---

Hospices

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what resources he plans to make available to help fund hospices.; [137251]

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 381W

(2) if hospices will be eligible for financial help as part of the Government's commitment to cancer services. [137252]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 7 November 2000]: We are committed to providing an additional £50 million for hospices by 2004 as announced in the National Health Service Cancer Plan published on 27 September. This will bring the total NHS spend on hospices to £150 million, which will be equal to the amount provided by the voluntary sector. The £50 million investment will be used to end inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and enable the NHS to make a more realistic contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service.

In order to ensure that the additional funding is allocated effectively and equitably, we will work with hospices and the NHS to define the core components of palliative care services.

In addition to the £50 million there will be a further New Opportunities Fund initiative for community palliative care services over the period 2001-05. A consultation document was be published on 8 November 2000.

Osteopaths

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the working of the Osteopaths Act 1993 and the composition of the Council. [137118]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 7 November 2000]: Members of Parliament raised a number of concerns about the operation of the Osteopaths Act and the composition of the General Osteopathic Council during an Adjournment debate in Westminster Hall on 25 October 2000. I undertook to investigate these concerns and am now doing so.

Cancer Screening Programmes

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many lives are estimated to have been saved in each of the last three years in (a) Coventry, South and (b) nationally by (i) breast screening programmes, (ii) cervical screening programmes and (iii) cancer screening programmes. [136582]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 6 November 2000]: There are currently two national screening programmes, for breast cancer and cervical cancer, and a pilot study which is investigating screening for colorectal cancer.

No statistics are available to show how many lives were saved by breast and cervical screening in Coventry, South in the last three years.

Research published in 1999 estimated that the NHS Cervical Screening Programme saved over 8,000 lives between 1988 and 1997. It is estimated to have prevented up to 3,900 cases of cervical cancer each year.

No information is available on how many lives have been saved in total by all the cancer screening programmes.

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 382W

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Ministerial Engagements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he has made official visits to (a) the opera and (b) the ballet since May 1997. [136392]

Mr. Chris Smith: Since May 1997 I have attended 20 operas and six ballet performances in an official capacity. I have also attended numerous opera and ballet performances privately.

Sports Clubs

Mr. Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received about (1) tax relief and exemptions for community and amateur sports clubs; and if he will make a statement; [135649]

(2) charitable status for community and amateur sports clubs; and if he will make a statement. [135648]

Kate Hoey: Since 21 June 2000, I have received representations from the following sports clubs and organisations regarding both tax exemptions and charitable status for community and amateur sports clubs; Sefton Sports Council, Thanet Local Sports Council, Waltham Forest Sports Council, Chelsfield Park Lawn Tennis Club, Blackpool and Fylde Fullbore Pistol and Rifle Club, Portcastrian Rugby Club, Saltash Rugby Football Club, Lymm Rugby Football Club, York Cricket & Rugby Union Football Club. I have also received a number of letters from members of the public. The CCPR and Sport England have also made representations on the benefits of tax exemptions as well as a number of MPs and sport people.

Lee Valley Stadium

Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Sport have had with (i) members and (ii) representatives of the International Olympic Committee about the suitability of the proposed Lee Valley Stadium as a venue for track and field athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies of a London Olympic Games; and if he will make a statement. [134844]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 26 October 2000]: Apart from discussions with Craig Reedie, in his capacity as Chair of the British Olympic Association, neither myself nor my right hon. Friend have discussed the proposed Lee Valley Stadium with representatives of the International Olympic Committee.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mr. Pearson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to amend his Department's Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for 2000-01. [138172]

Mr. Chris Smith: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XI, Vote 1, the DCMS Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL)

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 383W

for 2000-01 will be increased by £15,679,000 from £1,014,886,000 to £1,030,565,000 and the running costs limit by £2,284,000 from £32,972,000 to £35,256,000.

This is to provide for the use of £2,240,000 of the proceeds from the sale by the British Library of 25 Southampton Buildings for meeting commitments under the Comprehensive Spending Review to various national museums and galleries; and for the use of £521,000 of the sale proceeds for meeting commitments against research, surveys and other services; to provide £2,500,000 for the development of Culture On-Line; to take up DEL end-year flexibility of £10,405,000 on programme expenditure as set out in Table 7 of the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (Cm 4812) published on 18 July 2000; a transfer of £950,000 from the Department for Education and Employment (Class I, Vote 14) for awards to dance and drama students; a transfer of £300,000 to the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class III, Vote 4) for the maintenance of Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square following the transfer to the Greater London Authority from 1 October 2000; a payment of £210,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry (Class IX, Vote 1) for Sector Challenge funding of media projects; to take up DEL end-year flexibility of £1,448,000 on running costs expenditure as set out in Table 7 of the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (Cm 4812) published on 18 July 2000; a transfer of £676,000 from the Cabinet Office for modernising Government expenses; and to provide for receipts of £1,816,000 from the National Lottery Distribution Fund to meet additional costs of the National Lottery Commission in the appointment of a new Lottery operator and the implementation of the licence.

The increases will be offset by transfers, savings or a charge on the DEL Reserve, and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals there are to amend the Scotland Departmental Expenditure Limit and running costs limit for 2000-01. [138204]

Dr. Reid: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class XIII, Vote I Scotland and Transfers to the Scottish Consolidated Fund, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2000-01 will be increased by £428,073,000 from £14,877,655,000 to £15,305,728,000. As I previously announced to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee on 29 March 2000, the net running costs limit for the Scotland Office will be increased by £1,047,000 from £5,455,000 to £6,502,000 (net of receipts of £120,000).

The changes in DEL include the take-up of end-year flexibility of £444,418,000, offset by a reduction of £32,583,000 for the recovery of European Structural Funds provision drawn forward from 2000-01 and other adjustments agreed in the context of Spending Review 2000; and transfers from the DEL reserve of £8,500,000 for additional funding for the Forestry Commission for lower than expected timber sales, and £150,000 for the Giving Age.

9 Nov 2000 : Column: 384W

Also included in the revised DEL are transfers to and from other Government Departments amounting to a net increase of £12,619,000. These include;

(i) £13,454,000 from DfEE (Class I, Vote 1) for the Open University;
(ii) £2,527,000 from DSS (Class XII, Vote 3) for resettlement programmes;
(iii) £1,900,000 to MAFF (Class X, Vote 1) for cattle herd registration costs;
(iv) £120,000 to DSS (Class XII Vote 2) for housing benefit for intercalating students;
(v) £1,310,000 to DH (Class II, Vote 1) for the costs of Scottish residents treated in England.

The increase in DEL will be offset by transfers from other Departmental Expenditure Limits or from the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

---