paid external consultants £1,155,536.43 for their input to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation and the
related Equalities impact assessment consultation. The overall cost of both consultations (not including staff costs) was £3,119,921.44.
High Speed Two: Finance
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has allocated to High Speed Two Ltd in each of the next five years. [264250]
Paul Clark: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of Monday 16 March 2009, Official Report, column 816W.
Intercity Express Programme
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his statement on 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1531-33 on new trains (investment), whether his assessment that the successful bid was substantially compliant with specifications included an assessment of compliance with specifications on train weight. [262930]
Paul Clark: The bid by Agility Trains, Preferred Bidder for the Intercity Express Programme, was substantially compliant with the specifications set out in the Train Technical Specification.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria relating to weight specifications were applied in the assessment of bids under the procurement process for the Intercity Express programme from (a) Bombardier and (b) Agility Trains and Hitachi. [262931]
Paul Clark: This information is contained in the Invitation To Tender document, and is available on the Department for Transport website at:
Lorries: Testing
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received requesting annual testing for heavy goods vehicles to be made available outside normal business hours. [264166]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has received inquiries from representative trade bodies to make testing of HGV's available outside normal working hours. VOSA now routinely conduct testing outside of normal working hours at many locations were there is demand, this demand does vary both from customer to customer and geographically. Recently VOSA has carried out research with its customers to better understand the different requirements customers may have for testing outside of normal working hours.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons annual testing for heavy goods vehicles is not available outside normal business hours. [264167]
Jim Fitzpatrick:
The testing of heavy goods vehicles (HGV's) outside of normal business hours is and has been routinely available for some years now at a number of stations. As an example, in the period April 2008 to
February 2009 the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) conducted 21,837(1) HGV tests out of normal core business hours. This equates to approx. 19,300 hours of testing conducted out of hours. Testing outside of normal business hours is not routinely available at all sites due to a number of reasons including demand, resources and restrictions on opening hours due to the location of some testing stations. The demand for testing out of normal hours is in turn seasonal, geographical and varies by customer.
(1) This figure includes 3,675 re-tests.
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