House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 3 Mar 1999 (pt 5)

Cumbria Tourist Board

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to retain a separate Cumbria tourist board within the north-west region. [73642]

Janet Anderson: Cumbria Tourist Board, as are other regional tourist boards, is an independent commercial organisation and determines its own boundary. We wish to see the arrangements for all regional bodies continue on a basis which fosters close and co-operative working to support successful and sustainable development.

Sports Institute

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made on the establishment of the UK Sports Institute. [72101]

Mr. Banks [holding answer 1 March 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mr. Caplin) on 1 March 1999, Official Report, columns 535-37.

Television Licences

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will discuss with relevant departments a reduction of the cost of the BBC licence fee to pensioners dependent solely on the state pension. [74043]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 2 March 1999]: The independent review panel currently considering the future funding of the BBC has also been asked to examine the structure of the existing concessionary television licence scheme and whether a suitable alternative structure could be available. The panel has invited representations on a number of areas, including the concessionary arrangements, and will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State by the end of July this years. There will then be a period of public consultation on the panel's recommendations. It would not be right for the Government to preempt the outcome of the review.

Films (Lottery Funding)

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those films which have received lottery funding to date indicating (a) how much lottery money each received, (b) their total budgets, (c) their release dates, (d) the number of screens on which they opened and (e) their takings to date. [74239]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 2 March 1999]: There are no data available centrally on the numbers of screens on which lottery-funded films opened and the record of takings of these films is not fully tracked. Some

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 746

data are available and I have today placed that information together with the other data requested, in the Libraries of the House.

CABINET OFFICE

Ministerial Group on Older People

Mrs. Gilroy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his answer of 1 February 1999, Official Report, column 517, which Ministers are members of the ministerial group on older people from the various departments he listed. [73694]

Mr. Kilfoyle: Membership of the group comprises those Ministers who have particular responsibilities for policy areas which affect older people. It includes me together with my right hon. and hon. Friends the Lord Privy Seal, the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham); the Minister of State, Department of Social Security; the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton); the Minister for Transport in London; the Minister for London and Construction; the Minister of State, Home Office, the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng); the Economic Secretary; the Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs; the Minister for the Arts; the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment, the hon. Member for Barking (Ms Hodge); the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department; the Under-Secretary of State for Defence; the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith); and the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones).

Other Ministers with an interest in a particular subject may also attend meetings of the group from time to time.

Civil Servants (Ethnic Origin)

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will provide a breakdown in (a) numerical and (b) percentage terms of the ethnic origin as of 1 May 1998 to 31 December 1998, of civil servants at each grade; and if he will further break down those of ethnic minority origin at each grade in (i) numerical and (ii) percentage terms into (1) Indian, (2) Pakistani, (3) Bangladeshi, (4) Chinese and (5) other and mixed Asian. [73695]

Mr. Kilfoyle: Provisional information at 1 October 1998, from Mandate, the Cabinet Office's personnel database, is set out in the table. It is not directly comparable to the information in the recently published Equal Opportunities in the Civil Service Data Summary which is based on staff in post at 1 April 1998. The table excludes staff in departments who do not provide data to Mandate. However, both the Data Summary and the table show that 5.7 per cent. of all staff were from ethnic minority groups.

Ethnic origin of non-industrial Civil Servants (1) in post by responsibility level (2) at 1 October 1998 (3) Number

SCS G6 G7 SEO HEO EO AO AA Total (4)

White 2,731 3,757 13,739 17,771 39,786 82,502 136,851 51,828 349,713

Ethnic minority 48 107 356 406 1,123 4,445 10,624 4,117 21,237

of which:

Black 10 24 66 74 341 1,644 4,244 1,588 7,998

Asian 32 65 218 258 606 2,381 5,704 2,329 11,595

Indian 16 31 108 102 275 1,192 3,036 1,177 5,938

Pakistani (5)-- 12 24 24 48 222 642 356 1,329

Bangladeshi (5)-- (5)-- 5 8 12 51 224 102 405

Asian-East African (5)-- (5)-- 33 57 138 497 861 253 1,847

Chinese (5)-- (5)-- 18 23 36 107 189 77 455

Other Asian 6 15 30 44 97 312 752 364 1,621

Other ethnic groups 6 18 72 74 176 420 676 200 1,644

Total(6) 2,779 3,864 14,095 18,177 40,909 86,947 147,475 55,945 370,950

	SCS	G6	G7	SEO	HEO	EO	AO	AA	Total (4)
White	2,731	3,757	13,739	17,771	39,786	82,502	136,851	51,828	349,713
Ethnic minority	48	107	356	406	1,123	4,445	10,624	4,117	21,237
of which:
Black	10	24	66	74	341	1,644	4,244	1,588	7,998
Asian	32	65	218	258	606	2,381	5,704	2,329	11,595
Indian	16	31	108	102	275	1,192	3,036	1,177	5,938
Pakistani	(5)--	12	24	24	48	222	642	356	1,329
Bangladeshi	(5)--	(5)--	5	8	12	51	224	102	405
Asian-East African	(5)--	(5)--	33	57	138	497	861	253	1,847
Chinese	(5)--	(5)--	18	23	36	107	189	77	455
Other Asian	6	15	30	44	97	312	752	364	1,621
Other ethnic groups	6	18	72	74	176	420	676	200	1,644

Total(6)	2,779	3,864	14,095	18,177	40,909	86,947	147,475	55,945	370,950

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 747

Ethnic groups as a percentage of responsibility (1) level at 1 October Percentage

SCS G6 G7 SEO HEO EO AO AA Total (4)

White 98.3 97.2 97.5 97.8 97.3 94.9 92.8 92.6 94.3

Ethnic minority 1.7 2.8 2.5 2.2 2.7 5.1 7.2 7.4 5.7

of which:

Black 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.8 1.9 2.9 2.8 2.2

Asian 1.2 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.5 2.7 3.9 4.2 3.1

Indian 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.7 1.4 2.1 2.1 1.6

Pakistani (5)-- 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.4

Bangladeshi (5)-- (5)-- 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1

Asian-East African (5)-- (5)-- 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5

Chinese (5)-- (5)-- 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Other Asian 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.4

Other ethnic groups 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4

Total(6) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

	SCS	G6	G7	SEO	HEO	EO	AO	AA	Total (4)
White	98.3	97.2	97.5	97.8	97.3	94.9	92.8	92.6	94.3
Ethnic minority	1.7	2.8	2.5	2.2	2.7	5.1	7.2	7.4	5.7
of which:
Black	0.4	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.8	1.9	2.9	2.8	2.2
Asian	1.2	1.7	1.5	1.4	1.5	2.7	3.9	4.2	3.1
Indian	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.7	1.4	2.1	2.1	1.6
Pakistani	(5)--	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.4	0.6	0.4
Bangladeshi	(5)--	(5)--	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.1
Asian-East African	(5)--	(5)--	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5
Chinese	(5)--	(5)--	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Other Asian	0.2	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.5	0.7	0.4
Other ethnic groups	0.2	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4

Total(6)	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0

(1) Excludes staff in Departments who do not provide data to Mandate.

(2) Responsibility levels are an approximate assignment of personnel to a level of seniority broadly equivalent to the former service wide grades. As departments restructure grades, it is increasingly difficult to assign certain posts to a precise responsibility level. This accounts for apparent fluctuations in the numbers and percentages at some levels.

(3) Information at 1 October 1998 is provisional and may be amended.

(4) Total includes staff with unknown responsibility level.

(5) Staff who responded to departmental surveys on ethnic origin.

(6) Less than 5 in group and less than 0.2 per cent. of responsibility level.

Source:

Cabinet Office--Mandate

3 Mar 1999 : Column: 747

Next Steps Report 1998

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the 1998 Next Steps report. [75077]

Dr. Jack Cunningham: The Government have today published the 1998 Next Steps Report, Cm 4273, which has been laid in both Houses. This Report brings together performance and trend data on 136 executive agencies and two departments operating on Next Steps lines.

The Report shows that overall nearly 76 per cent. of targets were achieved and that, where comparisons can be made with previous years, performance against targets has improved in 52 per cent. of cases.

With the introduction of Public Service Agreements (PSAs), Government have set out in precise and quantified form what improvements it is seeking to achieve over the next 3 years. Agencies will have a very important part to play in helping Ministers deliver those results. Agencies' objectives and targets are being

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redefined to ensure that they reflect the Government's new objectives and priorities. The degree of challenge which is built in to the PSA targets will help to ensure that agency targets are themselves set at a sufficiently stretching level, encouraging agencies to be innovative and enterprising in tackling improvement.

The Government will be publishing before Easter a White Paper on "Modernising Government" which will set out a vision for the future of public services. One of its main themes will be the need to increase co-operation across traditional bureaucratic boundaries so that public services can be delivered more cost-effectively and be better tuned to the needs of the user. Agencies, as the main service delivery arm of the Civil Service, will have a vital role to play in fostering this growth in co-operative solutions.

It is essential that continuous pressure be applied to improve individual agency performance but this must be seen increasingly within the context of contribution to broader goals.

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