| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
28 Oct 2009 : Column 390W—continued
Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the police in Northern Ireland have to inform persons interested in applying for police careers that from 2011 all applicants are to be treated on their merits alone. [295925]
Paul Goggins: The temporary 50:50 recruitment provisions will remain in force until the Government's target of 30 per cent. Catholic composition within PSNI regulars has been achieved. It is anticipated that this will occur before March 2011. After the provisions have ended, recruitment to the PSNI will operate on the same legal basis as to other occupations. It will be for the Chief Constable and the recruitment agent to decide how this message will be communicated to potential applicants in the future.
Culture, Media and Sport
Cultural Heritage
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent from the Exchequer on (a) heritage, (b) sports and (c) the arts in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in each year since 1997. [296282]
Mr. Bradshaw: The following table shows funding by the Exchequer for the arts, sports and heritage sector in cash and real terms since 1997.
These data have been drawn from the published DCMS Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts, which are audited by the National Audit Office.
Departmental Telephone Services
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement. [295728]
Mr. Simon: My Department does not directly operate any helplines.
National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills: Thurrock
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills during the summer adjournment on funding provision for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock; and if he will make a statement. [295802]
Mr. Simon: My hon. Friend the member for Stevenage, then Minister for Culture and Tourism, discussed the Creative and cultural National Skills Academy with my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff West during the recess.
The discussion highlighted the National Skills Academy's importance both to the cultural sector and to the regional and national economy.
My Department is working closely with colleagues at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to ensure that the skills needs for this important sector are met.
Olympic Games 2012: Culture
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Cultural Olympiad is taking to celebrate the British cultural contribution to sport and the Olympics. [292333]
Margaret Hodge: The Cultural Olympiad Board is working with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and partners throughout the cultural sector to deliver the Cultural Olympiad.
This is a great opportunity to celebrate the best of our British culture. We are doing so in a number of ways, putting culture at the heart of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are 10 proposed major national projects, which will form the backbone of our London 2012 cultural activities, encompassing everything from art to music to theatre. The Olympic Lottery Distributor recently announced a grant of £15.6 million to support these projects.
There is also a UK-wide programme for cultural projects that have identified their own funding. LOCOG estimates that over £5 million has been raised by these projects. Over 100 cultural organisations have successfully applied to be part of the Cultural Olympiad UK-wide programme and they demonstrate that link by being given the LOCOG Inspire Mark.
Overseas Visitors
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what effect his Department estimates the reduction in VisitBritain's budget will have on international visitor numbers to the UK in 2010. [293122]
Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain's budget was set in 2007, in the context of expected efficiencies through increased and better use of technology, changing priorities with new and emerging markets, internal restructuring and more focused marketing. The Department does not therefore believe there has been a direct impact from this on international visitor numbers. Visitor numbers have, however, been affected by the global downturn as they have in other countries.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation estimates that total global arrivals will decline by between 4 and 6 per cent. in 2009, and VisitBritain has forecast that the number of international visitors to the UK could decline by up to 5 per cent. in 2009. In the first eight months of 2009, 9 per cent. fewer overseas visitors came to the UK compared to the same period in 2008. However, overseas visitors' spend over this period is only 1 per cent. lower than in 2009.
VisitBritain invested £3.5 million in a 'Value for Money Campaign' during the spring and summer of 2009 to encourage more inward bound tourism. The campaign emphasised favourable currency exchange rates and the very high quality of the tourism offer in this country.
Sports: Clubs
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of sports clubs were eligible to participate in the community amateur sports club scheme in each local authority area in the North West in each year since the scheme was introduced; and how many and what proportion of eligible sports clubs joined the scheme in each such year. [296437]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
It is not possible to determine how many sports clubs could be eligible for participation in the Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASC) scheme. Neither do Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who administer the scheme, separately identify CASCs
by local authority area. A list of registered clubs, and their addresses, is published on the HMRC website at:
and is updated on a monthly basis.
To the 5 October 2009, 5456 clubs had registered as CASCs. The yearly breakdown since the scheme was introduced is in the following table.
| New clubs registering | Total registrations | |
Children, Schools and Families
Apprentices: Industrial Health and Safety
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the application of health and safety requirements on apprentices under the age of 18 years. [295998]
Mr. Iain Wright: The health and safety of young people in the workplace is one of the foremost concerns of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) when considering the suitability of training providers and employers in receiving financial support through our Apprenticeships programme. These duties are specified in all contracts with training providers and supporting guidance. The LSC and NAS are responsible to my Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for ensuring these contractual duties are carried out and that young people entering the workplace are properly protected. Employers remain subject to their legal responsibilities for apprentices as they do for other employees.
Children In Care
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many cases of residents absconding from children's care homes there have been in each local authority area in each of the last five years. [294772]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 12 June 2009, Official Report, column 1069W. Figures for 2009 will be available by the end of the year.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many special guardianship orders have been granted in (a) England and (b) Essex in each year since their inception. [295304]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 9 February 2009, Official Report, column 1733W.
National level figures for 2009 can be found in table D1 of Statistical First Release "Children Looked After in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2009", which is available on the Department's website via following link:
Local authority figures for 2009 will be available by the end of the year.
Children: Human Rights
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research to establish the lawfulness of practices used by institutions to restrict the freedom of movement of children. [289214]
Dawn Primarolo: All institutions are inspected by the relevant inspectorate. Where the inspectorate has reason to believe that the institution is using unlawful practices to restrict the movement of young people they will take appropriate enforcement action. We do not currently plan to commission research into the practices used by institutions to restrict the freedom of movement of children.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |