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Organophosphates

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the dangers of organophosphate sheep dip to fish and insects in rivers; and if he will make a statement.[21095]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 20 March 1997]: No veterinary medicine is authorised for use unless it meets stringent statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. Safety includes risk to the environment. Applications for marketing authorisations must be supported by information to satisfy the statutory criteria, including details of relevant research. Product labels include warnings about the safe use and disposal of all sheep dips and guidance on disposal is available from the Agriculture Departments.

Fur Farms

Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the permitted means of disposal of mink carcases from fur farms. [21241]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 20 March 1997]: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

21 Mar 1997 : Column: 962

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Avenue of Statues (London)

Mr. Hargreaves: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement about her proposal for an avenue of statues in London. [21460]

Mr. Sproat: Sir Neil Cossons, the director of the science museum, has been invited to be chairman of a committee to look at the possibility of establishing a project to erect an avenue of statues of famous British inventors, scientists, discoverers, industrialists etc. This avenue would be sited in London, as the capital city of the United Kingdom, but the precise site within London would be a matter for the committee to decide. Among other matters for the committee to decide would be the identification of those to be included as statues, and the sources, and raising, of funding for the project. The committee would be totally independent of the Government, and its membership would be for Sir Neil to decide.

London is plentifully and properly adorned with statues of kings and queens, soldiers, sailors, statesmen and artists etc., but our great scientific and industrial heritage, which is certainly as important as other parts of our heritage, is less well commemorated. This project could help redress that balance.

Public Bodies

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list those of her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from.[21743]

Mr. Sproat: (a) Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites.

(b) None.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if she will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21722]

Mr. Sproat: The information requested is as follows:

(a) Statutory base
The Theatres Trust
(b) Publish their advice to Government
Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art ¹
(c) Publish an annual report
The Advisory Committee of the Government Art Collection ¹
Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art ¹
Royal Fine Art Commission ¹
Theatres Trust ¹
Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee ¹
(d) Lay an annual report before Parliament
The Advisory Committee of the Government Art Collection ¹
Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art ¹
Royal Fine Art Commission ¹
Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee ^1
1 This is not a statutory requirement.

21 Mar 1997 : Column: 963

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which of the executive non-departmental bodies sponsored by her Department have a statutory base; if she will list those bodies which (a) admit members of the public to all board and committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21443]

Mr. Sproat: The information is as follows:

Statutory base
British Library
British Museum
British Tourist Authority
Broadcasting Complaints Commission
Broadcasting Standards Council
English Heritage
English Tourist Board
Football Licensing Authority
Imperial War Museum
Millennium Commission
Museum of London
National Gallery
National Heritage Memorial Fund
National Lottery Charities Board
National Maritime Museum
National Museum and Galleries on Merseyside
National Portrait Gallery
National Museum of Science and Technology
Natural History Museum
Public Lending Right
Royal Armouries
Sir John Soane's Museum
Tate Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum
Wallace Collection
(a) Admit Members to all board and committee meetings
None
(b) Hold open meetings for the public
None holds formal open board meetings for the public, although many engage in regular dialogue with, or arrange informal events for, members of the public to discuss matters of policy.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of member's interest, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21697]

Mr. Sproat:

(a) None

(b) None

(c) None

(d) Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art ¹

21 Mar 1997 : Column: 964

(e) None

(f) None. ¹ It is not a statutory requirement to conduct consultation exercise with outside commercial interests.

Charity Collections

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what advice she has given concerning the owners of premises to which the public are admitted in relation to granting permission to charities to make collections on those premises; and if she will make a statement. [21367]

Mr. Sproat: None. However, the Charity Commission has for a number of years advised retailers about the risks of fraudulent collectors. The commission regularly advises retailers on the licensing requirements for charitable fundraising and how they can make checks to establish whether a charity or fundraiser is a registered charity or is otherwise known to the commission. Stores are encouraged to pass on to the commission information about organisations or individuals who have approached them for permission to collect on their premises and who did not, for whatever reason, appear to be bona fide. The Charity Commission continues to look for opportunities to help retailers to avoid giving permission to possibly fraudulent collectors.

National Coal Mining Museum

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will provide financial assistance to the national coal mining museum for England, based at Wakefield; and if she will make a statement. [21362]

Mr. Sproat: Since 1994, the Government, through the Museums and Galleries Commission, have been providing £300,000 of transitional funding to the museum to give it a breathing space in which to identify alternative sources of income. The heritage lottery fund has now offered in principle to contribute up to 75 per cent. of development costs of £1.3 million at the museum to be incurred over two years. This assistance is intended to preserve the museum's collections, site and public services in the medium term while exploring the opportunities for the museum's longer term viability through a business study. My Department will be making a contribution to £200,000, via the Museums and Galleries Commission, towards the partnership funding that is necessary to secure the heritage lottery fund's grant.

Advisory Groups (London)

Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the non-elected bodies responsible to his Department which are responsible for providing advice or services in London, indicating in each case the (i) overall budget and (ii) estimated running costs for each year from 1996-97 to 1999-2000. [21386]

Mr. Sproat: The table lists the non-elected bodies which provide advice or services in London. It is not, however, possible to identify the proportion of total budgets and running costs related to advice or services specifically for London. The budget and running costs are therefore the estimated and planned totals for each body.

London bodies budgets and estimated running costs for 1996-97 to 1999-2000 £ million

Body		1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000
		(estimate)	(plans)	(plans)	(plans)
Arts Council of England(35)(36)	Budget	186.1	186.1	184.6	183.5
	Running costs	11.7	11.0	11.3	11.4
British Library	Budget	119.6	124.5	121.8	121.3
	Running costs	97.9	108.1	104.2	101.9
British Museum	Budget	48.0	59.5	62.0	92.1
	Running costs	41.0	40.5	43.1	42.4
British Film Commission	Budget	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9
	Running costs	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9
British Film Institute(37)	Budget	31.6	16.0	15.6	15.3
	Running costs	14.7	15.5	15.8	16.1
Broadcasting Complaints Commission(38)	Budget	0.6	--	--	--
	Running costs	0.6	--	--	--
Broadcasting Standards Council(38)	Budget	1.4	--	--	--
	Running costs	1.4	--	--	--
Broadcasting Standards Commission(38)	Budget	n/a	2.0	2.0	2.0
	Running costs	n/a	2.0	2.0	2.0
Churches Conservation Trust	Budget	3.6	3.5	3.5	3.5
	Running costs	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.8
Community Development Foundation	Budget	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6
	Running costs	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1
Crafts Council	Budget	4.7	4.8	4.8	4.8
	Running costs	1.9	1.9	2.0	2.0
English Heritage	Budget	130.0	125.7	127.9	126.5
	Running costs	49.2	49.5	50.0	50.5
English Sports Council(40)(41)	Budget	18.2	42.8	39.2	38.8
	Running costs	13.1	12.0	12.4	12.9
English Tourist Board	Budget	13.5	12.8	12.7	12.6
	Running costs	2.8	2.7	2.8	2.8
Football Licensing Authority	Budget	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9
	Running costs	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9
Geffrye Museum	Budget	1.9	4.4	2.2	1.3
	Running costs	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.2
GB Sports Council(40)	Budget	33.3	--	--	--
	Running costs	--	--	--	--
Horniman Museum	Budget	3.6	3.2	3.4	3.0
	Running costs	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5
Imperial War(36) Museum	Budget	26.4	24.3	27.8	23.0
	Running costs	17.2	17.7	18.1	17.5
Library and Information Commission	Budget	0.43	0.43	0.43	0.43
	Running costs	0.43	0.43	0.43	0.43
Museum of London	Budget	15.7	14.3	14.6	14.6
	Running costs	14.1	12.7	12.9	12.9
Museums and Galleries Commission(39)	Budget	9.3	9.3	9.0	8.9
	Running costs	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7
National Gallery	Budget	34.0	33.0	27.0	26.0
	Running costs	18.7	18.8	19.0	19.0
National Heritage Memorial Fund(41)	Budget	8.1	5.1	5.1	5.1
	Running costs	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6
National Maritime Museum	Budget	13.9	20.9	20.8	17.8
	Running costs	11.1	12.1	11.5	12.4
National Museum of Science and	Budget	31.3	45.0	54.6	43.4
Industry(36)	Running Costs	23.4	24.8	25.6	26.5
National Portrait Gallery	Budget	7.7	7.2	6.9	7.2
	Running costs	5.6	6.0	6.0	6.3
Natural History Museum(36)	Budget	46.3	41.5	39.8	49.5
	Running costs	33.1	34.5	33.9	34.3
Public Lending Right	Budget	5.0	4.9	4.9	4.9
	Running costs	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.6
Royal Armouries	Budget	10.6	6.0	4.5	4.5
	Running costs	3.9	3.6	3.7	3.7
Royal Commission on Historical	Budget	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1
Manuscripts	Running costs	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1
Royal Commission on Historical	Budget	11.4	11.4	11.3	11.0
Monuments (England)	Running costs	10.4	10.4	10.3	10.1
Royal Fine Art Commission	Budget	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8
	Running costs	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8
Sir John Soane's Museum	Budget	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7
	Running costs	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7
Tate Gallery(36)	Budget	40.6	59.7	53.7	42.7
	Running costs	19.9	20.5	21.2	22.0
UK Sports Council(40)	Budget	3.9	12.7	11.9	11.7
	Running costs	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.4
Victoria and Albert Museum	Budget	38.0	34.8	35.5	35.6
	Running costs	32.1	30.3	30.9	31.1
Wallace Collection	Budget	2.5	2.4	2.4	2.4
	Running costs	2.4	2.2	2.3	2.3

Figures for 1996-97 are estimated outturn. Figures for 1997-98 onwards are planning figures.

(35) Budget figures include grant in aid income only.

(36) These museums have branches outside London but the majority of their expenditure is on branches in London.

(37) The budget figure for the BFI for years 1997-98 to 1999-00 includes grant in aid only.

(38) From 1.4.97 the Broadcasting Standards Council and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission will merge to form the Broadcasting Standards Commission.

(39) The MGC is based in London but provides services and advice throughout the UK.

(40) The GB Sports Council was replaced by the UK Sports Council and the English Sports Council on 1 January 1997. The running cost figures for the GB Sports Council for 1996-97 are split between the two new councils.

(41) Proceeds from the National Lottery have been excluded as it is not possible to estimate the amount that the distributors will receive from the National Lottery Distribution Fund. As the Millennium Commission and the National Lottery Charities Board receive funds only from the Lottery they have been excluded.

21 Mar 1997 : Column: 967

21 Mar 1997 : Column: 967

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