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13 May 2009 : Column 795W—continued
Publications
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) his Department and (b) its Executive agencies spent on the preparation of articles for submission to healthcare publications and journals in the last six months. [272406]
Mr. Bradshaw: To identify expenditure on the preparation of all articles for submission to health care publications and journals in the last six months would incur disproportionate costs.
There have been 19 advertorials (paid-for articles) in health care publications and journals funded in whole or in part by the Department's Communications Directorate in the last six months.
This corrects the answer given to the hon. Member on 29 April 2009, Official Report, column 1314W, which stated that 19 advertorials had been funded in whole or in part by the Department's Communications Directorate over a two-year period.
£19,500 was spent on preparation of these 19 advertorials. Additional associated expenditure was included within agency fees spanning publicity activity for the related publicity campaigns, and to extract this information would incur disproportionate costs.
Wales
Armed Forces Day
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps his Department plans to take to mark Armed Forces Day on 27 June 2009. [271077]
Mr. David: The Secretary of State and I strongly support Armed Forces Day and efforts made to recognise the contribution of our service men and women. We will be marking the day by events in Wales.
In addition to this I have written to the chief executives of all councils in Wales to encourage them to take part in the raising of the special Armed Forces Day flags on 22 June.
Cardiff
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many concerts he has attended at the Millennium Stadium in an official capacity. [274265]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have attended one event at the Millennium Stadium, which included live music. I have also attended a number of Wales Rugby Union matches at this iconic Welsh venue.
Coal Mining
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has visited coal mines in Wales on official business in the last 12 months. [274267]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I am pleased to say that the Big Pit mining museum is in my constituency and I am a regular visitor.
Departmental Buildings
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on building maintenance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [274566]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Figures for the maintenance (including electrical and mechanical engineering and plumbing works) of the Wales Office’s London and Cardiff offices:
| £ | |
Figures prior to 2004-05 are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Complaints
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what procedure his Department follows for dealing with complaints received (a) by e-mail, (b) by post, (c) by telephone and (d) via his Department’s website. [274515]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office complaints procedure and contact details are published on the Wales Office website at:
Departmental Dismissal
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff in his Department were dismissed (a) for under-performance and (b) in total in each of the last 10 years. [274314]
Mr. Paul Murphy: One person has been dismissed on grounds of inefficiency since 2006. Records prior to this are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Drinking Water
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on bottled water in each of the last five years. [274380]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department has spent the following amounts on bottled water, mostly on 18.5 ltr bottles for office water coolers:
| £ | |
The Wales Office stopped buying bottled water in February 2009 when water coolers connected to the mains water supply were introduced.
Departmental Furniture
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on furniture in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2008-09. [273749]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office did not buy any furniture in 2008-09 and figures for 2004-05 could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental ICT
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy. [273550]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has in place a number of steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, including requiring staff to switch off office equipment at night and a forthcoming programme to reduce the number of printers in the Department and encourage more double-sided printing.
Departmental Manpower
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of staff his Department employs who are over (a) 55 and (b) 65 years old. [274266]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Eight staff in the Wales Office are aged between 55 and 64. A small number of staff are aged over 65 years old.
Departmental Official Hospitality
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on (a) conference services and (b) banqueting services in each of the last five years. [274495]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department has not spent anything on conference or banqueting services in the last five years.
Departmental Stationery
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on branded stationery and gifts for (a) internal and (b) external promotional use in each of the last five years. [273774]
Mr. Paul Murphy: My Department spent £83 on Wales Office pens in 2006 to promote the Government of Wales Act 2006.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on the purchase of (a) recycled office supplies in the last 12 months and (b) printer ink cartridges in each of the last five years. [274569]
Mr. Paul Murphy: We do not separate out the cost of recycled supplies and print cartridges from our stationery orders and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We do however use 100 per cent. recycled paper for photocopying and printing and all our old print cartridges are recycled.
Departmental Training
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on IT training for its staff in each of the last five years. [274226]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The Wales Office spent the following on IT training:
| £ | |
Figures before 2006-07 are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on health and safety training for its staff in each of the last five years. [274268]
Mr. Paul Murphy: The health and safety of staff and visitors is taken very seriously in the Wales Office. When they join the Department, all staff undertake training to give them an basic understanding of their responsibilities. This is provided by the Ministry of Justice and does not incur a direct cost to the Wales Office.
Corporate support staff who are responsible for health and safety issues require a significantly higher degree of knowledge and expertise, and this training is given by specialist organisations at a cost of £1,672 in 2007-08, and £7,631.00 in 2008-09.
Departmental Work Experience
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many work placements his Department offered to (a) school pupils, (b) university students and (c) graduates in each of the last five years. [274476]
Mr. Paul Murphy: There have been two work placements both undertaken by pupils before they entered university: one in 2008 and one in 2005.
Digital Broadcasting
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps have been taken to ensure that Wales is ready for the digital switchover. [274270]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Wales is well prepared for the digital switchover which starts in Swansea in August 2009 and completes by the end March 2010. Digital UK, the independent non-profit organisation will issue a 100-day countdown.
As part of Digital UK’s national information campaign, leaflets explaining switchover and the options available for going digital will be sent to every home in Wales, backed up by both national and local radio and television advertising.
Letters will also be sent to every household for people aged 75 or over, registered blind or partially sighted, on disability benefits or living in a care home for six months or more. Stakeholder meetings and roadshows across Wales have also been held.
Digital Technology
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had on implementation of his digital inclusion responsibilities; and if he will make a statement. [274271]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have had a range of meetings with stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors concerning digital inclusion. I launched “Delivering Digital Inclusion—An Action Plan for Consultation” in October 2008 and have held two events with stakeholders in Birmingham and London to hear their views. An analysis of the responses to this consultation process has recently been published.
This analysis indicated strong support for the appointment of an independent Champion for Digital Inclusion, aided by an expert taskforce. I will be making an announcement regarding the champion in the near future.
Economic Situation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on the impact of the recession on Wales. [274316]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular meetings with the First Minister to discuss the global recession and its impact on Wales.
The fifth All Wales Economic Summit, recently held in Swansea, shows the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment in supporting and guiding Wales through the recession. These summits are an excellent opportunity for businesses to discuss the challenges they are facing and the assistance they require, enabling me to feed in their comments to the National Economic Council, informing and directing what action is required.
In addition, the UK Government have taken prompt and decisive action to prevent the collapse of the banking system, to support the economy, and to ensure that we get lending going again. This will benefit all of Wales, as it will the UK.
Energy: Cross-border Cooperation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Welsh Assembly Government on the security of energy supply across the England/Wales border. [273474]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with colleagues in Wales and London on a range of cross border issues.
The security of energy supply is a key priority of both the Government and the Welsh Assembly Government. The 2007 Energy White Paper set out the UK's commitment to a rich mix supply of energy through a wide range of generating technologies including renewables.
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