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Sports Sites
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the accuracy of the National Register of Sports Sites. [88462]
Mr. Banks: The proposals for a national register of Recreational Land were originally put forward during the preparation of The Playing Pitch Strategy by the GB Sports Council, the National Playing Fields Association and the Central Council for Physical Recreation in 1989. The objectives of the Register from the outset were to monitor change in the recreational land resource; to assist in policy development at the local and national level; and to provide information to the public. An independent evaluation of the Register 1994 found a number of shortcomings with the data. These shortcomings were due to a number of factors, including the voluntary nature of the project, with owners and managers of sites under no obligation to provide data, and many refusing to co-operate.
A review of the effectiveness of the Register in 1998 indicated that the likelihood of achieving and maintaining a comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date national inventory of playing pitches was remote. Sport England, with the support of the DCMS, the National Playing Fields
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Association and the Central Council for Physical Recreation, is currently working with local authorities on a suitable model of the Register which can be used by local authorities to undertake assessments of playing field need and provision in their area.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the criteria are for the funding of sports sites through the allocation of National Lottery money. [88463]
Mr. Banks:
Sport England is the statutory distributor of Lottery funding for sport in England. It dispenses these funds according to its own published criteria within a general policy framework agreed with the Government. The Council takes individual funding decisions based on a number of principles independently of Government.
Sport England has established stringent assessment criteria for applicants in which priority is given to those projects which demonstrate a commitment to increasing active sporting participation within the community, particularly those members of the community who may previously have been under-represented, for example, people with disabilities, women and junior participants. Projects that demonstrate a well thought out, structured programme for achieving this and those which expand the choice of sports available to the community are more likely to receive support. Sport England reaches its award decisions after a thorough appraisal of the many different aspects of each proposal. These criteria are fully explained in an application pack that is made available to all potential applicants to the Sport England Lottery Fund. Copies of the pack have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to amend the Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937. [88460]
Mr. Banks:
I have announced that we will seek to amend the Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937 so that chess may become eligible for funding from the Sports Council. Primary legislation will be required and proposals to do so will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of making the National Playing Fields Association a statutory consultee on playing fields development. [88461]
Mr. Banks:
Any decision to include the National Playing Field Association as a statutory consultee on playing fields development is one for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. We have already introduced a number of measures to protect playing fields which require local education authorities, schools and developers to consider carefully the needs of school children and local communities for whom playing fields are a vital resource.
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Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and myself are in the closest contact with Ministers at the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to monitor these arrangements, and we will consider any further action which may be needed.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of allowing mandatory rate relief to voluntary sports clubs. [88746]
Mr. Banks:
The issue of mandatory rate relief is a matter primarily for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, though I take a close interest in the potential for developing grass roots sport.
We made a Manifesto commitment to review the current arrangements under which local authorities give business rate relief to non-profit-making sports clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions will issue a consultation paper later in the year.
Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications have been received to finance retention of private sports grounds with funds from the Sportsmatch programme; and if he will list them. [88745]
Mr. Banks:
Sportsmatch, which is administered by the Institute of Sports Sponsorship, launched the Company Sports Facilities Initiative pilot scheme last year to encourage companies with sports facilities to open them to wider use by local communities and sports clubs. Discussions are in hand with potential company sponsors, but no applications have been received to date. The retention of private sports facilities is not eligible for Sportsmatch funding.
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations his Department has made to the Department of Trade and Industry on the impact of the national minimum wage on activity holidays; and if he will publish them. [88454]
Janet Anderson:
We have received a number of representations from the tourism and hospitality industry on the national minimum wage, including some from the activity holiday sector, which we have passed on to the Department of Trade and Industry. The industry had good and productive discussions during 1998-99 with the independent Low Pay Commission and the Government subsequently set the National Minimum Wage at the sensible level recommended by the Commission.
The Government have asked the Low Pay Commission to monitor and evaluate the impact of the introduction of the national minimum wage. The Commission will welcome views from tourism and hospitality operators on the impact the new legislation is having in practice.
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Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what legislative changes will be required to establish the English Tourism Council. [88452]
Janet Anderson:
No legislation is needed at this stage. The Development of Tourism Act 1969 still applies. Following its launch on 19 July, the English Tourism Council will be the trading name for the English Tourist Board. The new name reflects the change in the body's remit and will be changed formally when a legislative opportunity arises.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to announce who has been appointed to be the (a) chairman and (b) chief executive of the new English Tourism Council. [89135]
Janet Anderson:
We are announcing today that the chairman of the English Tourism Council is to be Alan Britten. He will take up the post on Monday 12 July. The appointment of a chief executive is a matter for the ETC.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is (a) the cost and (b) the design life of the Millennium Wheel; and how long it is planned to remain at its County Hall location. [88838]
Janet Anderson:
The Millennium Ferris Wheel (London Eye) is an entirely privately funded project sponsored by British Airways; no application for funding has been made to any Government Department or Agency. Temporary planning permission was granted for a period of five years and any plan to extend this period would have to be made through my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what is his Department's estimate of the cost of transport projects involved in the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium as the centrepiece for a bid to host the Olympic Games; [89139]
Mr. Banks:
The British Olympic Association are currently undertaking feasibility studies involving Sport England, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Government Office for London on the key aspects of mounting a successful bid for a future Olympics. These cover environment, transport, Olympic village and sports facilities, including a stadium capable of staging the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics events. These working groups are expected to report in December with a full assessment of what is in place and what needs to be in place to bid for and stage the Olympic Games.
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(2) what is his Department's estimate of the total cost of the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium as the centrepiece for a bid to host the Olympic Games. [89133]
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