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5 May 2009 : Column 18W—continued
Non-profit Making Associations: Commonwealth Games 2014
Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage social enterprises to take up commercial opportunities arising out of the 2014 Commonwealth games. [272603]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Following the successful bid for Glasgow to host the Commonwealth games in 2014, the Organising Committee, Glasgow 2014 Ltd., is taking forward the delivery of the games. The Government welcome any steps it takes to encourage the involvement of social enterprises in accessing the commercial opportunities offered by the 2014 Commonwealth games. The Scotland Office will be taking forward two pieces of secondary legislation under the Scotland Act 1998 to facilitate the delivery of the 2014 games. These will protect the intellectual property rights of the games and prohibit ticket touting in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Sports: Training
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many community sport coaches have been in operation in each year since 2005. [272056]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 30 April 2009]: Sport England has advised that the community sports coach scheme was initially established in April 2003, and implemented from April 2004. The headline objectives were to generate 3,000 paid professional coaches working at a local level and to increase the number and range of coaching opportunities by 2006, according to strategic and local need.
In each year since 2005 there has been the following number of community sports coaches:
| Number of coaches | |
Tourism
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Visit England’s budget for tourism promotion is for 2009-10; what the budget for Enjoy England was in its last year of operation; and if he will make a statement. [271318]
Barbara Follett [holding answer 27 April 2009]: Enjoy England is the marketing brand for Visit England. Visit Britain have advised that they have allocated £12 million to Visit England to promote tourism for 2009-10.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 22W, on trade unions, which trade unions are recognised by his Department’s agency. [271936]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Royal Parks Agency recognises the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Prospect.
International Development
Sudan: Internally Displaced Persons
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of new arrivals at the internally displaced persons camps in southern Darfur in the last six months; and what assessment he has made of the effects on the capacity of those camps to meet the basic needs of their residents of such arrivals. [271588]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 100,000 people have been assessed as newly displaced within South Darfur in the last six months. A further 49,000 have been displaced from South Darfur to other states within Darfur. Most of these have arrived in designated IDP camps.
In the wake of the expulsion of 13 international NGOs and dissolution of three national NGOs on 4 March 2009, a UN-Government of Sudan mission assessed the capacity of service providers in the major camps across Darfur. It concluded that due to gap-filling measures taken by the UN and other agencies, an immediate crisis had been averted, but that urgent action was needed to ensure that IDPs received life-saving services in the medium term. We are working with the Government of Sudan, the UN, other international agencies, the remaining NGOs and implementing partners to ensure that the necessary capacity is in place.
Sudan: International Assistance
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the effects on the humanitarian situation in Sudan of the dissolution or expulsion by the Government of Sudan of non-governmental organisations in March 2009; what gaps in humanitarian assistance consequent on the departure of such organisations from Sudan have been identified by the UN; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of people affected by such gaps. [271729]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The report of the Joint United Nations (UN)-Government of Sudan (GoS) assessment of the impact of the expulsion of 13 international NGOs and dissolution of three national NGOs was released on 24 March 2009. It estimated that 650,000 people risked being left without full access to medical care; 692,000 without non-food items (NFIs) and shelter; over 850,000
without access to water and sanitation; and 1.1 million with disrupted food supplies. The report is available online at:
On 7 April 2009, the UN presented figures to donors based on worst case scenarios if gaps were not filled. These were up to 30 per cent. higher: 1.5-2 million without any access to medical care; 1 million without access to water and sanitation; 1.1 million with disrupted food assistance during the hungry season; and 1.2 million without adequate shelter and NFIs during the rainy season. The risks of increased morbidity, mortality, malnutrition and large population movements were also reported as significant.
The Department for International Development (DFID) will continue working with the UN and other donors to monitor GoS’ commitment to fill the gaps left by the expulsions and closures, and to ensure that the international community has early warning of any significant further deterioration in the humanitarian situation.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Children
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to enable deprived children to attend events during the London 2012 Olympics. [271353]
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, which will be made public in 2010.
I have held detailed discussions with LOCOG about developing the strategy. We are absolutely committed to making sure that there are tickets for sale at affordable prices for all and for people from around the UK. Some sporting events such as the marathon and road cycling will be free to watch. In addition, LOCOG is already rolling out a network of live sites across the country from now through to 2012 for as many people as possible in the community to watch the games.
Transport
Aviation: Disabled
Nick Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he has had discussions with other Governments about the ending of charges by airlines for passengers with pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular dystrophy and other conditions who bring personal oxygen concentrators and equipment on board airlines or who use supplemental oxygen provided by the airline; [271541]
(2) if he will hold discussions with airlines operating from the UK to seek to end charges made on passengers with pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and muscular dystrophy who require in-flight supplemental oxygen provided by the airline or by themselves; [271542]
(3) if he will make it his policy to ensure air passengers with pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular dystrophy and other conditions are not charged by airlines for bringing on board personal oxygen concentrators or equipment or for having supplemental oxygen provided by the airline. [271543]
Jim Fitzpatrick: European regulation 1107/2006 on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air imposes obligations on airlines with respect to the services they provide, including an obligation to carry passengers' medical equipment free of charge. However, there are no specific obligations to carry or provide oxygen in the cabin.
To help the air transport industry to comply with its obligations under the regulation, the Department for Transport has published an updated version of its Code of Practice "Access to Air Travel for Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility". The code was developed with input from the Civil Aviation Authority, the Health and Safety Executive, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, the devolved Administrations and aviation industry representatives. The code includes a section on oxygen which advises that air carriers may approve the carriage of small gaseous oxygen or air cylinders required for medical use, but notes that carriers will wish to ensure that these do not pose a risk to security. The code also recommends that portable oxygen concentrator devices should normally be allowed if battery powered. Where air carriers wish to supply medical oxygen to passengers on request, the code acknowledges that it would be possible to make a charge for this service to cover the provision of the oxygen.
This is a matter which is best addressed at a European level. The Department has raised the issue of carriage of medical oxygen with the European Commission at a recent meeting of national enforcement bodies for regulation 1107/2006. The Commission is due to review the regulation in 2010.
Aviation: EU Countries
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) scheduled and (b) inclusive tour flights there were from British airports to (a) euro zone countries, (b) Germany, (c) France, (d) Spain and (e) Italy in each of the last five years. [272560]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Flights services are defined as scheduled or charter; inclusive tour flights are not separately identified.
The tables show the number of scheduled and charter flights departing from British airports to euro zone (EU-27) countries, Germany, France, Spain and Italy in each of the last five years.
| Table 2. Charter f lights from British airports to euro zone countries, Germany, France, Spain and Italy | |||||
| Thousand | |||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Source: DFT analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data | |||||
Aviation: Radio Frequencies
Ms Hewitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what recent estimate he has made of the level of use by private and leisure pilots of unlicensed aerodromes likely to follow the introduction of higher charges associated with the administered incentive pricing for aeronautical radio spectrum; [272229]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the effect on (a) airlines and (b) airline passengers using East Midlands airport of the introduction of administered incentive pricing for aeronautical radio spectrum; [272233]
(3) what recent assessment he has made of the effect on (a) aviation and (b) passenger safety of the introduction of administered incentive pricing for aeronautical radio spectrum. [272234]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Ofcom, the independent regulator for the UK communications industries, published proposals for administered incentive pricing (AIP) in its 2008 consultation ‘Applying spectrum pricing to the Maritime and Aeronautical sectors'. Ofcom did not publish an Impact Assessment with this consultation, but indicated that it would do so with its second consultation on AIP. Publication of this second consultation, which will feature more detailed proposals for the implementation of AIP in the maritime and aeronautical sectors, is anticipated in spring 2009.
We expect Ofcom's Impact Assessment to identify fully the potential effects of AIP on the maritime and aeronautical sectors.
Aviation: Safety
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of air safety standards of the incorporation of the Civil Aviation Authority into the European Aviation Safety Agency; and if he will make a statement. [271781]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority has not been incorporated into the European Aviation Safety Agency.
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