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Football (Television Coverage)

19. Mrs. Fiona Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure access to premiership and national football matches through terrestrial television channels. [135354]

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Janet Anderson: The Government only intervene in the sports broadcasting market to ensure that all television licence holders have "free to air" access (i.e. on BBC, the ITV Network or Channel 4) to those sporting occasions which have true national resonance; known as "listed events". The list was last revised and extended in 1998 and will be kept under review.

As far as national team football is concerned, the entire finals tournaments of both the World Cup and European Championships are listed. Premier League football is not listed because, while the Premiership is of great interest to football fans, it does not strike a chord with the general viewer in the same way as the events which are listed.

Young Musicians

20. Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his policy is for improving opportunities for young musicians. [135355]

Mr. Alan Howarth: Ensuring all children have access to music-making opportunities is a key priority for my Department. We are working closely with partners on a range of policies to deliver this, including the Department for Education and Employment's £270 million Music Standards Fund and the £30 million Arts Council of England Lottery funding of the National Foundation for Youth Music.

Richmond Park (Traffic Management)

21. Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what views he has expressed to the Royal Parks Agency concerning the options for traffic management in Richmond park. [135356]

Mr. Alan Howarth: None. Traffic management in the Royal Parks is an operational matter which is delegated to the Royal Parks Agency. However, I am aware of the sensitivity of the issue among local people, as I know is the agency.

Library Plans

22. Mrs. Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the latest annual library plans submitted to his Department. [135357]

Mr. Chris Smith: Analysis of the plans submitted at the end of September is currently taking place. Individual and confidential feedback will be given to each of the 149 library authorities in December, and a general appraisal of all the plans will be published early in 2001.

Press Complaints Commission

23. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to put the Press Complaints Commission on a statutory basis. [135358]

Mr. Chris Smith: The Government have no plans to put the Press Complaints Commission on a statutory basis. I believe that an effective system of self-regulation is far preferable to any statutory system.

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Broadcasting (Wales)

24. Mr. John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received about the impact of the change of ownership of HTV on broadcasting in Wales. [135359]

Janet Anderson: I have received no such representations as of 3 November. Changes of ownership in media companies are matters for the competition authorities and the Independent Television Commission.

Olympic Games

25. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to provide financial support for British contenders for the next Olympic games. [135360]

Mr. Chris Smith: Financial support for elite UK athletes is provided through the World Class Performance Programme. The UK programme will provide at least £100 million over the next four years to help British competitors prepare for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Olympic athletes have received sponsorship from the New Opportunities Fund. [134706]

Kate Hoey: No Olympic athletes have received sponsorship from the New Opportunities Fund because the NOF programmes cover health, education and environment projects.

National Endowment for Science, Technology

and the Arts

26. Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many grants have been awarded by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts; and what proportion of funding has been allocated to (a) science, (b) technology and (c) the arts. [135361]

Mr. Chris Smith: NESTA does not invest according to rigid boundaries between science, technology and the arts, and many of the individuals and projects which it has so far supported do not fall into exact distinctions between these disciplines. However, I can confirm that £500,000 of the £3 million so far awarded, has been given to projects predominantly related to science, £600,000 has been spent on projects which are mainly concerned with engineering and technological innovation, and awards principally focusing on the arts total £1.9 million. Further awards in all three areas will be announced by NESTA in the near future. I am asking the Chief Executive of NESTA to write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible with details of each award made so far and shall ensure that a copy of the letter is placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Millennium Dome

27. Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for the future of the Dome. [135362]

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Janet Anderson: The Government are currently in discussion with Legacy plc, in relation to Legacy's proposal for a high-technology business campus at the Greenwich site. The Legacy proposal is currently being analysed by the competition team in advance of any decision on preferred bidder status. We hope to make an announcement in due course. The Government are determined to get the best deal for the regeneration of East London.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the people employed in the Millennium Dome are (a) women, (b) from an ethnic minority and (c) both. [134585]

Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has advised that, of the 1,398 people it directly employs, 647 (46 per cent.) are women. Using information from NMEC's equal opportunities monitoring process, 257 (18 per cent.) of the 1,398 employees are from ethnic minorities; 815 (58 per cent.) are white and 326 (24 per cent.) withheld the necessary information. Of the total number of women employed directly by NMEC, 125 (20 per cent.) are from ethnic minorities, 380 (59 per cent.) are white and 142 (21 per cent.) withheld the necessary information.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many letters of complaint he has received about expenditure on the Millennium Dome. [134583]

Janet Anderson: Since 1 May 1997 until 16 October 2000, my Department had received a total of 7,997 letters from members of the public and 1,246 ministerial cases relating to Millennium issues. Correspondence is not logged according to issues covered. Identifying those letters which relate specifically to complaints about expenditure on the Millennium Dome can therefore be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff are employed in the Millennium Dome. [134584]

Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has advised that it directly employs 1,398 people.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Fraud Squad regarding Millennium Dome contracts; and if he will make a statement. [134588]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 26 October 2000]: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had any such discussions. The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has advised that, following third-party allegations about the award of certain contracts to a design company, David James, Executive Chair of NMEC, notified the Met's CID. Prior to these allegations David James had, on taking office, initiated a review of past contractual arrangements entered into by NMEC. This study, together with the CID investigation, are on-going and it would not therefore be appropriate for me to comment at this stage. I will, however, report to the House as soon as the investigation is completed.

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Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many contracts, for what purposes, and of what aggregate value, were awarded to At Work Ltd. by the New Millennium Experience Company; and if he will make a statement. [135413]

Janet Anderson [holding answer 30 October 2000]: I have been advised by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) that At Work Ltd. were awarded three contracts by NMEC relating to the Living Island, Shared Ground and Work and Learning exhibit zones. All the contracts were concerned with design development (interior and exterior) for each of the zones in question. The aggregate value of these contracts was £4.5 million net of VAT.

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment was made (a) by and (b) for the Government prior to the final decision to locate the Dome at Greenwich of the effects on visitor numbers of locating the Dome there. [136240]

Janet Anderson: The decision to locate the Millennium Dome at the Greenwich site was taken by the Millennium Commission in 1996.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will write to the hon. Member in his capacity as chairman of the Millennium Commission with details of the commission's decision and copies of that reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House

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