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25 Nov 2009 : Column 169W—continued
Gambling Commission: Standards
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from the gambling industry on the effectiveness of the Gambling Commission. [301345]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I regularly receive representations, both verbal and written, from trade associations and individual businesses within the gambling industry about a range of issues relating to gambling regulation, including the role and effectiveness of the Gambling Commission.
Leisure: Local Government Finance
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authorities have applied to his Department for funding for local leisure facilities in each of the last five years. [300768]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The only direct DCMS funding stream, to help local authorities fund leisure facilities, over the stated time period has been PFI Credits.
In the last five years, we have held three bidding rounds for PFI Credits under which local authorities could apply for funding in the form of PFI Credits.
A table showing the number of applications we received, for each of the bidding rounds, for local leisure facilities is as follows.
| Number of applications | |
Olympic Games 2012: West Midlands
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics on participation in sport in the West Midlands (a) in general and (b) by children under 14 years old. [301589]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Since the publication of the Government's Legacy Action Plan in June 2008, there has been significant progress on delivering our aims for a lasting community sport legacy from the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics across the UK.
We are investing £480 million, through Sport England's Whole Sport Plan process, in the national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport during the run up to the games, in order to drive up participation so 1 million more
people are doing more sport. The PE and Sport Strategy for Young People sets out how the £780 million of DCMS and DCSF investment is targeted at getting more children to do five hours of sport per week. The huge range of programmes under these strategies will help to ensure that the sporting system in 2012 and beyond is in the best shape possible.
In addition, regional partners are capitalising on national programmes of delivery like Change 4 Life, Living Well and Free Swimming to encourage innovation through partnerships at all levels to create a real and lasting legacy from the 2012 games for the West Midlands. In addition, 10 local area agreements have already been signed for national indicator 8-local agreement to increase the number of adults participating in sport and active recreation.
Within the region there are six sub-regional 2012 partnerships and each has identified a series of programmes and projects that will help to increase levels of participation in sport and physical activity.
Operational Efficiency Programme
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efficiency savings projects (a) his Department and (b) its agency put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [300927]
Mr. Simon: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Royal Parks Agency and its non-departmental public bodies currently report on the value for money programme announced in the 2007 comprehensive spending review. This will deliver savings of £168 million over the three years to 2010-11, and as reported in the Departments 2008-09 annual report and accounts we are on target to achieve this. We have not been required to report separately on operational efficiency savings; therefore it would incur disproportionate costs to separate reporting to date.
Looking beyond the current spending review period the Department is working closely with its NDPBs to scope opportunities for operational efficiency savings by 2013-14. This is being taken forward through a variety of work strands:
Benchmarking of non-departmental public bodies with over 250 staff. This will be published in the next few weeks. This work was initiated in July 2009.
The DCMS procurement council is actively promoting collaboration and value for money solutions across the Department and its arm's length bodies. This builds on the work initiated in February 2009 as part of the Department's response to the Procurement Capability Review.
The Property Asset Management Board is developing a joint estates strategy. This work was initiated in September 2009.
ICT mapping will be supported by a new CIO Council. This work was initiated in October 2009.
These scoping studies will lead to detailed plans and savings in the new year.
Public Libraries: Wirral
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the Charteris review on Wirral libraries; and if he will make a statement. [301215]
Margaret Hodge: We are currently considering evidence relating to the Wirral Inquiry in accordance with the Public Libraries (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1992. We will announce a decision shortly, and we will publish the report undertaken by Sue Charteris at the same time as the decision.
Tourism
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which 10 tourist attractions in England (a) had the most visitors and (b) raised the most revenue in each of the last two years. [301590]
Margaret Hodge: VisitEngland carries out periodical surveys of the free and paid-entry major tourist attractions in England. Based on the self-completion questionnaires returned, the most visited sites in 2007 and 2008 are listed in the table. VisitEngland does not record revenue figures.
| Name | Visitors |
Whistleblowing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006. [301500]
Mr. Simon: There have been no allegations made by any DCMS employee against another DCMS employee of victimisation due to whistleblowing since 6 June 2006.
Communities and Local Government
Register of Surplus Public Sector Land
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many sites on the register of surplus public sector land are classed as suitable for new homes to be built on; and what estimate has been made of the number of new homes which could be built on such sites; [300445]
(2) how many sites on the register of surplus public sector land have been on the register for longer than (a) six months and (b) 12 months. [300598]
Mr. Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency estimate that 143 sites on the register of surplus public sector land may be suitable for housing development. These sites have the potential to build more than 18,000 homes. This estimate is included in the general figure given for housing on surplus public sector land provided by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Margaret Beckett) on 19 May 2009, Official Report, columns 1346-47W. Individual Departments and agencies are responsible for deciding when to place or remove site details on the register depending on their operational need.
Currently there are 692 sites on the register. Of those 692 sites (a) 573 sites have been on the register for longer than six months and (b) 540 for longer than 12 months.
Affordable Housing
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes were built in rural areas in each year since 1997. [300999]
Mr. Ian Austin: The following table shows the number of new affordable homes (social rent, intermediate rent and low cost home ownership) built in rural areas in England each year since 1997-98.
| New build affordable homes built in rural areas | |
| Number | |
| Source: Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG. Note: Figures have been rounded to nearest 10 units. | |
Not all affordable housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. For example, in 2007-08, a total of 16,760 additional affordable homes were provided in rural areas in England (new build and acquisitions).
Total affordable housing supply statistics for 2008-09 will be released by CLG in December 2009.
These figures reflect the delivery of affordable housing in the 178 local authorities defined as rural by the DEFRA Rural Definition (2004).
Community Development
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department and its predecessors have taken to develop community life in each of the last 12 years. [300662]
Barbara Follett: A broad range of policies and programmes undertaken by Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Departments aim directly or indirectly to develop community life. Information on the range of this activity could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental ICT
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) mobile telephones, (b) personal digital assistants and (c) laptop computers were purchased by the (i) Tenant Services Authority and (ii) Homes and Communities Agency in the last 12 months. [300452]
John Healey: The Tenant Services Authority has existed since 1 December 2008. Since its commencement, the authority has purchased:
No mobile telephones;
72 Blackberrys; and
41 laptops.
The Homes and Communities Agency has existed since 1 December 2008. Since its commencement, the agency has purchased:
54 mobile telephones;
116 Blackberrys; and
124 laptops.
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