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Free Television Licences (Scotland)
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications for free television licences for pensioners aged 75 years and over have been (a) made and (b) granted in (i) Glasgow, Pollok, (ii) the city of Glasgow and (iii) Scotland; and what each figure represents as a percentage of the eligible groups in each case. [137770]
Janet Anderson: The information requested is not available. TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of applications received and free licences issued. Television licences cover households rather than individuals and there is no accurate information, by area, on the number of households eligible for the concession. However, estimates of the over-75 population based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 5,200 people aged 75 or over in the Glasgow, Pollok constituency, 47,500 in the City of Glasgow and 327,000 in Scotland.
Athletics Stadium
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his latest estimate is of the total cost of building an athletics stadium and related development at Picketts Lock. [137839]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 10 November 2000]: The English Sports Council has allocated £1.3 million from the Sports Lottery Fund for detailed feasibility work on the Lee Valley Stadium project. Accurate estimates of the overall project costs will be available once this work has been completed. An initial technical study for a concept athletics stadium capable of hosting the 2005 World Athletics Championships and becoming the long-term home for the athletics in the UK, has been prepared by Drivers Jonas, on behalf of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and UK Athletics. This paper exercise suggests that the cost of such a stadium could be around £95 million, but more accurate figures will be available in due course from the detailed feasibility study.
Digital Broadcasting
Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if, following receipt of the BBC's consultation paper 'A Digital Curriculum', he will
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undertake a public consultation on its proposals; and what criteria he will adopt in deciding whether to give his approval to the BBC's proposals. [138550]
Janet Anderson: The BBC has recently carried out a public consultation on its proposed digital curriculum service. If, in the light of the consultation exercise, the Corporation decides that it wishes to proceed with such a service, my right hon. Friend's approval will be required. The Department would at that stage publish the BBC's request and invite representations. Details of the Department's consultation and the criteria we will use in assessing BBC public service proposals are set out in the guidelines "BBC Public Services: Approvals", copies of which were placed in the Library of the House on 21 June. The guidelines are currently being revised and we aim to publish the final version shortly.
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the non-departmental public bodies responsible to him which have duties relating to Scotland, indicating their budget and staffing in Scotland, the number of Scottish board members and their emoluments. [137698]
Mr. Chris Smith: Non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department with statutory duties relating to Scotland are:
- Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
- British Library
- British Tourist Authority
- Broadcasting Standards Commission
- Millennium Commission
- National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
- National Heritage Memorial Fund
- National Lottery Charities Board
- National Lottery Commission
- New Millennium Experience Company
- New Opportunities Fund
- Registrar of Public Lending Right
- Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art
- Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
- Theatres Trust
- UK Sports Council
NORTHERN IRELAND
New Deal for Young People
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people are employed in his Department under the New Deal for Young People; [136480]
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- (2) how many staff are employed by his Department under the New Deal for Young People. [137963]
Mr. Mandelson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office in his answer on 13 October 2000, Official Report, column 551W.
Saville Inquiry
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total cost from 30 June to 30 September of the Saville Inquiry into the events in Londonderry on 30 January 1972; and what sums were spent in that period on the inquiry broken down by (a) salaries of staff, (b) travel and subsistence, (c) accommodation, (d) hearing/witness costs, (e) fees to solicitors, representing those killed, (f) solicitors representing others, (g) barristers representing those killed, (h) barristers representing others, (i) IT/communications and (j) miscellaneous, including general office expenditure and also provide the totals of each heading and the total costs since this inquiry began. [136556]
Mr. Ingram: My Department's expenditure on the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is summarised in the table for the period 1 July to 30 September 2000. The figures for moneys paid to solicitors and barristers cannot be readily provided separately, nor can the payments for their professional services be separated from other expenses. However these payments have been split between those to lawyers representing families and those to other lawyers, including Counsel to the Inquiry.
| Spend for period 1 July to 30 September 2000 | Spend since 1997-98 to 30 September 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries | 290,676 | 2,069,659 |
| Travel and subsistence | 92,743 | 538,391 |
| Accommodation | 174,696 | 1,937,631 |
| Hearing/Witness Costs | 208,142 | 1,462,955 |
| Payments to lawyers representing families of the dead or wounded | 1,118,711 | 4,170,791 |
| Payments to other lawyers, including Counsel to the Inquiry | 291,368 | 11,149,614 |
| IT/Communications | 1,555,032 | 7,064,818 |
| Miscellaneous including general office expenditure | 84,959 | 1,177,659 |
| Total | 3,816,327 | 29,571,518 |
WALES
Reservoirs (Wales)
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of water was held in reservoirs in Wales immediately prior to the heavy rainfall in the second half of October. [138562]
Mr. Paul Murphy: That is an operational matter for the Environment Agency and water supply companies. I understand that the Environment Agency Wales will be
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producing a report on recent flooding in Wales for the National Assembly for Wales and this will include information on reservoir levels.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Poultry Farming
12. Mr. McCabe: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with poultry farmers concerning the integrated pollution prevention and control directive. [137145]
Mr. Morley: My ministerial colleagues in MAFF have discussed IPPC issues with representatives of the poultry sector as part of our regular discussions on the situation in the industry. Also my officials regularly meet the poultry industry and the Environment Agency to discuss the implementation of the Directive.
Climate Change
13. Dr. Gibson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what strategic measures he is taking to allow for agricultural changes induced by climate change. [137146]
Mr. Morley: My Department has carried out a detailed analysis of the likely impact of climate change on agriculture. Results are not conclusive but the recent extreme weather means that we must assess long-term affect carefully. Further research is underway.
BSE
15. Mr. Andy King: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that scientific advice to Ministers relating to BSE is published. [137148]
Ms Quin: Scientific advice to Ministers relating to BSE is provided by SEAC. Public Summaries of the Committee's deliberations including advice and recommendations to Ministers are published after every meeting and placed on the MAFF and DH websites.
21. Mr. Crausby: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the potential incidence of BSE in sheep. [137154]
Ms Quin: BSE has not been found in sheep except under experimental circumstances. Research has shown that in sheep BSE is similar to scrapie, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that has been present in British sheep for hundreds of years. MAFF is currently funding experiments to examine some 235 cases of scrapie for evidence of infection with the agent of BSE.
23. Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to improve communication and co-ordination between his Department and other Government Departments and agencies on issues relating to BSE. [137157]
Ms Quin: MAFF works closely with other Government Departments and agencies on BSE issues. Departments and agencies meet monthly to review BSE issues. Separate meetings are held as necessary on specific topics.
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