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20 July 2009 : Column 763W—continued
However, the NTS sample size is insufficient to provide comparable data on the specific city-to-city routes listed in the question. Moreover, the NTS cannot provide robust estimates of total numbers of people travelling
between specific cities in a given year, nor on the relative cost of different travel modes for a given journey. This information is therefore not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The calculation of average journey costs between pairs of cities is a complex area, requiring detailed knowledge of routes, the modes taken, the time of day of travel, etc. One flexible source for information is the Department's Transport Direct website at:
It gives an indicative cost for a car journey between any two British postcodes, and offers the public transport costs as alternatives where possible.
Wales
Departmental Accountancy
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish his Department's resource accounts for 2008-09. [287345]
Mr. Hain: The Wales Office accounts are consolidated within the Ministry of Justice Resource Accounts, not published separately. The Ministry of Justice Resource Accounts are to be laid in Parliament today, 20 July 2009.
Welsh Language Board
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total annual cost of the Welsh Language Board has been in each year since it was established. [288510]
Mr. Hain: Since devolution, the funding of the Welsh Language Board has been a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. The following grant in aid payments have been made to the Welsh Language Board since its creation in 1993:
| £000 | |
The increase in funding in 1997-98 relates to the transfer of funding for a number of organisations from the then Welsh Office to the Board. The 2002-03 rise was due to additional funding to coincide with the publication of the Welsh Assembly Government's "laith Pawb" scheme.
Scotland
Damian McBride
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date he last met Mr. Damian McBride in the course of his official duties. [287420]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have not met with Damian McBride in the course of my official duties.
Departmental Databases
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information databases his Department (a) maintain and (b) uses which do not contain personal information. [284387]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office maintains and uses the following databases;
1. Ministerial Correspondence database
2. Freedom of Information database
3. Secretary of State stakeholder database
4. Parliamentary Question database
5. HR database
6. Invoices paid database
7. Travel database
All databases which we hold and which contain personal data adhere to the provisions of the Data Protection Act. In addition, following the publication of the cross government data handling review, new projects and programmes that would hold significant amounts of personal data are obliged to conduct privacy impact assessments.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what categories of personal information on members of the public are contained on each database which contains such data managed by his Department and its agencies; when each category of information was first collected; and if he will make a statement; [284898]
(2) what databases managed by his Department and its agencies hold personal information on members of the public; on what date each such database became operational; and if he will make a statement; [285978]
(3) which of the planned databases that will be managed by his Department or one of its agencies and which will hold personal information on members of the public are expected to become operational in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement; [286147]
(4) what categories of personal information on members of the public will be held on each of his Department's databases expected to become operational in the next five years; what estimate he has made of the likely number of individuals' details each such database will hold when fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [286498]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office owns very few databases, there are three that contain information about members of the public. The details held are names and contact details, unless otherwise stated.
1. Ministerial Correspondence database-includes the names of members of the public who asked the question.
2. Freedom of Information database-includes the names of members of the public who asked the question.
3. Secretary of State stakeholder database-includes some members of the public.
There are no current plans to store any new data or categories of personal information on members of the public across the Scotland Office as a whole.
All databases which we hold and which contain personal data adhere to the provisions of the Data Protection Act. In addition, following the publication of the cross government data handling review, new projects and programmes that hold significant amounts of personal data are obliged to conduct privacy impact assessments.
All of our databases containing personal information are stored on secure networks and have limited access. The Scotland Office does not permit uncontrolled transfer of these data to unsecured media.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2009, Official Report, column 1W, on departmental internet, what the (a) names and (b) versions are of the web browsers used on the (i) desktop machines and (ii) laptop computers used by his Department's (A) permanent secretary, (B) chief information officer, (C) head of communications and (D) head of finance. [288991]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system, including the provision of hardware and software. All users on the SCOTS system use Internet Explorer 6.
Departmental Manpower
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of employees in his Department are (a) women and (b) men; and what the average hourly pay is of (i) male and (ii) female employees. [288603]
Ann McKechin: Staffing information containing the gender breakdown of the Scotland Office are published in the Office's annual report; available in the House Library or on our website at:
As all staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice the Office reimburses those Departments for the costs involved. The Office does not maintain a record of the hourly pay of staff; such information is held by the parent Departments.
Departmental Publications
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2009, whether special advisers in his Department were involved in the drafting of the background paper Scotland and Oil. [288759]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Special advisers in the Scotland Office, work with the permanent civil service, and provide advice and assistance to Ministers across the range of their activities in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Fuels: Prices
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department's officials last met HM Treasury officials to discuss the proposals for a reduced fuel prices pilot scheme in island communities in Scotland. [287717]
Ann McKechin: Officials in the Scotland Office have discussions with HMT officials on a regular basis on a variety of issues.
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps his Department has taken to identify suitable locations for the pilot scheme for reduced fuel prices in island communities in Scotland; [287718]
(2) what plans he has for a pilot scheme for reduced fuel prices in the Highlands and Islands; and when the scheme is planned to start. [287719]
Ann McKechin: The Government have no plans to introduce such a scheme. While the Government recognise the impact of higher fuel prices on those living in island communities in Scotland and in other rural areas across the UK, such prices are set by fuel producers and suppliers as a result of their commercial judgments, driven by market forces. OFT reports have repeatedly shown that markets are functioning properly in rural areas such as north-west Scotland and the Scottish islands, but any evidence of anti-competitive behaviour on the part of fuel sellers can of course be brought to their attention.
The Secretary of State met with the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mr. Reid) at his request to discuss these issues.
Prime Minister
Damian McBride
Mr. Maude: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on what date he last met Mr Damian McBride in the course of his official duties; [287363]
(2) on what date each of his special advisers last met Mr Damian McBride in the course of their official duties. [287365]
The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the answers I gave during Prime Minister's Questions to the hon. Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Scott) on 17 June 2009, Official Report, columns 301-2 and the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) on 24 June 2009, Official Report, column 791.
Departmental E-mail
Daniel Kawczynski:
To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead of
3 July 2009, Official Report, column 499W, on email, at what address members of the public are able to email him; on what date the account was set up; how often the account is checked; and what account he takes of the emails he receives from members of the public in his formulation of policy. [286120]
The Prime Minister: The present e-mail system went live in April 2009 and is available on the No. 10 website at:
https://email.number10.gov.uk/
Emails are checked on a regular basis.
Departmental Reorganisation
Paul Holmes: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost has been of restructuring the machinery of Government since 2007. [280665]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 51W.
In addition, I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses a paper by the Cabinet Office which sets out the functions of Departments following the creation of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Derek Draper
Mr. Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2009, Official Report, column 379W, on Chequers, for what reason Mr Derek Draper was invited to attend Chequers on 16 November 2008. [287277]
The Prime Minister: A list of guests who have received official hospitality at Chequers is published on an annual basis. For information for the financial year 2008-09 I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made to the House on 16 July 2009, Official Report, columns 70-73WS.
Derek Draper and Charlie Whelan
Mr. Maude: To ask the Prime Minister when he last (a) met and (b) communicated with (i) Mr Derek Draper and (ii) Mr Charlie Whelan in the course of his official duties. [287352]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.
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