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27 Apr 2009 : Column 1000W—continued
Roads: Accidents
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents on shared surface roads have been recorded in each local authority area in each of the last five years. [269995]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available. The shared surface roads where the kerb is either low or at same level as the road surface cannot be distinguished separately in the reported personal injury road accident dataset.
House of Commons Commission
Parliament Square: Demonstrations
Mr. Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what discussions the House of Commons Commission has had with the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis about the demonstration which took place in Parliament Square on 20 April 2009; and if he will make a statement. [270799]
Nick Harvey: The House of Commons Commission has not had contact with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis; as Mr. Speaker has said in the House the Serjeant at Arms is his contact with the Commissioner on all such matters.
Temperature
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the average temperature in (a) Norman Shaw North, (b) Norman Shaw South, (c) Portcullis House and (d) those parts of the Palace of Westminster for which the House of Commons Commission is responsible was in each of the last 12 months. [271297]
Nick Harvey: The Commission is unable to provide these figures as the building management system, controlling heating, power, lighting and ventilation on the Parliamentary Estate, retains temperature records for only three days.
Church Commissioners
Departmental Land
Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many applications for succession of tenancy under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 on land owned by the Church Commissioners have been made in the last five years; and how many of them were opposed by the Church Commissioners. [271420]
Sir Stuart Bell: The Commissioners do not record the number of applications made for succession of tenancy under the 1986 Act. However, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that one such application was opposed by the Commissioners in the last five years.
Farms
Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many rent review notices were served by the Church Commissioners on their agricultural tenants in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 to date; how many of those rent reviews for which notices were served in each period have not been settled; and if he will make a statement. [271325]
Sir Stuart Bell: The specific information requested in the first part of the hon. Gentleman’s question is not readily available within the time scale required. I can tell him that 174 notices were extant at the end of 2008 but I should add the caveat that rent review notices have to be served at least 12 months before the review date, so these notices will cover a wide period.
By way of a statement, the Church Commissioners’ agents continue to negotiate with tenants and their agents for those reviews that are still outstanding.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what the average length of term offered on new farm business tenancies on the Church Commissioner’s rural estate was in the latest period for which information is available. [271326]
Sir Stuart Bell: During 2008, the average length of term offered on new farm business tenancies for the Commissioners’ rural estate was four years.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what area of land is let by the Church Commissioners to farm tenants under (a) the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and (b) the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995. [271327]
Sir Stuart Bell: 31,080 hectares are let to farm tenants under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and 9,055 hectares under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many agricultural tenants the Church Commissioners have in England regulated under the (a) Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and (b) Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995. [271328]
Sir Stuart Bell: The Commissioners have 230 agricultural tenants in England regulated under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and 122 under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many hectares of agricultural land are owned by the Church Commissioners in England. [271329]
Sir Stuart Bell: Approximately 40,315 hectares of agricultural land in England are owned by the Church Commissioners.
Olympics
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many officials for which she is responsible are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the reasons are for each such suspension. [270510]
Tessa Jowell: No member of staff in my private office is suspended.
Staff working in the Government Olympic Executive report to me through the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and will therefore be included in the answer by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Departmental Energy
Greg Clark: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent progress her Office has made towards the Government's target of increasing its energy efficiency per square metre of the Government Estate by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 1999-2000; and if she will make a statement. [266870]
Tessa Jowell: I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Kevin Brennan) on 26 March 2009, Official Report, column 711W.
Departmental Furniture
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was spent by her Office on furniture in each of the last five years. [266201]
Tessa Jowell: Details of any Cabinet Office payments 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 summer recess.
In September 2008 the Minister for the Olympics moved to a new office at 2-4 Cockspur Street which needed to be fully furnished. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport subsequently spent £14,656 on furniture for this office.
Leader of the House
Members: Allowances
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Leader of the House what account she took of submissions made to the Members' Estimate Committee in preparing the proposals to alter hon. Members' allowances announced on 21 April 2009. [271300]
Chris Bryant: A range of information and views have been considered.
Culture, Media and Sport
Community Pubs Inquiry Report
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in finalising the Government's response to the Community Pubs Inquiry Report; and when it will be published. [270909]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I am currently finalising the Government's response to the Community Pubs Inquiry Report and shall publish it shortly.
Culture: Olympic Games 2012
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the component parts of tier (a) two and (b) three of the Cultural Olympiad are; what the cost of each part is estimated to be; and what the source of funding of each part is. [270085]
Barbara Follett: The Cultural Olympiad is a four-year developing programme of cultural activity, comprising ceremonies (formerly tier one); major projects (formerly tier two); and Inspire Mark projects (formerly tier three).
Around 10 national major projects will take place across the country. Each major project is at a different stage of development. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympics Games (LOCOG) are working with their partners to develop the detailed plan for each of these projects, which includes a consideration of costs and options for funding. So far, LOCOG seed funding together with a range of partners including DCMS NDPBs, cultural organisations, and the Legacy Trust, plan to spend at least £40 million.
Inspire Mark projects within the Cultural Olympiad will focus on local and regional cultural activity. The content, cost and funding for these projects is determined by the organisations choosing to take advantage of this opportunity. Already, 50 projects within the Cultural Olympiad have been awarded the Inspire Mark.
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of invoices his Department has paid within 10 days of receipt in each of the last five months. [270537]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department's performance of payment of invoices within 10 days of receipt in each of last five months is set out in the table.
| Percentage of invoices paid within 10 working days | |
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in his Department are suspended; how many are suspended on full pay; for how long each has been suspended; and what the reasons are for each such suspension. [270515]
Mr. Sutcliffe: We currently have no officials on suspension in the Department.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department’s policy is on holding departmental away days at locations other than departmental premises. [268466]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department does not have an away day policy and there are no central rules governing the holding of departmental away days.
The Department encourages teams to undertake staff away days and staff team building exercises as part of its commitment to the development of its staff and to improving performance.
All expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and Treasury guidance on Managing Public Money and Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.
Departmental Visits Abroad
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much expenditure was incurred in respect of overseas visits which (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) his Department’s senior officials undertook in 2008. [262146]
Mr. Sutcliffe: 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.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport do not keep information on the cost of overseas travel specifically by senior officials within the Department.
Film: Licensing
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 January 2009, Official Report, columns 687-8W, on film: licensing, whether local residents within a local authority area may submit for review the classification of a film shown in cinemas within the area on grounds that it contravenes the licence. [270130]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
The exhibition of a film is regulated entertainment under Schedule 1 of the Licensing Act 2003. If a premises licence or club premises certificate authorises the exhibition of a film, sections 20 or 74 of the Act make it mandatory for a condition to be included in the premises licence or certificate requiring the admission
of children to films to be restricted in accordance with recommendations given either by the British Board of Film Classification or by the licensing authority itself.
The Licensing Authority can choose to adopt its own classification, although the Guidance issued under the Licensing Act recommends that licensing authorities should not duplicate the effort underpinning the BBFC's classification.
A licence or certificate could be revoked or withdrawn on an application for review by an interested party (which could include a local resident), if the licence or certificate owner breached the mandatory condition outlined above, or otherwise acted in a way which contravened the licensing objectives.
Local residents would not, however, have a basis for challenging the classification of a film by the BBFC or the local authority under the Licensing Act 2003. The classification decision is a matter which falls outside the regulation of the premises licence or club premises certificate under the Licensing Act 2003. To challenge a classification of a film given by the BBFC or the local authority, local residents would have to pursue alternative avenues e.g. seek a judicial review.
Libraries: Closures
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in respect of which local authorities he has used his powers under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to intervene in relation to a proposed library closure since May 1997; on what dates each such intervention was made; and what the outcome of such intervention was in each case. [269982]
Barbara Follett: Before my right hon. friend the Secretary of State announced an inquiry into library closures in the Wirral in April 2009, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport had not used his powers under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to intervene in relation to a proposed library closure since the early 1990s when closures in Derbyshire were investigated.
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