| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Concessionary Television Licence Scheme
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the concessionary television licence schemes currently operating in the United Kingdom. [29991]
Mr. Sproat: In addition to the accommodation for residential care concessionary television licence scheme, a reduction in the licence fee is available for registered blind people.
Football Pools Industry
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will assist the football pools industry from the receipts of the national lottery, with special reference to measures to assist those recently made redundant in the industry; if she will consult representatives of the pools industry regarding this matter; and if she will make a statement. [30475]
Mr. Sproat: It was recognised during the passage of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 that the pools companies would face a considerable challenge when the lottery was up and running. The Government have, therefore, made important changes to their regulatory and tax regime to help the pools firms compete effectively. These are:
lowering the minimum age for play from 18 to 16;
allowing pools companies to advertise on television and radio;
allowing pools companies to roll over jackpots not won;
allowing them to sell coupons in retail outlets; and, most important, reducing the rate of pools betting duty by 10 per cent.
22 May 1996 : Column: 299
All areas and sections of society are benefiting from the funds raised by the lottery for the five good causes. There are no current plans to change the beneficiaries or the method of distributing national lottery funds to allow the pools industry to benefit directly.
Advertising Standards Authority
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what monitoring she routinely undertakes of the Advertising Standards Authority. [30197]
Mr. Sproat: None. Matters relating to advertising controls in the non-broadcast media are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.
Arts, Sport and Heritage Funding
Mr. Jessel: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on the funding provisions for the arts, sport and heritage. [28770]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: The areas for which I am responsible benefit from a wide range of funding. The partnership between public money in the form of central and local Government support and the lottery, and private money through sponsorship, provides well over £3 billion for arts, sport and our heritage. This partnership supports all our sectors on a scale never enjoyed before.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her departmental funding of the arts for 1996-97; what estimate she has of the funding of the arts by other European Union states; and if she will make a statement. [22720]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 26 March 1996]: My Department's funding for the arts in England amounts to £194.25 million in 1996-97, of which £186.1 million is channelled through the Arts Council of England. The parallel figures for the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices are £24.47 million, £15.49 million and £7.67 million, of which £24.47 million, £15.49 million and £7.15 million respectively are channelled through the relevant Arts Councils. Local authorities spend an amount on the arts similar to that provided by central Government through the four Arts Councils which in 1996-97 totals more than £233 million. On top of this, lottery awards of more than £400 million have been made so far, all of which are helping to improve the quality and increase the availability of the arts for everyone in the UK. It is anticipated that the arts' share of lottery awards will be in excess of £300 million this year. This adds up to public funding in the UK for the arts in excess of £775 million in 1996-97. No comparative figures exist for funding provision for the arts by other European Union member states.
Council of Europe Meetings
Mr. Terry Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many meetings of, or organised by, the Council of Europe since January 1995 have been attended by Ministers or officials of her Department; and if she will make a statement. [29362]
22 May 1996 : Column: 300
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 17 May 1996]: No separate record of attendance at meetings of, or organised by, the Council of Europe is kept by the Department of National Heritage.
Small Businesses
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by her Department in each of the last five years. [29439]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: In the past, neither my Department nor its agencies have kept a specific record of a supplier's size. This historical information could therefore be obtained only by incurring disproportionate cost.
However, my Department and its two agencies are now recording the size of suppliers invited to tender and this information will be available in future.
Sports Broadcasting
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she intends to publish the results of her consultation document on sport on television. [28784]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: "Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate" was not a formal consultation document, but a discussion paper published to assist the public and parliamentary debate. The Government's conclusions are reflected in the clauses on listed events which now form part of the Broadcasting Bill.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to her answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 370, what consultations she has had with the home rugby unions concerning the possibility of adding the Five Home Nations international championship to the schedule of listed events under the Broadcasting Act 1990. [30407]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 21 May 1996]: I have had several informal discussions.
Goods and Services
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much her Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995-96. [29454]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: While the information requested is not available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, my Department paid a total of £10.1 million for goods and services in 1995-96.
Performance Bonds
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is her Department's policy on the use of performance bonds; in what circumstances they are used; what was the total sum paid by bond in each of the last five years; and if her Department requires bonds from businesses with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50 and (c) 20 employees. [29423]
22 May 1996 : Column: 301
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: My Department and its agencies have made some use of bonds for building contracts in accordance with the advice on the use of performance bonds set out in the central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 48, "Bonds and guarantees", copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses. The guidance makes it clear that bonds are not always necessary and are no substitute for considered judgments about the risks of a particular contract and the capabilities and financial resources of the available contractor. These factors will vary for each contract independent of the size of the contractor. My Department has made claim against only two bonds, one in 1994-95 by the British library project for approximately £100,000 and another in 1995-96 by the Royal Parks agency for approximately £4,000.
Credit Unions
Mr. McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will introduce measures to ensure that the National Lottery Charities Board in Scotland is able to provide funding for credit unions. [29828]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: We have no plans at present to introduce changes to the legislation governing the National Lottery Charities Board. But, as with all legislation, we will keep the operation of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 under review, and bring forward proposals for change where we consider it right to do so.
Euro 96
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what mechanism was used to divide moneys made available to local authorities for Euro 96; and in allocating funds what consideration was given to the fact that the ground of Manchester United is located in the borough of Trafford. [29967]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 21 May 1996]: The Association of Metropolitan Authorities requested the funding and the Secretary of State agreed to provide it.
22 May 1996 : Column: 302
The AMA identified in each case the local authority that would receive funding. In the case of Manchester, it has informed us that, although Old Trafford football stadium is in the borough of Trafford, the cultural events themselves will take place in areas under the jurisdiction of Manchester city council. Trafford council has a representative on the steering group which is overseeing that cultural programme.
Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what moneys have been made available to local authorities in respect of Euro 96; and for what purposes these sums have been granted. [29966]
Mr. Sproat [holding answer 21 May 1996]: The Department of National Heritage agreed in June 1995 to a request by the Association of Metropolitan Authorities for a contribution of £400,000 towards a core funding package of £800,000 for cultural events organised by the eight cities where Euro 96 matches are taking place. The Department has committed £100,000 in direct grant aid and a further £150,000 was earmarked within both the sportsmatch and Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts schemes. The AMA assured us this would enable funds of about £2.5 million to be generated from other sources.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |