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9 Nov 2009 : Column 23W—continued
The table shows that spend on heritage matters has increased by more than £120 million in real terms since 1997. This spend is primarily attributable to-Churches Conservation Trust, CABE, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Greenwich Naval College, The Royal Parks, Occupied Royal Palaces, Historic Royal Palaces, Listed Places of Worship, Memorial Grant Scheme, National Heritage Memorial Fund, English Heritage, Museums and Galleries and Renaissance in the Regions.
It should be noted that the percentage decrease in spend on Heritage as a proportion of DCMS voted spend in 2003-04 reflects one-off additional funding for the transfer of pension costs across DCMS sectors. As an administrative cost, this is included in the total spend but excluded from the proportion of that total considered here as 'aim-related' Heritage expenditure.
The above data have been drawn from the published DCMS Appropriation accounts and resource accounts, the accounts are audited by NAO.
Ofcom: Internet
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many page hits have been recorded by the Ofcom website in each year since its creation. [298846]
Margaret Hodge: The running and maintenance of Ofcom's website is the responsibility of Ofcom, who operates independently of Government.
I have therefore asked Ofcom's chief executive to consider the question raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct.
Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Purton Hulks
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with
English Heritage on the designation of the Purton Hulks site as an ancient monument since July 2009; and if he will make a statement. [293891]
Margaret Hodge: I discussed the protection and conservation of the Purton Hulks at a meeting with Baroness Andrews and Simon Thurley of English Heritage on 13 October. I have also visited the site where the Friends of Purton presented me with a petition and previous correspondence.
English Heritage is still gathering information to help determine the significance of the Purton Hulks in a national context, and to inform its advice to the Secretary of State on their suitability for designation as a scheduled monument. It is also working with Natural England to explore how natural heritage designations applying to the site, including its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, might best take account of its cultural value.
A further option would be for the local authority to purchase the land under a compulsory purchase order.
RMS Titanic
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. [297661]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 3 November 2009]: The Department is aware of the public interest in the 2012 centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. Some national and regional museums and heritage centres have plans to mark the centenary, including the National Maritime Museum. Southampton, where RMS Titanic embarked, and Belfast, where she was built, also plan to mark the centenary. In 2008 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £50,000 to Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP) for a project based at the Titanic's Dock and Pump-House in Belfast and also awarded a grant of £174,500 to National Museums Northern Ireland (Ulster Folk and Transport Museum)-towards the development of its collection "Titanic: Built in Belfast".
Sports: Internet
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many page hits have been recorded by the (a) Sports England, (b) UK Sport, (c) Football Foundation and (d) Youth Sport Trust website in each year since their creation. [298848]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
(a) Sport England (b) UK Sport and (c) the Football Foundation have advised that they hold data on the annual number of page hits to each of their websites for the following years, as shown in the table:
(d) The Youth Sport Trust have advised that from 2007 they introduced a new data capture system and began to record numbers of visitors to its site, rather than page hits.
| Annual number of visitors | ||||
| Organisation | 2006( 1) | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| (1) Figures for 2006 represent page hits. | ||||
Television: North Yorkshire
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the reception of analogue television broadcasts in North Yorkshire. [298186]
Mr. Bradshaw: The hon. Member for Vale of York wrote to my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham), in April this year, on behalf of a constituent, concerning the BBC digital reception in York.
I am not aware of any other recent representations on the reception of analogue television broadcasts in North Yorkshire.
VisitBritain: Finance
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Visit Britain has (a) taken in fees for and (b) spent on administering each of its quality assessment schemes for accommodation businesses in each of the last five years; and what information his Department has obtained on the additional revenue generated for businesses participating in each of the schemes. [296455]
Margaret Hodge: The Quality Schemes are now the responsibility of VisitEngland. VisitEngland was established as a separate body on 1 April 2009 and before that date the quality schemes were the responsibility of VisitBritain.
The income and costs figures for the Quality Schemes are as follows:
2005-06-Income £2,681,000, Costs £3,988,000 (Actual)
2006-07-Income £3,976,000, Costs £3,963,000 (Actual)
2007-08-Income £4,410,000, Costs £4,254,000 (Actual)
2008-09-Income £5,003,000, Costs £4,898,000 (Actual)
2009-10-Income £5,300,000, Costs £5,200,000 (Budget)
VisitEngland have made no estimate of the additional revenue generated for businesses participating in the schemes.
The aim of the schemes is to increase the quality of accommodation in England and thus the profitability and strength of the tourism sector.
World Heritage Sites
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department has given to young people's activity connected with UK world heritage sites in the last month; and at what cost to the public purse. [297250]
Margaret Hodge: My Department provided £6,000 for a conference to promote the UK-wide World Heritage Site education programme conference-'Making Sense of Our Sites' and a further one-day Youth Summit held at the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site in May this year. This education programme aims to engage young people with their World Heritage Site.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what official visits he has made to each UK world heritage site in the last 12 months. [298466]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have not visited a UK World Heritage Site in an official capacity since my appointment, but look forward to doing so at the first available opportunity. My predecessor visited the Tower of London World Heritage Site in November last year.
Home Department
Asylum
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the requirement for fresh submissions in asylum cases to be dealt with by personal interview in Liverpool will come into force; and whether financial assistance will be provided to asylum seekers for travel to Liverpool for this purpose. [296183]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 27 October 2009]: On 14 October, we introduced a requirement for failed asylum seekers to make further submissions about their case in person, bringing the process in line with the process for making initial applications.
Failed asylum seekers who claimed asylum before 5 March 2007 are required to make any further submissions by appointment and in person at Liverpool Further Submissions Unit. We have been making appointments from 14 October.
Failed asylum seekers who claimed asylum on or after 5 March 2007 will be required to make further submissions in person at a specified reporting centre in their region.
We will not make available travel expenses for people to travel to Liverpool to make further submissions as we do not do so for initial applications.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years. [296245]
Mr. Woolas: Information on the number of persons granted asylum at the initial decision stage of their application is available from table 2.2 of the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2008. This information excludes persons granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
Information on asylum are published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of persons granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years were of each nationality. [296290]
Mr. Woolas: The following table provides the proportion of persons granted asylum at the initial decision stage of their application, as a proportion of all persons granted asylum at their initial stage. This information excludes persons granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
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