House of Commons
Monday 8 December 1997
The House met at half-past Two o'clock
PRAYERS
[Madam Speaker in the Chair]
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
The Secretary of State was asked--
Sports (Young People)
2. Mr. Skinner: What assistance is to be given to young people to widen the activity base of (a) athletics, (b) tennis and (c) other sports. [17976]
The Minister for Sport (Mr. Tony Banks): Before I answer the question, I am sure that my hon. Friend will join me and the House in paying tribute to the memory of Billy Bremner, who died on Saturday. Billy was one of the great characters of post-war football and an inspiring captain of both Scotland and Leeds United. He will be sorely missed.
The main initiative to promote young people's participation in sporting activities is the English Sports Council's national junior sport programme. It provides a framework within which schools, local authorities, governing bodies of sport, sports clubs and youth organisations can work together to provide quality sporting opportunities for four to 18-year-olds in a planned and co-ordinated way.
Mr. Skinner:
Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the problems about the past 18 years, among other things, is the fact that many school playing fields have been sold off? That has to stop. Secondly, when they closed the pits, they closed many of those centres of culture and sporting activities, the miners' welfares. That has to be stopped as well. Thirdly, there is the gap where youngsters leaving school find that there are no opportunities to carry on with athletics, unless they live in cities with athletics clubs.
We need a fresh start. My hon. Friend has got the job, and if he can deal with some of the things that I mentioned, plug the gap and get rid of the culture of the blazer, the bag and the twinset brigade, especially in tennis, he will be doing a decent job.
Mr. Banks:
I thank my hon. Friend for his supplementary question, and for noting that I am here doing the job--and still doing the job, which is sometimes as great a surprise to me as it is to others.
My hon. Friend is right to say that we must have a coherent plan to stop the further sale of playing fields as their sale means losing a prime asset essential to the encouragement of grass roots sports. The facilities in former mining communities are worth looking at. It would be a shame to waste those facilities. It may be that we can join together in a plan that I have for discussing with
companies, for example, the use of their sports facilities, which are grossly underused. We do not want to lose any sports facilities.
On my hon. Friend's last point, we want to provide opportunities for everyone to get involved in sport from the earliest age, at primary school. Sport for all means right the way through from primary school until they carry us out in a wooden box. We want to eliminate the chance factor. Facilities are distributed unevenly, which means that some youngsters do not get opportunities. By the time we have finished our period of office, which is so far into the future that even I cannot imagine it, we shall undoubtedly have addressed that imbalance.
Mr. Spring:
Does the hon. Gentleman recognise that the pursuit of excellence must be at the heart of encouraging young people into greater sports participation? Why have the Government reneged on the previous Government's commitment to extending the sportsmark scheme to primary schools?
Mr. Banks:
We are as concerned as the Opposition about the pursuit of excellence. We must recognise that it is necessary to encourage the involvement of the very youngest. That is what we shall do. If we do not encourage the youngest, we shall not get elite athletes winning medals for this country. On the previous Government's initiatives, where we feel that they were in the interests of primary schoolchildren, we shall do all that we can to encourage them.
3. Mr. Waterson:
What organisations representing English tourism he has met since 1 May. [17977]
The Minister for Film and Tourism (Mr. Tom Clarke):
Since 1 May, my right hon. Friend and I have met 42 representative organisations. Additionally, we inaugurated the new tourism forum on 26 November, which has 57 members. I shall be completing a programme of visits to each of the 10 regional tourist boards very shortly.
Mr. Waterson:
I thank the Minister for his answer. Does he agree that tourism makes a massive contribution to the United Kingdom economy, bringing in more than £100 million in my constituency of Eastbourne alone? Does he also agree that it is now recognised by everyone that it was an appalling blunder not to include the word "tourism" in the name of his Department?
Mr. Clarke:
The Government and the tourism industry are achieving such success that trivial points of that nature have long since ceased to be discussed. The new forum, which met on 26 November, was much more concerned about action--action for jobs, and action for a strategy. The previous Government did not achieve that in 18 years.
I am delighted to tell the hon. Gentleman--he published a booklet entitled "Tories for Tourism", but there were no Tories and not much about tourism--that the Government, working with the forum, will publish a plan for tourism early in the summer. I am sure that it will be widely welcomed.
Mr. Corbett:
Did my hon. Friend hear Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America" yesterday? Will he
Mr. Clarke:
I did, indeed, hear yesterday's broadcast, and was delighted by the international focus given to the success of British tourism under the present Government. I pay tribute to the organisation that my hon. Friend mentioned.
Alistair Cooke made the point that British heritage was extremely important, and of course he was right. That is why my Department contributes about £1 billion to the arts, historical sites, museums, and so forth. Such things have appeal, but consistent with that is the adventurism that Alistair Cooke has demonstrated. Young people and others in Britain who are presenting new designs, new fashions, modern music and up-to-date architecture also present something that attracts tourism abroad and at home. I am sure that Alistair Cooke, with his broad vision, will welcome the commitment to our policies and the support that we enjoy.
Mr. Fearn:
The Minister visited my constituency not too long ago when he visited the north-west, and from what I hear he did a good job. When he met the various tourist boards, did he talk about the minimum wage and whether it would apply on a regional basis? Many small hoteliers and people running boarding houses are very worried about the minimum wage. Many others are in favour of it, but the forum needs to discuss regionalism and how the minimum wage will work out. I am sure that the Minister has an answer.
Mr. Clarke:
I very much enjoyed my visit to the hon. Gentleman's region, and in particular my visit to his constituency. The subject of the minimum wage was raised, and I was not surprised when once again it was given massive support. I was able to repeat the Government's position: we are committed to a national minimum wage. We appointed the independent Low Pay Commission, to which we were committed, and which includes Stephanie Monk from the tourism industry and Granada. We shall consider the report when it is presented, and my hon. Friend--if I may reciprocate his good nature--can be assured that not only the fears but the hopes of his constituents are safe in the hands of this Government.
Mrs. Betty Williams:
What action are the Government taking to ensure full access for disabled people to every aspect of tourism?
Mr. Clarke:
My hon. Friend raises an important issue. I pay tribute to everyone involved in "Tourism for All" for the marvellous work that they have done, not least at the breakfast meeting a few weeks ago. I also pay tribute to Mandy Todd of the consortium, who is very much involved in the Quarry Bank project in north-west England. She spoke at the forum on the need to involve disabled people in every aspect of tourism, and in the discussion on the new deal. Her efforts and those of her organisation at Quarry Bank are a wonderful example of best practice for access for disabled people and carers, which many people could emulate to their benefit.
4. Mr. Loughton:
If he will make a statement on admission charges to the nation's museums. [17978]
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Chris Smith):
This morning I placed in the Library details of the progress of the review of admission charges, together with a consultation paper on the development of a code of good practice for museums and galleries. I am delighted to announce that the heritage lottery fund is to create a museums and galleries access fund, which will assist initiatives to extend access to our great collections. I shall make a further announcement when my Department's spending review is completed next summer.
Mr. Loughton:
That is all very well, but as my grandmother would say, what has that to do with the price of fish? Does the Secretary of State agree with me and with the directors of our major museums, who believe in the principle that free admission to our museums is the cornerstone of democratic access to our cultural inheritance? If he does not agree, does that represent yet another people's U-turn by this Government of one principle in the interests of budgetary expediency? Will the Secretary of State tell the House whether the recent announcement by the British museum was made in the light of preferential treatment negotiated between his Department and the museum?
Mr. Smith:
I look forward to discovering in detail the representations that the hon. Gentleman made on this subject to the Conservative Government over the past 18 years. We said before the election in our document, "Create the Future":
Mr. Sheldon:
I welcome the British museum's decision not to introduce admission charges for the time being. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that what he has said today will provide the means for other museums to remain free of admission charges in the years to come?
Mr. Smith:
I have said two things today. First, we are consulting the national galleries and museums on the development of a code of good practice, with a view to making that code a condition for the receipt of grant in aid in due course. Secondly, a heritage lottery access fund is being developed, and all museums will be able to apply to it, whether they are chargers or non-chargers, so as to broaden access for the citizen.
Sir Sydney Chapman:
Accepting what the Secretary of State has just said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Mr. Loughton), and notwithstanding his consultation paper, may I--as someone who felt impelled to vote against the Museum and Galleries Admission Charges Bill in the early 1970s--ask the Secretary of State to give a
Mr. Smith:
I am not sure what the hon. Gentleman means by "in part". If he is referring to the fact that the science museum, which charges for entry, none the less allows 43 per cent. of its visitors to get in free, he makes a valid point. The overwhelming majority of museums are already doing that. We have made it clear both before and since the election that it is up to the trustees of each gallery to decide how best to maintain good access for the public. For some, that may be a wish to see free admission. For others, it may be free periods or free entry for certain groups but not for everyone. It is up to the museums to decide. The Government's job is to provide the framework within which they can pursue their chosen course.
Dr. Iddon:
I am sure that my right hon. Friend agrees that museums play a key educational role, especially for young people. Our museums in Bolton design special projects in partnership with schools. Will my right hon. Friend consider that aspect when considering the question of access, which should preferably be free for educational purposes?
Mr. Smith:
I can certainly give my hon. Friend that assurance. Part of the code of practice on which we are consulting flags up the importance of education and the access for schoolchildren, in particular, to this country's great national collections.
Mr. Maude:
Is not the Secretary of State wriggling off a virtual commitment that he would ensure free access to all museums? What financial support has he offered to the trustees of the British museum that has enabled them to change their settled intention to introduce entrance charges? Can he give the House an unqualified assurance that the British museum has not been offered any support that is not available on identical terms to all other museums of national importance, irrespective of whether they charge for entrance?
Mr. Smith:
I will tell the right hon. Gentleman two things. First, our commitment was set out clearly in black and white before the election. As it is clear that the right hon. Gentleman did not hear the first time, I will repeat it. We should like to see institutions do all that they can to balance the books while maximising access. What matters is maximising access in the best possible way for each institution or gallery. If the right hon. Gentleman talks to the directors and chairmen of galleries and museums, he will find that that is what they are anxious to do. Secondly, public expenditure survey allocations to individual museums and galleries will be announced within the next few days.
"We would like to see institutions do all they can to balance the books while maximising access."
That has been our policy throughout, and remains so. It is up to each institution and its trustees to make decisions about how best to carry forward the process of maximising access. The Government's job is to make it as easy as possible for them to choose and pursue their own course. We intend to carry on doing that.
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