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Television Broadcasting
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimate she has made of the cost of the engineering changes to UK transmitters of allowing the removal of power restrictions at the Clermont Carn transmitter in the Republic of Ireland in order to improve RTE coverage in Northern Ireland; and who will pay the costs of such changes. [15821]
Mr. Sproat: The Irish Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht has given an assurance that RTE has undertaken to bear the engineering costs of UK broadcasters directly attributable to the proposed alterations to the Clermont Carn transmitter. The BBC and Independent Television Commission, which are responsible for television transmission arrangements in the UK, have estimated that the engineering costs of changes to UK transmitters attributable to an increase in the power of transmission from the Clermont Carn transmitter could be in the region of £650,000.
"Success Through Partnership: A Strategy for Tourism"
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much it cost to (a) print and (b) reprint the document, "Success Through Partnership: A Strategy for Tourism". [16193]
Mr. Sproat: The cost of printing "Success through Partnership: A Strategy for Tourism" was £23,040. As originally planned, 1,000 copies were printed and delivered in advance for the launch of the document. A further 28,000 copies were delivered later for subsequent distribution to various organisations.
Public Libraries Review
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she will publish the public libraries review; and if she will make a statement. [17105]
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 587
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
The Government have today published "Reading the Future", the Government's review of public libraries in England.
Public libraries are a great national asset. The Government are committed to ensuring that the public library system is equipped to face the challenges of the future, of which the single most important one will arise from the impact of information technology. Libraries are likely to be a key element in providing access to electronically stored information. Technology is changing so fast that plans for introducing new systems of technology need to be flexible enough to take account of both the changes and their cost and the need for libraries to play the fullest appropriate role in this revolution. The Government have therefore asked a working group set up by the Library and Information Commission to report by the end of July on how public libraries in England should respond effectively to this challenge.
The other main issues addressed by the review are:
Mr. Robert Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she intends to announce the filling of vacancies on the UK Sports Council [17102]
Mr. Sproat:
Further to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 4 February 1996, Official Report, columns 583-86, I am pleased to announce that my right hon. Friend the
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 588
Secretary of State has appointed Mr. Adrian Moorhouse MBE and Mrs. Judy Simpson as members of the United Kingdom sports council. Mr. Moorhouse had a hugely successful swimming career, including an olympic gold medal in the 100 m breaststroke at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. He is now managing director of Lane 4 Management Group. Mrs. Simpson is a former Commonwealth champion in the heptathlon, and is now president of the Women's Sports Foundation. Both appointees are also members of the English Sports Council's national lottery sports panel. I am confident that the skills and experience which Mr. Moorhouse and Mrs. Simpson bring with them will make them a great asset to the new United Kingdom Sports Council.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the total annual cost of producing, printing and distributing "Overview-The Magazine for the Modern Civil Service"; and if he will make a statement. [16294]
Mr. Freeman:
"Overview--The Magazine for the Modern Civil Service" is published by Public Sector Information, a privately owned company.
Mr. Barry Field:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the minimum age requirements enforced by his Department. [15924]
Mr. Bates:
The Office of Public Service does not enforce any statutory minimum age requirements.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Friday 31 January. [16335]
The Deputy Prime Minister:
I had a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for what reasons Her Majesty's Government recommended to Parliament that presidents of special educational needs tribunals or members of a panel of persons appointed to act as chairs or members of such tribunals should be ineligible to become hon. Members. [16621]
Mr. Freeman:
The president, chairmen and members of the special educational needs tribunal will be statutorily disqualified from membership of the House of Commons on the ground that these offices require demonstrable political impartiality. This will formalise the current position whereby members of the tribunal are disqualified from holding political office under the terms and conditions governing their appointment.
19 Feb 1997 : Column: 589
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of Sir Peter Levene's letter to all Departments of 27 July 1995 regarding the appointment of consultants. [15842]
Mr. Freeman:
The text of Sir Peter Levene's letter of that date, which is concerned primarily with the establishment of ministerial approval limits in the hire of external consultants, has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how and when the Government and the Post Office obtained Bletchley Park; [15674]
Mr. Freeman:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of its framework document to the Property Advisers to the civil Estate under its chief executive, Mr. Neil Borrett. The agency is therefore responding to these questions.
that the core book lending and reference services will remain free of charge;
public libraries should match opening hours to the needs of their users;
after 2001, the money that currently goes on millennium projects will go to a new Information and Communication Technology Fund, from which libraries should greatly benefit;
a £3 million contribution over three years from the Wolfson Foundation to the £6 million challenge fund to improve facilities in English public libraries announced in my Department's budget statement;
that libraries need to take further advantage of the opportunities offered by private sector partnerships, and a more commercially aware management style, including franchising, voluntary contracting-out of operations, and sponsorship;
libraries will benefit from the new £300 million information and communication technology fund post-2000;
to raise standards in public libraries, all English library authorities will be required to produce annually a Public Library Plan which will set out how libraries have performed compared with what they achieved the previous year, the standards they set themselves for the latest year, and the standards achieved by other libraries;
libraries are the focal point at the heart of many communities and service providers should build on that, for example by being more responsive to what local users want; using local volunteers; offering homework facilities for children; and encouraging appreciation of literature among users through activities such as live readings by authors.
I have today placed copies of the review in the Libraries of both Houses and am arranging for copies to be sent to a wide range of interested parties. Further copies are available on request from my Department.
(2) how much was paid, and to whom, from Bletchley Park. [15838]
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