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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Staff Secondments

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) of 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 100W, concerning secondments, if he will give the names, grades and job titles of the staff seconded into his Department from each organisation mentioned, stating in each case the name of the section they were seconded to and a summary of the work that they were involved with. [128240]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 29 June 2000]: I regret that the information given in my answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) was slightly incomplete. I am pleased now to be able to provide a more detailed response.

In my Department, secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. Before an Interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

All sectors of the economy are involved: Voluntary, Education, Health, Public and Private. Interchange is a key component of the reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and sending more of our people out.

28 Jul 2000 : Column: 1103W

Secondees from the following organisations have worked in my Department since May 1992:

from Trench Farrow & Partners as Project Director to British Library from 3 July 1995 to 31 December 1998;

From Forte plc (changed to Roy Tutty Associates in August 1997) to assist Tourism Division from February 1995 to October 1998;

from the British Phonographic Industry to assist the Media Division from 1 April 1998 to date.

from Gardner Merchant to assist Tourism Division from January 1999 to January 2000.

from the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society to assist the Media Division from 1 March 1999 to date.

from Manchester City Council to assist the Sports and Recreation Division from 11 January 2000 to date.

from the Youth Sports Trust to assist the Sport and Recreation Division since 7 February 2000 to date.

Pistol Shooting Competitions

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the arrangements for British competitive shooters to participate in pistol shooting competitions in the UK as part of the Commonwealth Games; and what arrangements apply to foreign shooters travelling to the UK to represent their country at such events. [128591]

Kate Hoey: Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games will be the largest multi-sporting event held in this country since the 1948 Olympics, and shooting is a Commonwealth Games Federation approved sport within the competition schedule. The Home Office is currently discussing the detailed arrangements for the Games with the governing bodies of shooting--the National Rifle Association and the National Small-Bore Rifle Association. I very much hope that British Shooters will take part in pistol shooting sports on the same basis as those from the other countries.

Junior Sport

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will make a statement on the number of children playing (a) cricket and (b) rugby league in schools; [128831]

(2) if he will make a statement on the number of children playing tennis in schools. [128833]

Kate Hoey: A survey of young people in sport, commissioned by Sport England in 1999, shows that participation in tennis and cricket in schools has increased since 1994 (from 16 to 18 per cent. and 13 to 16 per cent. of children participating 10 times or more in the last year, respectively), while participation in rugby remains unchanged (12 per cent. of children participating 10 times or more in the last year).

My Department does not have statistics on the number of children playing tennis and rugby league in schools, but English and Wales Cricket Board figures suggest that more than 2.1 million children play cricket in schools.

New Millennium Experience Company

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the latest cash flow projections for the New Millennium Experience Company; and if he will make a statement. [129281]

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Janet Anderson [holding answer 6 July 2000]: We have contacted the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to request the information, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guarantees the Government have offered to financial institutions financing the New Millennium Experience Company. [133470]

Janet Anderson: No financial institution is financing the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC). No guarantee has therefore been made.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visitors a month are needed to the Dome for the New Millennium Experience Company to break even for the last five months of the year. [133466]

Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) revised budget is based on six million paying visitors. The Dome has received over 3.5 million visitors to date is now entering what is anticipated to be its busiest period of the year.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which financial institution is providing the overdraft and working capital needed by the New Millennium Experience Company. [133471]

Janet Anderson: No financial institution is providing an overdraft or working capital to the New Millennium Experience Company.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) who will have responsibility for paying for losses at the New Millennium Experience Company once the most recent allocation of lottery money has been spent; [133782]

(2) what proportion of the sale proceeds of the Dome accruing to the New Millennium Experience Company will be returned to the Government as shareholder; [133783]

(3) what arrangements have been made to pay proceeds from the sale of the Dome from the New Millennium Experience Company to the Government as shareholder; [133784]

(4) what proportion of the sale proceeds from the Dome will be allocated to English Partnerships; [133805]

(5) when it is planned to wind up the New Millennium Experience Company. [133859]

Janet Anderson: I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

Millennium Dome

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the maximum additional revenues which will be required by the Millennium Commission in order to meet its liabilities in respect of the Dome. [131373]

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Janet Anderson [holding answer 18 July 2000]: We have contacted the Millennium Commission to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the £41.8 million operations and running costs of the Dome incurred in the nine months to 31 December 1999. [133138]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 27 July 2000]: We have contacted the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the (a) content editors and (b) godparents of each zone of the Millennium Dome; if he will list the members of the Creative Review Group and the dates on which the group met; and for what reasons each was selected. [133438]

Janet Anderson: The four Content Editors employed by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) were Martin Newman, Tania Watson, Tim Gardom and Ben Evans. In each case these were individuals who were recommended to NMEC by leading design companies, Board members and other advisers to NMEC.

On 21 October 1998, NMEC announced the expert advisers, "Godparents" who worked with NMEC and its zone designers and sponsors on the exhibit zones at that time. All of them are experts in their fields with experience of communicating ideas in medicine and science, entertainment, the arts, and the environment to wide audiences.

The Godparents were: the Lord Puttnam of Queensgate (Work and Learn); Floella Benjamin (Shared Ground); Sir Neil Cossons (Journey); Professor Richard Gregory CBE (Mind); Sir Michael Peckham and Professor Catherine Peckham (Body); The Hon Sara Morrison (Living Island); Professor Christopher Frayling (Faith); John Sorrell CBE (Self Portrait); Michael Jolly (Play); Simon Jenkins (Talk).

Each "Godparent" held regular meetings and reviews with the design teams working on the zones.

On 16 February 1998 NMEC announced the membership of its Creative Review Group, better known as "The Litmus Group". Each member had experience and expertise in a particular field of entertainment, art and design, visitor attractions, broadcasting and education.

Members met regularly to advise NMEC on the coherence, quality, entertainment and educational potential of design proposals.

The members were: Michael Grade CBE (Chairman); Ruth Mackenzie OBE; Floella Benjamin; Sir Neil Cossons; Mike Davies; Professor Christopher Frayling; Simon Jenkins; Michael Jolly; Lord Puttnam; Lord Rogers; and John Sorrell.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will announce the terms of disposal of the Dome. [133469]

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Janet Anderson: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions gave my hon. Friends the Members for Gillingham (Mr. Clark) and for North-West Leicestershire (Mr. Taylor) on 27 July 2000, Official Report, columns 787-88W.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what liabilities have to be discharged from the proceeds of the sale of the Dome. [133468]

Janet Anderson: The liabilities to be discharged from the proceeds of the sale of the Dome are the costs of the Competition itself and 7.5 per cent. of the sales proceeds, which is due to British Gas.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the most recent estimate of cost of running the Dome until the end of 2000. [133467]

Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has a lifetime budget of £758 million for the Dome at Greenwich and its associated national programme of events and activities. NMEC is confident that it will remain within that budget.

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