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Darts

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action he intends taking to make darts a sport recognised by his Department. [1554]

Mr. Banks: I would like to see greater recognition of the enjoyment and recreation the game of darts brings to its millions of followers. Grants to individual sports come mainly from the English and United Kingdom Sports Councils, and they decide which activities and organisations should be eligible. The Sports Councils keep priorities under review.

I urge them to recognise the hugely popular sport of darts and I hope to discuss this matter with them.

Sporting Facilities

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans the Government have for improving the range and accessibility of sporting facilities throughout the country for young people. [3159]

Mr. Banks: The Government will take the lead in extending opportunities for participation in sport through a national strategy for sport which will embrace all sections of the community regardless of where they live, social background, age or ability. This strategy will embrace facility provision and the accessibility of sports facilities.

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has to increase inner-city school children's access to sporting facilities; and if he will make a statement. [2708]

Mr. Banks: The Government will take the lead in extending opportunities for participation in sport through a national strategy for sport which will embrace all sections of the community regardless of where they live, social background, age or ability. We will aim to build on the range of existing initiatives aimed at providing access to sporting facilities for inner city school children, including the Lottery Sports Fund which provides support to deprived areas through the Priority Areas Initiative and the School Community Sports Initiative.

Tourism

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to encourage year-round tourism in national parks. [4016]

Mr. Tom Clarke: My Department encourages efforts to promote year-round tourism so as to maximise the economic benefits to, and spread the pressure of visitor numbers on environmentally sensitive areas. The National Park Authorities have a statutory duty to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of their areas by the public. They are

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encouraged to develop policies for visitor management, in co-operation with local authorities, Tourist Boards and others with tourism or recreational responsibilities in their areas. In doing so they take into account the need to conserve the special qualities of the Parks and the principles for sustainable tourism.

National Lottery

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many Lottery grants have been awarded to organisations and groups in Cleethorpes constituency; and what are the values of those grants. [3165]

Mr. Banks: As at 10 June 8 grants totalling £654,635 had been made to organisations and groups in Cleethorpes. The details are as follows:

Distributing Body	Award date	Recipient	Award amount
			£
Arts Council of England	15 November 1995	Cleethorpes Borough Council	286,199
National Lottery Charities Board	17 December 1996	Cleethorpes Help the Aged	92,535
National Lottery Charities Board	11 August 1996	Senior Citizens Club	47,976
National Lottery Charities Board	19 December 1995	Grimsby and Cleethorpes Pathfinder Project	44,043
National Lottery Charities Board	11 August 1996	Grimsby and Cleethorpes Home-Start	7,175
National Lottery Charities Board	11 August 1996	4th Cleethorpes (St. Peters) Scout Group	725
Sports Council	02 August 1995	Cleethorpes Borough Council	169,920
Sports Council	05 February 1997	Humber Mouth Yacht Club (Sailing School)	6,062
Total			654,635

Sports Council

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the members of the United Kingdom Sports Council, the countries and sports they represent, their period of tenure of office and any moneys paid to them as members. [2754]

Mr. Banks [holding answer 9 June 1997]: The UKSC's Royal Charter provides for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for National Heritage, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to nominate one member each from their respective Home Country Sports Councils as a member of the UKSC. Other members of the UKSC are appointed in a personal capacity, solely on the basis of merit and their suitability for the post, and not to represent particular countries or sports. While the Royal Charter provides for the remuneration of the Chairman and members of the Council, if the Secretary of State so directs, no members of the UKSC currently receive remuneration for their services.

The current members of the United Kingdom Sports Council are:

Sir Rodney Walker--appointed as a member on 19 September 1996 for 3 years and Acting Chairman since 14 May 1997.

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(Chairman of the English Sports Council, Chairman of the Rugby Football League).

Mr. Don Allen--appointed 19 September 1996 for 3 years.

(Chairman of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, former Irish League footballer).

Mr. Graeme Simmers, OBE, CA--appointed 19 September 1996 for 3 years.

(Chairman of the Scottish Sports Council, former Chairman of the Championships Committee of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews).

Mr. Ossie Wheatley, CBE--appointed 19 September 1996 for 3 years.

(Chairman of the Sports Council for Wales, former

Chairman of Glamorgan County Cricket Club).

Mr. Craig Reedie--appointed 19 September 1996 for 3 years.

(Chairman of the British Olympic Association, former Chairman and President of the International Badminton Federation).

Professor Sarah Springman--appointed 19 September 1996 for 3 years.

(Vice-President of the International Triathlon Union).

Dr. Mary Nevill--appointed 1 October 1996 for 3 years.

(former British hockey player, Olympic medallist and international coach).

Mr. Adrian Moorhouse, MBE--appointed 06 February 1997 for 3 years.

(former British swimmer and Olympic medallist).

Ms Judy Simpson--appointed 06 February 1997 for 3 years.

(former British heptathlete, Commonwealth medallist, and President of the Women's Sports Foundation).

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

National Marriage Week

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Lord Chancellor's Department has to support National Marriage Week 1998. [3161]

Mr. Hoon: The Lord Chancellor's Department has made a grant of £75,000 to Marriage Resource to organise National Marriage Week 1998. This is one of 13 projects in a pilot programme running for the financial year 1997-98, at a total cost to the Department of £521,032.

Files (Royal Household)

Mr. Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received on the arrangements for the release as public documents of files relating to the royal household, which are between 30 and 100 years old; and if he will make a statement. [3418]

Mr. Hoon: I have not received any representations on this subject.

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Official Documents

Mr. Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the date and title of the oldest document in the possession of the Government which has not been released in whole or in part as a public document. [3416]

Mr. Hoon: Three items containing information from 1873 are the oldest public records still closed to public inspection. They are Office of Land Revenue Records and Enrolments: Enrolments by Books: Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings and Successors: Purchases, 1873-1910; Office of Land Revenue Records and Enrolments: Enrolments by Books, Board of Trade and Successors, 1873-1928; and Office of Land Revenue Records and Enrolments: Enrolments by Deposit, Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues and Successors: Schedule of Rents and Arrears Discharged, 1873-1902. These records are closed for 100 years on grounds of continuing commercial sensitivity, the closure period being calculated from the last date of each item.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate how many files containing documentation wholly or mainly dating from before 1900 have not been released as public documents (a) in part and (b) as a whole. [3415]

Mr. Hoon: Twenty-seven volumes of boxes of Enrolled Deposited Leases, and associated documents, of the Office of Land Revenue Records and Enrolments, which date partly or wholly from before 1900, are closed in the Public Record Office for 100 years, on grounds of continuing commercial sensitivity.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the titles of the files containing documentation wholly or mainly dating from before 1900 where part or all of the contents have not been released as public documents. [3414]

Mr. Hoon: There are records in five classes of Enrolled and Deposited Leases, and associated documents, of the Office of Land Revenue records of enrolments, which fall into this category. The classes are Enrolments by Books, Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings and Successors (LRRO 13); Enrolments by Books, Office of Works and Successors (LRRO 14); Enrolments by Books, Board of Trade and Successors (LRRO 15); Enrolments by Deposit: Office of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues and Successors (LRRO 16); and Enrolments by Deposit, Board of Trade (LRRO 17). The items in these classes are described simply by the range of years that they cover, apart from the Schedule of Rents and Arrears discharged, referred to in my earlier Answer.

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