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Intelligence Services Act

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to lay before Parliament a copy of the Commissioner's report made under section 8(5) of the Intelligence Services Act 1994. [146129]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 January 2001]: Section 8 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994 was repealed by section 82 of schedule 5 to the Regulatory of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. I expect to receive a report from the Intelligence Services Commissioner (appointed under section 59 of that Act) in due course. The report will be laid before Parliament, in accordance with section 60(4) of the Act, as soon as practicable.

Alastair Campbell

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister when Alastair Campbell will leave his post at No. 10 Downing street. [146376]

The Prime Minister: Alastair Campbell has already made it clear that he will resign when the next General Election is called.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

GTech

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many members of staff of (a) GTech and (b) its contractors, have been convicted of corruption charges in the United States of America. [145195]

Kate Hoey: My Department does not hold this information. However, the National Lottery regulator, the National Lottery Commission, has a statutory duty to ensure that the National Lottery is operated with all due propriety and to ensure that the operator is a fit and proper body to run the National Lottery. In pursuance of these duties, the Commission conducts regular vetting checks on directors and senior executives of GTech Holdings (the parent company of GTech UK), whether or not they are directly involved with the operation of the National Lottery. The Commission also conducts checks on all GTech UK staff involved with the operation of the UK National Lottery. The Commission does not conduct vetting checks on GTech employees falling outside these categories. The Commission has received information in confidence from law enforcement agencies and others both here and overseas; no information has come to the attention of the Commission that would cause it to find "not fit and proper" any individuals currently in the key positions mentioned. GTech does not employ contractors in key areas in connection with the UK National Lottery.

Departmental Surveys

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list for (a) 1992-93, (b) 1993-94, (c) 1994-95, (d) 1995-96, (e) 1996-97, (f) 1997-98, (g) 1998-99, (h) 1999-2000 and (i) 2000-01, (I) his Department's total spending on quantitative and qualitative surveys of policy issues by focus groups, opinion polling, task forces or other means and (II) the cost of each individual project. [146584]

25 Jan 2001 : Column: 696W

Mr. Chris Smith: The table sets out my Department's total expenditure on research and other services since 1992-93. Information on individual projects is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Research and other services

	£000
1992-93	1,000
1993-94	2,000
1994-95	1,044
1995-96	1,000
1996-97	475
1997-98	315
1998-99	423
1999-2000	1,103
2000-01(21)	556

⁽²¹⁾ To date

Youth Music Action Zones

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 17 January 2000, Official Report, column 226W, if he will list the areas of social and economic need which will benefit from the Action Zones Initiative. [146653]

Mr. Alan Howarth: The National Foundation for Youth Music launched six of the proposed 20 Youth Music Action Zones on 14 December 2000. The Zones are in areas of social and economic need and have been allocated using the DETR social inclusion list of the 72 most deprived boroughs, the Rural Development Agency register and through local consultation about ward level areas of need. The six Zones are: London (principally Brent and Newham); Greater Manchester; North Lancashire; North of England (includes Barrow- in-Furness, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Carlisle, Darlington, North Shields, Durham, Wolsingham, Stockton and Wooler); East of England (including projects in Norfolk); and Thanet/Kent.

Further Youth Music Action Zones will soon be operating in Liverpool, Cornwall, and in the South East (across Kent, East Sussex, Surrey and the Unitary Authorities of Medway and Brighton and Hove).

National Lottery

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much lottery income in (a) cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the United Kingdom total lottery income has been raised in (i) London and (ii) Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St. Helens. [145193]

Kate Hoey: Information on National Lottery ticket sales by local authority area is not available.

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of bids for National Lottery money from the North East of England were unsuccessful; and what the total value of these failed bids was. [146821]

Kate Hoey: We have contacted the National Lottery distributing bodies to request such information as they hold, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

25 Jan 2001 : Column: 697W

Barbican Arts Centre

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the renovation and improvements to the Barbican Arts Centre will commence; and how much partnership funding has been raised towards them. [146826]

Mr. Alan Howarth: The Barbican Hall is scheduled to close in June 2001 for four months while a range of improvements to the auditorium is carried out. The £6 million cost of the work is being met in whole by the Corporation of London.

Religious Broadcasting

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his policy is on applications by religious broadcasters for national analogue radio licences. [147045]

Janet Anderson: Religious organisations are disqualified by provision of Paragraph 2 (1) of Part II of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990 from holding national radio licences. The White Paper, "A New Future for Communications", which was published on 12 December, invites comments on whether the current restrictions on ownership of broadcasting licences by religious organisations should be relaxed in new legislation. The consultation period ends on 12 February.

OFCOM

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he intends to take to ensure that there is adequate non-executive representation on the main OFCOM board. [147172]

Janet Anderson: The Communications White Paper, on which we are currently consulting, proposes that OFCOM will be governed by executive and non-executive members. We have yet to decide on the more detailed make-up of the Board.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what sources of money will be used to fund OFCOM. [147179]

Janet Anderson: We have yet to decide the most appropriate way to fund OFCOM.

BBC

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the significant differences between the consultation paper relating to approvals of new BBC public services and the final guidelines issued. [147175]

Janet Anderson: The significant difference between the draft guidelines and the final, published version is that we clarified the first section on the BBC's obligations under the Royal Charter and Agreement, including when consultation and fresh approval is required. We also extended from 15 to 20 working days the normal period for consultation on BBC proposals.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he intends to carry out his priority review of BBC News 24. [147174]

25 Jan 2001 : Column: 698W

Janet Anderson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make an announcement about the timing of the review of BBC News 24 and of the other reviews in due course, but will expect to begin the programme later this year.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the criteria he intends to use to determine whether new BBC public service channels will be approved. [147173]

Janet Anderson: The criteria are set out in the guidelines for assessing BBC public service proposals which were published on 10 January. Copies were placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Mr. Woolas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will appoint the independent person to carry out the review of the BBC's fair trading policies; and if he will make a statement. [147738]

Mr. Chris Smith: In its response to the Davies panel's report on the future funding of the BBC, the Government announced that they would, jointly with the BBC, invite an independent, eminent figure to examine the BBC documentation "Commercial Policy Guidelines and the Fair Trading Commitment". Richard Whish, Professor of Law at King's College, London, has today been appointed to carry out the review. Professor Whish will report to my Department and to the BBC Board of Governors having:

(i) reviewed the adequacy of the BBC's "Fair Trading Commitment";

(ii) considered and commented on the adequacy of each of the specific requirements contained in the BBC's "Commercial Policy Guidelines" and whether any further specific requirement should be included;

(iii) considered to what extent the BBC's fair trading policies are consistent with upholding EU Competition Law.

(iv) commented on how the BBC's policies compare with those of any other relevant organisations;

(v) commented on the processes through which the BBC Board of Governors are made aware of fair trading issues and the nature of the information provided to them to enable the Governors to be satisfied that all significant issues facing the BBC are appropriately set out in the "Annual Report and Accounts"; and

(vi) reviewed existing correspondence from stakeholders to the BBC and DCMS about the adequacy of the BBC's "Fair Trading Commitment", and to comment on the validity of the points made and highlight any other perceived shortcomings.

Professor Whish is also requested to make any general recommendations for improving the BBC's commitment to fair trading.

The review will commence shortly and will be concluded during February. The Department and the BBC will publish Professor Whish's findings. Copies of the terms of reference for the review have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

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