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16 July 2009 : Column 611W—continued
Travel Information: Finance
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on its Know Before You Go initiative in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [287022]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s Know Before You Go campaign encourages travellers to be better prepared before going overseas so they can stay safe and healthy. Our key messages encourage travellers to take out comprehensive travel insurance, find out about the country they are intending to visit, and read our travel advice. Publicity initiatives include, for example, maintaining a dedicated section of the FCO web site, producing bespoke media campaigns to reach our key target audiences, working with over 300 campaign partners to deliver travel safety messages directly to travellers and producing television fillers shown in free-to-air airtime.
Spending on the Know Before You Go initiative since 2001 is as follows:
| £ | |
| (1) Figures unavailable | |
Turkey: EU Accession
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Turkey's accession to the EU; and what recent discussions he had with his (a) French and (b) German counterparts on Turkish accession. [285242]
Chris Bryant: The Government remain a strong advocate and supporter of Turkish accession to the EU, and reaffirm this at each possible opportunity. The UK works closely with other EU member states to take forward the accession negotiations and supports Turkey's reform process to ensure that EU negotiations remain on track.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly meets his French and German counterparts. He met France's Foreign Affairs Minister, Bernard Kouchner, most recently at the France summit in July where they discussed political and technical issues in relation to the EU accession negotiations.
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, the Minister for Europe, recently met her French counterpart, Pierre Lellouche, to whom she emphasised that the EU accession process was key to reforms in Turkey. Baroness Kinnock spoke in early July to her German counterpart, Gunther Gloser, about EU issues, including enlargement.
Northern Ireland
Crime Prevention
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Serious Crime Prevention Orders have been issued in Northern Ireland to date. [286873]
Paul Goggins: There have been four serious crime prevention orders issued in Northern Ireland to date.
Damian McBride
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date he last met Mr. Damian McBride in the course of his official duties. [287421]
Mr. Woodward: I have not met with Mr. Damian McBride in the course of my official duties.
Departmental Data Protection
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [286542]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office does not maintain a record of unsuccessful attempts to gain unauthorised access to its databases or ICT systems. There have been no successful attempts to gain access to any departmental databases or ICT systems in the last five years.
Kidnapping
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many so-called tiger kidnappings have been carried out in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [287570]
Paul Goggins: The figures are recorded per financial year. In the last year (April 2008 to March 2009), there have been six tiger kidnaps carried out in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were arrested for offences connected with so-called tiger kidnappings in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [287571]
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.
Northern Ireland Forensic Science Agency
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to the public purse of Forensic Science Northern Ireland was in the 12 months (a) before and (b) after the changes made to its Operations Directorate in January 2008. [286315]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is as follows:
(a) For the year 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008 the costs were £9,982,252.
(b) For the year 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2009 the costs were £10,488,500.
The figures provided reflect the sum total of all the changes in FSNI and do not relate solely to changes made to the Operations Directorate.
Proceeds of Crime
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of assets recovered from organised crime in Northern Ireland the Community Fund will allocate to communities in Northern Ireland. [286874]
Paul Goggins: In June I announced the establishment of a dedicated Community Fund for Northern Ireland which this year will give £175,000 to the Departments of Social Development and Culture, Arts and Leisure for distribution to NI communities most affected by crime.
Terrorism
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many armed robberies are known to have been carried out by (a) dissident republicans and (b) loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months. [287581]
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.
Olympics
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many breaches of information security there have been at her Office in the last five years. [281075]
Tessa Jowell: My ministerial portfolio requires my Office to operate across the estates of the Cabinet Office and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. I therefore refer the hon. Member to the answers to be provided by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Angela E. Smith) and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Olympic Games 2012: Employment
Alistair Burt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what percentage of construction workers employed at the Olympic Park are (a) UK, (b) other EU and (c) non-EU nationals. [285109]
Tessa Jowell: The latest available nationality data provide a snap shot of the contracted work force at the end of October 2008, and were published by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in December 2008. These data showed that of the 3,046 people employed on the Olympic Park at that time:
(a) 63 per cent. were British
(b) 86 per cent. were EU nationals and
(c) 14 per cent. non-EU nationals.
The ODA works closely with the UK Border Agency to ensure that all workers on the site are legally entitled to work in the UK.
The work force reflects both the diversity of London and the five host boroughs. The GLA 2006 annual population survey (published 2008) found that the percentages of five host borough residents born outside of the UK were: Newham 44 per cent; Tower Hamlet 39 per cent; Hackney 37 per cent; Waltham Forest 29 per cent; Greenwich 22 per cent. A whole range of measures has been put in place by the ODA and its partners to ensure local people are well placed to benefit from employment and training on the Olympic site including 48 hours exclusive access to vacancies through local job brokerage services.
Olympic Games 2012: Lancashire
Mr. Evans: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent assessment she has made of the economic effects of the London 2012 Olympics on (a) Ribble Valley constituency and (b) Lancashire. [282260]
Tessa Jowell
[holding answer 29 June 2009]: This Government are fully committed to maximising the economic benefits of the Games to the UK, particularly in these challenging economic times. Although no specific assessment has been made of the economic effects to the Ribble Valley constituency and Lancashire, the region stands to gain from a range of opportunities created by the Games. These include businesses winning Games-related work, increased tourism, as well as training and employment opportunities. The pre-Games training camps will enable regions to showcase themselves on an
international stage and attract inward investment, and UKTI is helping businesses to use the Games as a springboard for export.
We are already seeing progress in these areas. For example, 37 of the Olympic Delivery Authority's direct suppliers are businesses registered in the north-west; of these nine are in Lancashire, and two of these are registered in the Ribble Valley constituency. As well as these direct contracts, companies in the north-west are also winning businesses in the supply chains for the Games-for example, a Bolton-based company is providing steel for the Olympic Stadium. LOCOG's procurement will begin in earnest towards the end of the year, bringing further opportunities to businesses across the UK, including the north-west.
The London 2012 Business Network is providing businesses across the UK access to Games-related contracts, and any support they need to compete for them. CompeteFor, the electronic brokerage service for buyers and suppliers, a key component of the network, is opening up supply chains further than any Games previously.
A total of 68 facilities in the region are included in the official London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the North West Development Agency and the Oceania National Olympic Committees (representing 17 National Olympic Committees but excluding Australia and New Zealand). These 15 Pacific Island countries including Fiji and Papua New Guinea will use facilities in the region ahead of the Games in 2012.
Olympic Games 2012: Transport
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1889-90W, on Olympic Games 2012: transport, what further steps she has taken to ensure than hon. and right hon. Members will not be delayed in travelling to the House during the period of the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement. [284791]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 8 July 2009]: Further to my response to the hon. Member on 10 February 2009, Official Report, column 1890W, I can confirm that the ODA continues to progress and develop its planning of the transport operations that will keep London moving during the Games. As the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act requires the ODA to keep its Olympic Transport Plan under review, the ODA intends to publish a revised plan in 2010 to update on the latest progress in ensuring safe, reliable and accessible transport for all London's visitors, residents and commuters-including Members of Parliament-over the duration of both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Transport
Aviation: Lasers
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many reported instances there were of aircraft safety being impaired by misuse of laser pointers in each of the last three years. [286778]
Paul Clark: The information requested is provided in the following table:
| Number of laser incidents reported | |
The chart is from the Safety Data Department in the Civil Aviation Authority. It includes incidents reported in the UK and incidents overseas involving UK registered aircraft.
Under Article 142 of the Air Navigation Order (ANO) pilots experiencing lasers directed at them are asked to report the event using the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme. The CAA follows up each report and, where appropriate, prosecutes the offender.
The Department for Transport is working on an amendment to Article 135 of the ANO to make it a specific offence to direct or shine light intentionally at an aircraft. The amendment will be published in the consolidated version of the ANO which will come into force in the autumn.
Cycling: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal accidents involving cyclists were recorded on the roads in (i) Test Valley Borough and (ii) Southampton in each of the last five years. [287762]
Paul Clark: The number of (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal reported personal injury road accidents involving cyclists in (i) Test Valley borough and (ii) Southampton in each of the last five years are given in the table:
| Number of accidents | |||||
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