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Government Art Collection
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the value of the Government Art Collection. [99829]
Mr. Alan Howarth: It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the value of the Government Art Collection, which has no current market valuation. The current monetary value of a work of art can be accurately assessed only at the time of its purchase or sale or by professional valuation. In the former case, the Collection is not actively traded; in the latter, it would not be a justifiable expenditure of public funds to have the whole Collection valued professionally.
Art Exports
Mr. Heppell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the 1998-99 annual report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art will be published. [100600]
Mr. Chris Smith: The Reviewing Committee's Annual Report for 1998-99 has been published today and copies have been laid before Parliament.
National Stadium
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment he has made of the implications of seating capacity options at the new National Stadium for the likely success of a future bid to host the Olympic Games in the United Kingdom; [98650]
- (2) if he will make a statement on what seating capacity options for the new National Stadium have been considered by his Department; [98652]
(3) who was responsible for authorising the original design brief for the new National Stadium; [98647]
(4) what recent representations he has received from (a) the British Olympic Association and (b) other sporting bodies regarding the proposed capacity of the new National Stadium; and what response he has made; [98648]
(5) if the Sport England Lottery grant for the development of the new National Stadium was conditional on the inclusion of an athletics facility; [98649]
(6) what requirements regarding seating capacity for track and field events were contained in the original design brief for the new National Stadium. [98651]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 22 November 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 19 November, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Children's Television
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultation process will apply in relation to any proposals for new BBC children's television channels. [98645]
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Mr. Chris Smith
[holding answer 22 November 1999]: The BBC published for consultation on its proposals for new and enhanced public services, including a new digital television channel for children, on 15 September. Subject to the outcome of the review of the future funding of the BBC, I understand the Corporation will be seeking my approval to launch a new children's channel in due course. I am considering whether changes should be made to the current arrangements for considering proposed new BBC services in the light of the recommendations made by the Davies Panel. I expect to announce final decisions on this in January.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the financial health of Britain's orchestras. [99902]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The Department and the Arts Council have recognised for some time that the financial position of many of England's regional orchestras was precarious. For this reason we agreed with the Arts Council that a review of orchestras was necessary. The Arts Council announced the outcome of this review on 13 October. They are to be congratulated for identifying a pragmatic way ahead and I am sure that the orchestras will now seize this opportunity to secure their long-term future.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact of proposed taxes on the London art market. [99520]
Dr. Howells:
I have been asked to reply.
An independent assessment of the potential impact of artists' resale right (droit de suite) carried out earlier this year concluded: that by 2005, sales of works eligible for the right could fall by as much as 78 per cent. (from £280 million to £61 million) resulting in a loss of earnings by British auctioneers and dealers of £57 million per annum; and that sales of all works (eligible and
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non-eligible works) could fall by up to £750 million (23 per cent.), putting thousands of jobs at risk, as vendors placed the whole of their business elsewhere to avoid paying resale royalties on that part of the lot subject to the right.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to Table B12 on page 156 of the pre-Budget Report, if he will provide a breakdown of the revisions to forecast social security spending in each of the financial years (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02 by (i) category of benefit and (ii) the factors leading to the revised figures. [99399]
Mr. Darling:
Estimates of Departmental Annually Managed Expenditure for Great Britain made at the time of the March 1999 Budget are in Table 1 of the Social Security Departmental Report 1999 (Cm 4214).
Table A sets out the revised projections of expenditure for each DSS benefit from 1999-2000 to 2001-02, in respect of Great Britain. These estimates are comparable with figures in Table B12 of the pre-Budget Report which are provided on a United Kingdom basis. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for details of social security expenditure for Northern Ireland.
Table B sets out revised departmental projections of additional expenditure on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, met from local authorities' General Funds, or included within their Housing Revenue Accounts.
The sum of the total expenditure in Table A and the additional Local Authority expenditure in Table B is comparable with the grant total of social security spending on benefits in Table 8 of the Social Security Departmental Report 1999.
Paragraph B43 of the pre-Budget Report sets out the main factors affecting estimates of social security Annually Managed Expenditure since the March 1999 Budget.
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Note:
Figures may not sum due to rounding
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| £ million | ||
|---|---|---|
| Additional expenditure | ||
| Housing Benefit | Council Tax Benefit | |
| 1999-2000 | 5,409 | 312 |
| 2000-01 | 5,079 | 201 |
| 2001-02 | 5,291 | 273 |
Mature Students
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to ensure that student loans taken up by mature students undertaking university degree courses are not considered as income for the purposes of determining their eligibility for social benefits, including housing benefits, for themselves and for any dependent children. [99596]
Angela Eagle: Full time students are not eligible to claim income-related benefits--their primary source of financial support comes from the education system. However, certain students in vulnerable groups, for example: lone parents or disabled students, are eligible.
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