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Seychelles

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 29 March 2000, Official Report, column 185W, on the Seychelles, how financial assistance provided by her Department for the Seychelles was spent in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 1998-99. [123962]

Clare Short: Our financial assistance to the Seychelles during this period was as follows:

£

	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99
Technical Cooperation(11)	96,263	61,038	37,158
Heads of Mission Small Projects/Gifts	283,542	249,274	163,717
Financial Aid(12)	22,026	18,018	15,449
Disaster Relief	4,659	0	0
Total	406,490	328,330	216,324

(11) Includes personnel, training awards and scholarships

(12) Pensions

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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Millennium Dome

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the sponsors of corporate hospitality events at the Dome. [119309]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 17 April 2000]: In the year to date, the official sponsors of the Millennium Experience account for the majority of bookings (47 per cent.) for corporate hospitality events. The bulk of the remaining bookings (30 per cent.) are made through NMEC's corporate hospitality partners: Business Pursuits; Cavendish Hospitality; Langston Scott Limited; Letheby & Christopher and Mark Butler Associates. A smaller number of one-off bookings (23 per cent.) from within NMEC and from charities and other third parties, such as the TUC, account for the remainder of the total. A significant number of this latter category of clients requested that details of their bookings remained private.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the minutes of the meeting of the Millennium Commission at which it was decided to grant an additional £29 million to the Millennium Dome. [124480]

Mr. Chris Smith: This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I will write to the right hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

Digital Broadcasting

Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of relay stations in Wales which will require conversion to deliver a comprehensive digital terrestrial service; and what estimate he has made of the cost of conversion. [123287]

Janet Anderson: The present digital terrestrial television transmitter network comprises 81 transmitter sites, of which nine are located in Wales. The Government will ensure that all viewers in Wales who presently receive analogue television will be able to receive the main free-to-air channels digitally, before the analogue transmissions are fully switched to digital. The ITC, BBC and the digital broadcasters are planning jointly the development of digital terrestrial television coverage across the UK. However, the joint project has not estimated how many analogue transmitters would have to be converted, or the associated cost, to replicate analogue terrestrial coverage in Wales or elsewhere in the UK.

Tourism (East Lancashire)

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to promote tourism in East Lancashire. [123523]

Janet Anderson: The North West Tourist Board (NWTB) will receive £383,845 for tourism projects in the region from the English Tourism Council in 2000-01--an increase of 32 per cent. on the previous year. These projects include a series of research initiatives at both the regional and pan-regional levels that will provide an enhanced level of intelligence to the tourism industry of the region. East Lancashire, in common with all parts of

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England, also benefits from the promotion work of the British Tourist Authority (BTA), which promotes Britain as a visitor destination in overseas markets. The BTA is receiving £37 million from my Department this year.

Tourism and culture in Lancashire have also benefited, both directly and indirectly, from the National Lottery (2,300 projects in the county have received awards totalling £468,716,329 according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's National Lottery Awards Database which uses information supplied by the distributing bodies).

Staff Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff from his Department were seconded to private sector companies in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to April 2000; and if he will list in each case the companies to which staff were sent, the names and ranks of the staff involved and the duration of the secondment. [123429]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 24 May 2000]: The information for staff seconded from my Department to private sector companies for the periods specified is as follows:

(a) For May 1997 to April 1998, one Grade A (Grade 7 equivalent) secondment since September 1997 which is still on-going.

(b) For May 1998 to April 1999, two Grade C staff (EO equivalent) secondments since May 1998 for two years and six months respectively.

(c) For May 1999 to April 2000, one Grade A secondment since May 1999 for a period of 3 years.

All secondments were to the New Millennium Experience Company.

Information on secondments of staff into the Department was provided in my answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) on 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 100W.

Dome Loan

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the latest Millennium Commission allocation of funds to the Dome will be repaid. [123849]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 25 May 2000]: This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I will write to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

Dome Sale

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to which body or bodies proceeds of the sale of the Millennium Dome site will be payable. [123799]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 25 May 2000]: The proceeds from the sale of the Millennium Dome will be split between the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), as the owners of the Dome structure and

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contents, and English Partnerships, the Government agency that owns the Dome site and the surrounding land, to reflect the value of the assets for sale.

Film Classification

Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what external legal advice he has taken on the classification of films shown at a cinema as (a) goods and (b) services for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [123871]

Janet Anderson: My Department has not sought external legal advice on this issue. The view of the Government's legal advisers is that the films shown in cinemas are not covered by Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) (the provisions relating to goods, facilities and services). However, cinema proprietors have the same responsibilities under Part III of the Act as other providers of services to the public. These provisions make it unlawful for service providers to discriminate against disabled people by: refusing them service; providing them service on worse terms; or providing a lower standard of service. In addition they must make reasonable adjustments when their services are impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use.

Laptops

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many laptop computers used by Ministers, officials and special advisers in his Department have been (a) lost and (b) stolen since May 1997. [123732]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 25 May 2000]: Since May 1997, five laptops have been lost. None have been stolen or reported stolen. None of the laptops were used by Ministers or special advisers.

Free Television Licences

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners over the age of 75 years are eligible for free TV licences in Cleethorpes constituency, broken down by electoral ward. [123876]

Janet Anderson: I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 2 March 2000, Official Report, column 350W.

Millennium Commission

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the minutes of the Millennium Commission meeting on 22 May. [124061]

Mr. Chris Smith: This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I will write to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out the distinction between his role as Chairman of the Millennium

5 Jun 2000 : Column: 95W

Commission and his role as Secretary of State, with particular reference to the avoidance of conflicting interests. [124062]

Mr. Chris Smith: The roles of Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (previously National Heritage) and Chairman of the Millennium Commission are separate and distinct, but have run in tandem since the Millennium Commission was established in 1994. The Millennium Commission is an independent body, with the status of a body corporate. Each of the nine Commissioners, including myself as Chairman, have equal status.

Both roles are governed by strict rules covering conflicts of interest--namely the Ministerial Code: A Code of conduct and Guidance on Procedures for Ministers; and the Code of Conduct for members of the Millennium Commission.

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