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23 Mar 2009 : Column 56W—continued


Renewable Energy: Waste

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many landfill sites in each local authority area are designated as green energy plants supplying energy from waste. [263086]

Jane Kennedy: Environment Agency records indicate that there are at least 68 landfills with an identified landfill gas utilisation scheme. I am arranging for a list of these sites to be placed in the Library of the House.

Soya: Imports

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of imported soya was produced in Brazil in the latest period for which figures are available. [263908]

Jane Kennedy: According to HMRC official overseas trade statistics, in 2008, 45 per cent. of UK imports of soya were recorded as originating in Brazil. This is based on the volume of trade and includes both soya beans and soya meal. 2008 figures are provisional.

Culture, Media and Sport

Cultural Relations

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much has been spent on the Connections through Culture programme in each of the last three years; and how much is planned to be spent on the programme in each of the next two years; [260781]

(2) what recent assessment he has made of the Connections through Culture programme; and if he will make a statement; [260782]

(3) what financial contributions have been received from other organisations for the Connections through Culture programme; [260785]

(4) what financial contributions to the Connections through Culture programme have been received from other organisations; [261451]

(5) how much his Department has spent on the Connections through Culture programme in each of the last three years; and how much he expects to spend on it in each of the next two years; [261452]

(6) what assessment he has made of the performance against objectives of the first term of the Connections through Culture programme; and if he will make a statement; [261453]

(7) what plans he has to extend the Connections through Culture programmes to further countries. [261539]

Barbara Follett: The China: UK Connections through Culture programme is a three-year programme led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British Council, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government. The programme has cost just under £1 million, spread equally over the last three years.

The programme runs from 2006-09 and aims to build long-lasting cultural connections. It has been hugely successful in promoting and encouraging sustainable cultural partnerships between the UK and China. A second term of Connections through Culture from 2009-12 has been agreed to ensure a lasting and tangible legacy in the run up to the Shanghai Expo and London 2012.

An independent evaluation of the first term of the programme was completed at the end of 2008. It concluded that Connections through Culture is a successful and responsive model of exchange unmatched by any overseas government agency in China and that the implementation of the programme has been exemplary.

Funding contributions in the first three-year cycle of the programme were as follows:

£

DCMS

300,000

FCO

300,000

British Council

300,000

Scottish Government

45,000

Welsh Assembly Government

15,000


The budget for 2009-12 has not yet been agreed.


23 Mar 2009 : Column 57W

We are currently looking at options to transfer this model to India with which the UK seeks to strengthen cultural ties.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009, Official Report, column 1739W, on departmental data protection, what security systems are in place to separate visitor and test wireless networks from his Department's local area network infrastructure; what policies are in place for the protection of local area network infrastructure via (a) firewalls and (b) layer three switches; who is responsible for auditing and checking these security measures; how frequently security checks are performed; and what the average time is for remediation of vulnerabilities. [265565]

Mr. Sutcliffe: There is no connection between the visitor and test wireless networks and the test wireless network does not carry any work or protectively marked traffic. No wireless network is connected to the main office network.

All wireless connections are protected by hardware firewalls and are covered as part of the regular annual audit process. Security vulnerabilities are addressed immediately they are notified.

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009, Official Report, columns 1739-40W, on departmental data protection, what systems are in place to ensure that his Department's IT security hierarchy is fit for purpose. [265566]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Our Security Operating Protocol is reviewed by external auditors on an annual basis.

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009, Official Report, column 1739W, on departmental data protection, how frequently (a) internal and (b) independent external auditing of compliance takes place; what the criteria of such audits are; what elements are checked; whether his Department undertakes social engineering pen tests; what password policies his Department has in place; and what systems are in place to ensure that staff comply with those policies. [265567]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Internal auditing of compliance takes place at least annually. Independent external auditing is carried out on an annual basis. A number of criteria are used including the GSi Code of Connection, the Security Policy Framework, industry best practice and relevant Info Sec Memoranda.

We do not report on the scope of security testing nor the full list of test criteria for security reasons.

My Department does carry out social engineering vulnerability testing.

My Department's password policies conform to central standards.

A full range of guidance on security policies and best practice is available to staff via my Department's intranet.

We are currently deploying additional training and compliance testing for all staff.


23 Mar 2009 : Column 58W

Departmental Lost Property

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether officials in his Department who have lost laptops that were the property of his Department in the last 12 months have been charged the full value of replacement. [266234]

Mr. Sutcliffe: No officials in my Department have lost laptops in the past 12 months.

Departmental NDPBs: Pay

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) the Big Lottery Fund, (b) the Heritage Lottery Fund, (c) English Heritage, (d) Arts Council England, (e) UK Sport, (f) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and (g) Sport England spent on bonuses for their staff in each of the last three years. [258511]

Barbara Follett: We have been advised by the following organisations that spend on staff bonuses in each of the years is as follows:

Organisation Spend on staff bonuses (£)

(a) Big Lottery Fund

2005-06

197,739

2006-07

210,184

2007-08

221,665

(b) Heritage Lottery Fund

2005-06

31,291

2006-07

35,161

2007-08

37,083

(c) English Heritage

2005-06

253,000

2006-07

303,000

2007-08

243,000

(d) Arts Council England

2005-06

140,371

2006-07

159,121

2007-08

280,675

(e) UK Sport

2005-06

144,317

2006-07

160,310

2007-08

199,156

(f) The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

2005-06

17,578

2006-07

26,965

2007-08

57,095

(g) Sport England

2005-06

21,222

2006-07

24,258

2007-08

0


23 Mar 2009 : Column 59W

Departmental Public Consultations

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public consultations were undertaken by his Department in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [264527]

Mr. Sutcliffe: Information on all public consultations undertaken by my Department is available on the DCMS website:

13 such consultations were launched in 2008, 24 in 2007 and 27 in 2006. Details of these consultations, broken down by year of consultation launch are as follows:

2008

2007


23 Mar 2009 : Column 60W

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