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Broadcasting
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 16 February 2000, Official Report, column 545W, on broadcasting, if he will make a statement on the views expressed by the European Commission in respect of (a) News 24 and (b) future funding options for the BBC. [111900]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 1 March 2000]: The views of the European Commission on BBC News 24 were set out in the Commission's decision on the
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complaint by BSkyB. The Government welcomed the Commission's decision that licence fee funding dedicated to BBC News 24 is compatible with the Treaty rules. The Government did not, however, agree with the finding that the licence fee funding of BBC News 24 ought to have been notified to the Commission and noted that the finding in relation to notification was not determinative to the decision and was not the subject of argument.
The Commission has not expressed a view on funding options for the BBC, though it has requested information on the digital licence fee proposed by the independent review panel chaired by Gavyn Davies.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his basis for estimating the number of people who are employed in sport; and if he will make a statement. [112639]
Kate Hoey:
Research conducted by the Leisure Industries Research Centre at Sheffield/Sheffield Hallam Universities into the economic impact of sport in England and on behalf of Sport England, was published last month. It shows that employment in sport, including the commercial sector and central and local government, was 368,587 in 1998, an increase of over 20,000 on the 1995 figure, although the expanding employment market generally meant that the sports sector proportion of total employment fell from 1.64 per cent. to 1.59 per cent. These, and other figures contained within the report, provide further evidence of sport's existing and growing economic importance.
Mr. Pendry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to use the Internet to promote sporting opportunities. [112954]
Kate Hoey:
Our new site (www.culture.gov.uk) went live on Monday 28 February. It responds to public demands for a site which both outlines the role of Government within our areas of responsibility and guides browsers in the direction of a wide range of other sites, including Sport England and the United Kingdom Sports Council, to answer their many questions on cultural and sporting issues. The development of this portal site should encourage visitors to become regular users.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of when it will be possible to receive digital terrestrial transmissions in all parts of Pendle; and if he will make a statement. [113029]
Janet Anderson:
Maps showing the predicted digital terrestrial television (DTT) coverage from each of the 81 UK DTT transmitter sites have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses on CD-ROM. These show that most of Pendle is covered by transmissions from the Pendle Forest DTT transmitter. These transmissions reach between 204,000 and 220,000 people. There are no current plans for additional DTT transmitters but the BBC
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and ITC, who are responsible for the transmission network, are now considering, in consultation with digital broadcasters, manufacturers, consumer groups and Government, how to improve the coverage of digital television across the UK.
Mr. Luff:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list the post code areas of Worcestershire in which digital terrestrial television services are not currently available; [113067]
Janet Anderson:
The information is not available in the form requested. However, maps showing the predicted digital terrestrial television (DTT) coverage from each of the 81 individual transmitter sites in the UK have been placed in Libraries of both Houses on CD-ROM. The BBC and ITC, who are responsible for the DTT transmission network, are now considering, in consultation with digital broadcasters, manufacturers, consumer groups and Government, how to improve the coverage of digital television across the UK.
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the Executive Non Departmental Public Bodies 1999 report and the Executive Agencies 1999 report. [113591]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Government have today published the Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies 1999 Report, Cm 4657 and the Executive Agencies 1999 Report, CM 4658 which have been laid in both Houses. The Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies Report brings together performance and trend data on 89 bodies, and the Executive Agencies Report brings together performance and trend data on 104 agencies and two departments operating on agency lines.
The NDPBs Report shows that overall 69 per cent. of targets were achieved and that the number of measurable targets has increased substantially to 82 per cent., a 17 per cent. increase on last year. The Executive Agencies Report shows that overall 75 per cent. of targets were achieved and that the number of measurable targets has increased to 80 per cent., a 2 per cent. increase on last year.
Last March, the Government published the "Modernising Government" White Paper which made a commitment to bring the standard of all public services up to the level of the best so that they deliver what users want in an effective and responsible way. The performance of Executive Agencies and Executive NDPBs, as the main delivery arm of Central Government, is central to achieving this goal.
In raising standards throughout the public sector, the Government aim to build on existing achievements and seek further gains by ensuring the right mechanisms are in place to monitor and report the progress of all Agencies and NDPBs.
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In order to achieve sustained improvement, it is essential that these bodies should have measurable targets which are strategic, achievable, relevant to the business and timed; adopt robust customer satisfaction targets; have no more than eight key performance targets that focus on the main objectives of the business and set out more stretching targets that build on previous achievements.
We will be working to achieve this sustained improvement over the coming year.
Mr. Lansley:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many press officers were employed in her Department at (a) May 1997, (b) January 1998, (c) January 1999 and (d) January 2000; and what was the total expenditure on press officers by her Department in each of the years concerned. [112363]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The total expenditure on press officers in the Cabinet Office Press Office in the financial year 1997-98 was £453,646; 1998-99 was £512,255--the total to date for 1999-2000 (until the end of January) is £590,394.
The number of press officers in post in Cabinet Office Press Office at May 1997 was 12, January 1998 was 11, January 1999 was 14, and January 2000 was 20.
In addition, a dedicated press office was set up in March 1999, to co-ordinate Government media activity on the Year 2000 Millennium Bug problem. The Unit was set up by the President of the Council. The total expenditure on press officers in the Unit in 1998-99 was nil. The total expenditure on press officers this financial year, for 1999-2000 is £156,961.
No press officers were employed in the Unit in January 1999. Five press officers were employed in January 2000.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of documentation used by her Department is (a) made from recycled paper and (b) collected for recycling. [111610]
Mr. Stringer:
Documentation used by my Department is procured using criteria which include environmental considerations, value for money and performance in use in office machinery. The option of using recycled paper is under review. No statistics are available for the proportion of paper that is recycled. Arrangements are in place for the collection and recycling of much of the waste paper produced in the Department. No statistics are available of the proportion that is so treated.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee how many House of Commons current passes were held by former hon. Members on 31 December 1999. [113081]
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Mrs. Roe:
As at 31 December 1999, out of a total of 134 photopasses which had been issued to former hon. Members, 101 were current.
A further five former hon. Members had applied for photopasses, but had not collected them.
(2) what estimate he has made of (a) the percentage of households in Worcestershire that live in an area covered by digital terrestrial television signals and (b) when the signals will be available in all parts of the country. [113066]
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