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13 July 2009 : Column 48W—continued

Culture, Media and Sport

Departmental Databases

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information databases his Department (a) maintains and (b) uses which do not contain personal information. [284395]

Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department outsources management of all Databases. The databases it uses which do not contain personal information are:


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Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) attempts and (b) successful attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (i) database and (ii) ICT system run by his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [286548]

Mr. Sutcliffe: No successful attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to each (i) database and (ii) ICT system run by my Department in each of the last five years. The information on the total number of unsuccessful attempts could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6. [285019]

Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department will have completed the move to Internet Explorer 7 by the end of August. We are also looking at our longer term web browser strategy.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what changes have been made to his Department's (a) office equipment and (b) stationery purchasing policy in the last six months. [285307]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department's policies regarding the purchase of office equipment and stationery have not changed in the last six months. Our policy is to buy sustainable and environmentally friendly products using collaborative agreements which have been established though organisations such as OGC Buying Solutions.

Departmental Secondment

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in each of the last five years. [284975]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have had no employees posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party in the last five years.

Digital Broadcasting: North Yorkshire

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of homes which have access to digital television in (a) the Vale of York and (b) North Yorkshire. [286161]

Mr. Simon: Presently, 83 per cent. of households in Yorkshire can receive digital television via an aerial. After switchover, 99 per cent. will be able to watch around 17 TV channels and 97 per cent. will be able to watch additional channels, all via an aerial. We do not have individual figures for the Vale of York and North Yorkshire.


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Digital Switchover

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of appliances to be made redundant by (a) digital television switchover, (b) the roll-out of universal broadband access and (c) digital radio switchover. [282618]

Mr. McFadden: I have been asked to reply.

The answers to the question are as follows:

(a) Digital switchover itself does not require any equipment to be thrown away. Virtually any analogue TV can be converted to digital with the addition of a set-top box. We recognise that some consumers may use digital switchover as an opportunity to upgrade their TV and/or to dispose of analogue TV equipment (TVs and recorders). Research undertaken for DEFRA and DTI in 2006 indicated that switchover was not expected to cause any significant overall increase in TV or recorder disposals. For example, it predicted a 1 per cent. increase in recorder disposals. There is no current evidence to show additional disposal of equipment that can be attributed to digital switchover.

(b) No estimate has been made on equipment that may be redundant on the roll-out of Universal Broadband Access. Whether or not equipment would be made obsolete will depend on the technologies used to provide the universal service. This will be determined by the procurement process, and the subsequent bids from providers.

(c) Ofcom's research in September 2008 showed that about 45.9 million analogue-only radio devices were in use in the UK at least once a week. In addition their research showed that there were about 22.5 million cars with an analogue-only radio. There are no plans to close all services which these radios can receive. However to enable these radios to continue to receive a full range of services, in Digital Britain: Final Report we urge manufacturers to look closely at the market opportunities for DAB to 'FM re-broadcasters', a set-top box solution for analogue radio, as a means of allowing existing analogue radios to receive DAB in the future.

The Digital Britain Report may be found at:

English Heritage: Pay

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what remuneration the Chair of English Heritage will receive in 2010-11; what employer pension contributions will be paid on the chair's behalf; and what the maximum potential bonus payment is. [285778]

Mr. Bradshaw: Baroness Andrews will commence her duties as Chair of English Heritage on 27 July 2009 for a period of four years. Her salary is £45,000 per annum for a commitment of 90 days per annum and it is non-pensionable. In addition, she may claim for travel and subsistence. Bonuses are not paid.


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National Football Centre

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports he has received on the proposed date of completion of the National Football Centre; and if he will make a statement. [284814]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The National Football Centre, including timescale for completion, is a matter for the Football Association. I have asked the Football Association to write to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Joan Walley) directly.

Radio Frequencies

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which representatives of the programme making and special events industry were consulted by the independent Spectrum Broker during his review of the sale of the radio spectrum; by what methodology such representatives were selected; and if he will make a statement. [278305]

Mr. McFadden: I have been asked to reply.

The Government appointed the Independent Spectrum Broker in February 2009 to take forward the spectrum modernisation plans that had been set out in the Interim Digital Britain Report. The Independent Spectrum Broker was asked by the Government to address how the existing challenges to future auctions and liberalisation might be resolved, whether historic spectrum allocations might be placed on a more even footing, how better incentives for investment and development of services might be encouraged and a fair return for the tax payer from any new arrangements achieved. His report was published on 13 May 2009.

To my knowledge the Independent Spectrum Broker has not had any specific meetings with any representatives from the programme making and special events (PMSE) sector, but he is now in the next phase of his work and would be happy to meet with the PMSE community.

Radio: North West

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the number of analogue radios in use in the North West. [285800]

Mr. Simon: My Department has made no estimation of the number of analogue radios in the north-west. However, research conducted by Ofcom in 2008, showed that about 45.9 million analogue radio devices were in use in the UK at least once a week. In addition their research showed that there were about 22.5 million cars with an analogue radio.

Work and Pensions

Child Support Agency: Consultants

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Child Support Agency spent on consultants in each year since 2006-07. [279626]


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Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty:

Children: Maintenance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her most recent estimate is of the proportion of parents with care with a child maintenance entitlement who are (a) not receiving maintenance payments and (b) receiving less that their full maintenance entitlement. [274721]

Helen Goodman [holding answer 12 May 2009]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty:

Percentage

Cases fully compliant

44

Cases receiving 70-99 per cent.

16

Cases receiving less than 70 per cent.

18

Cases not compliant

22


Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) mean and (b) median amount of arrears owed by non-resident parents to the Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission was in each month since 1993. [278841]


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Helen Goodman [holding answer 9 June 2009]: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty:


13 July 2009 : Column 54W
Table 1: Cases with maintenance arrears owed to the parent with care (PWC)

Cases Total arrears (£ billion) Mean amount owed to PWC (£) Median amount owed to PWC (£)

March 2007

636,500

1.721

2,700

600

April 2007

643,400

1.731

2,700

600

May 2007

650,900

1.744

2,700

600

June 2007

656,600

1.751

2,700

600

July 2007

659,600

1.760

2,700

600

August 2007

666,900

1.767

2,700

600

September 2007

670,600

1.778

2,700

600

October 2007

676,200

1.786

2,600

600

November 2007

682,300

1.792

2,600

600

December 2007

686,800

1.805

2,600

600

January 2008

688,400

1.810

2,600

600

February 2008

687,600

1.804

2,600

600

March 2008

697,100

1.822

2,600

600

April 2008

702,500

1.827

2,600

600

May 2008

706,900

1.835

2,600

500

June 2008

711,800

1.842

2,600

500

July 2008

717,700

1.848

2,600

500

August 2008

718,700

1.854

2,600

500

September 2008

718,800

1.863

2,600

500

October 2008

827,400

1.868

2,300

400

November 2008

852,100

1.885

2,200

300

December 2008

863,000

1.906

2,200

400

January 2009

858,600

1.918

2,200

400

February 2009

858,700

1.926

2,200

400

March 2009

861,400

1.932

2,200

400

Notes:
1. Data are only available from March 2007 onwards.
2. Information provided only includes cases where arrears are owed to the parent with care. This excludes arrears owed to the Secretary of State as well as some cases where the parent with care owes money.
3. Case figures are rounded to nearest 100, total arrears are rounded to the nearest million, and the mean and median amounts owed are rounded to the nearest 100.

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