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National Museums Week
9. Mr. Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he is taking to promote access to museums during national museums week. [368]
Mr. Fisher: I welcome the contribution that museums week makes to encouraging people to visit museums. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to all hon. Members encouraging them to visit museums in their constituencies during museums week this week and our Department has contributed towards the cost of the event.
Mr. Cranston: Will the Minister outline his policies on the educational role of local museums, given that many
have adopted an innovative policy in that regard? Some local museums, such as the Dudley museum and the Black Country museum in my constituency, have also performed a valuable function in terms of cultural policy and even economic regeneration.
Mr. Fisher: I welcome my hon. Friend and congratulate him on his excellent election result. I agree with him that museums have a key role to play in education, which is why we place particular emphasis on their work with schools. Museums are our history in tangible form. As my hon. Friend points out, excellent museums such as the Black Country museum allow his constituents to understand our industrial past, which is a vital part of understanding where we come from as a people and respecting our history. That is why we believe that museums week is an extremely important innovation. We pay tribute to that, and especially to the leadership of Mr. Loyd Grossman, the chairman of the museums week campaign.
Mr. Fearn: Has the issue of access for the disabled been examined thoroughly during national museums week? Many of our museums are still not accessible to the disabled. Also, the Minister mentioned the education system, but the youth service seems to be the Cinderella of the museums service. Could young people be invited to visit museums during national museums week?
Mr. Fisher: I welcome the hon. Gentleman back; when he was a Member of Parliament before, he played an important part in arts and cultural debates. I was interested in his reference to Cinderella, because he is a well-known pantomime Dame--so his contribution to our debates will be even more enjoyable.
I agree that not only many museums but theatres, libraries and other key cultural elements in our communities remain inaccessible to people. We will not tolerate that situation, and the hon. Gentleman may be reassured in that regard by the fact that our departmental team comprises my hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Chryston (Mr. Clarke), who has laboured hard in the House promoting the interests of the disabled. I think that all hon. Members would agree that we must make our cultural life much more accessible to every person, regardless of ability or disability.
United Kingdom Football Team
10. Mr. Rhodri Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations he has had with Mark Hughes concerning proposals for a single United Kingdom-wide representative Association Football team.[370]
Mr. Banks: I had a couple of conversations with Mark Hughes over the weekend, but, in view of the circumstances, I cannot remember what we talked about. My reference to a United Kingdom football team was well described as "pub talk". Madam Speaker, I think that you and the House will understand that there have been some glitches in my transition from saloon bar sage to world statesman, but I shall try. I remind my hon. Friend that, although many people said, "What a load of rubbish," every single journalist then suggested a United Kingdom team. It was just an idea to kick around--or even out.
Mr. Morgan: May I bracket my congratulations to the Minister for Sport with congratulations to Chelsea and to
Mark Hughes on their magnificent cup final victory on Saturday? What on earth was the Minister doing upsetting Chelsea's star Welsh centre forward just three days before the cup final?
I know that the Prime Minister said in the Queen's Speech debate that we would be a one nation Government, but I thought that the Minister's suggestion an hour or two later that the United Kingdom should have a one nation soccer team was carrying total sycophancy rather too far. Will the Minister accept also that in the sport of cricket, where we play as one country, the decline has been even greater than in soccer? I suggest that his idea was not just half-baked; it was not even quarter-sauteed.
Mr. Banks:
That was a question in two halves, Madam Speaker. [Interruption.] Indeed, it is right to point that out. Mark Hughes played an extravagantly useful part in Chelsea's cup success. All I can say is that Labour delivers on its promises: I became Sports Minister and Chelsea won the cup in the same week.
I think that my hon. Friend should lighten up a little on this point. There is no great problem in discussing such matters in an open and general fashion--although perhaps I shall have to think more carefully in future about making constructive suggestions that people may take very seriously.
I conclude by extending congratulations on behalf of the whole Department to Barry Town on becoming the successful Welsh team to compete in next year's European champions league. Let us hope that they win it.
Mr. Robathan:
Saloon bar sage or world statesman, I add my congratulations to those extended to the hon. Gentleman on his new appointment. I am sure that he would agree that, whether it be a United Kingdom team or individual nation teams, we all want them to be successful. Sporting success depends on how sport is taught to the young. Therefore, will the Minister give his whole-hearted support to encouraging competitive sport in schools?
Mr. Banks:
One of the first things we must do is stop the sale of school playing fields which the Conservative Government not only encouraged, but required, of education authorities. We have now stopped those sales, and we shall examine the matter carefully. The hon. Gentleman is right: unless we encourage sport in our schools, we cannot look forward to the success of our athletes and sports men and women later in life. I assure the hon. Gentleman that encouraging sport in schools will be a priority of this Department.
11. Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what new areas of community activity he plans to allow to qualify for lottery grant aid.[371]
The Minister for Film and Tourism (Mr. Tom Clarke):
Our people's money proposals will allow lottery funds to make a greater impact than ever before on communities throughout the country. The first priorities will be establishing after-school clubs to provide homework centres and extra-curricular opportunities in
Mrs. Jackson:
I welcome the swift action of my hon. Friends on the Government Front Bench in announcing the improvement and widening of the lottery guidelines. Will my hon. Friend take on board the suggestions in my constituency? High Green school was adapted for disability, but, tragically, closed under the cuts of the former Administration. However, it is hoped that it will be restored and that its facilities will not only be made available for disabled teaching but opened up to sports development and activities, with the full backing of the community. Will my hon. Friend confirm that centres offering such community and educational use will be eligible for lottery funds in the future?
Mr. Clarke:
My hon. Friend has, as always, made a very valid point. She put her finger on precisely the activity that we support in funding.
On my hon. Friend's specific point, she will, of course, know that people who wish to apply for lottery funding should apply to the National Lottery Charities Board, which will consider it in the light of its published criteria. I am delighted that my hon. Friend has taken on board the objectives of the people's lottery. I am pretty sure that people, not only in Sheffield but throughout Britain, will recognise and endorse her priorities.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
Community and voluntary groups rightly value the opportunities provided by the lottery, but is the Minister also aware that such groups greatly benefited from the active sponsorship of the Department of National Heritage? What possible justification is there for returning community and voluntary organisations to the Home Office? What consultation took place? What are the next responsibilities that the hon. Gentleman expects to lose? Do we expect that, each time the Department loses further responsibilities, extra Ministers will be appointed?
Perhaps the Minister will be aware that assisting on public bodies is the community activity in which many serve. Now that the chairman of the UK Sports Council has left, thanks to the injudicious remarks of the Minister for Sport, will the Minister deny today's reports that the chairman of the BBC, appointed under Nolan procedures, has been told that speaking against Government policy is to be considered as grounds for dismissal?
Mr. Clarke:
I had not thought that the Tory leadership contest would intrude on questions to the Department of National Heritage. The former Minister at the Home Office deserves greater support from the right hon. Lady than she seems to have had this afternoon.
With regard to the responsibilities of individual Departments, I want to pay the same tribute that voluntary organisations throughout the country paid to my hon. Friend--[Interruption.] Is this a party that believes in law and order--what is left of it?
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