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Shootings (Weapon Serial Numbers)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the serial number of (a) the weapon used in the shooting of Private Neil Clerk in Derry on 23 April 1984, (b) the weapon used in the shooting of Martin Patten of the Royal Anglian Regiment on 21 September 1985 and (c) the weapon used in the shooting of army caterer Kurt Konig on 21 November 1985; in how many other attacks and on what dates each of these weapons are believed to have been used; and where and in whose keeping they are stored. [124326]

Mr. Ingram: While three persons were convicted of the murder of Private Clark, the investigations of the murders of Martin Patten and Kurt Konig remain open. To release any information in connection with them would not be appropriate, as it may prejudice any future legal proceedings.

Oversight Commissioner

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions the Chief Constable of the RUC was present, for how long; and for which interviews, for the post of the Oversight Commissioner. [125527]

Mr. Ingram: The Chief Constable was not present at any of the interviews.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Disestablishment

35. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussion the Church Commissioners have had with the Government since May 1997 about the possibility and financial implications of disestablishment. [123705]

Mr. Stuart Bell: None.

Redundant Churches

36. Mr. Paterson: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners,

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if he will make a statement on the role of congregations on deciding priorities for the disposal of redundant churches. [123706]

Mr. Stuart Bell: The procedure for settling the future of redundant Church of England churches gives priority to dioceses seeking and achieving suitable alternative uses. Dioceses are also encouraged to keep informed the local parochial church councils, which are also given the opportunity to make representations for or against the proposed use.

Hunting with Hounds

37. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what action the Commissioners plan to take in response to the report of the Burns Inquiry. [123707]

Mr. Stuart Bell: I understand the results of the Burns inquiry--to which the Commissioners were not invited to give evidence--are expected to be made public shortly. Until then it is not possible to answer my hon. Friend's question, but we will look forward to seeing the report.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Millennium Dome

12. Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the future of the Millennium Dome after 31 December. [123681]

Mr. Chris Smith: On 16 May the Government announced that two proposals had been selected to advance to the final stage of the competition. These two bids were chosen from a strong field of five bids which had been invited in January to submit detailed proposals and indicative financial offers.

The bids in the final shortlist are:



We are now working with the bidders to develop these proposals further, and will proceed to a decision in the summer on the winning proposal.

24. Mr. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the financial situation of the Millennium Dome. [123693]

Mr. Chris Smith: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Eccles (Mr. Stewart) on 25 May 2000, Official Report, columns 579-80W.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the Millennium Dome's sponsors have paid their full agreed amount of sponsorship funding. [124479]

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Janet Anderson [holding answer 5 June 2000]: Under the terms of the individual sponsorship contracts, sponsors are on a rolling and varied schedule of payments. The New Millennium Experience Company are continuing to receive payments.

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the grant payments made from the Millennium Commission to fund the Millennium Dome including the value of those payments, and the date on which they were agreed. [124741]

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.

National Lottery

16. Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about additionality in respect of the national lottery awards for health and education projects. [123685]

Mr. Chris Smith: The Government remain committed to the principle of additionality and established the NOF, after extensive public consultation, to support innovative health, education and environment projects which are additional to programmes funded from taxation. The National Lottery through the New Opportunities Fund has so far committed £1.5 billion to specific, time limited health and education initiatives.

20. Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support has been given by the National Lottery Charities Board to youth work in support of policy against social exclusion in (a) urban and (b) rural areas in (i) 1998, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2000 to date. [123689]

Kate Hoey: The majority of grants awarded by the National Lottery Charities Board (NLCB) help to promote social inclusion, although they are not separately categorised. During 1998, 1999 and 2000 to date, the NLCB awarded the following grants to projects in urban and rural areas specifically targeted at young people aged 25 or under.









22. Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that former coalfield areas receive an increased share of the proceeds from the national lottery. [123691]

Mr. Chris Smith: Following the publication on 5 June of research into the impact of the National Lottery on coalfield areas, I announced a package of measures intended to ensure that coalfield and former coalfield areas receive more benefit from National Lottery money. My Department and Lottery distributors, who jointly commissioned the research, have set up an action team to

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consider the recommendations made in the report and to identify ways of actively encouraging applications from coalfields and other areas of low take up.

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average cost to organisations of making National Lottery funding applications. [124724]

Kate Hoey: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has directed the independent Quality Efficiency and Standards Team (QUEST), which he established last year to examine issues of standards and good practice across the range of this Department's responsibilities, to look at the costs of making applications for Lottery grants and consider how these costs could be contained without compromising the demands of proper accountability in decisions about how to spend public money. QUEST plans to publish the first phase of its report, which focuses on applications for Lottery grants of up to £100,000, shortly. The second phase, dealing with applications for grants of £100,000 plus, will be published later in the year.

Excellence in Sport

17. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals he has for the development of excellence in sport in the Eastern region. [123686]

Kate Hoey: Sport England have made it clear that the Eastern Region will be an integral part of the English Institute of Sport. Discussions remain ongoing about the services and facilities that may be required to support the development of sporting excellence in the Region.

Space for Sport and Arts

19. Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects the first grants will be made to primary schools under the Space for Sport and Arts scheme. [123688]

Kate Hoey: Officials from my Department and the Department for Education and Employment are now in the process of working up further details about the scheme with members of the sports strategy implementation group and Lottery distributors and we hope to be in a position to invite applications in the autumn with the first grants being made in the early part of next year.

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