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Broadcasting Reception (Wales)
7. Mr. Gareth Thomas (Clwyd, West): What steps he plans to take to ensure that broadcasters improve reception of television and radio in Wales. [87203]
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Chris Smith): The BBC and the broadcasting regulators are responsible for the transmission of television and radio services. The topography of Wales has long presented problems to broadcasters. With the aid of an extensive network of local relay stations, analogue television and radio broadcasters have now achieved near universal coverage in Wales. Digital broadcasters face similar problems in providing television and radio services to Welsh viewers. The BBC, the Independent Television Commission and the Radio Authority are now working with my Department to improve digital television and radio coverage.
Mr. Thomas: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply. He is correct to say that the Welsh topography presents broadcasters with particular difficulties. What assurances can he give in that regard? Although digital television might provide an answer, current coverage remains patchy. Is it not essential to ensure that broadcasters improve coverage, which currently reaches no more than 70 per cent. of the Welsh population?
Mr. Smith: We are considering that issue seriously with the broadcasters and the broadcast regulators. There are 230 local relay stations in Wales, and some 98.3 per cent. of Welsh people can receive analogue television transmissions. However, the situation could still be improved and we are looking at all the possibilities in that area.
Mr. Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon): Does the Secretary of State not accept that, although the people to whom he referred may receive a television picture, the quality of the signal may be infinitely inferior to those emanating from other stations, mainly situated in England? Given that everyone living in Wales will be affected by decisions taken by the National Assembly on education, health and housing, do they not have a right to top-quality television and radio reception for news items about those subjects?
Mr. Smith: It is indeed our wish that as many people as possible, both in Wales and elsewhere in the United
Kingdom, get the best possible quality picture and coverage. The quality and the provenance of the programmes that people can see really matters to them. We are considering that issue and we will consult closely with our colleagues in the new Welsh Assembly about any matters concerning Wales.
Mr. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): The Secretary of State is correct to say that the topography of Wales affects broadcasting signals, as it does in Scotland and in other parts of the United Kingdom. Does he accept that universal coverage will cost a huge amount of money--a sum that is disproportionate to the numbers of people who deserve to see those programmes? When will the Government get off the fence and accept that there is no middle way regarding the funding of the BBC? When the current licence period ends, will the Government not have to consider in advance allowing advertising, sponsorship or both on some or all BBC channels in order to assist with the expansion of British broadcasting?
Mr. Smith: I have to say to the hon. Gentleman that the first part of his question is right. A difficult balance must be struck between cost and quality of picture, and we are working on that. However, I cannot agree with the latter part of his question. As he knows, we have asked Gavyn Davies and the panel that we appointed to report on the immediate future funding of the BBC. I suspect that I will take more cognisance of what Mr. Davies has to say than I will of the hon. Gentleman.
Tobacco Advertising Ban
9. Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West): What recent representations he has received from sporting bodies which will be affected by the proposed ban on tobacco advertising. [87205]
The Minister for Sport (Mr. Tony Banks): The full task force has met three times and since January, I and the other members of the task force have had 10 meetings with representatives from the sports that are seeking our help. That close contact has identified the significant problems facing the sports in replacing tobacco money. They are all vying for sponsorship money in a crowded marketplace. We shall assist them in repositioning themselves in the marketplace and support them in building new commercial relationships that can be sustained.
I have also recently had a very positive meeting with Richard Branson about help that he may be able to offer sports. My officials are now following up that meeting.
Mr. Swayne:
But what estimate have the Government made of the impact on the nation's health of the policy of providing a dispensation to snooker and formula one? If they estimate that the damage will not be very great, and certainly insufficient to question the very policy of providing that dispensation in the first place, why cannot the dispensation simply be extended to the 65 sports that are now facing financial difficulty and, in some cases, oblivion?
Mr. Banks:
It is a bit rich for a member of the Opposition to start talking about the damage caused to sports or to people's health by the use of tobacco. The
Mr. Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire):
A million from Bernie.
Mr. Banks:
That will, undoubtedly, apply to formula one and, perhaps, to snooker, if it can prove--
Mr. McLoughlin:
A million from Bernie.
Madam Speaker:
Order. There is a parrot in here.
Mr. Banks:
I had a parrot--an African parrot called Chunky. He was considerably more articulate and beautiful than the hon. Gentleman. An apology to parrots is probably in order.
I say to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) that snooker will have to prove its case if it is to be exempted until 2006. If he is worried about the impact of tobacco use on the nation's health, why on earth did he accept hospitality at Henley from the Imperial Tobacco Group? Clearly, he was not worried about his health.
11. Mr. Andy King (Rugby and Kenilworth):
How many schools he estimates will benefit in the first year of the national lottery-funded out-of-school hours activities. [87207]
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Chris Smith):
The programme, for which the new opportunities fund has allocated £205 million, opened for applications at the end of March, and the first grants under the programme will be announced in the autumn. It is therefore too early to say how many schools will benefit this year. However, we expect that by 2001 the new opportunities fund will have funded regular out-of-school-hours activities in at least half of all secondary schools, a quarter of all primary schools and half of all special schools. That breaks down as approximately 10,000 schools in the UK. In addition, by 2002, the fund will have committed funds to summer school projects which will provide summer school places for an extra 250,000 pupils.
Mr. King:
I thank my right hon. Friend for that welcome announcement. I have visited such clubs, as I am sure have all hon. Members. I recently visited Bridges in Brownsover in my constituency, which is a first class club, where all the children are benefiting significantly from the opportunity to socialise and learn with other children, and their parents have the security of knowing that their children are safe and in a proper environment both before and after school. Will my right hon. Friend
Mr. Smith:
Yes; I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. Indeed, such information has already been sent to all parts of the United Kingdom. Under the directions that we have established for the new opportunities fund, we have insisted that it ensures a fair geographical spread of the moneys that it makes available.
Dome
28. Mr. Tony McNulty (Harrow, East): If a revised sponsorship target for the millennium dome has been set following the achievement of the original target. [87227]
The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Janet Anderson): Some £160 million of sponsorship has been committed to the millennium experience. That is more sponsorship than has ever been raised for any single event in the United Kingdom.
Mr. McNulty: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Will she join me in congratulating the New Millennium Experience Company on meeting its target, but assure me that she will keep up the pressure so that it maximises its sponsorship potential? Will she publish in the House of Commons Library a list of every moaning minnie on the Opposition Benches who carped and whinged his or her way through last year, saying that the millennium experience company would not reach its target, but who now have had the grace to apologise and congratulate the company? I suspect that it will be rather a short list.
Janet Anderson: I thank my hon. Friend for that observation. He is of course right that the faint hearts on the Opposition Benches said that the company would never reach the sponsorship level that we had set. We do not intend to issue a revised sponsorship target, although we are finding that more and more people want to contribute to what will be the most spectacular event in the world marking the millennium.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley (South-West Surrey): In her list of moaning minnies, will the hon. Lady please put at the top the right hon. Members for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) and for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) and her other colleagues who for nine months, particularly in opposition, thoroughly and professionally rubbished the millennium company and all its work, so greatly damaging sponsorship? I am delighted that on this, as on many things, they changed their tune on 1 May 1997. They should not try to rewrite history as well.
Janet Anderson: The right hon. Lady should not subject us to such nonsense. As she knows only too well, this Government decided to take the project forward. Indeed, I take this opportunity to remind the House that
if the Conservative party had had its way, the dome would have been pulled down at the end of the millennium year. We intend that the dome is put to good use afterwards.
Mr. Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross): Has that sponsorship diminished the amount of money going to other artistic projects?
Janet Anderson: I assure the right hon. Gentleman that there is no evidence of that; increasingly we are finding that people want to be associated with the project. Sponsors who have so far supported the project include BT, Manpower, Tesco, BSkyB, Marks and Spencer, Boots the Chemists, McDonald's, Ford, the Corporation of London and BA--the list goes on and on. I assure the right hon. Gentleman that there is no evidence that that sponsorship has reduced support for other projects.
29. Ms Rosie Winterton (Doncaster, Central): How many temporary and permanent jobs he estimates will be created through the millennium dome. [87228]
The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Janet Anderson): During the dome's year of operation 5,000 full-time jobs will be created. Of those, 2,000 will be employed directly by the New Millennium Experience Company and 3,000 will be employed by service providers, such as caterers and security services. NMEC's recruitment drive was announced on 10 June.
Ms Winterton: Is my hon. Friend aware that Ridings International in my constituency secured 14 jobs by winning a £2 million contract to provide 50 miles of steel cable, which holds up the dome? I think that it is safe to say that without Doncaster, the dome would droop. In view of that invaluable contribution, will she ensure that companies which help to erect the dome are included in the opening celebrations?
Janet Anderson: I thank Ridings International for its very significant contribution. My hon. Friend is quite right--without it, goodness knows what would happen to the dome, because that company's steel cables are holding it up. We are anxious that as many people as possible who have participated in this project should be included in the opening celebrations. We are carefully considering who we can include, and we shall take very careful note of my hon. Friend's suggestion.
Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet): I am sure that the Minister would agree that central to the success of the millennium dome and the millennium experience must be a London Underground connection to it. As she believes in joined-up government, will she tell the House when the whole length of the Jubilee line extension will be open?
Janet Anderson: I cannot give the hon. Gentleman an exact date, but I can assure him that it is a subject of much discussion between my Department and the other Departments involved. I assure him that the Jubilee line extension will be finished on time.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey): May I ask the Minister to withdraw her remarks about Conservative Members' attitude to the dome? She knows perfectly well
that we have continued to support the project. It is not our fault that 90 per cent. of the population believe that it is a waste of money. Whose fault is that?
While on the subject of long-term jobs, will the Minister update the House about the after-use of the site? Given the long lead time for such a major investment project, should not we now be moving towards a final stage and selecting what will happen on that site, and who will run it, after the exhibition closes? Or will there be an embarrassing and costly delay between the closure of the exhibition and whatever comes after it?
Janet Anderson:
The hon. Gentleman's ability to score own goals gets better and better. I remind him that, under the previous Government, in which he served, there would have been no after-use of the site; they planned to pull the dome down. The hon. Gentleman knows only too well that the Deputy Prime Minister has received several bids for ideas to use the dome in a way that will serve the national interest after the millennium year. We intend that to happen, which contrasts starkly with the Conservative party's woeful attitude.
30. Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford):
What assessment he has made of the extra visitors and spending in (a) London and (b) the United Kingdom next year as a result of the millennium dome. [87229]
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Chris Smith):
The British Tourist Authority has estimated the number of overseas visitors to the UK in 2000 as 27.5 million. Of those, the New Millennium Experience Company foresees that 2.5 million will visit the dome. The BTA has also suggested that as a direct result of the millennium experience, an additional £300 million to £500 million of overseas tourist revenue will be brought into the UK economy. The "halo" effect could double that figure. The BTA has further estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 new tourist-related jobs will be created. That is excellent news for the whole of the UK.
Joan Ruddock:
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on that and I share his enthusiasm for what will happen at the dome and all that will follow from that. However, is he aware that in constituencies such as mine--neighbouring Lewisham--some concerns exist arising from those wonderful forecasts? Will he undertake to look at the plans for a passenger transport interchange at Lewisham, which will enable much speedier transfers between the docklands light railway, train services and buses between Lewisham and the dome? That proposal would, I suggest, bring a lasting benefit to local people, help all the visitors and help to ensure that Lewisham does not become a giant dome car park.
Mr. Smith:
Of course I understand my hon. Friend's concerns about what might happen if proper provision is not made. It is absolutely essential to ensure that good quality, reliable public transport services are available to everyone who wishes to travel to the dome. I will bring the specific points that my hon. Friend raises to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York):
It is all very well overseas visitors coming and using an interchange at Lewisham, but how are my constituents from the Vale of
Mr. Smith:
The hon. Lady will be aware of the National Express package, which has already been announced. It will offer transport from anywhere in the United Kingdom to the dome, including entrance to it, for £29 per person. She will be aware also of the special rates for family groups of up to five people, which have already been announced. The hon. Lady may be aware of the discussions that are under way with other transport operators to ensure that other means of getting to the dome from all parts of the United Kingdom are available at affordable rates.
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