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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Art and Business
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list those organisations which have received funding under the Pairing Scheme administered by Art and Business (formerly ABSA), together with the relevant amount in each case in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000; [114743]
- (2) if he will list those organisations which agreed funding arrangements under the Arts Council Pairing Scheme administered by Art & Business (formerly ABSA) for schemes lasting more than (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99, and (iii) 1999-2000, together with the planned funding agreed for each year. [114742]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 15 March 2000]: During the three years in question, Arts and Business agreed 1,890 Pairing Scheme awards totalling £12,080,157. These are summarised in the following table. A full list of awards has been included in a report prepared by Arts and Business, and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
| Year | Value of 'one-off' awards (i.e. awards not covered by a three-year contract | Value of awards made as part of a three-year contract | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 1,979,129 | 2,087,962 | 4,067,091 |
| 1998-99 | 1,294,082 | 2,677,812 | 3,971,894 |
| 1999-2000 | 2,047,554 | 1,993,618 | 4,041,172 |
| Total | 5,320,765 | 6,759,392 | 12,080,157 |
Note:
The Pairing Scheme did not make two-year awards
National Athletics Stadium
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in locating a site for a new national athletics stadium. [114908]
Kate Hoey:
Sport England has submitted an analysis of the cost and design issues related to the brief for an athletics venue proposed by UK Athletics, along with an evaluation of a number of potential sites in London against criteria discussed and agreed between my Department, the Government Office for London, UK Sport, UK Athletics, the 2005 World Athletics Championships Bid Team and the British Olympic Association. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I chaired a meeting of all interested parties on Wednesday 15 March to consider
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these papers at which it was agreed that my Department will co-ordinate further detailed work on a short-list of sites and a further announcement will be made shortly.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will reply to the question tabled on 15 February, ref 110728, from the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham concerning peat compost. [115191]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 15 March 2000, Official Report, columns 253-54W.
Mr. Faber:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if it is the policy of his Department that any stadium selected as a London bid venue for the 2005 World Athletics Championships should be capable of being upgraded to 80,000 seats in the event of a successful London Olympic bid. [115227]
Kate Hoey:
We are looking at a number of options to ensure that we develop a venue capable of staging major domestic and international athletics events, which creates a permanent legacy for future generations of UK athletes and will not rule out a future Olympic bid.
Mr. Faber:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to reply to the Fourth report of Session 1999-2000 of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wembley National Stadium (HC 164). [115232]
Kate Hoey:
We are considering the conclusions and recommendations in the Committee's Fourth report of Session 1999-2000 carefully and will respond shortly.
Mr. Faber:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to reply to the Third report of Session 1999-2000 of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Funding of the BBC (HC 25). [115231]
Janet Anderson:
The Government welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report "The Funding of the BBC" and is grateful to the Committee for its inquiry into this area. Command Paper 4674, which constitutes the Government's response to the report, is due to be published on 22 March. Copies will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with English Heritage concerning the heritage and architectural merits of the Baltic Exchange; and if he will make a statement. [115262]
Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 17 March 2000]: No such discussions have taken place.
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Nevertheless, I am aware that an application for demolition of the building and redevelopment of the former Baltic Exchange site has been made to the City of London Corporation. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions has issued an Article 14 Direction the effect of which is to prohibit the City Corporation from making a decision, pending consideration by my right hon. Friend as to whether the case should be called in for his own decision and whether an environmental impact assessment should be carried out. English Heritage are my right hon. Friend's advisers on listed building matters and their views will be taken into account at the appropriate stage.
It would not be right for me to comment on merits of the case, since to do so could prejudice my right hon. Friend's decision.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library copies of the results of market research commissioned by NMEC in 1999 into the Millennium Dome. [110243]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 15 March 2000]: Much of the market research commissioned by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) in 1999 was specifically oriented to particular business development aspects of the project. It was commissioned on the basis that it would not be published, but would be used internally by NMEC to inform its marketing and business strategies. Copies of the more general market research undertaken as part of the overall development of the project in 1997 and 1998 have been placed in the Library.
19. Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much in addition to existing spending plans the Government plan to spend in real terms on the Defence Medical Services over the next four years. [113707]
Dr. Moonie:
Following the Strategic Defence Review we allocated an additional £140 million to the Defence Medical Services over the four years 1998-99 to 2001-02. Funding for subsequent years is currently under consideration as part of my Department's annual planning process.
22. Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total cost to the UK (a) of operation Desert Fox and (b) of subsequent operations in Iraq; and what is the current monthly cost. [113710]
Mr. Hoon:
Information on the total cost of Operation Desert Fox cannot be reliably differentiated from the overall costs of military operations in the Gulf, which in 1998-99 cost £35 million. The figure for 1999-2000 is forecast to be £30 million, a reduction of £3 million on the previous estimate I gave to the House on 22 February.
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Our costs are not collected on a monthly basis, nor do they relate, always, to regular monthly activities.
24. Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current strength of the Army; and what was its strength in March 1999. [113712]
Mr. Spellar:
The current strength of UK Trained Army Personnel as at 1 February 2000, the latest figures available is 96,607. This represents an increase of some 147 personnel over the comparable figure for March 1999 of 96,460.
26. Mr. Brazier:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made by his Department of the threat to the UK from weapons of mass destruction. [113714]
Mr. Hoon:
Our assessment is that there is no significant threat to the UK from weapons of mass destruction at present, but developments continue to be monitored closely.
27. Mr. Martin Bell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the cause of the crash of RAF Chinook ZD 576 on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994 has been established absolutely beyond doubt. [113715]
Mr. Spellar:
Yes. The finding of gross negligence required there to be absolutely no doubt whatsoever over the cause of the crash. The aircraft was being flown towards the high ground of the Mull of Kintyre at high speed, at low level and into fog.
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