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Minimum Wage
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations HM Revenue and Customs' national minimum wage enforcement team have conducted into (a) companies and (b) labour providers in the (i) construction, (ii) care home, (iii) cleaning, (iv) hospitality and (v) catering sectors in each year since 2005. [69187]
Mr Gauke: HMRC does not categorise employers who are subject to a national minimum wage inspection as companies or labour providers. HMRC does categorise employers according to a set of trade sectors. These trade sectors are:
Clothing/footwear
Hairdressing
Hospitality
Market services
Other services
Production/construction
Public services
Retail
Security/cleaning
Social care
The number of cases closed in each of the years and trade sectors requested is as follows.
| Construction/productio n | Social care | security/cleaning | Hospitality | |
National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has considered extending the areas of eligibility for the national insurance contributions holiday scheme to include the South East; [68519]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects on new businesses in the South East of not being eligible for the national insurance contributions holiday scheme. [68520]
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of extending the national insurance contributions holiday for businesses currently under the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [68515]
Mr Gauke: The information is as follows:
(i) The policy is designed to support new businesses in parts of the country that are most reliant on the public sector. The Government have considered the case for extending the NICs holiday to all regions but believes the best use of public funds at this time is to keep the NICs holiday as a targeted scheme for those areas in most need of employment support.
(ii) An impact assessment for the policy has been carried out and published which included a competition assessment:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget-updates/reg-nic-holiday.pdf
This concluded that there would not be any significant distortion to competition from the policy. This is a temporary scheme and the majority of businesses benefiting will be small and operating in local markets.
(iii) The Government have considered the case for extending the NICs holiday scheme further but believes the best use of public funds is to target the NICs holiday at the early and most vulnerable stage for a new business. The policy is designed to assist new businesses in their first year, reducing the costs of hiring staff and improving the likelihood of business survival.
Nic Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) North Lincolnshire and (b) Scunthorpe have benefited from the national insurance contributions holiday scheme. [68794]
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2011, Official Report, column 818W, on national insurance contributions, how many successful applications for the national insurance contributions holiday have been received from businesses based in Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency since the scheme's inception. [68522]
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Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in (a) Worcester constituency and (b) Worcestershire have registered for the national insurance contributions holiday scheme for new businesses. [68878]
Mr Gauke: The information is as follows:
(i) As of 31 July, HMRC has received (a) 14 successful applications from businesses in North Lincolnshire constituency and (b) five successful applications from businesses in Scunthorpe constituency for the NICs holiday.
(ii) As of 31 July, HMRC has received 14 successful applications from businesses in Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency.
(iii) As of 31 July, HMRC has received (a) 38 successful applications from businesses in Worcester constituency and (b) 670 successful applications from business in the West Midlands as a whole. Information on NUTS3 region level for Worcestershire is not available.
Offshore Industry
Jim McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of the proposals in the 2011 Budget on the UK oil and gas industry. [69439]
Justine Greening: As set out in the relevant Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the Budget, which can be found at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6133.htm
The Government does not expect a significant impact on investment or production in the forecast period as a consequence of this measure.
Child Poverty
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce child poverty (a) in the West Midlands and (b) nationally; and if he will make a statement. [43486]
Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply.
A reply to this question has been delayed due to an administrative error and I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
This Government are committed to eradicating child poverty in the UK by 2020. We published our first child poverty strategy, “A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families' Lives”, covering the period to 2014, in April this year. It sets out a new approach to tackling poverty and securing, social justice aimed at transforming lives and tackling the causes of poverty. At its heart are the principles of work, fairness, responsibility and support for the most vulnerable. It draws together our radical programme of reform of welfare and education, tackling worklessness and benefit dependency and increasing children's life chances, with tailored support to overcome barriers and a greater concentration on early intervention and on whole-family and whole-life measures.
Our strategy establishes a UK-wide framework for tackling child poverty. It confirms our intention to support local authorities and their partners in meeting
6 Sep 2011 : Column 400W
their duties under the Child Poverty Act 2010 to assess child poverty needs in their areas and publish strategies to reduce its level and mitigate its effects.
We are working with local authorities to develop new ways of pooling budgets and commissioning and delivering services through initiatives such as Community Budgets (Birmingham is a Community Budget area), Social Return on Investment and Payment by Results. We are drawing on our strong local networks to embed an evidence-based focus on what works best in sustainably eradicating child poverty, including sharing evidence from across the suite of child poverty pilots (which included a child poverty innovation pilot in North Warwickshire, a teenage parents in supported housing pilot in Worcestershire) and to ensure local experiences are properly reflected in the development of our national policy.
Social Security Benefits: Overseas Residence
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for St Albans of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 461W, on habitual residence, whether he intends to (a) collect data and (b) estimate expenditure in respect of the value of family benefits paid under the EC regulations to non-UK EU citizens; and if he will make a statement. [68533]
Mr Gauke: EC Regulation 883/2004 protects the social security rights of nationals of all member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), including the UK, when they exercise their rights of free movement under European law.
Around 7.5 million families are currently claiming child benefit for around 13 million children. Out of that total, at 30 June 2011, there were 24,190 ongoing child benefit awards under EC Regulation 883/2004 to nationals of other member states in respect of 40,635 children living in another member state. That equates to around 0.32% of all child benefit awards. The breakdown by nationality is as follows:
| Country | Number of ongoing awards as at 30 June 2011 | Number of children in ongoing awards as at 30 June 2011 |
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As advised in the reply to the hon. Member for St Albans, information about the value of family benefits awarded by the UK under EC Regulation 883/2004 is available only at disproportionate costs.
Telephone Services
Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Government have received from each Government helpline using an 0845 number in the latest period for which figures are available. [69483]
Danny Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally by the Treasury.
Valuation: Appeals
Simon Danczuk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the average time taken by the Valuation Office Agency to process an appeal against a rating assessment was in the latest period for which figures are available; [67861]
(2) with reference to the 2010 revaluation scheme, how many appeals against Valuation Office Agency rating assessments are outstanding in each parliamentary constituency; [67862]
(3) with reference to the 2010 revaluation scheme, how many appeals against Valuation Office Agency rating assessments have been lodged in each parliamentary constituency since 1 April 2010. [67863]
Mr Gauke: The VOA is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the rating list and makes every effort to ensure formal challenges are settled as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The average time taken to process a formal challenge, brought against the 2010 local rating list, in England, in
6 Sep 2011 : Column 402W
the 2010-11 financial year, ignoring weekends and bank holidays, is around 110 days.
Statistics on both the number of formal challenges received by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) against the 2010 Local Rating List in the 2010-11 financial year, and the number of formal challenges that remained outstanding at the end of the 2010-11 financial year, by each administrative area of England and Wales, are published on the VOA website in Tables 3.2 and 3.4, respectively. This information can be found in the following location:
http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/statisticalReleases/localRatingListChallenges.html
Equivalent statistics broken down by parliamentary constituency can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
VAT: Golf
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons private golf courses are exempt from value added tax on (a) subscription fees and (b) green fees. [69468]
Mr Gauke: The principal VAT directive, which governs the application of VAT in the European Union, requires member states to apply a VAT exemption to certain activities in the public interest, including supplies of sporting services by non-profit making organisations. Subscription fees charged by non-profit-making golf clubs are therefore exempt from VAT. The exemption does not extend to subscription fees received by proprietary (profit-making) clubs.
HMRC consider that, under UK law, green fees paid by non-members to both non-profit-making and proprietary clubs are taxable. In a recent decision, the First Tier Tribunal found that green fees paid by non-members to non-profit making golf clubs were exempt. HMRC has been given leave to appeal this decision to the Upper Tier Tribunal and businesses should continue to treat these green fees as taxable pending a decision of the Upper Tier Tribunal.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Question 43486 tabled on 25 February 2011 for answer on 1 March 2011 relating to child poverty. [68476]
Justine Greening: The hon. Member’s question was transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 March.
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 6 September 2011
Culture, Media and Sport
These questions were intended for publication on Monday 5 September 2011
Arts
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2011, Official Report, column 345W, on arts, when he expects to announce details of his framework for quantifying the economic contribution of the Department's sectors. [68444]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Department, alongside Arts Council England, continues to work on this long-term project and will announce details of any publication on its website as soon as they are available. We currently anticipate that we will be in a better position to clarify plans for outputs later this year.
Media Ownership
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether any adviser or official in his Department discussed News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BSkyB with advisers or officials working for the Prime Minister between 23 December 2010 and 12 July 2011. [68315]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: This was a quasi-judicial decision for which I had to exercise my judgment, having sought advice from independent regulators. As such there were no discussions on the substance of my decision about News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BskyB between advisers and officials from my Department, and advisers and officials working for the Prime Minister between 23 December and 12 July 2011. The Prime Minister and No. 10 did not seek to influence the decision.
My officials did, on occasions during this period, explain the procedure I was following with officials working for the Prime Minister.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will publish his letter to the Competition Commission referring to it the matter of News Corporation's proposed acquisition of BSkyB. [68317]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: My reference to the Competition Commission under Section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 dated 13 July has been published on my Department's website.
All published documents relating to the News Corp/BSkyB merger can be found using the link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7880.aspx
6 Sep 2011 : Column 404W
Broadband
Mr Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the monetary value of expenditure in superfast broadband by (a) the Government and (b) the private sector in each of the last five years. [67857]
Mr Vaizey: The Government have not made any specific estimates, but are committed to investing £530 million over the lifetime of this Parliament to help deliver superfast broadband to areas of the UK that the market will not reach unaided. The market is expected to deliver superfast broadband to approximately two thirds of households, which includes a £2.5 billion investment commitment from BT, as well as significant investment from Virgin Media and a number of smaller companies.
Broadband: Finance
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to make an announcement on the allocation of funds for superfast broadband. [68118]
Mr Vaizey: The announcements on the allocations were made during July and August.
Broadcasting: Welsh Language
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has met (a) Welsh Ministers and (b) the Secretary of State for Wales to discuss the future of Welsh language broadcasting, including the devolution functions; and if he will make a statement. [68694]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has had a number of meetings with the Secretary of State for Wales that cover a wide variety of topics.
Communications Bill
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will include the issue of future cross-media ownership in any consultation on the proposed Communications Bill. [68277]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I have said that we will be considering a potential weakness in the media plurality public interest powers in our work for the new Communications Bill, including in any consultation. In addition, as set out by the Prime Minister, Lord Justice Leveson's Inquiry will also be looking at the issues of cross-media ownership. The intention is for recommendations in these areas to feed into our considerations for the Bill.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has for the consultation on a new Communications Bill in light of the establishment of the judicial inquiry into telephone hacking. [68433]
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Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Government have committed to legislate during this Parliament to modernise regulation governing the communications sector. It is a Government priority and work has already begun. Lord Leveson's inquiry looking at press regulation will contribute to the future Bill and decisions on timing will be taken when this essential work is further advanced.
Creative Industries Council
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what criteria he applied to determine the persons to be invited to join the Creative Industries Council; [68059]
(2) if he will make it his policy to place in the Library a copy of the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of each meeting of the Creative Industries Council. [68060]
Mr Vaizey: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), to the hon. Member for Bury South (Mr Lewis) on 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 4-5W.
Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many employees each company represented on the Creative Industries Council has in each region. [68071]
Mr Vaizey: This Department does not hold a regional breakdown for employees for each of the Creative Industries Council members. While the creative industries do have a London and south-east England focus, there are major centres in other regions of England, and we would expect the members of the Council to reflect that.
Cultural Education Review
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether the Henley review of cultural education will report to him. [68280]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The review of cultural education being undertaken by Darren Henley will report to both my Department and the Department for Education.
Advertising
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on (a) television, (b) radio and (c) newspaper advertising in (i) real and (ii) nominal terms between January 2008 and June 2009; and what the total cost to the public purse was. [68375]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not spend anything on radio and television advertising during this period. It used newspaper advertisements for the purposes of recruitment and spent £37,357.49 on this between January 2008 and June 2009.
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Air Travel
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months. [67909]
John Penrose: The information requested is set out in the following table:
| Date | Destination | Flight |
Departmental Billing
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many late payments his Department has made to contractors between January 2008 and June 2009; and what the cost to the public purse was of any (a) penalty charges or (b) interest charges incurred in that period. [68395]
John Penrose: The number of invoices paid later than 30 days during this period was 108 (1.4% of transactions).
There are no separate records maintained in respect of penalty or interest charges incurred, if any. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve checking details of all invoices paid during the period.
Consultants
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year. [68959]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not hold centrally a record of the number of its staff who worked for any of the four firms listed immediately prior to taking up their appointment in the last four years, A full list of consultancy agreements taken out by DCMS' Government Olympic Executive (GOE), as well as the number of consultants from each firm who have advised the Department, are detailed by financial year in the following tables:
| Year 2007-08 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Number of advisers |
6 Sep 2011 : Column 407W
| Year 2008-09 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Number of advisers |
| Year 2009-10 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Number of advisers |
| Year 2010-11 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Number of advisers |
Other contractual—although not necessarily consultancy —agreements taken out by DCMS and the four named firms, are as follows. It has not been possible to provide the number of consultants who worked on each contract as these data are not held centrally by our Finance or Property and Procurement teams. All invoices owed to a company are normally fixed. As such, a range of people might be involved who are not necessarily detailed in the firm's bid.
| Calendar year 2007 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Purpose of contract |
| Calendar year 2008 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Purpose of contract |
| Calendar year 2009 | ||
| Firm | Number of agreements | Purpose of contract |
There were no contractual agreements taken out with any of the four firms listed in 2010.
6 Sep 2011 : Column 408W
Departmental Correspondence
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011. [68761]
John Penrose: The Department received 536 letters and 15 emails from hon. Members in June 2011.
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed by his Department between January 2008 and June 2009; and what the cost to the public purse was in (i) cash and (ii) real terms of such appointments. [68331]
John Penrose: The Department employed three special advisers and 24 press officers between January 2008 and June 2009. The salary cost in cash terms and in real terms, to the public purse, is in the following table:
| £ | ||
| Job title | 2008-09 (c ash terms ) | 2011 (r eal terms ) |
Mobile Communications
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many mobile telephones and BlackBerrys were provided to staff in his Department between January 2008 and June 2009; and what the cost to the public purse was of (a) line rental, (b) insurance and (c) the purchase of such telecommunications equipment. [68320]
John Penrose: The Department spent £124,265.40 on line rental and usage and £10,974.81 on other items, such as batteries, Sim cards and cases between January 2008 and June 2009. No insurance costs were incurred.
We are unable to separate line rental from usage because our records do not allow this and we do not hold the information about the provision of mobile telephones and BlackBerrys to staff within that period.
Official Cars
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of (a) cars leased by his Department to staff and (b) Ministerial chauffeurs between January 2008 and June 2009. [68384]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not lease cars to staff or Ministers. Cars for Ministers were supplied through the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). The charge for this service is based on time per job rather than dividing the car and driver cost. The cost of GCDA cars supplied to Ministers in the period January 2008 to June 2009 was £457,076.73.
6 Sep 2011 : Column 409W
Official Hospitality
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on hospitality for staff since May 2010. [67822]
John Penrose: The Department has a strict policy restricting the use of hospitality. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Hospitality can only be incurred on behalf of visitors from outside the public sector, where the value of the work-related discussions is recognised to assist the taking forward of business. Hospitality normally takes the form of tea and coffee, and exceptionally includes lunch. There is a presumption that in all cases the number of civil servants must not exceed the number of guests. All hospitality expenditure must be approved at a senior level.
The departmental spend on hospitality since May 2010, predominantly for visitors rather than departmental staff, is £28,201.22
Procurement
Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what methodology (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010. [69275]
John Penrose:
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch
6 Sep 2011 : Column 410W
and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), said in response to PQ16752 on 15 November 2010,
Official Report
, columns 615-16W, that the Government had announced a more specific and innovative approach to efficiency and reform across the public sector, including:
a reduction in administration budgets of 34% across the whole of Whitehall and its arm's length bodies saving £5.9 billion a year by 2014-15;
radically reducing the number of arm's length bodies across government; and
the Efficiency and Reform Group's tough new efficiency regime which will drive savings in procurement, major projects and estate management;
and in result, Departments would no longer be required to report against the previous Government's efficiency targets.
In August 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), announced that the Efficiency and Reform Group's new measures had saved £3.75 billion over 2010-11. This impact was assessed using methodologies described in the following table. The assessment has been independently verified by Government auditors who found the benefits assertions to be fairly calculated and presented. As part of this, Table 11 of the DCMS Report and Accounts 2010-11 (HC1002) reports that non-pay gross admin costs for my Department (excluding provisions) reduced from £26.8 million in 2009-10 to £25.0 million in 2010-11. Figures in this report are prepared in accordance with HM Treasury's Financial Reporting Manual for central Government Departments and associated Treasury accounting and budgeting guidance.
This information also applies to all of the Department's public bodies.
6 Sep 2011 : Column 411W
6 Sep 2011 : Column 412W
Rail Travel
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was for (a) first class and (b) all train travel by (i) Ministers, (ii) staff and (iii) special advisers in his Department between January 2008 and June 2009. [68342]
John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's expenditure on train travel in the period January 2008 to June 2009, is set out in the following table:
| DCMS train travel January 2008 to June 2009 | |
|
|
Expenditure (£) |
The Department's accounting system does not separate out the special advisers travel costs, but these are included in the other staff figures.
Stationery
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of stationery purchased by his Department between January 2008 and June 2009. [68390]
John Penrose: During the period January 2008 to June 2009 the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport spent a total of £61,411.61 including VAT on stationery and office supplies.
Departmental Training
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) away day and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in his Department between January 2008 and June 2009. [68335]
6 Sep 2011 : Column 413W
John Penrose: The Department arranged 12 team away days and events in 2008-09. The cost, location and purpose of these are in the following table:
| Purpose of team away day | Location | Cost (£) |
|
Government Olympic Executive Business Plan Review and Team Building |
||
The remaining details requested are not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
Official Overseas Visits
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many overseas visits were made by (a) Ministers, (b) staff and (c) special advisers in his Department between January 2008 and June 2009; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such visit. [68360]
John Penrose: Ministers’ visits abroad are undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. Information relating to flights taken is published in the annual list of Ministers’ overseas travel costing more than £500, and indicates when officials accompanied them. The lists for 2008-09 and 2009-10 can be accessed at:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministers-overseas-travel
The details and costs for officials’ overseas visits are not centrally collated and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Internship
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his Department as of 1 July 2011. [69520]
6 Sep 2011 : Column 414W
John Penrose: As of 1 July 2011, there were no persons undertaking unpaid work experience, internships or positions within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Diamond Jubilee 2012: Medals
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what consultation he undertook with other governments of the Commonwealth on the eligibility criteria for the Diamond Jubilee Medal. [69143]
Hugh Robertson: Commonwealth nations were not consulted on the eligibility criteria for the UK Diamond Jubilee Medal, since they produce their own medals. I understand both Canada and the Caribbean Realms will be producing medals to mark The Queen's Diamond Jubilee next year.
Football: Public Participation
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average monthly number of participants in (a) five-a-side and (b) 11-a-side football. [68567]
Hugh Robertson: The latest Active People survey (April 2010 to April 2011), sets out that 1.8 million people play small-sided football at least once a month and just over one million people participate in 11-a-side football at least once a month. A total of 3.1 million participate in some form of football at least once a month.
Football: VAT
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with (a) Sport England, (b) the Football Association and (c) the Fitness Industry Association on the effects on grassroots sport of the proposed change in VAT status for five-a-side league football. [68575]
Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Sport England, the Football Association or the Fitness Industry Association on the proposed change in VAT status for five-a-side football on participation in grassroots sport. Officials are looking at this issue with Sport England and will be providing Ministers with advice shortly.
Government Art Collection
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which works of art from the Government Art Collection are located in each official Ministerial residence and what the (a) title and (b) artist is of each. [69770]
Mr Vaizey: I will arrange for lists of the Government Art Collection works of art located in official Ministers' residences (Admiralty House Flat 1, 1 Carlton Gardens and 10 and 11 Downing street) to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
6 Sep 2011 : Column 415W
Government Procurement Card
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many Government Procurement Cards were used by staff of his Department between January 2008 and June 2009; and what the (a) name of the supplier, (b) date and (c) value was of each transaction during this period. [68352]
John Penrose: A table detailing parts (a), (b) and (c) of the information you have requested has been placed in the House Libraries. 75 Government Procurement Cards were used by departmental staff between January 2008 and June 2009.
Hospitality
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what (a) lunches and (b) dinners he has attended at the expense of the host since his appointment; on what dates; and with whom. [68285]
John Penrose: Details of hospitality over £140, received by the Secretary of State and Ministers in this Department since being appointed to 31 December 2010, are published on the Departmental website:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2010/10/
Details for the next quarter will be published shortly.
Official Hospitality
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of (a) four star, (b) five star and (c) other hotel accommodation for (i) staff, (ii) Ministers and (iii) special advisers in his Department between January 2008 and June 2009. [68370]
John Penrose: The Department spent £30,122 on hotels for staff and £1,466 for Ministers between January 2008 and June 2009. The Department does not record the star ratings of hotels that have been booked and cannot therefore provide the costs specific to four or five star hotels. The Department's accounting system does not separate out the special advisers’ hotel costs, but these are included in the staff figures.
Internet: Suicide
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his policy is on restricting access to websites which promote suicide. [69063]
Mr Vaizey: It is an offence to commit an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person with the intention to so encourage or assist.
While websites which promote suicide are illegal, the internet can provide an opportunity to be able to reach out to vulnerable individuals who would otherwise be reluctant to seek information, help or support from other agencies.
6 Sep 2011 : Column 416W
Content providers will generally remove content that breaks their terms of service, including illegal material on suicide and other material that they consider harmful and inappropriate. Government also works with search engines and social media sites to ensure that ready access is provided to trusted suicide prevention and support services.
Local Broadcasting: Television
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the likely costs, including administrative costs, of establishing a new framework for local television services; and if he will make a statement. [68284]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: A detailed impact assessment, which fully considers the costs and benefits of establishing a new framework for local television, can be found here
http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8298.aspx
Mass Media
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of his Department's national media coverage evaluations in each month between January 2008 and June 2009. [68364]
John Penrose: Echo Research Ltd was commissioned to conduct an evaluation of the media coverage of London's Olympics, which concluded in July 2008.
The invoice for this work was received in August 2009. The cost was £3,810.53.
No other formal evaluations of media coverage were carried out during the period in question.
Mobile Phones: Fees and Charges
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with (a) mobile telephone companies and (b) the European Commission regarding mobile telephone roaming charges; and if he will make a statement. [68260]
Mr Vaizey: Telecommunications policy, including international mobile roaming charges, is a matter for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the independent regulator, Ofcom. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has not had any recent discussion with either mobile network operators or the European Commission on this matter.
Officials have recently been involved in discussions with the European Commission and other member states, at the Communications Committee (COCOM) and at Council Working Group level, on the recent draft Regulation on Roaming charges, As part of their ongoing dialogue with communications suppliers, officials have also discussed roaming, and the recent Commission proposals, with Telefonica O2, Hutchison Three and Vodafone.
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National Lottery: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what consultation he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Executive on the determination of priorities for lottery funds allocated for use in Scotland; [69657]
(2) what plans he has for the future role of Ministers in the Scottish Executive in determining priorities for lottery funds allocated for use in Scotland. [69658]
John Penrose: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and I have not discussed the determination of priorities for lottery funding in Scotland with Scottish Ministers. Under the devolution arrangements, such matters are for Scottish Ministers to determine through the policy directions they issue to lottery distributors. There are no plans to change this.
Newspaper Press
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the date and venue was of each meeting he has had with newspaper (a) editors, (b) executives and (c) proprietors since his appointment. [68314]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: No.10 maintains a transparency website containing links to each Government Department's quarterly reports, listing Minister's meetings with outside interest groups. The most recent report is entitled DCMS Ministerial hospitality, overseas travel and meetings with outside interest groups: 1 January to 31 March 2011:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/26/dcms-ministerial-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings-with-outside-interest-groups-jan-mar2011/
In addition, a list of all my meetings with proprietors, editors and senior media executives for the period 11 May 2010 to 15 July 2011:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/26/sos-meetings-with-proprietors-editors-and-senior-media-executives-11may1-15jul11/
These reports can be found using the link:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/
Olympic Games 2012
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many London 2012 Olympic business suppliers and procurement events have been held in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales in the last 12 months; and who was responsible for advertising, publicity and promotion in each nation. [68012]
Hugh Robertson: The information the hon. Member has requested has not been centrally collated.
The London 2012 Business Network promotes opportunities from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), through events, communications, business bulletins and CompeteFor. The ODA and LOCOG also undertake visits to the nations and regions to promote games-related contract opportunities and host business delegations to the Olympic Park. Overall, nearly 50% of
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contracts awarded to date are to companies outside of London, with two-thirds of these small and medium-sized enterprises. The ODA held 60 events between June 2007 and April 2010 and visited every nation and region during the height of its procurement activity, and engaged with over 10,000 businesses. The programme of events concluded in April 2010 as much of the procurement work had been completed. LOCOG's engagement with businesses is still continuing.
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 510W, on Olympic Games 2012, who sits on the LOCOG North Eastern Advisory Group; which organisations they represent; and what process was used to determine the membership of the Advisory Group. [68514]
Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for the Olympic Torch Relay, LOCOG is a private company operating independently of Government.
LOCOG have advised the Department that the organisations that formed the Torch Advisory Group in the North-East include One North East; Arts Council England; Sport England; the Strategic Health Authority, NHS North-East; the Association of North-East councils; Gateshead council (as it chairs the ANEC local authority working group); the BBC; and Cleveland police (on behalf of all North-East police forces). Government Office for the North-East was on the group while it existed.
During the bid, the Nations and Regions Group was established to ensure engagement with the London 2012 Games and maximise their benefits across the UK. Since the bid was won in 2005, the London 2012 Board for the North East was established to work with local stakeholders and through the central Nations and Regions Group. The membership of the Torch Relay Advisory Group in the North-East reflects that of the broader board and was established in consultation with them.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will consider placing direct web links to accommodation in counties which are hosting Olympic events on the London 2012 Olympics accommodation website. [68822]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is responsible for the
http://www.london2012.com
website, which includes a section on accommodation, LOCOG is a private company, independent of Government.
As the acknowledged tourism authorities, the London 2012 Organising Committee website links directly to VisitBritain and London & Partners (formerly Visit London) accommodation pages to showcase the latest options for accommodation for those visiting the UK and London around Games-time.
Olympic Games 2012: Employment
Rushanara Ali:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to ensure that residents of the East End of
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London will benefit from job opportunities created by the London 2012 Olympics. [69062]
Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) set a target to deliver a construction workforce of at least 15% of the residents of the five host boroughs. In June 2011 of the Olympic Park contractor workforce 24% were resident in the five host boroughs.
The ODA and its partners have put a range of measures in place to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the site. Vacancies are offered exclusively to the host borough employment brokerages and Jobcentre Plus offices in the area for a period of 48 hours. Vacancies unfilled after this time are advertised across London for a further 24 hours and after this are made available across the UK through the national Jobcentre Plus network.
Further information can be found in the ODA's Jobs, Skills, Futures report, which was published on 20 July at the following link:
http://www.london2012.com/publications/employment-and-skills-update-july-2011.php
The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is now beginning to accelerate its recruitment as it builds up to Games-time. LOCOG will have a workforce of up to 200,000 people, made up of around 6,000 FTE roles; up to 70,000 Games Maker volunteers; and 100,000 contractor positions (of which around 30,000 are expected to be ‘new’ jobs).
LOCOG works closely with the East London host boroughs, and has set itself a target of 15% to 20% recruitment from their residents. At this early stage, 21.6% of LOCOG's workforce are residents of the six host boroughs (figure includes Barking and Dagenham). LOCOG and its contractors are now actively encouraging applications from the six host boroughs, working with the local authorities, local job brokerages, the host borough unit and Job Centre plus.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) is responsible for the long term development of most of the Olympic Park after the Games. The company is keen to ensure local people can take advantage of the employment opportunities generated by the Games, use existing infrastructure within the host boroughs, including the local labour schemes and training facilities and to maximise opportunities to sustain employment for residents of the host boroughs employed during Games-time. Further information can be found in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games Quarterly Report at the following link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8308.aspx
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the number of jobs created by the London 2012 Olympics which will be taken by Tower Hamlets residents. [69073]
Hugh Robertson:
I have made no such estimate. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is currently in the final stages of the 'big build’ of the venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the ODA's construction work on the venues drawing to a close future employment opportunities will now be
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focused through the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).
In June 2011 1,196 (24%) of the ODA's Olympic Park work force and 1,529 (27%) of the Athlete's Village work force were resident in the five host boroughs, which include Tower Hamlets. Further information can be found in the ODA's Jobs, Skills, Futures report, which was published on 20 July at the following link:
http://www.london2012.com/publications/employment-and-skills-update-july-2011.php
The ODA and its partners have put a range of measures in place to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the site. Vacancies are offered exclusively to the host borough employment brokerages and Jobcentre Plus offices in the area for a period of 48 hours. Vacancies unfilled after this time are advertised across London for a further 24 hours and after this are made available across the UK through the national Jobcentre Plus network.
LOCOG is now beginning to accelerate its recruitment as it builds up to Games-time. LOCOG will have a work force of up to 200,000 people, made up of around 6,000 FTE roles; up to 70,000 Games Maker volunteers; and 100,000 contractor positions (of which around 30,000 are expected to be ‘new’ jobs).
LOCOG works closely with Tower Hamlets and the other five East London host boroughs, and has set itself a target of 15-20% recruitment from their residents. At this early stage, 21.6% of LOCOG's work force are residents of the six host boroughs (figure includes Barking and Dagenham). LOCOG and its contractors are now actively encouraging applications from the six host boroughs, working with the local authorities, local job brokerages, the host borough unit and Job Centre plus.
The OPLC is responsible for the long term development of most of the Olympic Park after the Games. The company is keen to ensure local people can take advantage of the employment opportunities generated by the Games, use existing infrastructure within the host boroughs, including the local labour schemes and training facilities, and to maximise opportunities to sustain employment for residents of the host boroughs employed during Games-time. Further information can be found in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games Quarterly Report at the following link:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/8308.aspx
Olympic Games 2012: Facilities
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that local residents will have access to the sports facilities used as part of the London 2012 Olympics following the completion of the Games. [69069]
Hugh Robertson:
The Olympic Park Legacy Company was set up by the Government and the Mayor of London to manage, develop and maintain the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the Games. This includes putting local communities at the heart of its planning for its Olympic venues—the Aquatics Centre, the Multi-use Arena and the Stadium. The Legacy Company is in the process of appointing operators for these venues and aims to have them in place before Games-time. While
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these operators will be expected to manage the venues, the Legacy Company will be very much involved in overseeing their management and in ensuring that local residents have full access at prices comparable with facilities in the area.
The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is committed to ensuring that facilities at the VeloPark and Hockey/Tennis Centre on the Eton Manor site are fully accessible to all members of the community. They are working in partnership with the national governing bodies for cycling, tennis and hockey to ensure a balanced approach to sports delivery at all their venues and will develop extensive sports development plans/programmes aimed at engaging with all members of the community from grass-roots activity through to elite performance programmes.
The authority will actively work with local community groups and other partners to ensure Local people benefit from these facilities and will also encourage wider usage across the region. They are currently doing some extensive work with the six host boroughs to ensure local communities benefit from the Olympics and that sports development plans reflect needs locally.
The authority has already opened the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Broxbourne to the community, the only newly built facility to be open before the Olympics. Visitor tracking for the first six months of operation indicates that the centre has received residents from every single London borough and has the highest percentage of users from the local boroughs of Broxbourne, Epping and Enfield.
Olympic Games 2012: Hertfordshire
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to the Answer of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2077W, who will lead the East of England Olympic Working Group following the closure of the East England Development Agency in March 2011. [68820]
Hugh Robertson: The East of England London 2012 Board (Nations and Regions East) will lead the East of England Olympic Working Group. The Board presently includes the following representation: East of England Development Agency, East of England Local Government Association (EELGA), Sport England, Department of Health, Arts Council England East, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, East of England Business Group, East of England Tourism and Representatives from each of the six county area working groups, which includes the Chairman of the Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners Group. The group is chaired by Councillor Stephen Castle, Nations and Regions Group Member. The Government is funding the continuation of regional co-ordination services and support for the operation of the Nations and Regions East Group. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has an agreement with EELGA for the latter to provide these services in 2011-12 and from 1 April to 30 September 2012.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to the Answer of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2077W, if he will highlight the city of St Albans in promotional literature for visitors to the London 2012 Olympics. [68821]
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John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has established a new £100 million overseas tourism marketing fund which is a joint public-private sector initiative. The marketing programme, which is being led by VisitBritain, will capitalise on the international interest in the recent royal wedding, as well as next year's diamond jubilee and the Olympic games and Paralympic games, and showcase Britain to the world. The programme is aiming to attract 4 million additional visitors and £2 billion extra spend in the UK economy over the next four years, which will support businesses, jobs and growth. VisitBritain will be promoting the full range of destinations in Britain across a number of platforms including heritage cities as a generic tourism product. The destination will also feature in their Places to Visit, gazetteer which can be found at:
http://www.enjoyengland.com/
VisitEngland have already highlighted the cathedral of St Albans in their cultural pages and this coincided with the local Organ festival being held at the time. Beyond that, destination-specific marketing, for St Albans or anywhere else, is best handled by the local Destination Management Organisation in each area.
Olympic Games 2012: Housing
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made on the development of affordable homes in the Olympic Village and when a lettings policy will be published. [69068]
Hugh Robertson: The forecasted Village construction end date for the Games is early 2012. The 2,818 homes will be temporarily fitted out for the use of Olympic and Paralympic Athletes during the Games. 1,379 affordable homes in the Village have been pre-sold to Triathlon Homes, an approved provider of affordable homes, who will also manage the homes. From summer 2013/spring 2014 the final high quality homes will be delivered to Triathlon ready for residents to move into. Triathlon has been working with the host boroughs and the Greater London Authority on the lettings strategy for the social rented homes on the site. This is currently being approved by all parties and will be published later in 2011.
Olympic Games 2012: Tickets
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of unsuccessful applicants for the first round of allocations for tickets to the London 2012 Olympics who were not informed of the outcome of the ticket ballot before 24 June 2011. [68184]
Hugh Robertson: I have not made any such estimation. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited (LOCOG), is a private company independent of Government, responsible for the tickets for the London 2012 games.
LOCOG has stated that in the first window of Olympic ticket sales from 15 March until 26 April, 1.9 million people put in applications for 22 million tickets. 700,000 were successful and notifications were sent to all applicants, successful and unsuccessful, by 24 June. LOCOG has communicated regularly with all these applicants, so they would be aware of the process.
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Phone Hacking
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will consult the official Opposition on the composition of the panel of media experts to be appointed to assist Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into wrongdoing by the press and police. [68283]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The Prime Minister announced the membership of the panel of media experts to be appointed to assist Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into wrongdoing by the press and police, on 20 July 2011, Official Report, columns 918-21.
Names were passed to the Opposition ahead of the announcement and it was good to see the Leader of the opposition welcome them in his response.
Press Complaints Commission
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the date was of each meeting he has had with the Press Complaints Commission since his appointment. [68278]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I have not met with the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) since my appointment.
However, the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), met with the PCC on 29 September 2010.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the date was of each meeting he has had at which officials or advisers of the Prime Minister were present since December 2010. [68316]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I attend regular meetings where officials or advisers of the Prime Minister may be present. However, details of exactly when, are not held centrally.
As has been the practice of previous Administrations, a list of meetings with external organisations is published on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport website and can be found using the following link:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/other/meetings/
I did not discuss my decisions on the BSkyB merger with the Prime Minister ahead of their announcement.
Rugby: World Cup
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made in its support for the hosting by England of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. [68279]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: I am working closely with the Rugby Football League, organisers of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, as well as the Rugby Football Union, organisers of the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup, to deliver the coalition agreement commitment to ensure that the tournaments are successful.
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Sports: Finance
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the conditions were of funding through Sport England to national governing bodies; and what increase in participation his Department's Active People Scheme has recorded in each sport so funded. [68001]
Hugh Robertson: Sport England invests in 46 national governing bodies of sport to help deliver their strategy of increasing participation in sport. Each sport has developed a whole sport plan that explains how it will use this money to achieve their outcomes. A summary of the plans, and the investment made, is available on the Sport England website at the following link:
http://www.sportengland.org/funding/ngb_investment/ngb_whole_sport_plans.aspx
During the period April 2010 to April 2011, 6.924 million adults participated in sport three times a week for 30 minutes at moderate intensity. This is 108,600 more adult participants than the 2007-08 baseline (Active People Survey 2). The current, and previous, Active People Survey results can be found on the Sport England website at the following link:
http://www.sportengland.org/research/active_people_survey/active_people_survey_5/aps5_quarter_two.aspx
Treasure Trove: Coroners
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the timetable is for establishing a Coroner for Treasure as provided for in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009; and if he will make a statement. [68202]
Mr Vaizey: This Department, supported by the Ministry of Justice, is continuing to consider the feasibility of establishing a Coroner for Treasure. We will let interested parties know once we have reached a conclusion.
Treasure Trove: Oxfordshire
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the average length of time was for the completion of inquests into Treasure cases from Oxfordshire in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; and if he will make a statement. [68201]
Mr Vaizey: The average time taken for the completion of inquests into Treasure cases in Oxfordshire, based on the time between the date the British Museum wrote requesting that the inquest was held and the receipt of the verdict papers by the British Museum, is as follows:
(a) 408 days for cases where the British Museum .requested an inquest in 2008
(b) 274 days for cases where the British Museum requested an inquest in 2009
(c) No inquests have been completed for cases where the British Museum requested an inquest in 2010.
The figures shown exclude two cases from 2009 and one case from 2010 where the British Museum wrote to request an inquest but the verdict papers have not yet been received.
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Culture, Media and Sport
Tuesday 6 September 2011
Gambling
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 62WS, on remote gambling, and with reference to his Department's Business Plan for 2011-15, if he will implement the recommendations of his Department's investigation into the use of funds in dormant betting accounts to establish a capital fund to improve local sports facilities and support sports clubs. [68612]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: The written ministerial statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 62WS, on remote gambling made clear that the Government's proposal to licence overseas based remote gambling is primarily about public protection. However, there is relevance to my Department's review of the possible use of funds lying in dormant betting accounts and unclaimed winnings, and we will consider the report by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Mr Foster) on that subject in light of the decision on remote gambling. My Department will announce the decision on next steps, shortly.
Museums and Galleries
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1108W, on museum and galleries: charitable trusts, if he will publish the framework for the creation of charitable trusts agreed at his meeting with national museum directors at the end of May 2011. [68534]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: A framework was verbally agreed, and is necessarily individual to each body, given their range of circumstances and commercial sensitivities. There are no plans to publish a document. The timetable for individual bodies will vary, but the framework agrees that charitable trusts will be set up and operational by the end of the financial year.
Olympic Games 2012
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support in each category of assistance his Department has requested from the Ministry of Defence to assist with the London 2012 Olympics. [68535]
Hugh Robertson: The Department is currently in discussion with the Ministry of Defence regarding the possible participation of service personnel in ceremonies in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Department has agreed with the Ministry of Defence on the use of The Royal Artillery Barracks and Horse Guards as venues for the Olympics and Paralympics.
Ian Austin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) what discussions he has had with London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games on arrangements for spectators at
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London 2012 Olympic cycling road races in
(a)
Box Hill and
(b)
other areas; [68643]
(2) what representations he has received on arrangements for spectators at London 2012 Olympic cycling road races in (a) Box Hill and (b) other areas; [68644]
(3) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of arrangements for spectators at London 2012 Olympic cycling road races at (a) Box Hill and (b) other areas; and if he will make a statement. [68653]
Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for staging the Olympic Cycling Road Races next year. The majority of the route will not require ticketing and LOCOG is working with partners to ensure that the events are a success for athletes and spectators, including ensuring provision for as many spectators as possible to view the race at Box Hill and throughout the route. Spectator arrangements must balance the ambition to provide viewing opportunities for as many people as possible with the obligation to ensure the safety of both spectators and the general public. LOCOG and Surrey county council are working with Transport for London, who are responsible for arrangements for the safe movement of spectators and the general public across the entire route. Box Hill carries two legally binding conservation designations, as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. LOCOG are working in partnership with Natural England and the National Trust to ensure spectators are able to enjoy the race, while safeguarding the areas of specialist habitat. Officials from this Department work closely with these organisations and other local partners.
A London 2012 test event of the road race route, the London-Surrey Cycle Classic, took place in August 2011 and will inform planning for the London 2012 Olympic events.
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which goods and services will be provided free of charge to athletes participating in the London 2012 Olympics that are not available free of charge to members of the public; and what estimate has been made of the cost of such goods and services. [69754]
Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is responsible for the arrangements for athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. LOCOG is a private company, independent of Government, and works closely with the National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees that will send teams to the London 2012 games. A wide range of goods and services from food to accommodation are available for competitors, funded from LOCOGs budget. As part of the host city contract the Government will provide a range of services necessary for athletes travelling to the UK to participate in the games.
Olympic Games 2012: Bexley
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure Bexley benefits from the London 2012 Olympic games. [69651]
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Hugh Robertson: Bexleyheath and Crayford stand to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how Bexley will benefit from the games are given as follows.
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has awarded contracts to 759 direct suppliers in London. Examples of companies based in your constituency that have supplied the ODA include Blakley Electrics, who were responsible for temporary electrics at the Olympic Stadium, and Bexley Accessible Transport Scheme, which provided equipment.
Information on businesses in London that have directly supplied the ODA is available in the business section of the London 2012 website at the following link:
http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/index.php
This information does not include contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA.
So far 42,403 companies in London have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised), and 845 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers in London.
Over 19,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for the London 2012 Organising Committee's (LOCOG) London 2012 education programme Get Set. To date, 2,556 London schools and colleges have registered, of which 75 are in the London borough of Bexley.
Over 1,600 cultural or sporting projects across the UK have been awarded the Inspire mark, 241 of these are in London. As part of the Olympic Torch Relay, Bexley will hold an Olympic Torch evening celebration on Sunday 22 July 2012.
In addition, London has received £2.89 million from the Legacy Trust. One of the programmes which received funding is Big Dance, a programme which will embrace the widest possible definition of dance and the broadest spectrum of activity. It will engage London's communities and engage artists with communities across the city.
Olympic Games 2012: Leicester
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to support businesses in (a) Leicester and (b) the East Midlands to take advantage of the commercial opportunities of the 2012 London Olympics. [69679]
Hugh Robertson: The Nations and Regions Group, established by the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) and London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), includes representation from each of the UK nations and regions and works directly with them to help realise and maximise the benefits from the economic, sporting and cultural opportunities offered by the games.
The economic benefits of the games continue to flow to businesses across the East Midlands. To date the region has secured almost £340 million of Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Tier one contracts, the second highest value outside the greater South East. Over the past six months, contracts have been let to supply a
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diverse range of goods and services to London 2012 across each level of the LOCOG and ODA supply chains. Examples include; archery targets from Target Tech (Hugglescote, Leicestershire) and plaster and plasterboard from British Gypsum (Loughborough, Leicestershire).
The ODA is responsible for developing and building the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 games. Over 1,500 businesses, including those directly involved in the construction programme, have supplied the ODA from across the UK, 44 of which are from the East Midlands. One of those businesses is Leicester-based Industrial Fire Protection which specialises in the design, supply and installation of passive fire protection. It secured a contract to design supply and fit soffit insulation to the undersides of the concrete floors in the main Olympic stadium.
Pre-Games Training Camps (PGTCs) provide an opportunity to create further economic benefits, including inward investment, through the international attention that will follow. Two agreements are now in place in the East Midlands for teams to use facilities in the region. The agreement between the Japanese Olympic Committee and Loughborough University has already brought both cultural and economic benefits.
The games will also provide a focus for the tourism industry. The Government's Tourism Policy, published in March, aims to help the tourism industry achieve its potential for growth through a range of measures. This initiative aims to generate 4 million extra overseas visitors over the next four years bringing in an extra £2 billion worth of visitor spend and helping to create 50,000 new jobs across the country.
S4C
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) whether targets are in place to ensure S4C reduces its central administration budget; [68536]
(2) what recent progress S4C has made in reducing its central administration budget. [68537]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport set out the funding for S4C over the spending review period in his letter to the Chair of the S4C Authority of 20 October 2010:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/Jones_S4C.pdf
The allocation of its funding in pursuit of its objectives is a matter for S4C and the Secretary of State has not set any targets for S4C to reduce its central administration budget.
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to protect the programme budget of S4C; and if he will make a statement. [68876]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State set out the funding for S4C over the spending review period in his letter to the Chair of the S4C Authority of 20 October 2010:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/Jones_S4C.pdf
The allocation of its funding in pursuit of its objectives is a matter for S4C but the Secretary of State believes this is the best funding model for ensuring a sustainable future for Welsh language programming.
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Northern Ireland
Internship
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his Department as of 1 July 2011. [69504]
Mr Paterson: As of 1 July 2011, no persons were undertaking any form of unpaid work in my Department.
Pat Finucane
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to make an announcement on the outcome of his consideration on whether to establish an inquiry into the death of Pat Finucane; and if he will make a statement. [68874]
Victim Support Schemes
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking together with the Irish Government to support the needs of victims; and if he will make a statement. [68483]
Mr Paterson: As I stated in my answer to the hon. Lady of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1097W, responsibility for providing practical services and support to victims rests with the devolved Administration.
However, I am committed to considering what contribution the UK Government can make to dealing with the legacy of the Troubles. I have had several discussions with the Irish Foreign Minister on this issue and intend to continue to engage with the Irish Government on the way forward.
Cabinet Office
British Nationals (Overseas)
Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many British nationals were living in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years for (a) all and (b) part of that year; and if he will make a statement. [68474]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question how many British nationals were living in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years for (a) all and (b) part of that year [68474].
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not collect information regarding UK nationals resident outside the UK. However, Eurostat publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries, these are available at:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/database
6 Sep 2011 : Column 430W
Special Advisers
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special adviser posts have been advertised since May 2010. [68642]
Mr Maude: In accordance with the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, special adviser appointments are exempt from the requirement that appointments to the civil service must be on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Therefore, no special adviser posts have been advertised.