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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

The Mall

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when authorising the closing of The Mall, what steps were made within his Department to conform to the code of practice for the co-ordination of street works published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. [72268]

Mr. Alan Howarth: Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Viviane Robertson to Mr. Nicholas Soames, dated 22 February 1999:



    The code of practice is designed for use by local authorities in relation to street works in an urban setting. However, the Agency is aware of, and follows, the requirements of the code of practice and it consulted Westminster City Council, as the local highway authority, about the works.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason The Mall is to be closed for the three weeks from 15 February. [70813]

Mr. Alan Howarth [holding answer 15 February 1999]: The Royal Parks Agency is closing The Mall in order to carry out necessary work to resurface the road and to effect safety improvements at accident black spots. In accordance with the advice received following consultation with Westminster City Council, as the local highway authority, and the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Parks Agency has sought to concentrate works in the shortest period in order to minimise disruption, and this unfortunately requires total closure of The Mall for three weeks.

22 Feb 1999 : Column: 47

Film Industry

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Employment over the film education group proposed in A Bigger Picture; [71742]

Janet Anderson: I have discussed the progress of the film education group with Ministerial colleagues at the Department for Education and Employment and officials from our two Departments are in regular contact. There is also a DfEE representative on the group itself. Good progress has been made and the group is due to publish its report in April.

A wide range of representations about the Skills Investment Fund has been received and discussions with key industry players are proceeding very constructively. We will make an announcement on the Fund in due course.

We have received only a few representations on the proposed definition of a culturally British film. Several respondents argued that the existence of two film definitions, even if used for different purposes, could be confusing. It is for the industry to decide whether it should use such a definition to help target its marketing activities. The Film Policy Review Action Committee has not pursued this recommendation from A Bigger Picture.

There have been four meetings of the Film Policy Review Action Committee and one meeting of the Film Finance Forum. The Action Committee is discussing with representatives of the distributors and exhibitors plans for establishing a Film Marketing Agency. On the All Industry Fund, the Action Committee decided that the model set out in A Bigger Picture was not practicable, but is taking forward discussions with the industry about possible support for specific initiatives in areas such as development and generic marketing.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what discussions he has had with the Treasury concerning continued tax exemptions for British films; [71749]

Janet Anderson: My Department has kept the Treasury fully informed of the industry's views about the beneficial effects of the tax write-off and about the £15 million production costs limit. The Film Policy Review Action Committee has also developed a proposal for a new tax relief aimed at boosting the domestic distribution sector, which has been submitted to the Treasury.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the predicted financial savings arising from the amalgamation of British Screen, the British Film Commission and the British Film Institute. [71752]

22 Feb 1999 : Column: 48

Janet Anderson: Last December my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that a new public body, British Film, will be established by 1 April 2000. British Film will deliver a coherent strategy for the development of film culture and the film industry. British Screen and the British Film Institute will not be incorporated in the new body. British Screen will retain its private-sector status, which enables it to operate effectively within the commercial industry. The BFI will retain its charitable status, which helps it to pursue its educational and cultural objectives. Discussions about the relationship between the British Film Commission and British Film are currently in progress.

The bringing together of grant-in-aid and Lottery funding for film under one strategic body will ensure that resources are used as cost-effectively as possible and avoid duplication of expenditure.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much lottery money (a) was spent by the Arts Council in the last 12 months for which figures are available and (b) he expects the Arts Council to have at its disposal in each of the next three years for the British film industry. [71747]

Janet Anderson: In 1997-98 the amount of lottery money committed by the Arts Council was £323.8 million.

In December I announced the creation of a new public body, British Film, that will take over the role of the Arts Council of England in distributing funds for film. British Film will be established as a Lottery distributor with its own percentage stream of Lottery money from the arts good cause, guaranteeing, for the first time, a dedicated share of Lottery resources for film. The percentage will be set to ensure British Film receives at least £27 million each year from the Lottery; the figure may well be higher if the numbers playing the Lottery continue as at present.

Ministerial Visits

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the parliamentary constituencies which he has visited in an official capacity in the past 12 months. [71343]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 15 February 1999]: I have undertaken a number of visits to regions around the UK in the past 12 months as part of my Department's strategy of stimulating thinking on cultural development in the regions. Records of official visits are not held on a constituency basis as many take in more than one constituency at a time. Since 1 March 1998, and excluding the Greater London region, the following cities or regions were visited:













22 Feb 1999 : Column: 49


    Newcastle: 1


    Nottingham: 2


    Oxfordshire: 1


    Peterborough: 1


    Portsmouth: 1


    Preston: 1


    Salisbury: 1


    Sheffield: 3


    Sussex: 3


    York: 1.

Royal Opera House

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the running costs of the Royal Opera House are for the current financial year; and what level of public subsidy is required for the next financial year. [70358]

Mr. Alan Howarth: The total expenditure budget of the Royal Opera House for the current financial year is £36,553m. For the next financial year, grant in aid from the Arts Council of England will be £16.0m. In addition the Royal Opera House will receive £5.12m in closure grant from Arts Council Lottery funds.

Concessionary Television Licences

Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the regulations in respect of the granting of concessionary television licences to elderly and disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [71386]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 16 February 1999]: The current review of the future of the BBC licence fee after 2002 will include a consideration of the structure of the existing concessionary television licence scheme and whether a suitable alternative structure could be available. The independent review panel will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State by the end of July this year. There will then be a period of public consultation on the panel's recommendations.

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