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Immigration Appeal Tribunal
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of (a) the legally qualified members and (b) the lay members of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal are from an ethnic minority. [78647]
Mr. Hoon: To enable the Lord Chancellor to monitor the effectiveness of policies designed to attract more members of the ethnic community to apply for judicial appointment, candidates are requested to indicate their ethnic origin on their application. This is a recent introduction to the appointment process and candidates are not compelled to answer. Therefore, full and detailed records are not available. However, from records that are available I can indicate that the ethnic origin of the members of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal is as follows:
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Of the 25 part-time legal members 11 are White, one is Asian, one is Other and the remaining 12 are unknown;
Of the 5 full-time members 4 are White and one is Asian; and
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Museums and Galleries
9. Mr. Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to encourage free admissions to local museums and galleries. [77377]
Mr. Alan Howarth: The revenue funding of local museums is outside the remit of my Department and is a matter for the governing bodies of those museums. However, museums which are registered with the Museums and Galleries Commission can apply to the £7 million HLF Access Fund. Also, for the first time, my Department is spreading its financial support to museums beyond those which it directly funds by means of a £15 million challenge fund for Designated Museums, the majority of which are outside London. By these means we are seeking to raise standards for, and access to, pre-eminent non-national collections.
28. Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact on museum attendance of introducing free entry for children. [77397]
Mr. Chris Smith: It is too early to give a precise indication of the impact of introducing free entry for children which I launched for museums funded by my Department at the Natural History Museum this morning.
However, the experience of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, which introduced free access for children at the end of January (at the same time as a major temporary exhibition about dinosaurs), is that child admissions have risen by over 80 per cent.
Millennium Fund (Social Exclusion)
10. Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the contribution which the millennium fund will make to tackling social exclusion. [77378]
Mr. Chris Smith: The Government are committed to ensuring that the Millennium celebrations are truly inclusive, involving people from every part of the country and all sections of society. As well as promoting economic regeneration, many Millennium Commission projects are specifically designed to strengthen and empower individuals and communities, and to foster access to recreational and learning opportunities in areas where this has previously been limited.
Digital Television
11. Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the role of public service broadcasting in delivering digital services. [77379]
Janet Anderson:
Digital broadcasting can offer better quality reception and a greater range of services, including interactive services. The Government are determined that these benefits should be available to as many people as possible. Public service broadcasting will have a continuing role to play in ensuring that there are a broad range of high quality services available to listeners and viewers at reasonable cost.
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12. Mr. Stringer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the internal changes within the International Olympic Committee on a future British bid to host the Olympic games. [77380]
Mr. Banks:
I welcome the recent reforms of the International Olympic Committee so far as they go, and I am sure they will help to restore some confidence in the Olympic Movement. Certainly, this Government will not be supporting a British bid for the Games until we are entirely satisfied that the host city selection process is accountable, open and transparent for all future Olympic bids.
13. Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the future of broadcasting in Wales following the establishment of the National Assembly. [77381]
Janet Anderson:
The Government understand that the Welsh Assembly has a legitimate interest in broadcasting in Wales. Broadcasters help to define our national cultures in all parts of the United Kingdom and the Welsh Assembly will have much to contribute to the debate on broadcasting matters. Those based in and serving Wales will continue to benefit from the Government's commitment to regulation with the lightest possible touch. Our aim is to ensure that all viewers are offered a choice of high quality programmes which cater for all interests and all sections of the community.
14. Mr. White:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage increased musical activity in schools. [77382]
Mr. Chris Smith:
I announced last summer the creation of a new independent youth music trust with £30 million ACE Lottery funding over 3 years to work to enable greater access to music making for young people. Under its new name, the National Foundation for Youth Music will go live on 12 April. This initiative, together with the Standards Fund measures announced in January this year will provide a total investment of £180 million for the improvement of music making opportunities for young people, in schools and outside.
15. Mr. Syms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the rules governing the export of works of art. [77383]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
I have no plans for a review of the export system generally.
16. Ms Jenny Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in what ways he is supporting sport for disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [77384]
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Mr. Banks:
We are working closely with the Sports Councils to change the culture and structure of sport to ensure that all sports providers offer a wide range of opportunities to people with disabilities.
People with disabilities must be able to choose when and how they wish to participate, and opportunities should be provided for people with disabilities to be consulted, represented and employed at all levels of sport. Following a National Disability Sport conference in 1997 it was agreed to move towards the establishment of a single agency in England. The English Federation for Disability Sport will act as a first stop shop providing information and advice at regional and national level.
17. Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to enhance Britain's library service. [77385]
Mr. Chris Smith:
We are making available £70 million through the New Opportunities Fund to create content for the Public Libraries IT network and train library staff in ICT skills, and we have just announced a further £200 million, again through the New Opportunities Fund, to support the development of the network infrastructure. Libraries also potentially stand to benefit from a range of other educational programmes including the £470 million set aside for the development of learning centres under the Capital Modernisation Fund.
18. Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to encourage tourism in the Greater Manchester area to coincide with the Commonwealth games in 2002. [77386]
Mr. Chris Smith:
As the Government's new tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism", states, we are committed to bringing major international sporting events to this country. Euro 96 demonstrated the boost which can be given to tourism by such events. The 2002 Commonwealth Games will put Manchester and the North West on the map and will provide a great shop window for the facilities and attractions that the area has to offer the domestic and overseas visitor. Manchester City Council and other nearby local authorities are already working with the North West Tourist Board and the English Sports Council to maximise the tourism potential of these Games.
19. Mr. Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the tourism strategy will help Scarborough and Whitby to develop affordable family holidays. [77387]
Janet Anderson:
As our new tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism", says, 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, with the quality and value for money which visitors expect. The strategy suggests an eight stage regeneration plan for resorts and also identifies further action which should help increase access to tourism for those with low incomes, for families, elderly people and people with disabilities.
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