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12 Mar 2010 : Column 487W—continued
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) press and (b) communications officers were employed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in each of the last three years; and how many were employed at the latest date for which figures are available. [321587]
Mr. Bradshaw:
The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) press and communications officers that were employed by the Commission for Architecture and the
Built Environment in each of the last three years and at the current time are set out in the table:
| Press officers( 1) | Communications officers( 1) | |
| (1 )FTE. | ||
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (a) has employed in each of the last three years and (b) employed on the latest date for which figures are available. [321588]
Mr. Bradshaw: The number of full-time equivalent staff (FTE) employed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) in each of the last three financial years and at the current time is set out in the following table.
| Staff employed by CABE (FTE) | |
Figures provided include all permanent, fixed term and temporary staff who are paid as employees through CABE's payroll.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department provided in grant in aid to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in each of the last three years. [321611]
Mr. Bradshaw: The grant in aid from this Department to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) in the last three full financial years is in the table.
| CABE grant in aid (£000) | |
| (1) The increase reflects £15 million for Sea Change. Source: DCMS Annual Reports and Accounts 2009 | |
Cricket: Finance
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many first-class cricket ground redevelopment plans are dependent on funding from the England and Wales Cricket Board. [322027]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Funding for first class cricket ground redevelopment plans is a matter for the England and Wales Cricket Board. Therefore, I suggest the hon. Member contacts them directly.
Digital Broadcasting: Radio
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland which have (i) one digital radio and (ii) two or more digital radios. [321653]
Mr. Bradshaw: Research by Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR) published in February 2010 indicates that 33.4 per cent. of adults in the UK own a DAB set at home. 10.5 million DAB sets had been sold by the end of 2009, and some of these are thought to be repeat purchases: research by Digital Radio UK suggests that 66 per cent. of DAB set owners possess more than one set. Separate figures for Scotland are not published.
Television
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland which have (i) one television set and (ii) two or more television sets; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of such households which have (A) one television set and (B) two or more television sets tuned to receive digital services. [321651]
Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally by the Department.
Accordingly, I have asked Ofcom's chief executive to consider the question raised by the hon. Member for Gordon and to write to him direct.
Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Winter Sports
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether UK Sport plans to undertaken a performance review of all winter sports following the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics; and if he will make a statement. [321917]
Mr. Sutcliffe: UK Sport has advised that they conduct investment reviews with each sport after both winter and summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Through this process UK Sport can analyse Games results, apply its 'No compromise' Investment Principles and model, and issue planning figures to sports that fall within the scope for potential investment over the Sochi, Russia 2010-14 cycle.
UK Sport Board has approved a refined set of Investment Principles which are positioned to embrace both summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic sports. This will ensure consistency of approach across all sports funded through the World Class Performance Programme.
Following its winter sport reviews UK Sport anticipates being able to make 2010-14 funding decisions in summer 2010.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) Exchequer and (b) Lottery funding has been allocated to winter sports by (i) UK Sport and (ii) Sport England in each year since the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics. [321918]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The table, provided by UK Sport, outlines their Exchequer funding and Lottery funding for winter sports since the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. These funds are provided as part of UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme, and the awards were allocated for the four year Olympic cycle (reviewed after two years), rather than on a year by year basis.
These figures are the allocated amounts for programme and Athlete Personal Awards (APA) as agreed at board level, and are published on the UK Sport website:
| UK Sport | |||
| (£) | |||
| Programme-Exchequer | Programme-Lottery | APA-Lottery | |
In addition to the funding outlined in the table, as part of the contingency arrangements following Snowsport GB going into administration, UK Sport agreed to provide approximately £21,500 to the British Olympic Association. This funding was ring-fenced for the support of UK Sport's two currently funded elite athletes and their immediate technical and coaching teams to participate in the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Allied to UK Sport's funding for winter sports, the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) has provided £4 million in the last four years, of which over £700,000 has been invested in promising skiers and snowboarders.
The following table, provided by Sport England, outlines their Exchequer funding and Lottery funding for winter sports since the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, and is based on awards data held from 1 April 2006 to 31 December 2009.
| Sport England | ||
| (£) | ||
| Sport | Programme-Exchequer | Programme-Lottery |
| (1) Alpine skiing and snowboarding awards are based on funding provided between 2009 and 2013. | ||
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Morocco: International Assistance
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the compatibility of the decision of the Moroccan Government to expel volunteer workers, including citizens of EU member states, on charges of proselytizing members of the Kafala community and orphaned children through their work at the Village of Hope/Village de l'Esperance at Ain Leuh with the conditions relating to human rights and freedom of religion in agreements between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco; and if he will make a statement. [322026]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our officials in London met with the Moroccan chargé d'affaires on 10 March to express the UK's concerns. Our officials in Rabat have asked the Moroccan authorities for a full briefing on the matter.
Morocco has a good record on freedom of worship. Moroccan officials tell us that they remain committed to ensuring freedom of worship and religious tolerance; however proselytising remains illegal in Morocco.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held specific discussions on this point with his EU counterparts.
Work and Pensions
Carer's Allowance
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward proposals to increase the level of the carer's allowance. [320287]
Jonathan Shaw: The level of carer's allowance is reviewed annually and up-rated in April, in line with the September Retail Prices Index. This year, however, the September Retail Prices Index was negative so, as announced in the uprating statement, to help carers during the early stages of economic recovery, we are proposing bringing forward a 1.5 per cent. increase. This means that the weekly rate of carer's allowance will be increased from £53.10 to £53.90 in April 2010. The rate will be increased again in 2011 to make up the difference with the Retail Prices Index for September 2010, thus preserving the real terms increase in future years.
The carer's allowance weekly earnings limit is being increased from £95 to £100 from 12 April 2010.
Carers' Benefits
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the £38 million for Jobcentre Plus referred to in the 2008 National Carers Strategy intended to help carers to move into work has been spent by Jobcentre Plus to date; on what projects and programmes it has been spent; and whether the whole amount is ring-fenced for employment support for carers. [320935]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 5 March 2010]: Work Focused Support for Carers was introduced in December 2009 and provides one to one adviser support, referral to appropriate training opportunities and financial help for carers not eligible for other programmes, aged 18 or over and not in full-time work. We estimate that up to 4,000 people a year will take part.
Jobcentre Plus has up to £38 million available for the 2008 National Carers Strategy. The funding is all for use on providing support to carer's and is available to:
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