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10 Dec 2009 : Column 529W—continued
Film: Israel
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to sign the co-production treaty concerning the film industry with the Government of Israel. [305358]
Mr. Simon: We hope to conclude negotiations with Israel on a film co-production agreement and to be able to announce arrangements for the signing of this agreement soon.
Grayling Political Strategy: Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what payments Arts Council East has made to Grayling Political Strategy in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made. [305135]
Margaret Hodge: Arts Council England has advised the following position on the subject of expenditure relating to Regional Cities East (RCE).
Regional Cities East is a partnership between Colchester borough council, Ipswich borough council, Luton borough council, Norwich city council, Peterborough city council, Southend-on-Sea borough council, Arts Council England East and the East of England Development Agency.
In 2008-09, RCE had an overall budget of £120,000 from the partners, including a £60,000 contribution from Arts Council East, to promote the world class arts and cultural assets of these key cities.
In November 2008 Colchester borough council, as budget holder for Regional Cities East, contracted Grayling
to deliver the first stage of this programme. Their fee was £90,876.00 + VAT for an initial 12 months from 1 November 2008 to 31 October 2009 and this resulted in press coverage equivalent to an editorial value of £334,000.
ACE East has had no contract with Grayling.
Olympic Legacy Board
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the membership is of the new Olympic Legacy board announced in his Department's press release of 2 October 2009; how many times the board has met; and on how many occasions (a) Sir Steve Redgrave and (b) each of the other six Olympic and Paralympic medallists has attended the board's meetings. [305790]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Sport Legacy Delivery Board is made up of senior representatives from:
London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
UK Sport
Youth Sport Trust
Sportscoach UK
Sport England
Sportscotland
Sports Council for Wales
Sport Northern Ireland
Local Government Association
Nations and Regions Board
Paralympics GB
British Olympic Association
British Paralympic Association
National Governing Bodies of Sport
Central Council of Physical Recreation
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Government Olympic Executive.
Sir Steve Redgrave is also a member, and the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families are auxiliary members.
The board has met twice since October 2009 and is due to meet again in January, February and March 2010. Sir Steve has attended one meeting; the School Sports Ambassadors have not attended either meeting.
Northern Ireland
Christmas
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department budgeted for Christmas trees in 2009. [306150]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, does not hold the information required to answer this question because budget information is not broken down to this level of detail.
Employment: Religion
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Catholics and (b) Protestants were employed in the (i) private and (ii) public sectors in Northern Ireland in each of the past 30 years; how many Catholics and Protestants were employed in the (A) Fire Service, (B) Police Service and (C) Civil Service in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of the working age population of each community each of these figures represented. [302336]
Paul Goggins: Employment figures for the total number of Catholics and Protestants employed by the private and public sectors in Northern Ireland and for the proportions of each community that these figures represent are a matter for the Northern Ireland Administration; figures relating to the Fire Service and Northern Ireland Civil Service are also a matter for the Northern Ireland Administration.
The Chief Constable has provided the following table which gives the number of Catholics and Protestants employed as police officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.
| Regular police officers | |||||
| Protestant | Catholic | Not d etermined | As a percentage of total economically active P rotestants( 1) | As a percentage of total economically active Catholics( 1) | |
| (1) This information has been derived from the Summary Report of Northern Ireland 2001 Population Census. Economically active persons are those aged 16 to 64. Total number of economically active Protestants-401,473; Total number of economically active Catholics-299,218. | |||||
Irish Language
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to Annex B of the St. Andrews Agreement of October 2006, what steps the Government plans to take to fulfil the commitment to introduce legislation on the Irish language, reflecting on the experience of Wales and the Republic of Ireland. [304265]
Paul Goggins: Annex B of the St. Andrews Agreement committed the Government to introducing an Irish Language Act, reflecting on the experience of Wales and Ireland, and to work with the Executive to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language.
The Government took forward this commitment through the publication of two consultation papers in December 2006 and March 2007 setting out their proposed approach to an Irish Language Act. The latter included draft clauses.
Following the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007, the responsibility in this area passed to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
The Northern Ireland Executive was placed under a statutory duty, by the Northern Ireland (St. Andrews Agreement) Act 2006, to adopt a strategy to enhance and protect the development of Irish language. The Executive has a similar statutory duty to enhance and develop the Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture.
The Government recognise the close connection between language and identity issues, and understand the concern of individuals to see that the language in which they were brought up, or which is used in their communities, is respected. They therefore believe that these statutory duties are of particular importance and encourage the Executive to complete and publish their strategies.
The Government reaffirmed, at the British-Irish Council on 13 November 2009, their commitment to work with the Executive to support the development and implementation of strategies for Irish language and Ulster Scots and are continuing to work with other Administrations through the British-Irish Council to share best practice on the enhancement and protection of minority languages.
In addition, the Government are seeking views in their consultation paper "A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland: Next Steps" on what additional legislative protections in relation to the Irish language might be included in a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights.
Work is also being taken forward in relation to Irish language broadcasting. The British and Irish Governments hope shortly to sign a memorandum of understanding which will contain commitments to the continuing widespread availability of TG4 in Northern Ireland following the digital switchover, and to exploring the increased availability of RTE in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Courts Service: Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments the Northern Ireland Courts Service has made to Stratagem in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made. [305161]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The Northern Ireland Court Service has not had a contract with Stratagem since March 2009. Between December 2008 and March 2009 the Court Service made payments totalling £1,479.50 to Stratagem for the provision of political monitoring.
Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission: Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission has made to Weber Shandwick in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made. [305160]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
During the last 12 months the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission has made payments to Weber Shandwick-Belfast totalling £52 582.84 for communication services for the period May 2008 to August 2009.
A statement of the remit, scope and terms of reference for the contract has been placed in the Library.
Offenders: Deportation
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 4 November 2009, Official Report, column 1039W, on devolution (1) whether primary legislation would be required to provide for a reserve power to block the repatriation of foreign national prisoners from Northern Ireland following the devolution of criminal justice and policing; and if he will make a statement; [304525]
(2) what circumstances would constitute grounds of national security for the purpose of exercising a reserve power to block the repatriation of foreign national prisoners from Northern Ireland following the devolution of criminal justice and policing; and if he will make a statement. [304526]
Paul Goggins: While the repatriation of foreign prisoners will become the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Minister for Justice after the devolution of criminal justice and policing, decisions on the grounds of national security will, however, remain excepted.
New primary legislation would not be required. The grounds of national security would be interpreted consistently with case law.
Terrorism: Compensation
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much compensation has been paid out to those affected by terrorist activity in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979. [305412]
Paul Goggins: The Compensation Agency is unable to provide the information requested, as the records held do not identify separately claims made as a result of terrorist activity.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Climate Change
18. Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of the UK's adaptation to climate change; and if he will make a statement. [305592]
Dan Norris: Since the Climate Change Act came into force earlier this year, we have:
launched the UK Climate Projections 09
established the Adaptation Sub Committee; and
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