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Tourism Industry
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance his Department gives local authorities for employing tourism officers. [105049]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 17 January 2000]: This Department gives no direct assistance to local authorities for employing tourism officers. However, our guidance pack, "Measuring the Local Impact of Tourism", offers useful advice to tourism officers and others in measuring the value and volume of tourism in local authority areas. The results of any such work may help local authorities determine the number and nature of tourism officers they wish to employ.
Relevant and reliable statistics will also form a useful base for the Cultural Strategies my Department is encouraging local authorities to produces. These will express the local cultural vision and priorities in response to the needs and aspirations of local communities, as well as recognising the role of cultural services--including tourism--in tackling the wider objectives of social inclusion, regeneration, lifelong learning, and healthier and safer communities.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of tourists to the UK in the last year for which figures are available visited (a) the North West and (b) London. [105048]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: An estimated 23.4 million visits were made to the UK from overseas in 1998, excluding visits from the Republic of Ireland. Overseas visitors spent at least one night in (a) the North West Tourist board regions (encompassing Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire) on 5 per cent. (1.2 million) and (b) London on 52 per cent. (12.3 million) of these trips. Visits on which both the North West and London were visited will be included in the figures for both the respective regions.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance his Department is giving to (a) Astley Hall and (b) other historic buildings in Chorley. [105036]
Mr. Alan Howarth
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: My Department does not directly fund historic buildings.
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However, Astley Hall and other historic buildings in Chorley have received assistance from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund as follows:
English Heritage
Astley Hall:
£9,000 (1983)
£7,100 (1985)
£5,000 (1987)
a further £4,750 was also made available in 1987
St. Georges Conservation Area Partnership Scheme (includes works to historic buildings)--£50,000 (1996-99)
Bank Hall--£25,478 offered to date
Heritage Lottery Fund
Astley Hall: No awards made
Lower Kem Mill: £68,530
Heapey and Wheelton War Memorial: £12,000
St. Paul's Church, Adlington: £64,200.
Family Law Act 1996
Mr. Coaker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to bring forward proposals to reform the law relating to divorce. [104881]
Jane Kennedy: I refer my hon. Friend to the written parliamentary answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate) on 17 June 1999, Official Report, column 213W. The position remains unchanged.
Persistent Young Offenders
Mr. Ruane: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average period between arrest and sentencing for persistent young offenders in each of the last 10 years. [105702]
Jane Kennedy: The average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders in England and Wales was 142 days in 1996, 141 days in 1997, 125 days in 1998, and an estimated 110 days in the first six months of 1999. Figures for earlier years are not available.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
"Raising Aspirations in the 21st Century"
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost of printing Raising Aspirations in the 21st Century; how many copies have been printed; to whom they have been distributed; and at what cost. [105361]
Mr. Wills:
The cost of producing this document was £12,000. 5,000 copies have been printed. Copies were distributed at the North of England Education Conference in Wigan on 6 January 2000. Other copies have been distributed to interested parties on demand. Copies are available to others on request and are free of charge.
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Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has for introduction of informal summer camp activities for young people; what will be the initial cost, and funded by whom; who will be able to run such camps under official auspices; by whom they will be vetted and inspected; if a structure of certification and qualifications is envisaged; who will carry the liability for participants and third parties; and if he will make a statement. [105560]
Jacqui Smith:
We envisage that a range of opportunities, including but not confined to adventure activities, will be made available to those 16-year-olds wishing to take part during the summer after their GCSEs, to help their transition between school and advanced study or work or training. The Department is working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and with others, on how to take this initiative forward, including the matters mentioned by the hon. Member. We expect to make further announcements in due course.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the minimum number of sixth form students necessary for an 11 to 18 school effectively to implement Curriculum 2000. [104850]
Mr. Wicks:
No assessment of the minimum number of sixth form students necessary for an 11 to 18 school effectively to implement the forthcoming reforms to post-16 qualifications has been made by my Department. A range of circumstances, of which student numbers is only one, will affect the ways in which schools and colleges implement the reforms. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has published detailed curriculum guidance on the reforms covering a range of relevant factors, including the size of the institution.
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria will be used to assess which careers guidance services are appropriate for transfer to the combined Youth Support Service; who will undertake this assessment; and what role interested partners will play in this process. [104695]
Mr. Wicks:
We are creating a new service with a new vision to ensure that all young people have access to the support and guidance services they need, when and where they need it, co-ordinating the services currently provided by an array of different agencies concerned with different aspects of young people's lives. We expect that the best careers service companies, together with a range of other local partners, will play a major role in the new arrangements. At this stage no decision has been made regarding any assessment criteria. We shall be announcing shortly the key functions that we expect the new support service to perform and how we will involve major partners in developing and implementing the new service.
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Mrs. May:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out the rescheduled increase in employers' contributions for teachers' pensions in the next and future financial years, the actuarial basis of the calculation and the impact on the budget of each local education authority. [105100]
Mr. Wicks
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: The employer contribution rate for members of the teachers' pension scheme is currently 7.2 per cent. The rate from 1 April 2000 will be 7.4 per cent; from 1 April 2002 the rate will be 8.35 per cent.
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