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NATIONAL HERITAGE

National Lottery Grants

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many national lottery grants have been awarded to organisations and groups in Blackpool, South; and what are the values of those grants. [6577]

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Mr. Banks: To date 13 grants totalling £1,681,676 have been made to organisations and groups in Blackpool, South. The details are as follows:

Distributing body	Award date	Recipient	Award amount (£)
Arts Council of England	21 February 1996	North Fylde Music Cycle	41,108
Arts Council of England	19 March 1997	Blackpool Town Centre Forum Ltd.	5,000
Heritage Lottery Fund	18 September 1996	Furness Railway Trust	97,500
National Lottery Charities Board	17 December 1996	The Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind	175,515
National Lottery Charities Board	23 October 1995	Blackpool Wyre Fylde Community Voluntary Services	110,000
National Lottery Charities Board	17 December 1996	Disability Information Services, Blackpool, Wyre and Flyde	97,300
National Lottery Charities Board	11 August 1996	Home Start Grange Park	69,140
National Lottery Charities Board	17 December 1996	Age Concern Blackpool and District	50,980
National Lottery Charities Board	11 August 1996	Blackpool Single Homeless Project	28,767
National Lottery Charities Board	19 December 1995	Kensington House Trust	6,000
Sports Council	5 June 1997	Blackpool Borough Council	884,200
Sports Council	10 October 1996	Blackpool Borough Council	68,000
Sports Council	19 June 1996	Blackpool and Fylde No. 4 Sub Aqua Club	48,166
Total 13 awards			1,681,676

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to discuss with the national arts councils ways in which greater regional input can be obtained in respect of their grant-making procedures, with particular reference to the Government's proposals for regional development agencies. [6574]

Mr. Fisher: The Government is committed to encouraging more decision making at local level. It is consulting on the potential role and functions of the regional development agencies and how they can work with other regional development agencies and how they can work with other regional and national bodies. Furthermore, we will be publishing a White Paper on Lottery distribution later this month which will set out the Government's thinking about ways to achieve a more strategic and co-ordinated system of Lottery distribution.

Ryder Cup (Television)

Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will ensure that highlights of the Ryder Cup will be available on terrestrial television. [6875]

Mr. Fisher: The Ryder Cup is not one of the events listed under Part 4 of the Broadcasting Act 1996. The arrangements for broadcasting the event are a matter for the rights holders and the broadcasters to determine. However, I understand that the owners of the rights to the European tournament are committed to the voluntary agreement on "unbundling" the various broadcast rights. The review of listed events will need to assess the

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effectiveness of the present arrangements for "unbundling" as a substitute form of access to some events.

Concessionary Television Licences

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what plans he has to review the entitlement to reduced television licence fees for retirement pensions; [6635]

(2) what representations he has received concerning the position of retirement pensioners in sheltered housing paying a reduced television licence fee whose resident warden is replaced by a community alarm system. [6638]

Mr. Fisher: The Government will be reviewing the arrangements for funding the BBC from 2002 before that date and this review will include consideration of the concessionary arrangements. We have received approximately 160 letters on various aspects of the concessionary television licence scheme.

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what reduction in television licence fees a registered blind person is entitled to; for how long this entitlement has been in operation at its current level; and if he will make a statement. [6611]

Mr. Fisher [holding answer 7 July 1997]: The reduction in the television licence fee for registered blind people is £1.25. The reduction has remained at its present level since 1965. The Government will be reviewing the arrangements for funding the BBC from 2002 before that date and this review will include consideration of the concessionary arrangements.

Sport Commentaries

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will place particular priority on local radio for live commentary in his review of the protected list of sports events; and if he will make a statement. [6869]

Mr. Fisher: The arrangements for listing under the Broadcasting Act 1996 refer only to live television broadcasts of major events. However, the review of listed events will need to assess the effectiveness of the voluntary arrangements for unbundling the various types of broadcasting rights as a substitute form of access to some events. In doing so, we may also consider whether more needs to be done to secure live radio commentary on major events.

Office of the National Lottery

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many copies of the OFLOT annual report 1996-97 OFLOT purchased from The Stationery Office; and what was the cost incurred; [6776]

(2) how many copies of the OFLOT annual report 1996-97 OFLOT distributed free of charge; and what was the cost incurred; [6777]

(3) what percentage of OFLOT's annual budget has been devoted to the purchase and distribution of the annual report in each year since its establishment. [6779]

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Mr. Banks [holding answer 4 July 1997]: This is a matter for OFLOT. I have asked the Director-General, to write to the hon. Member, and copies of his response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance he gave to OFLOT regarding the production of the annual report. [6778]

Mr. Banks [holding answer 4 July 1997]: The Director-General of the National Lottery is required by section 14 of the National Lottery ect. Act 1993 to provide an annual report about the exercise of his functions during the year.

The report is presented to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State who lays it before Parliament. The content of the annual report is a matter for the Director-General.

TREASURY

Advance Corporation Tax

Mr. Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he spoke to journalists from the Financial Times concerning his budget proposals for ACT prior to the Budget statement. [7194]

Mr. Gordon Brown: No.

Budget (Leaks)

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in the last 14 years accurate disclosures of budget information appeared in the Press prior to the Budget; which media outlets they appeared in; and if he will make a statement. [7263]

Mr. Gordon Brown: More than once. Speculation, of varying degrees of accuracy, is a traditional feature of the Budget process.

The specific information sought could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) Crown servants and (b) other advisers to Ministers who (i) gave interviews to, (ii) made statements to and (iii) answered questions from journalists or representatives of the Financial Times in the period of 48 hours before the Budget Statement. [7266]

Mr. Brown: No pre-Budget briefings were given to the press on Budget measures. Details of the Budget were not given to journalists in advance.

Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who in his Department was responsible for giving pre-Budget briefings to the press; how recently such briefings were given to the Financial Times; what specific subjects they covered; and if details of the Budget statement were given to any journalists before he presented them to the House. [7077]

Mr. Brown [holding answer 7 July 1997]: No pre-Budget briefings were given to the press on Budget measures. Details of the Budget statement were not given to journalists in advance. However, I and my Ministerial

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colleagues made clear that we would use the Budget to meet the promises before taking office. We delivered on those promises.

Windfall Tax

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the port of Tilbury will be subject to the windfall tax. [7067]

Mr. Geoffrey Robinson [holding answer 7 July 1997]: No. Details of those companies falling within the scope of the windfall tax were set out in the Inland Revenue press notice on the windfall tax issued after the Chancellor's Budget statement on 2 July.

Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will investigate the disclosure of information relating to the windfall tax contained in the Budget to managers of the privatised industries prior to the Budget statement. [7092]

Mr. Robinson [holding answer 7 July 1997]: No. I see no reason for such an investigation as there was no such disclosure. In designing the windfall tax the Government deliberately sought representations from organisations on the technical aspects of the tax: over 50 responded. This process, and the extensive consultations with the regulators, helped the overall design of the tax. All this is public knowledge.

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