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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 27 October 1999

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

National Lottery

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what data he has collated on National Lottery ticket sales by (a) constituency and (b) social class. [95533]

Kate Hoey: Information on National Lottery ticket sales by constituency is not available. Ticket sales are only broken down on a geographical basis by television region. Average weekly spend on the Saturday and Wednesday draws between July 1998 and April 1999 is shown in the following table, which was provided by the Lottery operator, Camelot Group plc.

TV RegionAverage weekly spend by those participating (£)Average percentage participating
LWT Carlton3.5544
Meridian/South3.4448
Anglia3.0850
West Country3.0949
Wales and West3.2351
Central3.1150
Granada3.2048
Yorkshire3.3755
Tyne Tees3.4563
Scottish3.2652
Ulster3.0043
Total3.2949


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Ticket sales by social class as shown in the following table, also provided by Camelot.

percentage

Social classSaturday gameWednesday game
AB2120
C12525
C22627
DE2828

Note:

No breakdown is available for instants sales.


Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will provide an estimate of moneys he anticipates will be received by each of the good causes up until the end of the current lottery contract; how much has been received by each good cause to date; and if he will make a statement. [95275]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 26 October 1999]: By 30 September 1999 the total income (including interest) to the Good Causes from the National Lottery was as follows:

£ billion
Good causeLottery income received (including interest)
Charities1.48
Heritage1.50
Arts1.44
Sports1.48
Millennium Commission1.66
New Opportunities Fund0.63
Total8.19

The forecast income for the Good Causes to the end of the current Licence has been estimated using three different scenarios:

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£ billion

Good causeLow forecastMedium forecastHigh forecast
Charities1.881.911.97
Heritage1.891.921.99
Arts1.851.881.94
Sports1.881.911.98
Millennium Commission (including interest)2.0192.0192.019
New Opportunities Fund1.161.221.36
Interest for the period 1 October 1999 to 30 September 20010.340.350.38
Total (including interest)11.0211.2111.64

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The income data for the individual Good Causes (except the Millennium Commission) exclude interest for the period from 1 October 1999 to the end of the Licence. It is not possible to calculate the future allocation of interest between the Good Causes, because this will depend on the rate at which the Distributors draw income from the NLDF. The estimated total interest for all the Good Causes from 1 October 1999 to the end of the Licence is shown separately.

Television Licences

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines he gives to the

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Television Licensing Authority regarding the purchasing of licences part-way through a calendar month; and if he will make a statement. [95711]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 26 October 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has issued no such guidelines. Since 1991, the BBC has had statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and Television Licensing carries out the day to day administration as agent for the Corporation. However, I understand that the practice of issuing new licences to expire 12 months from the end of the month preceding that in which they are issued follows previous Home Office practice.

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Public Bodies (Vacancies)

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out the current vacancies on non-governmental public bodies sponsored by his Department, together with the dates on which the vacancies arose and when they were advertised. [95154]

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Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 25 October 1999]: The information is listed. For reasons of proportionality, it is my Department's policy only to consider advertising for posts which are of widespread public interest and/or with annual remuneration of above £10,000. The majority of appointments to my Department's public bodies do not fall within this definition.

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Vacancy fromBodyRole description
30 September 1999British LibraryTrustee
16 June 1999Public Lending Right CommitteeTrustee
30 September 1999Broadcasting Standards CommissionTrustee
30 September 1999Independent Television CommissionDeputy-Chairman
17 August 1999Independent Television CommissionMember
15 August 1999Radio Authority2 Members
30 June 1999National Film and Television SchoolGovernor
8 February 1999English Tourism CouncilMember
27 May 1999New Opportunities FundMember
30 September 1999Horniman MuseumTrustee
5 December 1998Imperial War MuseumTrustee
12 January 1999Geffrye MuseumTrustee
20 January 1999Museum of LondonGovernor
29 November 1998Museum of LondonGovernor
30 June 1998Museum of LondonGovernor
31 March 1999National Museum and Galleries on Merseyside2 Trustees
7 June 1998Royal ArmouriesTrustee
15 July 1998Royal ArmouriesTrustee
25 February 1999Royal ArmouriesTrustee
3 April 1999Tate GalleryTrustee
19 May 1999Wallace CollectionTrustee
30 September 1999Victoria and Albert Museum3 Trustees
3 August 1999Royal National TheatreMember
18 September 1999English Sports Council2 Members
8 March 1998English HeritageCommissioner
8 June 1998English HeritageCommissioner
31 March 1999Advisory Committee for Historic Wrecks2 Members
1 October 1999Theatres TrustTrustee
5 April 1999Theatres Trust2 Trustees
9 October 1999Architectural Heritage FundTrustee

Note:

These are the vacancies which are in the process of being filled


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National Museum of Pop

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to support further the National Museum of Pop in Sheffield. [95756]

Mr. Alan Howarth: I regret that the National Centre for Popular Music is in difficulty. This is an exciting venture designed to celebrate the world's rich heritage of popular music. I understand that the NCPM is working with all interested parties, including the Arts Council of England, Yorkshire Arts, English Partnerships and Sheffield City Council, to arrive at a solution to the Centre's difficulties.

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to visit the National Museum of Pop in Sheffield. [95470]

Mr. Alan Howarth: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has at present no plans to visit the National Centre for Popular Music in Sheffield.

World Cup

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the European Commission officials who were given World Cup tickets at the time of

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that event; if these officials were involved in assessing the fine on the football authorities imposed by the Commission; and if he will make a statement. [95498]

Kate Hoey: My Department does not hold information on the distribution of tickets for the 1998 World Cup Finals to European Commission officials. That is a matter for the organisers of the 1998 World Cup Finals and the European Commission.

Tourism

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many holidays were taken in the United Kingdom by British residents in (a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998. [95436]

Janet Anderson: In 1996 UK residents took 64.8 million holidays within the United Kingdom. By 1997 this figure had risen by 6 million to 70.8 million, an increase of 9 per cent. However, in 1998 the number of holidays taken had declined by 5.7 million to 65.1 million, a decrease of 9 per cent.

Local Libraries

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those local

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authorities to which, within the last year, he has made written representations over their plans to reduce local library services. [95130]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 25 October 1999]: My Department has been involved in detailed discussions with 10 authorities about major changes to their library services, including service reductions. It is our policy at this stage not to name or list the authorities concerned. Our experience is that there is more chance of finding acceptable resolutions if this policy is followed, and indeed this has happened in several cases already.


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