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2 Mar 2010 : Column 1002W—continued
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he has any proposals to reduce the number of (a) Rural Payments Agency offices and (b) staff employed at each such office. [318847]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 1 March 2010]: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) currently operates from six main offices and there are no plans to reduce that number.
RPA reviews, and will continue to review, its operations and resources regularly to ensure customer service is delivered effectively and efficiently. It is anticipated that RPA will reduce the number of staff employed at each office during the 2010-11 year.
Plans have recently been announced to transfer SPS processing from Newcastle to the offices at Northallerton, Carlisle and Workington.
RPA operates a flexible resourcing model and staff reductions are usually achieved through the reductions of temporary and fixed term appointments with regular consultation taking place with people and trade unions on any planned staff reductions.
Waste Disposal: EU Action
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department had with the European Commission on proposals to establish an EU waste implementation agency. [319624]
Dan Norris: The European Commission invited member states, industry stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to attend informal workshops on the possibility of establishing a waste implementation agency on 2 April and 14 September 2009.
DEFRA officials attended both workshops. The Commission, via consultants, also invited member states to respond to an informal questionnaire on the feasibility of establishing such an agency. The UK responded to that questionnaire in April 2009.
Waste Improvement Network: Finance
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has given to the Waste Improvement Network in each year since the network's inception; and how much it plans to contribute in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12. [319666]
Dan Norris: Communities and Local Government (CLG) and DEFRA have funded the Waste Improvement Network (WIN) as detailed in the table over a five-year period:
| Funding Source | £ | |
|
CLG (through Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships funding - RIEP) | ||
No budget has been set for 2011-12.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Energy
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department plans to take to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. [319098]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) participated in Earth Hour 2009 by asking the management in each of its buildings to take every possible step to ensure that no unnecessary lighting was left on. This is our aim at all times.
The NIO have appointed a Green Champion who intends to issue a similar message for this year's Earth Hour event which takes place on 27 March 2010 at 8.30 pm.
Culture, Media and Sport
Digital Broadcasting: Northern Ireland
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of improving digital coverage in Northern Ireland before the digital switchover; and from what budget that cost will be met. [319473]
Mr. Bradshaw: As set out in the recently published Digital Britain White Paper, the Government recognise that building out a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) infrastructure which meets the needs of broadcasters, multiplex operators and listeners, including improving the quality of the signal, will require additional investment. However, the digital radio upgrade programme, alongside the proposals on co-location and licence-renewals, will offer significant cost-savings for commercial broadcasters, some of which must support investment in improving coverage.
In areas where the BBC's need to deliver universal access is not matched by the economic realities of the local commercial market, the BBC will need to bear a significant portion of the costs. The full cost cannot be left to the BBC alone. Where possible, the BBC and national commercial multiplex operators should work together to ensure that any new transmitters benefit both BBC and commercial multiplexes. Partnerships between the BBC and commercial local multiplex operators will be even more important at a local DAB level.
We will work with the BBC, transmission providers and Ofcom to agree a plan for the extension and improvement of local DAB coverage, and where the cost would most appropriately fall.
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the proportion of households in Northern Ireland with access to (a) national DAB services from the BBC and (b) commercial DAB services provided at (i) national and (ii) local level; [319474]
Mr. Bradshaw: DAB coverage is principally measured by population rather than geographic area. Approximately 90 per cent. of the UK population currently have some access to DAB services on at least one multiplex.
DAB coverage in Northern Ireland is estimated at around 87 per cent. of the population. Listeners in Northern Ireland can access up to 23 DAB stations, including the 11 national BBC stations plus BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle, four national commercial stations (Classic FM, talkSPORT, BFBS and Amazing Radio), and six local commercial stations.
In Northern Ireland, the BBC national multiplex was extended in April 2009, with a new transmitter installed at Armagh, adding coverage for an estimated 80,000 people, improving reception for around 200,000 more in the area. The other four transmitter sites in Northern Ireland are at Divis, Brougher Mountain, Limavady and Sheriff's Mountain in Derry/Londonderry.
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to expand digital capacity in Northern Ireland to allow stations currently available on analogue to provide digital services before the digital switchover. [319476]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government have tabled an amendment to the draft Digital Economy Bill which would allow the existing national commercial multiplex to extend its coverage into Northern Ireland. This would double the capacity available for digital commercial services in Northern Ireland.
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has made an estimate of the number of local commercial radio stations in Northern Ireland without a digital migration pathway. [319477]
Mr. Bradshaw: No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the radio provisions set out in the draft Digital Economy Bill on local commercial stations remaining on FM after the digital radio switchover. However, my Department is in regular dialogue with the industry with the specific purpose of ensuring that local radio can continue to thrive on FM after the digital radio switchover.
Listed Events Review
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from Ofcom in respect of the David Davies review of listed events. [319786]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 1 March 2010]: The Government's statutory consultation on free-to-air listed events has been extended until 19 March. A response from Ofcom has not as yet been received. Subject to any issues relating to confidentiality, responses to the consultation will be published on the Department's website in due course.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2010, Official Report, column 664W, on sports: television, what mechanisms will be used to resolve differences of opinion over the market value of listed events. [319838]
Mr. Bradshaw
[holding answer 1 March 2010]: The David Davies review of listed events acknowledged the potential impact of listing on the market value of the broadcasting rights to an event. The Government's
statutory consultation invites sporting bodies to submit evidence of such impact. Where credible evidence is provided, I will take it into account in assessing the overall economic impact on the sport in the event of a particular event being listed.
Olympic Games 2012: Culture
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budget is for the Cultural Olympiad. [318853]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 1 March 2010]: The major projects and the UK-wide cultural festival of the Cultural Olympiad provide opportunities across the UK to celebrate the best of British culture. Facilitated by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, projects are delivered and funded in partnership with a range of public and private partners for example the Olympic Lottery Distributor, national Arts Councils and the Legacy Trust UK.
Approximately £72 million has been invested in funding and facilitating the Cultural Olympiad's major projects (three of which have been launched already) and the UK wide cultural festival. In addition to this funding, nearly 150 self-funded cultural projects have already been awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark.
Public Libraries
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what timetable he has set for the proposed ending of the statutory requirement on local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. [319730]
Margaret Hodge: There are no plans to end the statutory requirement on local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. It is this statutory basis which has protected and sustained the vital role of libraries in our communities.
House of Commons Commission
Members: Expenses
Mr. Hands: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much was paid to Detica as part of the investigation into the leaking of hon. Members' expenses files in 2009. [318945]
Nick Harvey: No payment has been made to date for a specific piece of work in connection with the internal inquiry into the unauthorised disclosure of information on Members' allowances.
Parliament: Energy
Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many annunciator screens have been replaced for each reason in the last 12 months; and at what cost those screens were replaced. [319052]
Nick Harvey: It is not possible to identify the number in House of Commons areas but 32 faulty television sets carrying the annunciator have been replaced across the estate, including House of Lords areas, in the last 12 months, the House of Commons share of the cost being some £5,250.
Olympics
Olympic Games: Canada
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much the Government Olympic Executive spent on travel for (a) officials and (b) Ministers to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. [318969]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 1 March 2010]: GOE has not yet received all the invoices for officials' costs.
Details of ministerial travel costing over £500 are published annually and include the cost, destination and purpose of the trip. It also provides information on the number of officials who accompany Ministers, and their costs are included in this return. The most recent list was published in July 2009 and the details of attendance at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic games will be included in the 2010 return.
Scotland
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's officials were classified as working in (a) England and (b) Scotland in each of the last three years; how many are so classified in 2010 to date; and how much his Department spent on staff salaries in each quarter of 2009. [319586]
Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not classify staff as working in England or Scotland. The Office has staff in London and Edinburgh, some of whom travel regularly between London and Scotland as business needs demand. Scotland Office annual reports, which are available on our website, provide staffing information. Expenditure on staff salaries is not available in the form requested.
Transport
A12: Safety
Mr. Burns: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to (a) upgrade, (b) improve safety and (c) relieve congestion on the A12 between its junction with the M25 and Witham; and if he will make a statement. [319082]
Chris Mole: Following the then Secretary of State for Transport's announcement in November 2008 that the Department for Transport would invest up to £60 million in introducing new traffic management measures to improve safety, reduce delays and tackle congestion along 54 miles of the A12, the Highways Agency has begun to implement a programme of schemes to do this.
The Department for Transport has recently commissioned consultants to undertake the London to Haven ports national networks study. This is to understand and identify measures to address the issues on the strategic routes between London and the Haven ports, including the A12.
Aviation: Public Lavatories
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will make it a legal requirement for commercial passenger airlines to provide free lavatory facilities for passengers on all international flights using UK airports. [319702]
Paul Clark: There is no international requirement for airlines to provide lavatory facilities for passengers. Airlines do however provide these facilities for free. We are not aware of any airlines who are not currently doing this.
Therefore we see no reason for regulatory intervention at present.
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