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27 Mar 2008 : Column 340W—continued
Broadcasting: Technology
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes from the Emerging Technologies Group’s meetings. [195785]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 20 March 2008]: I am arranging for copies of the minutes from the Emerging Technologies Group’s meetings to be placed in the House Libraries, with the commercially sensitive information removed.
Digital Broadcasting: Swansea
Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that advice about the Digital Switchover Help Scheme is given at an early stage of the conversion from analogue to digital television transmission in Swansea. [194690]
Andy Burnham: Digital UK is already actively raising awareness about digital switchover in Wales, through advertising and publicity, which lets people know there will be a help scheme for eligible people nearer the time of switchover.
Specific regional help scheme advertising and publicity is planned for the period of eligibility, from about eight months before switchover, and will include advertising, local press articles, public awareness events and targeted communications for local third sector organisations for eligible people.
Using DWP data and data provided by local authorities, the help scheme will write to every eligible person directly at least twice in the run-up to switchover, to invite them to take up the help offered through the scheme. Information about eligibility and what help is available through the scheme is also accessible on the Digital UK website and from its national helpline, and will shortly also be available from the switchover help scheme website and helpline which are being launched at the beginning of April.
Digital Broadcasting: Visually Impaired
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many blind and partially sighted people were helped as part of the digital changeover in Cumbria. [195719]
Andy Burnham: The BBC is responsible for operating the digital switchover help scheme. The help scheme is given access to data on people who are registered as blind and partially sighted from local authorities so as to be able to contact them directly. The help scheme also commissioned the West Cumbria Society of the Blind to contact its members to ensure their awareness of the help scheme.
Respondents who take up the help scheme are not required to inform the scheme as to the reason they are eligible or the nature of their disability, unless they wish to do so to aid it in delivering the service.
I am therefore not able to supply the number of blind and partially sighted people who took up the help scheme in Cumbria.
European Broadcasting Union
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department contributes (a) funding and (b) personnel to (i) the European Broadcasting Union and (ii) the Eurovision Song Contest; and if he will make a statement. [196095]
Andy Burnham: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes no funding or personnel to the European Broadcasting Union or the Eurovision Song Contest.
Listed Buildings: Essex
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department’s role in conserving the Grade II listed building known as the State Cinema in Grays, Essex is; and if he will make a statement. [196312]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 26 March 2008]: The role of my Department is to designate buildings of special architectural or historic interest by listing. Decisions about changes which affect their special interest are for the local planning authority, in consultation with English Heritage.
This building, which is listed at grade II*, is included in the Buildings at Risk register maintained by English Heritage. English Heritage monitors its condition and had, in recent years, met with its owners who were considering converting this former cinema into a new use. English Heritage has also been approached by the Cinema Theatre Association, which is interested in the possibility of reviving its use as a venue for performance.
Performing Arts
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department and its agencies give to competitive cheerleading. [196193]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Increasing inter and intra-school sporting opportunities is a key component of the National PE and Sport Strategy for Young People, which is delivered jointly by the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Since January 2008, the UK Cheerleading Association (UKCA) has been working in partnership with British Gymnastics to transfer their activities and become a new discipline of British Gymnastics.
The UKCA is working with a number of School Sports Partnerships across the UK to develop cheerleading and ‘street cheer’ within school sport and dance. Together with other National Governing Bodies, the UKCA is helping to deliver the Government’s PE and school sport strategy nationally, both by encouraging sustained participation and by providing leadership opportunities in schools and FE facilities.
Public Lending Right: Finance
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of the public lending right was in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what it is projected to be in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [196154]
Margaret Hodge: The public lending right (PLR) uses grant in aid funding from DCMS to make compensatory payments to authors for the financial impact of free book loans provided through the public library system.
Provision for the running costs of the organisation are included within this grant in aid settlement, and are allocated by the PLR before the remaining sum is distributed annually to authors.
Over the next three years, DCMS is committed to generating value for money (VFM) savings by delivering efficiencies in partnership with its sponsored bodies: the PLR has therefore agreed to deliver a 3 per cent. reduction in its administration costs in each of the years 2008-11 ensuring that the maximum possible percentage of the public funding received by the PLR is used to provide valuable financial support to authors.
Costs to the Exchequer, in the form of total grant in aid allocated per annum; PLR administration spending for the period 1998-2008; and administration spending limits agreed with the PLR for the next three years are set out in the following table :
| £ | |||
| Total grant allocation | Administration spending | PLR to authors | |
Tourism: Yorkshire and Humberside
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives his Department has to promote Yorkshire to international visitors. [196720]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 25 March 2008]: My Department has provided VisitBritain with funding of £49.9 million in 2007-08 to promote Britain as a whole as an attractive place to visit. Destinations and attractions in Yorkshire are included within VisitBritain’s themed campaigns and are also featured on VisitBritain’s websites, which contain detailed destination guides.
The Department’s funding agreement with VisitBritain requires them to achieve a specified proportion of additional expenditure by inbound visitors outside London. For 2005-06, the target was 55 per cent., and VisitBritain achieved 61 per cent. For 2006-07, the target was 54 per cent. and VisitBritain achieved 57 per cent.
VisitBritain: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the return on investment of spending by (a) VisitBritain and (b) VisitEngland in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07. [195038]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 18 March 2008]: VisitBritain's method of calculating the return on its marketing investments was considered and approved by the National Audit Office in 2004. Since then, VisitBritain has moved increasingly from print-based promotion of the tourist industry to electronic marketing. This meant that new ways of measuring the return on investment were necessary, as the old methodology had begun to produce unrealistic results by 2005-06. With the agreement of DCMS, VisitBritain brought in new methodology for the start of 2006-07.
VisitBritain's performance against its Funding Agreement targets was as follows:
| International marketing of Britain | |||
| Target | Achieved | Estimated tourist expenditure generated (£ billion) | |
| Domestic England marketing within Britain (advised by VisitEngland) | |||
| Target | Achieved | Expenditure generated (£ million) | |
| England marketing in established European markets (advised by VisitEngland) | |||
| Target | Achieved | Expenditure generated (£ million) | |
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by whom each soldier killed during the 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment/2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiments’ recent operational tour in Helmand Province was replaced in the order of battle. [175622]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.
Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Patrick Mercer:
I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 20W, about replacements for soldiers killed during the 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment/2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment’s recent operational tour in Helmand Province.
As you are aware, I set out the Army’s policy on battle casualty replacement in my answer to you on 7 January 2008, Official Report, column 50W.
Officials have spent some time examining your request and exploring potential ways of providing the information you seek, including discussions with the Unit. Unfortunately, however, this has proved impossible. Unlike in previous conflicts, our policy is not to identify individual replacements. Units are not, therefore, required to identify those individuals who replace colleagues who are injured or killed. Rapid replacement in theatre would in any event make this extremely difficult to track.
I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the incident involving International Security Assistance Force and Afghan police in Lashkar Gah on 20th March 2008, which is being investigated by Royal Military Police. [197113]
Des Browne [holding answer 26 March 2008]: I have received an initial report regarding this incident, which is currently subject to investigation. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the investigation is continuing.
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