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14 Dec 2009 : Column 660W—continued
Departmental Telephone Services
Mark Lazarowicz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0870, (b) 0845 and (c) 0800 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls were
received to each number in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case. [305215]
Paul Goggins: The requested information is set out in the following table. It is applicable to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) core Department only.
Departmental Written Questions
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many questions tabled for answer on a named day his Department received in each of the last 12 months; and to how many such questions his Department provided a substantive answer on the day named. [305381]
Paul Goggins: Out of the 115 named day questions received for 2009 to date (as at 4 December), the Northern Ireland Office has answered 89 questions substantively on the day named. This equates to 77 per cent. The following table provides a breakdown per month.
| Total received | Answered substantively | |
Central guidance on answering parliamentary questions is now available in the "Guide to Parliamentary Work" at:
In the response to the Procedure Committee report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee's recommendation that Departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of parliamentary questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day. [307549]
Paul Goggins: Out of the 122 named day questions received for 2008-09 to date (as at 4 December), the Northern Ireland Office has answered 94 questions substantively on the day named. This equates to 77 per cent. The following table provides a breakdown per month.
| Total received | Answered substantively | |
Central guidance on answering parliamentary questions is now available in the "Guide to Parliamentary Work", at:
In the response to the Procedure Committee Report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee's recommendation that Departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People: Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People has made to Chambré Public Affairs 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. [305158]
Mr. Woodward: The sponsorship of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People is a matter for the devolved Administration.
Security Forces Collusion With Loyalist Terrorists Enquiry: Stress
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a member of the Stevens Inquiry team has been awarded a payment in respect of a work-related stress condition while working in Northern Ireland. [305481]
Mr. Woodward: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, since Sir John Stevens' investigation was funded by the Police Service for Northern Ireland. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Young People: Driving Offences
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school pupils in Northern Ireland were convicted of (a) a motoring offence that resulted in a fatality and (b) careless driving in each of the last two years. [305016]
Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested as it is not possible to determine from conviction data the number of offenders convicted of motoring offences causing death and offences related to careless driving, who were school pupils. It is only possible to give the number of persons aged 18 and under (at date of offence), of whom school pupils may be a subset, convicted for these offences. Figures for these are documented in the following table.
Data cover the calendar years 2005 and 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
| Number aged 18 and under( 1 ) convicted of motoring offences causing death and careless driving/driving without due care and attention 2005-06 | ||
| Motoring offences causing death | Careless driving/driving without due care and attention( 2, 3, 4) | |
| (1) Based on the age at date of offence. (2) 2005 figure includes three convictions for the offence 'driving without reasonable consideration for others' and one for 'causing grievous bodily injury' by driving carelessly with excess alcohol'. (3) 2006 figure includes one conviction for the offence 'driving without reasonable consideration for others'. (4) Excludes careless driving offences causing death and dangerous driving offences. | ||
House of Commons Commission
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the House of Commons Commission has engaged any (a) public relations firms and (b) consultancies in the last 12 months. [305173]
Nick Harvey: There have been no additional engagements since my answer on 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1102W.
Speaker's Adviser
Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to the answer of 15 October 2009, Official Report, columns 1039-40W, on the Speaker, for how many days Mr. Speaker's special adviser has worked since his appointment. [305839]
Nick Harvey: The Speaker's special adviser has worked for 34 days up to 30 November 2009.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council England: Administration
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England has spent on administration costs in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [306829]
Margaret Hodge: Information on Arts Council England's administration costs is published in their annual accounts for 2008-09. These are the most recently available data.
Arts Council England: Conditions of Employment
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2009, Official Report, column 374W, on Arts Council England: reorganisation, how much will be spent on (a) early retirement, (b) redundancy payments and (c) increases in pay for staff as part of the restructuring; and if he will make a statement. [306523]
Margaret Hodge: This is a matter for Arts Council England, which operates independently of Government.
I have therefore asked Arts Council England's chief executive to consider the question raised by the Member for West Bromwich, East and write to him direct.
Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with Arts Council England on (a) the final severance and (b) pension arrangements for outgoing senior employees of the organisation. [306687]
Margaret Hodge: Final severance and pension arrangements are operational matters for Arts Council England. I have had no such discussions.
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