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Business Links (East Lancashire)

Mr. Pike: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects there to be a business link one stop shop in East Lancashire; and if he will make a statement. [15157]

Mr. Page: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 22 January 1996, Official Report, column 4.

Information Society

Sir Trevor Skeet: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the Government's plans for an information society initiative. [15282]

Mr. Ian Taylor: The information society initiative--ISI--was launched by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade today. The initiative is a partnership between industry and Government to help improve the competitiveness of British business in the emerging information-based economy. It represents a coherent and extensive response to the challenge of information and

13 Feb 1996 : Column: 544

communication technologies which will have a major impact on the way we do business and the way we lead our lives.

The main aim of the ISI is to encourage British companies, particularly small and medium-sized companies, to take full advantage of information and communication technologies. It will help to explain how technology can solve problems for industry and help to win new business. Electronic networks, for example, can give smaller companies access to resources and markets previously only in the domain of large corporations.

UK industries are well placed to take advantage of the information society. We have significant strengths in communications and multimedia which put us ahead of most other European countries, but considerably more needs to be done to apply our skills, to build on our strengths and to sustain competitiveness in a tough global market-place. The ISI, in which the DTI is to invest up to £35 million over the next four years, will play a key role in achieving these objectives.

The ISI provides a comprehensive package of programmes and activities to help UK business into the information society--guidance, road shows, clubs, awards, local support centres, projects grants and technology programmes. It is based on close partnership between Government and industry, with many companies launching complementary programmes.

The campaigns will be integrated with existing DTI services, such as business links. Our specific objective will be to raise awareness and understanding of: multimedia, communications, creativity, technology transfer and technology development. Methods highlighted will include use of the Internet, E-mail, electronic data interchange--EDI--video-conferencing, simultaneous remote access to a computer, CD-ROMS for information storage and marketing, electronic commerce, home shopping and telebanking.

Further details are available at the ISI website, http://www.isis.gov.uk.

Coal Mining Subsidence

Mr. Robert Banks: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive the Coal Authority's first report on the administration of the coal mining subsidence damage repair and compensation scheme. [15286]

Mr. Page: I have now received this report from the Coal Authority and have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses today.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

National Lottery

Miss Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what account was taken of the costs relating to (a) their mainframe computer, (b) each separate on-line terminal, (c) the annual service fee for the mainframe computer and (d) the annual service charge for each on-line terminal in determining whether to allocate the contract to run the national lottery to Camelot; and what were the figures involved. [14255]

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Mr. Sproat: This is an operational matter for Camelot Group plc. The Director General of the National Lottery has licensed Camelot to run the national lottery and he regulates their operations. I have therefore asked the director general to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.

Library Services

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to extend compulsory competitive tendering into library services. [14514]

Mr. Sproat: I am currently considering a number of options for improving efficiency in public libraries, including the option of compulsory competitive tendering. My right hon. Friend will be making a more detailed statement in due course.

Broadcast Sports Rights

Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will include the fourth report of the National Heritage Select Committee of Session 1993-94, HC 289, "Sports Sponsorship and Television Coverage", as part of the evidence to her consultation document "Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate." [14318]

Mr. Sproat: The Government are aware of the views expressed in the National Heritage Select Committee report and will take account of these and other views before making our position clear.

Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage to which organisations had she sent copies of her document "Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate". [14313]

Mr. Sproat: In addition to copies deposited to both House Libraries, copies of the discussion paper have been sent directly to the following organisations:

BBC
ITVA
Channel 4
S4C
Channel 5 Broadcasting
BskyB
Cable Communications Association
Sports Councils for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Central Council for Physical Recreation
British Sports Forum
Institute of Sports Sponsorship
Test and County Cricket Board
Football Association
The Premier League
Scottish Football Association
English Rugby Football Union
Welsh Rugby Football Union
Professional Golf Association
Rugby League
Lawn Tennis Association
British Olympic Association
British Athletics Federation
British Paralympic Association
Independent Television Commission

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Radio Authority
Office of Fair Trading
Patent Office
Consumers' Association
National Consumers' Council
Voice of the Listener and Viewer.

The paper has also been widely publicised in the media and copies have been sent to any organisation requesting them. A record of these organisations has not been kept.

Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what is the closing date for the submission of evidence on her consultation document "Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate"; [14311]

(2) when she plans to announce her conclusions on her consultation document "Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate". [14312]

Mr. Sproat: The paper is not a formal consultation document, but a discussion paper published to assist the public and parliamentary debate. There is, therefore, no formal end date to a consultation process. However, the Government will make their position clear on Report in the other place.

Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what measures she will take to assess the opinions of viewers and listeners on her document "Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate". [14314]

Mr. Sproat: Representatives from the National Consumers Council, the Consumers Association and the Voice of the Listener and Viewer will meet my officials, to discuss both the document and the general issue of broadcast sports rights. My Department has also received a large number of representations from members of the public on this issue.

Concessionary Television Licences

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. McMaster) of 18 January, Official Report, column 726, what are the qualifying criteria that sheltered accommodation must meet to be eligible for a concessionary television licence. [14592]

Mr. Sproat: In order for residents to qualify for concessionary television licences, sheltered accommodation must be provided or run by a local authority or housing association and must consist of a group of at least four dwellings:

(a) which are provided for occupation by disabled persons, mentally disordered persons or retired persons of pensionable age;


(b) which have been erected or converted for the purposes of such occupation;


(c) for which there is a person whose function is to care for the needs of the persons referred to in paragraph (a) above and who either lives in one of the dwellings within the group or works in that group for at least 30 hours per week; and


(d) which fall within a common and exclusive boundary.

Windsor Castle

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 17 January, Official Report, column 625, in which council tax band is

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the accommodation occupied by the military knights of Windsor. [14538]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 9 February 1996]: The governor's residence is in band G, and the remaining residences are all in band E.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 30 January, Official Report, column 693, what accommodation is occupied by each of the 13 military knights at Windsor. [14415]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 9 February 1996]: The accommodation occupied by the military knights is as follows:

One has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, sitting room and study.
Eleven have three bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, dining room, sitting room and study.
One has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen with dining area, a sitting room and study.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 17 January, Official Report, column 625, if the £1,287 paid in water charges by the 13 military knights of Windsor is a collective charge. [14416]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 9 February 1996]: The water charge of £1,287 is a collective figure; each military knight pays approximately £99.

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