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Films (Children)

24. Ms Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage the British film industry to make more films aimed at children. [128220]

Janet Anderson: The Film Council's Lottery Strategy, published in May, recognises the need to broaden the range of films on offer to the British public. Its £5 million per year script development fund will seek to develop films for the broadest range of audiences, including children. The Council has also announced that it will allocate £1 million of lottery funds to offer children and young people the opportunity to try film-making.

Amateur Sports Clubs

26. Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial assistance is available to amateur sports clubs; and if he will make a statement. [128222]

Kate Hoey: Financial assistance is available to amateur sports clubs from a number of sources including: the Lottery Sports Fund; local authorities; governing bodies of sport who distribute income including exchequer funding from Sport England, through their own grant schemes; Sportsmatch; commercial sponsorship; the European Union Social Fund; the Foundation for Sport and the Arts (FSA); and other trusts and foundations with sport-related purposes.

Football Clubs

27. Mr. McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage football supporters to have greater influence in the running of their clubs. [128223]

Kate Hoey: The Government believe that groups of supporters can take a responsible role in the running of football clubs. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the Supporters Direct Initiative in January. In shadow form, this is already providing advice to groups of supporters wishing to form shareholding trusts. The Government will make a detailed announcement concerning the operation of the Supporters Direct Unit shortly.

Football Coaches

28. Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the activities of the Football Foundation will be directed to expanding the activity of qualified football coaches in primary and secondary schools. [128224]

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Kate Hoey: The Government will announce details of the Football Foundation shortly. It will be for the Foundation's Board to decide on funding priorities. However, it is envisaged that the greater part of the Foundation's income will be used to develop the sport at the grass roots. The Government expect that this will involve funding for the provision and improvement of playing facilities, equipment and high quality coaching for local football clubs and schools.

Libraries (New Books)

Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the investment in new books made each year by library authorities since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [128199]

Mr. Alan Howarth: In 1997-98 and 1998-99 expenditure by library authorities on books was £1.51 per person. In 1999-2000, the last year for which we have information, the estimated expenditure by library authorities on books was £1.59 per person. This is slightly less than 10 years ago when the figure was £1.73. I have proposed the inclusion of a book expenditure standard in the draft public library standards, which I published in May for wide consultation.

Digital Television

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of households which will be able to receive digital television within the next two years. [128209]

Mr. Chris Smith: Information available from the Independent Television Commission indicates that, with appropriate receivers, most homes in the UK are able to receive digital television now through terrestrial, satellite or cable delivery platforms.

Free Television Licences (Christchurch)

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in the Christchurch constituency will be eligible to receive free television licences from November. [125967]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 15 June 2000]: Exact figures on the number of households which will benefit from the concession are not available. However, as indicated by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 4 July 2000, Official Report, column 176W, the 1991 Census New Parliamentary Constituency Monitor, published by the Office for National Statistics, shows the population of the Christchurch constituency as 80,938, of which 5.3 per cent. were men aged 75 and over and 8.4 per cent. were women aged 75 and over.

Free Television Licences (Warrington, North)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate the number of pensioners in Warrington, North constituency who will be eligible for free television licences. [127315]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 26 June 2000]: Exact figures on the number of households which will benefit from the concession are not available. However, the 1991 Census New Parliamentary Constituency

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Monitor, published by the Office for National Statistics, shows the population of the Warrington, North constituency as 94,645, of which 1.8 per cent. were men aged 75 and over and 3.5 per cent. were women aged 75 and over.

Disabled People (Access)

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action he is taking to facilitate access for disabled people to new buildings funded by the national lottery. [129310]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 6 July 2000]: We have encouraged lottery distributors to promote access for all sections of society to the benefits of lottery funding. All lottery distributors take access for disabled people into account when considering grant applications for capital projects.

World Cup Bid

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the total costs incurred on (a) travel, (b) entertainment and (c) wages, salaries and pensions in connection with the England 2006 World Cup bid; and if he will make a statement. [129709]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 7 July 2000]: It will be for the Football Association to decide whether to publish details of total expenditure on the 2006 bid. However, Sport England has committed £3.14 million of lottery funding to supporting the bid, and details of the uses to which that money has been put--including the funding of a proportion of the bid team's staff costs--will appear in Sport England's Lottery Annual Report. Travel and entertainment expenditure has not been funded using lottery money as it is specifically excluded from Sport England's funding agreement with the FA.

Cultural Services

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the priority they should attach to cultural services. [128202]

Janet Anderson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State published draft Guidance on Local Cultural Strategies for all local authorities in England in June last year. This Guidance emphasises the importance of cultural services in improving the quality of life for all. A major theme of the Guidance is how cultural services can contribute to wider aims such as tackling social exclusion, encouraging healthier lifestyles and stimulating a commitment to lifelong learning.

In February we sent all local authorities a mid-term progress report on the experiences of 14 authorities who have been piloting the Guidance. Responses from some 300 local authorities indicated that 85 per cent. of them were developing or had developed a cultural strategy. That represents approximately two-thirds of local authorities in England, which is very good progress.

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PRIME MINISTER

Social Exclusion Unit

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Prime Minister what were the total costs of the Social Exclusion Unit in 1999. [126797]

The Prime Minister: The Cabinet Office spent £1,570,000 on the Social Exclusion Unit in the financial year 1999-2000. In addition, the pay and associated costs of a number of staff were borne by other Government Departments to the estimated sum of £214,000; and for parts of the year, some secondee, adviser and research costs have been supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Improvement and Development Agency, National Westminster Bank, the Housing Corporation and Kent County Constabulary.

Ministerial Residences

Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2000, Official Report, column 50W, if those Ministers having the use of grace and favour residences are required to use the additional cost allowance towards the costs incurred within these properties. [126331]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 20 June 2000]: The costs of maintaining official residences are met by the Government. Ministers occupying official residences are not entitled to claim on London properties the Parliamentary additional cost allowance. Nor are they entitled to the Parliamentary London supplement paid to other Members of Parliament who live in London.

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