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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Fair Trade Products
Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to introduce fair trade products at (a) meetings, (b) events and (c) catering facilities within his Department. [82869]
Janet Anderson: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary on 5 May 1999, Official Report, column 410.
Concessionary Television Licences
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received regarding proposals by the BBC to withdraw concessionary TV licences from sheltered accommodation. [84904]
Janet Anderson: We have received no such representations. The BBC has no power to amend the concessionary television licence scheme, nor has the Corporation submitted proposals for change to the Government or the BBC funding review panel. The Government have, however, received representations from Members of Parliament, local authorities and members of the public about the withdrawal of concessionary licences from sheltered accommodation which no longer meets the qualifying criteria for entitlement to the concession.
Radio Authority
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who are (a) the auditors responsible for ensuring the financial propriety of the Radio Authority and (b) the authors of the report on allegations of impropriety in the award of radio licences by the Radio Authority. [85096]
Janet Anderson: The Radio Authority's internal auditors are PricewaterhouseCoopers. Its external auditors are Grant Thornton, whose Crawley office is responsible for the audit.
The authors of the independent report of the Inquiry into allegations concerning the award of the East of England regional licence were the Forensic Services Group of the London office of Grant Thornton.
Royal Opera House
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the deficit at the Royal Opera House in (i) 1999-2000 and (ii) 2000-01. [85287]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 24 May 1999]: If the Royal Opera House development appeal is successful in reaching its fund raising target, then the deficit at the Royal Opera House will have been eliminated by the end of the current financial year.
RADA
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had
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with the Arts Council regarding the finances of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; and if he will make a statement. [85288]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: I have regular discussions with the Arts Council on a wide range of issues.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the aims and objectives of the English Tourism Council. [85293]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: On 14 December 1998 we announced in "A New Cultural Framework" that we would establish a new streamlined, more strategic body to support tourism in England. "Tomorrow's Tourism", the strategy we published in February gave further information on the role of the new body. On 27 April 1999, Official Report, columns 114-15, I announced to the House that the body would be known as the English Tourism Council (ETC) and provide a further indication of the ETC's functions. We are working with the English Tourist Board on the detailed remit of the ETC and will be publishing aims and objectives as part of the launch of the ETC, which we expect to take place in July.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to support the development of the English Tourism Council. [85295]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: Officials in my Department are working very closely with staff at the English Tourist Board as work on the development of the English Tourism Council continues. As well as advice, we are providing funds of £2.8 million over two years to support the transition.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he last had discussions with the Broadcasting Standards Commission; and if he will make a statement about its future role in the regulation of taste, decency and impartiality. [85290]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: I last met the members of the Broadcasting Standards Commission on 23 March. The Government completed their consultation on the future regulation of broadcasting and telecommunications earlier this year. We will report on the outcome, and set out our plans for developing regulation and the role of the BSC, in the near future.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds have been allocated by his Department for the consumer marketing of the harmonised accommodation rating scheme. [85296]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: The funding of £11.8 million allocated to the English Tourist Board last December represents an increase of £2.1 million from the previous year. The increase is to be used for transforming the ETB into the English Tourism Council and also recognises our desire for a successful consumer launch of the new harmonised accommodation
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rating schemes. In accordance with our funding agreement with the ETB and the recent "Report and Action Plan for Establishing a New National Body for Tourism in England", the ETB has budgeted £300,000 of its total Government allocation for the consumer launch, which it is planning in partnership with the AA and the RAC for this September.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the organisations which have received Arts Council stabilisation grants indicating the sums involved in each case; and what criteria the Council used in making its decisions on the allocation of the grants. [85298]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: The Pilot Stabilisation Programme, launched by the Arts Council of England in September 1997, made financial awards to 14 organisations, including two consortiums and one interim award (to the English National Opera). The aim of the programme is to strengthen arts organisations creatively, managerially and financially by providing them with expert advice and financial resources, giving them the opportunity to put themselves on a more secure financial footing.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Birmingham Repertory Theatre | 5,773,000 |
| Blackheath Concert Halls | 1,150,000 |
| Bournemouth Orchestras | 3,182,000 |
| Cinema City, Norwich | 385,272 |
| Embroiderers' Guild | 485,301 |
| English National Opera | (24)9,200,000 |
| Hampshire Arts Centres Consortium | 394,000 |
| Inner City Music | 530,260 |
| The Junction, Cambridge | 474,013 |
| London Symphony Orchestra | 868,000 |
| Northern Sinfonia | 1,691,781 |
| Sheffield Museums and Galleries Consortium | 1,098,377 |
| Tara Arts Group | 605,534 |
| West Yorkshire Playhouse | 2,645,000 |
(24) Two awards: October 1997 £4.5m and September 1998 £4.7m
The criteria used by the Arts Council were published at the time the scheme was originally announced.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the Arts Council of England's grant in aid for the current year remains unallocated. [85289]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 24 May 1999]: The Arts Council has allocated its budget in full, including making provision for flexible funding for new initiatives. Plans for these initiatives will be announced over coming weeks.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Arts Council on improving the performance of their building monitors. [85291]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: The National Audit Office published on 14 May its report on the Arts Council's monitoring of major capital projects, funded by the National Lottery, which covered the performance of building monitors. My officials have, of course, discussed with the Arts Council the content
25 May 1999 : Column: 97
of the report and ways of maintaining improvements in the performance of building monitors, and will continue to do so.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to change the legal status of national museums and galleries; and if he will make a statement. [85292]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: During the DCMS Comprehensive Spending Review, the National Museums Directors Conference expressed the wish for a more strategic relationship with Government through greater operational independence and flexibility.
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