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Sully Hospital (Land Decontamination)
Mr. John Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to authorise decontamination works on his Department's land at Sully Hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan; [67861]
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(3) what is the nature and extent of the contamination of his Department's land adjacent to Sully Hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan; [67860]
(4) what assessment he has made of (a) the work required to decontaminate his Department's land adjacent to Sully Hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan and (b) its cost. [67862]
Mr. Spellar:
A Land Quality Assessment is being commissioned by the Oil Pipelines Agency to determine whether the Ministry of Defence land adjacent to Sully Hospital is contaminated and, if so, the extent of the contamination. It is expected that the outcome of the Assessment will be known by the end of the year.
Mr. Keith Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons a German Panzer IV/70(V) was disposed of from the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, in August 1998; what other examples there are of this tank in other (a) national or local museums and (b) military establishments; and what was the disposal price of the tank. [68211]
Mr. Spellar:
The Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham did not dispose of a German Panzer IV/70(V) tank in 1998. The only complete example of a Panzer MkIV in the UK held by us is at the Tank Museum, Bovington. The Imperial War Museum has a cut down (incomplete) example of the Panzer MkIV but neither is an example of the 70(V) variant (there are ten variants of the Panzer MkIV including the 70(V). There are no examples of the Panzer MkIV/70(V) held at military establishments.
(2) what assessment he has made of the health and public safety risks associated with (a) the contamination of his Department's land adjacent to Sully Hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan and (b) the works required to decontaminate that land; [67864]
Lottery Grants (Barnsley)
11. Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals he has which would increase the distribution of lottery grants to Barnsley. [66770]
Mr. Chris Smith: I want Lottery money to address the needs of communities across the whole of the United Kingdom. I welcome the National Lottery Charities Board's designation of Barnsley as a priority area for Lottery funding and will follow the progress of this initiative closely. I have also launched with the distributing bodies an investigation into the reasons for low take-up of Lottery funding in coalfield areas.
25. Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received following his meeting with local authorities in Barnsley last autumn when the equalisation of National Lottery grants was discussed; and if he will make a statement. [66784]
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Mr. Chris Smith:
Representatives from the coalfields areas have confirmed the need for action to address the problems these areas face in obtaining Lottery funding and have supported the measures announced at the Coalfields Lottery Conference to address the balance.
I welcome the National Lottery Charities Board's designation of Barnsley as a priority area for Lottery funding and will follow the progress of this initiative closely. I have also launched with the distributing bodies an investigation into the reasons for low take-up of Lottery funding in coalfield areas.
12. Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on Government plans for Channel 4. [66771]
Janet Anderson:
Channel Four is a central element in the Government's vision for the broadcasting industry in the digital future. I expect it to continue to provide a vital role in providing distinctive and innovative public service programming of high quality.
14. Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made in implementing proposals to establish a national body to champion British architectural design. [66774]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
We have advertised for a Chairman for the new body. We have set up an Implementation Group of seven people which will be able to present its conclusions to the Chairman on his or her appointment. The new body should be fully operational in the autumn.
15. Mr. Rammell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made by the policy action team on the contribution that sports and the arts can make to tackling social exclusion. [66775]
Mr. Chris Smith:
Policy Action Team 10, led by DCMS, has met on several occasions. The Team includes a number of people engaged in local projects tackling issues of social inclusion, and experts on specific issues such as funding, building partnerships and community development. The group has undertaken visits to successful arts and sporting projects which are combating social exclusion around the country. The Team will report in early summer 1999 on its findings.
16. Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support he has given to the tourism industry in seaside resorts. [66776]
Janet Anderson:
Of the £3.8 billion of Single Regeneration Budget funding available over the next three years, 44 of the bids included proposals for the regeneration of seaside resorts. But the future of our seaside resorts depends on all those involved in both private and public sectors working together to develop the sort of products now needed and with the quality and value for money which visitors expect.
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Our strategy for tourism, to be published on 26 February 1999, addresses this important industry sector and will help create the right framework in which tourism can flourish.
17. Mr. Dawson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to reduce his Department's spending on administration. [66777]
Mr. Chris Smith:
My Department is committed to reducing its running costs as a proportion of its Department Expenditure Limit (DEL).
18. Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the role of public art in economic regeneration. [66778]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The Arts Council of England is currently carrying out an independent evaluation of Lottery funded public art commissions. I am in no doubt, however, of the ability of public art to improve the urban landscape, enhance local neighbourhood identity, encourage inward investment, create local employment and develop skills through programmes of participation, education and training.
19. Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on Camelot's plans for the National Lottery in December 1999 and January 2000. [66779]
Mr. Chris Smith:
Decisions on licensing new Lottery draws and games are for the Director General of the National Lottery or, after 1 April 1999, the National Lottery Commissioners. I understand that the Director General has not received any applications from Camelot to run new Lottery games in December 1999 or January 2000.
20. Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the playing of sports in schools. [66794]
Mr. Banks:
Sport in schools is essential for a broad and balanced education to which all children are entitled.
I want schools to provide more opportunities for their pupils to take part in sporting activities. It is important that young people have access to a range of physical activities within and beyond the school curriculum.
Sport in schools is a key feature of our sport strategy paper and we are collaborating with the Department for Education and Employment, who have sole responsibility for the National Curriculum, to determine how school sporting activities can best be focused and supported. We have invigorated a range of initiatives to achieve this; these include the Sportsmark award scheme for high quality school sport, a new scheme for primary schools, the Sporting Ambassadors programme of visits to schools by prominent sportsmen and women and Study Support
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for example in Premier League Football Clubs. We have also fed into the current review of the National Curriculum by the QCA.
21. Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what policies his Department is pursuing to increase access to the arts for people on modest incomes. [66780]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The many activities which my Department supports have a fundamental impact on an individual's quality of life. Increasing access to the arts continues to be at the heart of our policy. Through the New Audiences Fund, more than 100 pilot schemes which increase access to a wide range of art forms have already benefited from over £3 million in additional project funding. Many arts events are now more affordable for those with modest or no income. Further grants from the New Audiences Fund, totalling over £1 million, will be announced later this month.
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