Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 2 June 2009
International Development
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what projects money was spent under his Department’s bilateral programme in each of the last five years in each country where expenditure under the programme was under £50,000 in 2007-08; how much was spent on each project; and if he will make a statement. [276903]
Mr. Michael Foster: Detailed information on individual DFID projects is publicly available through two international portals: AiDA—the Development Gateway and the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Each portal can be accessed through the following links:
Further information on DFID funded projects, including spend, will be made available on the DFID website later this year.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the procurement of antiretroviral drugs through the Global Fund and other mechanisms is timely and efficient. [276323]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) is aware that some countries supported by the Global Fund are at risk from health facility stores temporarily running out of essential antiretroviral drugs (stock-outs). DFID officials have spoken to the fund's Secretariat about this, including recently at the Global Fund's Executive Board (5-6 May 2009). Formally, the UK supported a resolution made at the board meeting which obliges the fund's Secretariat to address this issue urgently, to report on whether its existing procedures are adequate, and to propose solutions which would minimise the risks of disruptions to treatment both in the short term and on an ongoing basis. In developing countries such as Zimbabwe, DFID is also assisting, where possible, in the provision of drugs while problems in Global Fund supported programmes are being addressed.
Developing Countries: Young People
Mr. Russell Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account his Department’s forthcoming White Paper will take of (a) the number of children and young people in developing countries and (b) the relationships between
the needs of children and young people in developing countries and (i) women, (ii) families, (iii) disabled people and (iv) others in those countries. [274681]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) has recently commissioned analysis of the impacts of the current economic crisis including food, fuel and financial aspects on women, families, young people and the disabled in developing countries. This analysis will help inform the narrative in the forthcoming White Paper.
DFID recognises that children and young people are the majority population in many developing countries and that they have a vital role in helping achieve the millennium development goals. The White Paper will take these issues fully into account.
Overseas Aid: Nutrition
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what spending priority areas his Department’s Nutritional Task Team have established for 2009-10. [277137]
Mr. Michael Foster: As a result of the findings of the Nutrition Task Team, the Department for International Development (DFID) is strengthening its capacity and setting up permanent capacity, in London and in selected country offices, to help respond to the ongoing global nutrition crisis. We will be publishing a new nutrition strategy in the autumn. Key priorities will be to: build international support, co-ordination and coherence; scale-up programmes in selected partner countries; strengthen DFID capacity to increase and track nutrition impact and spend; and build evidence and demonstrate results.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what budget his Department has allocated to its nutrition task team for 2009-10. [277138]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The nutrition team for 2009-10 is being put in place now. We expect two full-time staff to start work shortly in London, supported by staff from country offices allocating a proportion of their time. We will ensure that the team has the resources it needs to develop a sound strategy. This will help provide the basis for making further resource allocation decisions.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries his Department's nutrition task team has worked with in 2009 to date. [277145]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We will work with countries where the burden of malnutrition is most severe, and where the Department for International Development (DFID) has comparative advantage within a division of labour with other donors. Initial work is under way in India and Bangladesh where we have focal advisers in place and leading nutrition agendas.
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which contribution his Department's nutrition task team is making to the achievement of Goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals. [277146]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Nutrition is a foundation for the attainment of all the Millennium Development Goals. We recognise that progress towards the MDG 1c indicator to halve the rates of under-nutrition in children under five years by 2015 remains severely off-track. Our work on nutrition is directly aimed to help focus the Department's efforts on MDG 1c.
Overseas Aid: Water
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to promote the Global Framework for Action for water and sanitation to his counterparts in countries with bilateral agencies. [276573]
Mr. Michael Foster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce) on 12 May 2009, Official Report, column 661W, which highlights our collaboration with the Netherlands. I can confirm that I will be shortly contacting other European Union bilateral agencies to encourage their support for the Global Framework for Action.
Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to assist refugees in the (a) northern and (b) eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. [276855]
Mr. Michael Foster: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made on 21 May 2009, Official Report, column 86WS, regarding the internally displaced in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
Northern Ireland
AccessNI
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been undertaken of the performance of AccessNI; and if he will make a statement. [277257]
Paul Goggins: Since mid-December 2008 AccessNI has continued to meet its service standards. Latest information on service standards is published each week on the “latest news” section of its website:
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Pay
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the salary of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland is. [276794]
Paul Goggins: The salary of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland is £183,954 per year with effect from 1 September 2008.
Robbery: Firearms
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cash in transit robberies have taken place in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many of these involved (a) firearms and (b) imitation firearms. [277324]
Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Leader of the House
Members: Allowances
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Leader of the House whether it is the Government's policy that hon. Members who are married to or in a civil partnership with a member of the House of Lords will be eligible for a second home allowance. [277699]
Chris Bryant: By tradition the two Houses of Parliament have made separate financial provisions for their Members. The Government believe that all MPs' and peers’ pay, allowances and pensions should be set, administered, monitored and audited by an independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
House of Commons Commission
Members: Allowances
John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House of Commons Commission will place in the Library a copy of internal notes made at its meetings between 3 July 2008 and 1 April 2009 relating to hon. Members' expenses and the resolutions of the House of 3 July 2008. [276857]
Nick Harvey: Members' expenses are a matter for the Members Estimate Committee.
Scotland
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what activities have been undertaken by his Department’s Euro Minister in that capacity. [277172]
Ann McKechin: Euro Ministers are responsible for euro preparations in their Department and attend Euro Ministers Steering Group meetings. Meetings are held only when necessary to discuss practical preparations to ensure a smooth changeover.
Culture, Media and Sport
Advertising: Internet
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the implications for the revenue of the British media market of Google’s share of the online advertising market; and if he will make a statement. [276978]
Barbara Follett:
The Government recognise the increasing importance of online advertising revenues to the UK’s media markets. It represents the fastest growing advertising medium in the UK. While the impact of this growth is principally a matter for the market, the Government, through their Creative Economy Strategy, continues to encourage the development of a strong and competitive advertising sector. The strategy, published in 2008, sets out a range of initiatives, such as encouraging advertisers
to recruit from a more diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines, that will help ensure the continued success of the UK’s advertising industries as a whole.
Arts: Apprentices
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department has allocated for the creation of 5,000 apprenticeships in the creative industries as outlined in Creative Britain: new talents for the new economy. [277133]
Andy Burnham: My Department is working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to influence the funding of over £1 billion allocated to delivering apprenticeships across England. Since the publication of Creative Britain, my Department has also worked with the sector skills councils and the Arts Council England to increase apprenticeships across the creative industries with over 150 employers signed up to offer places. My Department is currently developing a programme of activity to help support the creation of apprenticeships for the creative industries.
Employment Tribunals Service
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many actions under employment law have been brought against the (a) Arts Council England, (b) Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, (c) Sport England, (d) UK Sport, (e) English Heritage, (f) Heritage Lottery Fund and (g) Big Lottery Fund in each of the last three years; how many such actions were brought under each category of action; and how many were contested at an employment tribunal. [277449]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Each of our non-departmental public bodies has their own HR function and have their own procedures and processes in place. The Department does not collect information on actions brought against our non-departmental public bodies.
Olympic Games 2012
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in (a) his Department, excluding the Government Olympic Executive, (b) UK Sport and (c) Sport England are working on matters connected with the London 2012 Olympics. [277271]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 1 June 2009]: The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics have an impact on the work of a great many staff working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and our non-departmental public bodies (NDPB's). We do not collect data centrally on this.
Pay Television
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects Ofcom to publish the remedies determined as a result of its investigation into the pay television market. [277438]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 1 June 2009]: The pay-TV market investigation is the responsibility of Ofcom. Ofcom expect to make a statement on their progress and current findings by the end of June.
Pay Television: Sports
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on choice of sports pay television providers. [277440]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 1 June 2009]: I have not received any recent representations on this issue.
Royal Parks Agency: Security
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many breaches of security have been reported at the Royal Parks Agency in the last five years; and what procedures the agency follows when a breach of security involves the disclosure of personal data. [276948]
Barbara Follett: The following information has been provided by the Royal Parks Agency.
There have been eight known breaches of security within the past five years, none involving the loss of personal data.
Any loss of personal data would be handled in accordance with Cabinet Office procedures.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |