To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations against the arrest of opposition leader Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement. (152606)

We are aware that following her recent arrest, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been formally charged with extortion by police in Dhaka, and that she remains in detention in a “sub-jail”. The case is now within the judicial system of Bangladesh. We trust that, consistent with Bangladesh’s international human rights obligations, legal proceedings against Sheikh Hasina will respect the full range of her human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has examined on Burma’s human rights record; and if he will make a statement. (153362)

We receive regular reports about human rights abuses in Burma, including the statement issued on 29 June by the International Committee of the Red Cross drawing attention to the Burmese regime’s persistent violations of international humanitarian law.

We agree that the human rights situation in Burma remains grave. Serious abuses continue to be committed, particularly in areas of armed conflict. The Burmese people do not enjoy the most basic of human rights, including the right to the freedom of speech and association, democracy, good governance and the rule of law.

We continue to work with our European and international partners, as well as through the UN and International Labour Organisation, to press the regime to end the human rights violations and to engage in a genuine process of national reconciliation involving all relevant parties and groups in Burma. On 27 July my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Meg Munn), discussed the situation with UN Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari, within the context of the UN Secretary-General’s good offices mandate on Burma.

We take every opportunity to raise human rights issues with the regime and remind them of their obligations to adhere to international human rights law, most recently when our ambassador in Rangoon met the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister and the Ministers of Planning and Health on 12-13 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months. (153046)

The total amount spent on publications for the last financial year, ending March 2007, was £1,410,027.68. This covers expenditure on newspapers, magazines and journals and also includes expenditure on press cuttings. Although it is not possible to identify the expenditure on newspapers and magazines alone without incurring disproportionate cost, the amount spent on publications has fallen significantly over the past 10 years. In the financial years 1997-2001 the average yearly spend on publications was £2,327,661.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on redundancy payments in the last 12 months. (153051)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not make any compulsory redundancy payments in the last 12 months. It is our policy to do all we can to avoid compulsory redundancies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on taxis in the last 12 months. (153042)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has two contracts with taxi/minicab firms to provide a 24-hour taxi service for staff in London, and to provide a taxi service between Milton Keynes and Hanslope Park, and taxi services for Hanslope Park-based staff for airport journeys.

The out of hours use of the London taxi contract is primarily for those staff called out for emergency work in the crisis centre or other ‘on call’ operational activities.

All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

The amount spent on taxis for financial year 2006-07 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Ethiopian government on the imprisonment of Professor Mesfin Woldermariam. (152716)

We have made numerous representations to the Government of Ethiopia over the imprisonment of all opposition political leaders, including Mesfin Woldermariam, including at ministerial level and with EU partners. We urged the Ethiopian government to ensure that the trial for those detained was swift, transparent and fair, and that their individual human rights were respected.

I am delighted that Mesfin Woldermariam was one of those pardoned by the President of Ethiopia and released on 20 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made on behalf of the Eritrean refugees residing in Israel’s Al Ramleh Detention Centre who are threatened with expulsion. (152962)

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made no such representations. As long as Israel acts within its obligations under international refugee law, this matter is for the Israeli Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations on behalf of the Eritrean refugees threatened with forcible return from Khartoum. (152963)

We have no plans to make representations to the Government of Sudan on behalf of the Eritrean refugees threatened with forcible return from Khartoum.

However, we want refugees to be afforded protection and treated equitably in their countries of refuge according to International Human Rights law. We work towards this objective through our substantial support to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the UN monitoring mission in Lebanon on the extent of (a) military incursions into Israel from the Lebanese side of the Lebanon/Israel border, (b) military manoeuvres by Hezbollah or other armed groups along Lebanon's border with Israel and (c) Hezbollah or other Lebanese military activity in the Sheba’a Farms area in the last six months. (153684)

The UN Secretary-General reports to the Security Council on a quarterly basis on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701. The last two reports, produced in March and June, cover the period of the last six months. The UK continues to support full implementation of UNSCR 1701.

These reports describe several incidents along the Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon. On 17 June several Katuysha Rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel, in violation of UNSCR 1701. Two of these rockets landed in the Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona. It is not known who was responsible for this attack.

The Secretary-General’s reports also note the activities of militant groups in south Lebanon. Most significantly six Spanish soldiers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were killed by a roadside bomb on 24 June. It is not known who was responsible for this attack. The Secretary-General’s report also confirms that there is no evidence of Hezbollah military activity in the UNIFIL area of operations.

We have received no reports from the UN of Hezbollah or Lebanese army activity in the Sheba’a Farms in the last six months.

I have arranged for copies of both of the most recent Secretary-General’s reports on UNSCR 1701 to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the UN monitoring mission in Lebanon on the extent of (a) Israeli military overflights across Lebanon's border with Israel, (b) other Israeli military manoeuvres along the Lebanon/Israel border and (c) Israeli military activity in the Sheba’a Farms area in the last six months. (153685)

The UN Secretary-General reports to the Security Council on a quarterly basis on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701. The last two reports, produced in March and June, cover the period of the last six months. The UK continues to support full implementation of UNSCR 1701 and is working with the Governments of Lebanon and Israel towards this.

In these reports the Secretary-General reported that Israel has continued regular overflights of Lebanese territory with both manned and unmanned aircraft. The number of these overflights reduced in early 2007, but has risen again recently. These flights occur on an almost daily basis with up to 32 overflights occurring on some days.

The Secretary-General also reported several breaches of the Blue Line that separates Israel and Lebanon. The most serious of these occurred in February when Israeli and Lebanese forces exchanged fire across the Blue Line during an Israeli incursion into Lebanon. Another incursion occurred on 28 May when Israeli vehicles also moved 60 metres into Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claim that this incursion was unintentional. Nevertheless there has been some progress on co-operation between the IDF, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese army through the tripartite mechanism. This co-operation is aimed at minimising breaches of the Blue Line.

The reports do not record in detail instances of IDF activity in the Sheba’a farms area. The IDF did arrest some hunters who had strayed into this area, although they were subsequently released.

I have arranged for copies of the both of the most recent Secretary-General’s reports on UNSCR 1701 to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with the non-proliferation proposals made by his predecessor to the Carnegie International Conference in Washington DC on 25 June. (153358)

The Government are committed to making farther progress on the non-proliferation proposals set out by my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) in her speech in Washington on 25 June. Over the past two months British diplomatic missions have brought these proposals to the attention of a wide range of senior contacts and opinion-formers inside and outside government around the world and encouraged media coverage. Planning and preparatory work on a practical delivery strategy through to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 2010 Review Conference is being taken forward by officials.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Meg Munn) spoke on these issues in the House on 24 July 2007, Official Report, columns 196-201WH.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) Russian nationals and (b) Russian born citizens given British nationality, resident in the United Kingdom, are currently subject to requests for extradition by the Russian Federation; and what responses have been given in each case. (152276)

I have been asked to reply.

As a matter of longstanding policy and practice the UK will neither confirm nor deny the existence of any extradition request made or received by this country ahead of arrest pursuant to the extradition request.

Two Russian citizens have been arrested whose extradition has been requested by the Russian Federation and their cases are currently under consideration. Neither of the subjects of the requests has British citizenship. Because the applications are under consideration, no responses have yet been given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement security protocols. (150942)

We welcome the stability brought by the East Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA) of 14 October 2006 between the Government of Sudan and the Eastern Front. We urge both sides to speed up implementation to ensure lasting peace and security in eastern Sudan.

Although some of the deadlines in Appendix A of the ESP A have been missed, implementation is now progressing. The Government of Sudan has appointed Eastern Front representatives as Assistant to the President, Presidential Adviser and Minister of State, who should take up their positions shortly. In June 2006, eight government members of the National Parliament resigned to make way for the Eastern Front Members of Parliament. Eastern Front representatives have also been appointed to state government.

The State of Emergency in eastern Sudan has been lifted and the cease-fire holds. About 3,500 Eritrea-based Eastern Front troops have returned to eastern Sudan since June and registration to integrate 1,200-1,500 Eastern Front troops into the Sudanese armed forces and police is well under way. The UN Development Programme is working closely on this with the Government of Sudan on the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of all other Eastern Front troops.

The UK provides funding to the National Multi Donor Trust Fund for Sudan, which funds development activities in eastern Sudan, one of the poorest parts of the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of people employed by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies are disabled. (153597)

Declaration of a disability is voluntary.

At the end of June 2007 there were 1,772 Home Civil Service staff employed in DFID. Of these 52 have declared a disability. This represents 2.9 per cent. of the total. Information on disability is published in DFID’s Annual Diversity Report 2006-07.

DFID is responsible for 21 appointments to two non departmental public bodies: the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board. None of the appointees consider themselves to have a disability.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1246W, on departments: dismissal, what the reasons were for the summary dismissal of the three members of staff without allegations of misconduct or written warnings; and what procedures were followed in those dismissals. (152078)

All three dismissals were on the grounds of poor performance, following the DFID performance appraisal process at that time and in line with the terms of their contracts. In all cases, DFID sought legal advice before the decision to dismiss.

Since 1 October 2004, all our employees are governed by the statutory dismissal, discipline and grievance procedures introduced under the Employment Act (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have made payments to Flint Bishop Solicitors since 1997. (151400)

Since 1997, DFID has no record of having made any payments to Flint Bishop Solicitors.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on flowers in the last 12 months. (153118)

Occasionally DFID may incur expenditure on flowers as part of our fees for a conference or event however we cannot disaggregate these costs from total spend without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many ministerial red boxes the Department bought in each of the last five years; what the cost of each was; who the suppliers were; and what tendering process was used in selecting them. (150296)

Ministerial boxes are used by successive Ministers over many years. Information requested by the hon. Member is available for the year 2006. Two ministerial boxes were purchased directly from Barrow and Gale in 2006. There is no current long term contract in place.

Details of costs are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months. (153115)

During the period July 2006 to July 2007 DFID recorded spend of £64,367 on newspapers and magazines. This includes the costs of subscriptions centrally funded in our Headquarters offices. Within DFID, individual departments and overseas offices may on occasion subscribe to relevant publications. To identify all non-centrally funded costs within our current systems would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department’s departmental magazine, Developments, is distributed in biodegradable packaging . (153382)

The current stocks of ‘polybags’ used for posting out individual copies of Developments magazine are not biodegradable. These polybags are ordered in bulk and, at the time of ordering, a biodegradable alternative was ruled out due to high cost and short shelf-life.

The current stock will be used until it runs out and is expected to cover the next one and a half mailings. The next order of ‘polybags’ will be made with a new supplier who can provide a suitable biodegradable alternative. These will be used to complete the mailing of Developments magazine due out at the end of this year and for all subsequent issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on staff away days in the last 12 months. (153111)

Individual departments within DFID plan and manage development away days and team building exercises for their staff in accordance with their specific needs in the context of business planning, continual professional development and performance improvement. Costs are usually met through delegated divisional or departmental training budgets.

DFID does not separately record its expenditure on staff away days, and therefore is unable to provide the breakdown requested without incurring disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations his Department received from Mr. Howard Horsley, former Education Field Office Manager in Ghana, before his dismissal in January 2000 on corruption and misconduct. (152076)

DFID’s records show that Mr. Horsley made representations on attempted corruption in a letter of 7 July 1999. Separately, but within the same letter, he raised unrelated concerns on the conduct of a colleague. He later made further non corruption related representations calling for that colleague to be the subject of a disciplinary investigation in correspondence on 14 October and 12 November 1999.

DFID maintained a dialogue with Mr. Horsley throughout the period he was employed in Ghana. In the years since his dismissal Mr. Horsley has put forward a series of concerns which have been reviewed by DFID and independently by Cabinet Secretaries and the National Audit Office. All parties across Whitehall have been satisfied that DFID acted correctly in relation to Mr. Horsley’s dismissal and found no evidence of financial impropriety and DFID’s position has been upheld.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment he has made of the management of oil revenues by public officials in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville); (149798)

DFID has not made its own assessments of the management of oil revenues or the extent of corruption within the oil sector. It relies on the assessment of the IMF and World Bank, for reasons of efficiency and the avoidance of duplication. Their latest assessment of progress in improving oil sector governance and reducing corruption indicates progress on increasing transparency has been slow. The World Bank is providing technical assistance to ensure that there are no capacity constraints preventing the Congolese authorities from implementing the necessary transparency reforms.

The UK discusses governance issues and the need for increased transparency in the oil sector with the Congolese government in conjunction with European partners and through the World Bank and IMF. The IMF missions to Brazzaville (October 2006 and May 2007) met with the President, Prime Minister, Planning and Finance Ministers, Central Bank Director and other senior officials, representatives of the donor community and civil society. We continue to urge for greater political support for improvements in accountability, and have argued strongly that oil revenue windfalls should be directed to activities which support poverty reduction.

DFID has not received any recent representations on the management of oil revenues in the Republic of Congo, nor of Mr. Sassou-Nguesso’s involvement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will publish the names of the 2,500 post offices likely to be closed under the closure programme. (140703)

I have been asked to reply.

On 17 May my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the Government’s response to public consultation on the Post Office network.

Now that the Government have announced their decisions it will be for Post Office Ltd. to strategically develop the network through 50 to 60 local area implementation plans over the next 18 months.

Following initial input from sub-postmasters, Postwatch and local authorities these plans will include closure proposals which will then be put to local consultations ahead of final decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will set up an inquiry into the accounts of the Stuffed Shirt Company following its liquidation. (148617)

The only company that has been registered at Companies House with the name The Stuffed Shirt Company Limited was placed in creditors' voluntary liquidation in 1998. In 2001 the company was dissolved which means that it lies outside the scope of the investigation powers exercised by my Department's Companies Investigations Branch. If the hon. Member is referring to a more recent company, I would invite him to write to me so that I can consider his request more fully.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Government are (a) conducting and (b) contributing to studies into the effects of depleted uranium ammunition on the population of Iraq as referred to in the answer of 20 October 2004, Official Report, column 714W. (152214)

I have been asked to reply.

Research into the effects of depleted uranium (DU) specifically on the population of Iraq is primarily the responsibility of the Government of Iraq. However, the scientific literature already contains a substantial number of reports which indicate that DU has not had, and is very unlikely to have, any significant impact on the population.

As announced in the House on 20 July 2005, Official Report, column 1755W, and 23 January 2006, Official Report, column 1713W, we will provide help and advice to assist the Government of Iraq and other authorities such as the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in any further research they may undertake. MOD has provided information on its use of DU munitions and on its monitoring in Iraq in 2003. MOD officials attended a UNEP seminar at which DU matters, including environmental monitoring and sampling techniques, were discussed with Iraqi scientists. More recently, MOD provided Iraqi scientists with protective equipment to carry out DU contamination surveys and with information on the composition of the DU used in UK munitions.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics what representations she has received from the International Shooting Sport Federation on the ability of Woolwich to accommodate the Olympic shooting events; and if she will make a statement. (149499)

Representations about venues will be received by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

The Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich was agreed as the venue for shooting events after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave feedback on the accessibility, athlete experience and proximity to the Olympic park on the venue portfolio submitted by London 2012 as an applicant city in 2004. The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) supported the choice of venue.

Woolwich was chosen as it offers a venue close to the Olympic park and provides good accessibility.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many spectators are expected to be able (a) to walk the course and (b) to spectate at the equestrian events in Greenwich Park at the 2012 Olympics. (151696)

[holding answer 23 July 2007]: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for each of the 2012 games venues during games time. As part of their preparation, they are currently developing detailed ‘overlay’ plans for each venue.

The Candidate File identifies capacity at Greenwich park as 23,000 for the main arena. LOCOG have now appointed a course designer and further detailed work is being undertaken to identify the optimum layout of Greenwich park as a whole, and the siting of the arena and competition courses. This work also takes into consideration health and safety, security, operational requirements and the ecology of Greenwich Park. Until this work is complete, exact spectator numbers, including people walking the course, cannot be given.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2007, Official Report, columns 1292-93W, on the Olympic games: Greater London, whether civil servants in her Department compiled the information given by KPMG at the cost review group meetings into a report or presentation document. (153562)

Departmental officials took the minutes of the cost review group meetings. However, they did not compile the information given by KPMG at these meetings into a report or presentation document.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2007, Official Report, column 1292W, on the Olympic games: Greater London, in what form the cost review group presented to her Department the savings it identified in different areas of the budget. (153563)

The cost review group presented the savings they identified in the form of oral presentation and updates to financial estimates.

The savings identified were incorporated into the Olympic park masterplan announced on 7 June 2006, and continuing work on the development of the funding package which I announced to the House on 15 March.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2007, Official Report, column 1292W, on the Olympic games: Greater London, on what date the cost review reached its conclusions. (153564)

The cost review culminated in the statement I made to the House on 15 March 2007.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 43W, on the Olympic games: Greater London, who the other members of the team within the then Interim Olympic Delivery Authority were. (153619)

In October 2005 the Department commissioned KPMG to provide advice on the cost of the Olympic games.

KPMG also provided advice under contract to the then interim Olympic Delivery Authority and later the Olympic Delivery Authority. KPMG provided advice on venues in partnership with Davis Langdon LLP, and on infrastructure in partnership with Faithful and Gould. Further details are set out in paragraphs 40-41 of the National Audit Office's report ‘The budget for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ published on 20 July 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his policy is on the future of the (a) British Film Institute and (b) National Film Theatre; and if he will make a statement. (150093)

The British Film Institute will continue to support and enhance film culture and education across the UK. In 2007-08, they will receive £16 million of grant in aid funding. Since 1998, they have received £162 million.

The recently redeveloped BFI Southbank, which houses the National Film Theatre, is a focal point for this work. It provides a platform for the BFI to show a diverse range of films to a wide audience; to offer pioneering access to the BFI National Archive; and to engage new audiences with an expanded programme of education and learning.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the exterior of Buckingham Palace is due to be cleaned; if the Government will ensure such work has priority over work to other royal premises; and if he will make a statement. (152608)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides the Royal Household with an annual £15 million grant for property maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces in England. It is the responsibility of the Royal Household to decide how these funds are allocated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent requests have been received from the Royal Household for refurbishment or building work to Royal premises; and what such work has been agreed to. (152609)

The Department has not received any specific requests from the Royal Household for refurbishment or building work to Royal premises, as the Royal Household are responsible for prioritising projects and deciding how the annual £15 million grant is allocated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years. (151976)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Parks Agency have not incurred any expenditure on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on (a) first class and (b) business class flights in the last 12 months. (153275)

The departmental expenditure on first class flights was £65,404 and £201,110 for business class flights in the last financial year as recorded by the Department’s contracted travel agent. This amount excludes occasional travel booked directly which can be identified only at disproportionate cost.

Regarding Ministers’ visits overseas, since 1999 the Government have published, on an annual basis, a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the libraries of the House. Information for 2006-07 was published on 25 July 2007.

All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code, the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of people employed by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies are disabled. (153580)

DCMS is a very small Department with 527 staff. As a Department we do monitor across the equality strands and 3 per cent. of staff have declared a disability.

DCMS’s agency Royal Parks Agency employ just fewer than 100 staff, with 1 per cent. of their staff having declared a disability.

DCMS is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and as a Department we endeavour to offer employment appointments to disabled people. In recognition of this, we have been accredited with the “Positive About Disabled People—Two Ticks Symbol” following an assessment made by Jobcentre Plus.

As part of our on-going commitment, we ensure that we monitor and evaluate our recruitment and retention procedures, by consulting staff on a range of disability issues, and by ensuring reasonable adjustments to our working environment are made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on flowers in the last 12 months. (153270)

In the 12 months up to 26 July 2007 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £4,675 on flowers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which pieces of legislation enacted in each of the last 10 years for which his Department is responsible have yet to be brought into force. (147197)

All of the Acts introduced by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the last 10 years have been brought into force. However, not all of the enactments contained in those Acts have been brought into force. These are as follows:

The Communications Act 2003—sections 272 to 275 (“must offer” obligations affecting public service television) and sections 299 to 302 (sporting and other events of national interest).

The Licensing Act 2003—two consequential amendments in schedule 6—paragraphs 98 and 99(c), which by reason of the drafting do not achieve the intended effect.

The Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004—various enactments are not in force mainly relating to the sale of the Tote and the Horserace Betting Levy system.

The Gambling Act 2005—a substantial number of the enactments have been brought into force and the intention is to bring into force the vast majority of the remaining provisions on 1 September 2007.

The National Lottery Act 2006—section 5 which concerns annual fees and some provisions relating to the Channel Islands.

The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006—sections 13 to 16 which relate to the regulation of transport during the games and section 39(1) and paragraph 13 of schedule 3 which amend legislation repealed since the passing of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses. (151837)

Section 180 of the Gambling Act 2005 is a sunset clause and provides that the section which concerns pool betting on dog races shall cease to have effect on 31 December 2012.

Sections 10 to 18 of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 will cease to have effect at the end of the “London Olympic period”, that is after the fifth day after the closing ceremony of the Paralympic games 2012. Those sections relate to transport, and among other things, they provide for the making and implementation of the Olympic Transport Plan. Section 33 and schedule 4 of the same Act will cease to have effect after 31 December 2012. Those provisions create the London Olympics and Paralympics association rights—intellectual property rights that prevent unauthorised associations with the London games.

The appropriateness of a sunset clause for the whole or part of any proposed legislation is considered on a case-by-case basis. It is also addressed when a regulatory impact assessment relating to legislation is being prepared.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people have been appointed to his Department outside civil service grades in the last 30 days. (153277)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not appointed anyone outside civil service grades in the last 30 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers are employed by his Department. (153279)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport employs 13 press officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at her Department and its agencies in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost of those bonuses was. (146422)

Such information as is available is shown in the following table and includes the percentage of the total pay bill for each year:

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agency the Royal Parks makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes: (a) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations, and (b) performance bonuses to reward highly successful performance over a whole year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Department in the last three years; and at what total cost. (146992)

The Department makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes:

(a) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and

(b) performance bonuses to reward highly successful performance over a whole year.

The table shows the total of all bonuses paid and the percentage of the overall pay bill that these amounts represent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months. (153268)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £57,531 on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to which periodicals his Department subscribes. (153276)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport subscribes to the following periodicals:

A-N magazine

Accountancy

AI: Arts Industry

AJ specification

AJ the architects’ journal

Antiques trade gazette

Apollo: the international magazine of the arts

Architectural review

Ariel

Art antiquity and law

Art loss review

Art monthly

Art newspaper: international edition

Art Quarterly

Art Review

Arts professional

Arts research digest

Athletics weekly

Attractions management

Audience: for the international contemporary live music industry

Billboard

Blueprint

Bookseller

British archaeology

The British art journal

British journal of photography

Broadcast

Building design

Building

Burlington magazine

The Business

Cable and satellite Europe

Campaign

Caterer and hotelkeeper

Champs-Elysees (French language magazine and audio CD)

The channel

Children now

Cinema business

Civic focus

Club mirror

Coaching at work

Coin slot international

Complaints report/Press Complaints Commission

Conservation Bulletin

Construction news

Contemporary visual arts

Cordis Focus

Country life

Countryside focus: the newspaper for the Countryside Agency

Crafts: the decorative and applied arts magazine

Creative review

Cultural trends

Current archaeology

Current world archaeology

Drapers

Eastern eye

The econometrics journal

The economic journal: the journal of the Royal

The Economist

EIPASCOPE bulletin

Emergency services times.

Employment law bulletin

En passant

Equal opportunities review

European voice: an independent view of the Union

External funding bulletin

Forbes

Frieze

Gaming law review

Georgian Group journal

The Georgian: the magazine of the Georgian Group

Gig

Government computing

Green futures: the magazine of Forum for the Future

Hackney gazette

The hospitality review

Hotel report

The House magazine

House of Commons weekly information bulletin

Icon

IGWB: International gaming and wagering business magazine

Information world review

Inside housing

Insights

International gambling studies

International journal of arts management

International journal of cultural property

International journal of nautical archaeology

Interpretation: journal of the Association for Heritage

Investors chronicle

IRS employment review

Jazz UK

JC: Jewish chronicle

Journal of cultural economics

Journal of gambling studies

Journal of sports economics

Judicial review

La Fleur’s magazine

Leisure management

Leisure opportunities

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MCV: the magazine for the interactive entertainment

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Music Teacher

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OAG executive flight guide: Europe, Africa, Middle East

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Sport business international: the international magazine for the business of sport

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The Stationery Office (TSO) weekly list

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TES: the Times educational supplement

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Time out

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TJ: training journal

Travel GBI

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TTG UK (Travel trade gazette UK)

TV international: newsletter of the worldwide television, cable and satellite industry

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VAN briefing: the voice of the voluntary arts

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World online gambling law report

Yorkshire Post

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department paid in fees to recruitment agencies for (a) temporary and (b) permanent staff in each year since 1997. (151679)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has paid the following amounts to recruitment agencies in each year since 1997:

The amounts paid to agencies for temporary staff are inclusive of their service charges and the salary costs of the staff supplied.

The significant increase in the level of fees paid to agencies in the last two years is largely attributed to the need to bring in additional resources quickly to staff up the Department’s team working on the Olympics 2012 programme following London’s successful bid. Now that permanent staff have been recruited or transferred into the team, agencies fees are expected to fall back to levels paid previously in the years prior to 2005-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on redundancy payments in the last 12 months. (153272)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent £100,475 in the last 12 months on redundancy payments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on taxis in the last 12 months. (153271)

All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department’s staff handbook, and consistent with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code. For the financial year 2006-07 £33,907.44 is the recorded spend on taxi fares. It represents expenditure on taxis provided by the Department’s contract agent, black cabs and taxis in London and elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on staff away days in the last 12 months. (153273)

No separate record is held of the amount spent on staff away days in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the last 12 months. The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on (a) staff and (b) communication training in the last 12 months. (153274)

In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport we spent £601,689 on staff training during the last 12 months. We are unable to provide information on communications training as we do not categories information on spend in a way which would enable us to identify expenditure on communications training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months. (153267)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance has been given to local authorities to encourage them to fly the Union flag from municipal buildings. (153720)

Local authorities are already able to fly the Union flag on a daily basis from municipal buildings; it is a matter for them to decide. However, as some choose to follow Government guidance, we have updated the flag flying section of the DCMS website (www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying) and informed the Local Government Association. This follows the announcement by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport allowing all UK Government Departments to have the freedom to fly the Union flag when they wish while the Department carry out a consultation on altering the flag flying guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many hotels there are in Cornwall; and how many there were in 1997. (152096)

Statistics on the number of hotels by region are not collected centrally.

South West Tourism’s figures show that there were 354 hotels in Cornwall in 1998—the nearest year to 1997 for which for figures are available. However, there were 1,316 businesses classified as serviced visitor accommodation. Businesses are so defined when they provide food and other services to their guests. As such, the total of 1,316 includes guest houses and bed and breakfasts, but excludes self-catering establishments and holiday parks. South West Tourism defined a “hotel” as a business which offers certain services to guests (including a restaurant offering full meals) which are not offered by guest houses and similar establishments.

There were 290 hotels in Cornwall in 2006 out of a total of 1,190 serviced visitor accommodation businesses, deferred on the same basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2007, Official Report, column 479W, on museums and galleries: West Midlands, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Renaissance funding within the context of the comprehensive spending review in (a) the West Midlands and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. (153333)

Future funding for the Renaissance in the Regions Programme and all other departmental expenditure is under consideration in the context of the comprehensive spending review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1178W, on the Olympic Games, if she will place in the Library copies of the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of each meeting of the cost review group on the dates listed. (146540)

I have been asked to reply as Minister for the Olympics.

Agendas were drawn up for two of the meetings on the dates listed in my previous response and I am arranging for these to be placed in the House Library.

The meeting scheduled for 9 March 2006 did not take place. The minutes for the other meetings will not be placed in the House Library as they are being used to inform the development of our ongoing policy for managing the Olympic project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was granted to the Yorkshire Tourism Board in each year since 1996. (152199)

The regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, Yorkshire Forward, provided the Yorkshire Tourist Board with approximately £3 million per annum between 2005-06 and 2007-08.

In addition, Yorkshire Forward has provided the York Tourism Bureau with financial support through the York and North Yorkshire sub-regional investment plan process. This equates to a one third share of £2 million for the period up to 2008-09.

For the figures for previous years, I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to him on 21 October 2004, Official Report, column 823W, and 5 April 2005, Official Report, column 1328W, by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant in aid VisitBritain received in each year since 1997 at current prices; and if he will make a statement. (153474)

The annual grant in aid paid by DCMS to VisitBritain at current prices was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of (a) impact and (b) effectiveness of the use of thermobaric weapons by British forces in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. (152212)

The term “thermobaric” has no agreed definition and is not used by the MOD. As with all military deployments, we keep our force levels and equipment requirements in Afghanistan under constant review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment is of the capability of the Taliban and insurgency forces in Helmand Province. [153323]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 17, to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects on Lynx helicopters of high air temperatures in Afghanistan. (153378)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my predecessor on 26 March 2007, Official Report, column 1353W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by the Royal Air Force on purchasing, maintaining and transporting horses and ponies for polo in the last 12 months for which figures are available. (152625)

The Royal Air Force has not spent any funds on purchasing or, maintaining horses and ponies for polo in the last 12 months. However, service personnel are entitled to payment from public funds for towing a horse box containing their own horses and ponies for authorised official fixtures in accordance with Tri Service Regulations for Allowances. Information on costs relating to such activities is not separately identifiable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he has taken in response to each of the recommendations of the Board of Inquiry into the Death of Private Alison Croft in October 2002; and what further measures he plans to undertake following the comments of HM Coroner at the conclusion of the inquest into her death on 17 July. (153380)

The Board of Inquiry into the death of Private Croft made nine recommendations to reduce the likelihood of such an incident occurring in the future, namely:

better communication between key personnel in the welfare chain and guidance on when to break the “in confidence” barrier;

provide continuous medical cover at Dalton Barracks to replace ad hoc services;

employment of a military Practice Manager, if a doctor cannot work on a full time basis;

increase the minimum number of padres employed at Dalton Barracks to two;

provide better guidance and training on At Risk Registers;

“flagging” personnel joining units from Phase 1 and 2 training with significant medical histories to the medical and military chain of command;

issue regular guidance to units on dealing with harassment, bullying or intimidation;

improve induction procedures to ensure new arrivals have clear understanding of welfare support available to them;

provide better training on the prevention of suicide at unit and sub unit level.

All the recommendations have been implemented.

The Ministry of Defence always gives careful consideration to the comments made by the Coroner following the conclusion of an Inquest involving Service personnel. In the case of Private Croft, the Coroner did not make any specific comments on further action required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that 16 Air Assault Brigade is issued with the equipment which it needs (a) for training purposes and (b) to fulfil engagements; and if he will make a statement. (152924)

Our priority is to ensure that the armed forces are well-equipped for operations and operational commanders may request additional equipment through the chain of command at any time.

Outside operations, priority is given to equipping units for pre-Deployment Training. Other training and activities are given lower priority. In some cases the training requirement will exceed the number of items available at a given point in time. These shortfalls in equipment are addressed by the implementation of a range of measures, including the acceleration of the deep maintenance programme and the transfer of equipment between units, to ensure that the priority needs, such as pre-deployment training are met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms are in place to ensure the professional conduct of doctors serving with the military in examining military prisoners; and if he will make a statement. (153737)

I have assumed that the Member is referring to "military prisoners" in the widest sense, i.e. all persons detained by the UK armed forces, rather than simply Service personnel detained in the Military Corrective Training Centre at Colchester or by their unit. The same principles apply to medical examinations regardless of the specific status and location of the detainee.

Military doctors charged with the medical care of prisoners and detainees are required to follow MOD policy directives based on medical ethics as advised by the General Medical Council, UK law and, where relevant, United Nations declarations and international law, including the Geneva Conventions. Initial military training courses for Service doctors cover the medical support to be provided to persons detained by UK forces whilst deployed on operations.

Any failure to comply can result in various sanctions depending upon the nature of the offence, ranging from internal disciplinary measures to investigation by the GMC or criminal prosecution.

We review our policy and training in this area when appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether requests have been made by troops in the field for enhanced blast devices. (150029)

For reasons of operational security I will not disclose whether there have or have not been requests for specific capabilities. All requirements are kept under constant review. We regularly receive and action requests for a wide range of equipment capabilities from operational theatres. Some of these we can address through existing resources; other emerging requirements are met through the urgent operational requirement process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average time a military patient spends on each stage of the patient cure pathway. (149312)

Every patient is treated on an individual basis. The phrase “patient care pathway” is used by Defence Medical Services to refer to the totality of treatment any injured or sick individual receives, from point of injury or presenting for treatment to discharge from medical care and will clearly vary enormously depending on the injury or illness. Some ailments will be treated almost immediately, while others, such as a serious wounding, can take many months before the patient is fully recovered or an operational medical outcome is achieved. Any attempt to provide an “average” time spent on the “care pathway” would be meaningless.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service family accommodation properties in (a) Cyprus, (b) Gibraltar and (c) Germany are at standard (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3 and (iv) 4. (148238)

Service Families Accommodation (SFA) in Cyprus, Gibraltar and Germany is assessed by Grade for Charge rather than Standard for Condition.

Grade for charge is broken down by amenities and location with Grade 1 close to all amenities. Standard for Condition relates to the physical condition of the property.

The total number of SFA by Grade is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many single living accommodation properties for service personnel in (a) Cyprus, (b) Gibraltar and (c) Germany are of standard (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3 and (iv) 4. (148239)

Single Living Accommodation (SLA) in Cyprus and Gibraltar and Germany is assessed by Grade for Charge rather than Standard for Condition.

Grade for charge is broken down by amenities and location with Grade 1 close to all amenities. Standard for Condition relates to the physical condition of the property.

As at April 2007, the total number of SLA in each location at each grade is as follows:

For SLA in Cyprus proposed improvements programme will provide 650 bed spaces after 2008. The remaining SLA in Cyprus is transit accommodation for operational deployments.

111 bed spaces are to be upgraded in Gibraltar.

Germany SLA, 374 bed spaces are to be upgraded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many eviction orders were served on occupants of service married quarters in each year since 1997. (150127)

Records for eviction orders are only available from November 2000.

Applications for eviction orders in England and Wales, are shown as follows.

Service personnel who lose their entitlement to Service Families Accommodation (SFA) can be served eviction orders and are included in these figures. Personnel can lose entitlement due to leaving the services or following a breakdown of the marriage. Few eviction orders actually lead to the occupant having to be forcibly evicted from their SFA.

Records of evictions from Scotland, Northern Ireland and overseas SFA are not held centrally and will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reports were made of faulty cookers in service families accommodation in each year since 2005; and what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken to make repairs to such cookers was in each year. (151759)

This information is not held centrally and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken between ordering and installing made to order parts for boilers in Service Families and Single Living Accommodation was in each year since 2005; (151761)

This information is not held centrally and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of providing housing for members of the Army in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by rank. (152702)

Service Families Accommodation in Great Britain is provided on a Tri-Service basis and it is not possible to identify costs relating solely to the Army or to provide a breakdown by rank. Of the £81 million spent on service housing in 2006-07, it is estimated that about 50 per cent. would relate to Army personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations with the Metrix Consortium on Package 2 for the Defence Training Review. (153317)

In January this year the Metrix Consortium were declared the Preferred Bidder for Package 1 of the DTR Programme, but in view of significant remaining affordability challenges, only provisional Preferred Bidder for Package 2. Since then we have been exploring with the Bidder possible synergies and economies of scale across the whole programme.

Significant work has been completed, but has not yet been concluded. Once it is, I expect to make a statement later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training British military personnel receive in the handling of detainees taken on operations. (153327)

All members of Her Majesty’s armed forces must comply with the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC), including in the handling and treatment of detainees. The United Kingdom is required by international law to ensure that instruction on LOAC is included in training programmes for the armed forces.

Instruction on LOAC takes place during Phase 1 and Phase 2 training for all Service personnel. Thereafter, Service personnel receive further training at a level and frequency appropriate for their rank, responsibility and force readiness status.

Mandatory LOAC training is included in pre-deployment training for all Service personnel. In addition, Service personnel who deploy receive a presentation on theatre-specific guidance and instruction as part on their initial orientation package and a subsequent practical test.

For those units who have been detailed to provide a guard service at the Divisional Internment Facility in Iraq, additional specialist training is provided by staff from the Military Corrective Training Centre and HQ Provost Marshall (Army).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the Future Rapid Effects System project. (148550)

[holding answer 10 July 2007]: The Assessment Phase of the Future Rapid Effect System programme was approved in April 2004. Expenditure on this phase up to 31 March 2007 was £101 million (including value added tax).

This covers the Technology Demonstrator Programmes, which examined candidate technologies (see following table). Additionally it covers the cost of the supporting programme of analysis and technical expertise provided by the Atkins Defence in the Systems House role and Defence Science and Technology Laboratories. It also covers the cost of specialist support to the MOD.

A total of nine TDP contracts have been placed. They are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out-of-service dates are for each armoured vehicle type in the army. (153320)

The out-of-service (OSD) dates for armoured vehicles are detailed as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured vehicles of each type were in service in the Army in 1997. (153325)

The number of armoured vehicles of each type that were in service (total fleet) in the Army in 1997 is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure was on the procurement and maintenance of armoured vehicles in each year since 1997. (148235)

The figures in the table detail expenditure, rounded to the nearest £10 million, on the procurement and maintenance of armoured vehicles; Challenger 2, CVR(T), FV430 Mk 2, FV430 Bulldog, Saxon GWR, Saxon Patrol, Warrior, Vector, Mastiff, Trojan and Titan. The complete financial records for maintenance prior to financial year 2003-04 are not held in one central location and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Maintenance expenditure includes repairs, upgrade and upkeep programmes, post design services and purchase of spares.