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Subtitling
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent figures he has collated on the level of subtitling on (a) BBC1, (b) BBC2, (c) ITV, (d) Channel 4 and (e) Channel 5; and if he will make a statement. [106969]
Janet Anderson: It is for the BBC Governors to monitor the levels of subtitling on BBC services and the Independent Television Commission to monitor the levels of subtitling on ITV, GMTV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The most recent information available from the BBC is that 63 per cent. of BBC1 and 53 per cent. of BBC2 is subtitled. The latest figures available from the ITC, published in the Commission's Annual Report 1998, is that the level of subtitling of programmes in that year was 61 per cent. on ITV; 42 per cent. on GMTV; 60 per cent. on Channel 4; and 27 per cent. on Channel 5.
Public Service Broadcasting
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the EU Commission regarding the definition of public service broadcasting, with special reference to the system of public funding. [109321]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 10 February 2000]: Officials from my Department met officials from the Commission, Competition Directorate General, on 26 January. The purpose of this meeting was primarily to discuss the decision of the Commission on the matter of BBC 24 Hour News.
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Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if there are proposals to amend his Department's departmental expenditure limit and running costs limit for 1999-2000. [110379]
Mr. Chris Smith:
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XI, Vote 1, the DCMS Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 1999-2000 will be increased by £6,181,000 from £995,858,000 to £1,002,139,000.
This is to provide for increased expenditure of £8,600,000, partly funded by draw down of £2,761,000 of Departmental Unallocated Provision, for meeting the settlement of final accounts on the completion of the St. Pancras building; a transfer of £2,000,000 from the Department for Education and Employment (Class I, Vote 1) for awards to dance and drama students; a transfer of £592,000 from the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class III, Vote 1) for the maintenance of Marlborough House; increased expenditure of £400,000 on DCMS gross running costs offset by an increase in refunds of eligible deductible input VAT; and to provide for the receipts of £3,200,000 from the National Lottery operator's licence fees and from the National Lottery Distribution Fund to meet the administrative costs of the National Lottery Commission to be appropriated in aid of the Vote.
The increases will be offset by transfers, savings or a charge on the DEL Reserve, and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the grant-in-aid from public funds for orchestras for each year since 1990 in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms. [109730]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
Grant-in-aid allocated by the Arts Council of England to the nine subsidised English orchestras is shown in the table.
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Cash terms | Real terms |
| 1990-91 | 6,721,000 | 8,657,066 |
| 1991-92 | 7,721,600 | 9,365,191 |
| 1992-93 | 9,014,461 | 10,583,086 |
| 1993-94 | 9,511,500 | 10,877,744 |
| 1994-95 | 8,869,000 | 10,000,112 |
| 1995-96 | 8,933,000 | 9,789,374 |
| 1996-97 | 9,133,000 | 9,696,255 |
| 1997-98 | 9,133,000 | 9,431,020 |
| 1998-99 | 9,133,000 | 9,133,000 |
| 1999-2000 | 9,902,880 | 9,684,968 |
Media Releases
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the average cost of issuing a media release from his Department in the last 12 months. [108892]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 8 February 2000]: DCMS Press Releases are distributed via the Central Office of Information (COI).
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In 1999 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport issued 315 press releases. The average cost of distributing a press release via the COI was £50.76, including post, fax, packing, copying, and stationery costs.
DCMS, in common with all other Government Departments, also contribute to the upkeep of the Central Office of Information's electronic news distribution system. In 1999 that contribution, which is a standing charge and is not related to the number of press releases issued by the Department, totalled £15,862.52.
Cambridgeshire Statistics
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the wards in (a) Peterborough and (b) Cambridge ranked by average earnings. [109533]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Kidgell to Mrs. Helen Brinton, dated 14 February 2000:
Notes:
Employees on adult rates, whose pay for the survey period was unaffected by absence. Gross weekly earnings (including overtime).
The Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been asked to reply to your parliamentary question regarding the average earnings of the wards in Peterborough and Cambridge. I am replying in Dr Holt's absence.
The New Earnings Survey (NES) can only provide ward level earnings data based on where people work, rather than where they live. Additionally we can only provide data where we have a sufficiently large sample of employees, and have an acceptable level of accuracy.
I have provided the only available data in the table below. These are based on the 1999 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.
All full-time employees Average (£)
Cambridge --
Trumpington 407.8
Newnham 377.4
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the population in (a) Peterborough and (b) Cambridge are from ethnic minority groups. [109534]
The NES is based on a one per cent sample of employees in the PAYE system and is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold and in particular those who work part-time.
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Pullinger to Mrs. Helen Brinton, dated 14 February 2000:
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The Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on the percentage of the population in Peterborough and Cambridge who are from ethnic minority groups. I am replying in Dr Holt's absence.
| Percentages | |
|---|---|
| Peterborough district | 7.42 |
| Cambridge district | 5.89 |
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many job vacancies currently exist in (a) Peterborough and (b) Cambridge. [109536]
These figures were published in Table 5 of the report 1991 Census Key Statistics for Local Authorities laid before Parliament in 1994. This report is available from the House of Commons Library.
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from John Pullinger to Mrs. Helen Brinton, dated February 2000:
Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Peterborough and (b) Cambridge have been unemployed for longer than (i) six months, (ii) 12 months and (iii) 24 months. [109535]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
The Director of the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on how many job vacancies currently exist in Peterborough and Cambridge. I am replying in Dr. Holt's absence.
In December 1999 the number of unfilled vacancies held by Jobcentres, unadjusted for seasonal patterns, was 1,317 in the Peterborough Jobcentre area and 920 in the Cambridge Jobcentre area. Jobcentre vacancies do not represent the total number of vacancies available in the economy. Latest estimates suggest that about a third of all vacancies nationally are notified to Jobcentres.
| PCA | PCA | |
|---|---|---|
| Peterborough (47) | Cambridge (47) | |
| Over 6 months | 602 | 584 |
| Over 12 months | 317 | 330 |
| Over 24 months | 85 | 151 |
(46) Claimant count flows are available for computerised claims only and do not include claims which are processed clerically, which make up about 1 per cent. of the total Claimant count.
(47) Parliamentary Constituency
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