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15 Jun 2009 : Column 28W—continued
Olympic Games 2012: Finance
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics for what reasons the cost of the other Olympic Park venues has fallen from £446 million to £337 million in her May 2009 London 2012 Quarterly Economic Report compared with the previous report. [279838]
Tessa Jowell: The main reason for the reduction of £109 million is that £94 million, relating to the Velopark project budget, has been moved from the ‘other Olympic Park Venues’ grouping and reported as a separate item. Showing project budgets separately, once they are not commercially sensitive, is part of our commitment to transparent reporting of costs relating to the Olympic Programme.
The remainder of this reduction is the result of savings achieved on the programme through a combination of procurement, VAT and inflation savings.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics for what reasons Stratford City Land and Infrastructure and Stratford City Receipt are show as separate entries in her May 2009 London 2012 Quarterly Economic Report. [279839]
Tessa Jowell: Prior to the publication of the London 2012 Quarterly Economic Report, the budgets for the Olympic Village and IBC/MPC had been reported as a single aggregate figure. However, with the reduction in commercial sensitivities following the award of contract for the IBC/MPC, coupled with the resolution of funding issues for the Olympic Village, this figure has now been broken down to reflect the budget for each individual project.
Where possible—as with the separate entries for Stratford City Land and Infrastructure and Stratford City Receipts—budget breakdowns will be provided, wherever commercial sensitivities allow, as part of our commitment to open and transparent reporting.
Culture, Media and Sport
Culture and Sport Evidence Programme
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the budget for the Culture and Sport Evidence Programme has been spent. [279846]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Up to the end of May 2009, £351,000 of the budget for the Culture and Sport Evidence Programme had been spent. This represents 20 per cent. of the total budget for this three-year programme.
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of progress on the Culture and Sport Evidence Programme; and if he will make a statement. [279847]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Culture and Sport Evidence Programme (CASE) is progressing well. We have undertaken (i) a fundamental review of published research and data on engagement in culture and sport, (ii) an assessment of research needs at a regional and local level and completed (iii) a review of asset data across the CASE-member bodies and (iv) developed shortened ‘Taking Part’-style questions for the ‘Understanding Society’ longitudinal study, all within the first six months of CASE activity.
Departmental Reviews
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) review and (b) taskforce projects his Department has commissioned in each of the last five years; what the purpose of each such project is; when each such project (i) began and (ii) was completed; what the cost of each such project was; and if he will make a statement. [275983]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Summary information on taskforces and other standing bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies. Copies of Public Bodies 2008 are available in the Libraries of the House. Detailed information on ad hoc advisory bodies is available in the Department's own ‘Public Bodies 2008’ Report, which is available on our website:
Information about reviews commissioned over the last five years and their costs is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Gaming Machines: Taxation
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the effect that the introduction of a gross profit tax to replace the amusement machine licence duty system would have on implementation of new stakes and prize levels for Category C and D machines. [279744]
Mr. Sutcliffe: New stake and prize levels for category C and D gaming machines were implemented on 10 June 2009. The Government are yet to consult on any proposals regarding the future of gaming machine taxation and will take into account all the views expressed by the industry during the consultation before deciding how to proceed.
Tourism: Inland Waterways
Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will encourage English tourism leaders to promote holidaying on waterways; and if he will make a statement. [276525]
Barbara Follett: VisitEngland is England's new tourism body, which works with key stakeholders at national, regional and local levels to create and lead on the delivery of a national tourism strategy, optimising marketing investment and developing the visitor experience across England.
VisitEngland is promoting waterways on their website:
which has many links to British Waterways' leisure site:
and narrow boating is part of a new VisitEngland advertising campaign called, “enjoy every minute; enjoy England”, this includes a television advertisement which started airing on 18 May 2009 on ITV1.
Home Department
Asylum: Democratic Republic of Congo
Mr. Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to monitor the safety of asylum seekers returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo. [278005]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 4 June 2009]: The UK Border Agency only enforces the return of individuals to the Democratic Republic of Congo whom we, and the courts, are satisfied are not in need of protection and who do not elect to leave voluntarily.
The Court of Appeal’s decision in December 2008 upheld the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal’s finding that failed asylum seekers are not at risk on return to the Democratic Republic of Congo simply because they have claimed asylum.
The returns policy is kept under review for countries where we make returns. The UK Border Agency does not routinely monitor the treatment of individual unsuccessful asylum seekers once they are removed from the UK. However, we investigate, in partnership with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, if specific allegations are made that any returnee, to any country, has experienced ill-treatment on return from the UK.
Climate Change
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to adapt its activities to climate change in the last two years. [277639]
Mr. Woolas: All Departments are actively involved in the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme, which aims to help society adapt to climate change. The role of the programme is to develop and provide a comprehensive evidence base including adaptation tools, to raise awareness of the need to adapt, to measure success and to work across Government at all levels to embed adaptation. Further details about the Programme's work can be found at:
As well as working together to tackle issues that affect all departments and their work, each Government Department is adapting to climate change in its own operations and policies.
Home Office has carried out a preliminary assessment of the business areas that may be affected by climate change. Initial findings are that migration, and crime and policing are the more likely areas of Home Office business to be affected. Home Office estates may also be affected. Our next step is to carry out more detailed assessments in each area, based on different climate change scenarios.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of his Department’s potential gross (a) costs and (b) savings arising from its climate change adaptation measures in the next three years. [277721]
Mr. Woolas: It is not currently possible to provide estimates of the potential costs and savings over the next three years. It has, however, been shown in the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change that timely and well-targeted climate adaptation measures will yield benefits in excess of their costs. The main rationale for investment to address climate risk will be to reduce the UK’s vulnerability to longer-term climate change impacts.
The Government are undertaking a Climate Change Risk Assessment and Economic Analysis, which will provide estimates of the costs and benefits of adaptation to the UK. This analysis will be presented to Parliament within three years of the Climate Change Act coming in to force.
Departmental Buildings
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the property searches in the home information pack procured in respect of the sale of 62 South Eaton Place were undertaken; and for how long that property has been on the market. [278360]
Mr. Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 February 2008, Official Report, column 160W. The local authority searches were dated 18 April 2008 and the water/drainage search was dated 16 April 2008.
Departmental Drinking Water
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on water coolers in each year of the last five years. [278230]
Mr. Woolas: The requested information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Departmental ICT
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. [273555]
Mr. Woolas: The Home Office operates a large-scale, multi-vendor, supply chain delivering a wide range of ICT categories.
The Home Office CIO, in line with all other Chief Information Officers (CIOs) on the CIO Council, has produced a “CIO Green ICT Roadmap” which we will be following to deliver against the 18 target improvement areas outlined in the Greening Government ICT Strategy including those aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
The CIOs and Chief Technology Officers (CTO) Council of the Cabinet Office have completed the CIO Green ICT Roadmap baselines for all of its CIOs including local government representatives and agencies.
The Home Office is directly represented on the CIO/CTO Council Green ICT Delivery Unit and is responsible for providing support to the development of the pan-government Greening Government ICT Strategy and leadership.
A full report of the CIO Council Green ICT Roadmaps will be made available and will feature the action plans of all Departments involved in the Council against the 18 steps. This will be included in a "one year on" Green ICT CIO report which will be issued by the Cabinet Office in July. The CIO/CTO Council Green ICT Delivery Unit will refresh its annual CIO key objectives against the latest developments in technology and advances in carbon measurement which will be circulated for comment to all CIOs and relevant Departments this summer.
As already reported to the Cabinet Office in the CIO Green ICT roadmap Home Office businesses are currently analysing, planning and implementing (where appropriate) the actions laid out in the Greening Government ICT Strategy. Our main ICT suppliers are being asked to provide low power consumption devices wherever applicable. We have initiated projects to configure our workstations to automatically power down after hours, to virtualise a significant proportion of our server estate and to implement thin client technology. We have reduced the amount of ICT devices and we are extending "smart working" which will also contribute to reduce the amount of ICT equipment on Home Office estate.
Departmental Manpower
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) vetting and (b) security checks are undertaken in respect of staff working at the Abu Dhabi hub (i) prior to and (ii) during employment at the hub. [272748]
Alan Johnson: All entry clearance managers, entry clearance officers and other UK based staff are subjected to vetting before undertaking employment at the Abu Dhabi hub, this includes security checks.
Some locally employed staff of certain nationalities (British, EU and Australian) are vetted if they are working in sensitive (non decision making) areas of our business (e.g. visa embossing). All locally employed staff are subject to local police and reference checks. Integrity and business assurance checks (including audits of IT access and usage) are carried out by the Integrity Manager based in Abu Dhabi.
Deportation: Children
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of accommodating British citizen children accompanying a foreign parent subject to a removal enforcement process in immigration removal centres in each of the last three years. [278388]
Mr. Woolas: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Andrew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2009, Official Report, column 275W, on deportation:
children, whether a race impact study has been undertaken of the expulsion from the UK of British citizen children accompanying a foreign parent subject to a removal enforcement process. [278387]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency does not expel, remove or deport people who hold British citizenship, including the British citizen children of foreign nationals subject to the removal process; consequently no race impact study has been conducted.
Arrangements can be made for a child with British citizenship to accompany a foreign national parent who is to be removed. However, this is strictly voluntary and dependent on the consent of all parties.
UK-born children who are not British citizens can be detained and removed under Immigration Act powers.
Drugs: Crime
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the average street price of (a) cocaine and (b) heroin per gramme. [278428]
Alan Johnson: At 31 May 2009, the street prices were as follows:
(a) Cocaine: range of £20 to £80 per gram, most common price £40
(b) Heroin: range £25 to £100 per gram, most common prices £40 and £50.
Entry Clearances
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects UK Border Agency Sponsor Licence application reference SPL336000079X to be determined. [278416]
Mr. Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 8 June 2009 providing an update.
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