| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Millennium Dome
Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tickets for the Millennium Dome have been sold from outlets in (a) Wales and (b) the UK; and if he will make a statement. [128161]
Janet Anderson: There are various ways of purchasing tickets to visit the Dome; from Lottery outlets around the country, from the Dome ticket line, from travel and tourism companies and in person at the Dome. With so many possible purchase sources it is difficult to monitor the exact number of visitors from one particular location. Since 1 January 2000, a total of 2.9 million tickets have been sold; 639,693 of which have been sold direct from Lottery outlets across the UK; 7,981 have been sold from Lottery outlets in Wales.
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport where the millennium products, on sale in the Millennium Dome, are available for purchase elsewhere. [130290]
Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) Licensing programme allowed certain companies to sell approved products through their own wide-ranging distribution channels, including the main high street stores, such as WH Smith and Tesco. The Dome merchandising range is a mixture of licensed products, which were made widely available, and exclusive products, which were manufactured for sale at the Dome.
Funding (Sports Events)
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much financial assistance was made available by (a) the National Lottery, (b) the English Sports Council and Sport England, (c) the Government, (d) the UK Sports Council and (e) other
27 Jul 2000 : Column: 816W
public sector bodies to assist with (i) the preparation of the bid by Manchester to host the Olympics, (ii) the preparation of the bid by Manchester to host the Commonwealth Games, (iii) the upgrading of stadiums and other facilities for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, (iv) the running costs of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, (v) the preparation of the bid to host the World Student Games in Sheffield in 2003, (vi) the preparation of the bid to host the World Student Games in Sheffield, (vii) the upgrading of stadiums and other facilities for the World Student Games in Sheffield and (viii) the running costs of the World Student Games in Sheffield. [131793]
Kate Hoey: Most Government money specifically allocated to sport in England is channelled through the English Sports Council (Sport England). This is an independent body sponsored by this Department which, within an overall policy framework set by the Department, dispenses these funds according to its own detailed policies and priorities.
- (i) Regarding support for Manchester Olympic bids: Manchester made two unsuccessful bids for the Olympic Games for both 1996 and 2000. The bids received support from central Government in various ways, and much of the infrastructure assistance has been carried over to the Commonwealth Games. The overall cost for completing projects for the Olympic Bid 2000 programme was circa £73 million.
- (ii) No funding has been made available from the sources listed for the bid for the Commonwealth Games.
- (iii) Regarding the upgrading of stadiums and other facilities for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Sport England have made the following lottery grant: £92 million towards a total cost of £110 million for the Commonwealth Stadium and English Institute of Sport at Eastlands, Manchester, the venue for the Games athletics, cycling, squash, table tennis and rugby 7's events; £1 million to enhance facilities at Belle Vue, Manchester, to provide the venue for the Games hockey event; £6 million towards a total cost of £6.7 million, for the National Shooting Centre at Bisley, Surrey, the venue for the Games shooting events.
- (iv) No funding has been made available from the sources listed to meet the running costs of the Commonwealth Games. The World Student Games in 2003 will be held in Korea and no UK bid was made for these Games. The World Student Games were held in Sheffield in 1991. The English Sports Council and National Lottery did not exist at that time. However, I can say that £3 million was made available through the Sports Council for the 1991 World Student Games.
Tourism
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the United Kingdom's tourism earnings has benefited the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency, or other similar area for which figures are available, in the last two years for which figures are available; and how many new jobs connected to tourism have been created in this area in each year. [131668]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 21 July 2000]: Official sources do not provide estimates of tourism expenditure in Shrewsbury and Atcham or any other sub-county local authority areas, due to the lack of reliability of the information at that level. Information is made available at the county level, although due to the
27 Jul 2000 : Column: 817W
small sample sizes for some counties these figures should be treated with caution. Figures for tourism expenditure in the county of Shropshire for 1998 and 1999 are as follows:
| 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|
| Expenditure by UK and overseas tourists on trips of one or more night(1) | ||
| Shropshire | 93 | 136 |
| UK | 25,748 | 27,821 |
| Tourist spend in Shropshire as percentage of total tourist spend in UK | 0.4 | 0.5 |
(1) Excludes expenditure by visitors from the Republic of Ireland
Source:
UK Tourism Survey (UK tourists)
International Passenger Survey (overseas tourists--1999 data are provisional)
It is likely that the inclusion of the spending during tourism day visits would at least double these amounts.
Information from the Annual Employment Survey shows that the number of employee jobs in the tourism-related industries in Shrewsbury and Atcham stood at 2,500 in 1996, 2,600 in 1997 and 2,900 in 1998, the last three years for which information is available. Information on self-employment in the tourism-related industries is not made available at local authority level on the grounds of reliability.
BBC Online
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when he will begin his review of BBC Online; [132422]
- (2) on what date his Department was informed of the free trials of BBC news on mobile telephony and ADSL services; [132424]
(3) if his Agreement with BBC Online permits the distribution of content free-of-charge to commercially- funded Internet portals; [132423]
(4) if he will publish his Department's 1998 Agreement with the BBC on BBC Online. [132421]
Janet Anderson: A copy of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's approval to the BBC's proposals for BBC Online has been placed in the Library of the House. The BBC's formal request, to which the approval referred, has not been published because it contains confidential information. In relation to future approvals of BBC proposals for new public services, reasoned decisions will be published, under the new arrangements announced on 21 February.
Details of the review of BBC Online will be announced in due course.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not been requested by the BBC to consider whether the approval given in 1998 for BBC Online permits the distribution of content free-of-charge to commercially funded internet portals. It is for the BBC in the first instance to consider whether any further approval should be sought and for the BBC Governors to satisfy themselves that Charter obligations are being met. My right hon. Friend the
27 Jul 2000 : Column: 818W
Secretary of State is not, therefore, in a position to take a view on the scope of the current approval unless and until such a request, including detailed information, is received.
The BBC informed the Department of the trials for the provision of BBC News content over mobile phones on 26 January 2000.
Independent Football Commission
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to advertise (a) the position of Chairman of the Independent Football Commission and (b) other appointments to the Commission. [133137]
Mr. Chris Smith: I shall shortly announce details of the Government's response to the Football Task Force's report on commercial issues. The announcement will include the membership of the Independent Football Commission. As its name suggests, the Commission will be fully independent of the Government and the football authorities. As the Commission will not be a Government-sponsored body, the position of Chairman will not be advertised. A number of people with the relevant skills and experience are being considered for the position of Chairman. The Chairman will then appoint the members of the Commission.
Merchant Navy Day
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will ensure that the Red Ensign is flown from departmental buildings on Merchant Navy Day, 3 September. [132962]
Mr. Alan Howarth: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department today, Official Report, column 895W.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |