House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Mar 2001 (pt 18)

Sports Clubs (Taxation)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had (1) with sports clubs concerning a more favourable regime with regard to (a) business rates and (b) VAT; [151832]

(3) with the Treasury on VAT and its impact on sports clubs. [151833]

Kate Hoey [holding answer 1 March 2001]: In the course of this year and last, I have held a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues and representatives from across the sports sector including the Central Council of Physical Recreation to discuss the general issue of the taxation burden facing community amateur sports clubs. I have also received a number of representations directly from voluntary sports clubs. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced, the Government will consult in the coming months on the best way for tax relief to help community amateur sports clubs.

Apsley House

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations

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he has received in concerning proposals to change the ownership of Apsley House; and if he will make a statement. [153431]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 12 March 2001]: I have not received any recent representations about changing the ownership of Apsley House, which is Crown property and will remain so. As I announced last year, I am reviewing the management arrangements for Apsley House and the Wellington Museum, but have yet to reach a final decision on those.

Seaside Resorts

Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to help rejuvenate English seaside tourist resorts in the last three years. [152883]

Janet Anderson: The regeneration of traditional resorts was identified as one of the key action points in "Tomorrow's Tourism", the Government's tourism strategy--published in 1999. The strategy set out a model regeneration plan and the Government, together with the English Tourism Council (ETC), have been working with regional and local authorities and the British Resorts Association to encourage the adoption of the model plan and the sharing of best practice. Resort regeneration has been extensively discussed at Ministerial Tourism Summits and the ETC have set up a Resorts Task Force, which has recently published its report "Sea Changes" which sets out a blueprint for seaside resort regeneration.

New assistance has been provided for many resorts through the new Structural Funds (Objective 2) and Assisted Areas maps. The Single Regeneration Budget has recently made £172 million available to coastal areas and £30 million has been provided from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to benefit a number of major resorts, including Southport. National Lottery funding continues to assist numerous seaside resorts.

English seaside resorts have also benefited from actions to improve bathing water quality, with 95 per cent. now meeting EU directives and a number of coastal/resort transport schemes are progressing in line with the Government's transport strategy.

Cultural Property

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the 1970 UNESCO convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. [153912]

Mr. Alan Howarth: Following the recommendation in the report of the Ministerial Advisory Panel on the Illicit Trade chaired by Professor Norman Palmer, published in December, and after further consultations within Government, I am pleased to announce that the Government have taken the decision to accede to this convention once the normal Parliamentary and other formalities have been completed. We do so on the basis that no fresh legislative commitment is required and we intend to enter reservations on the basis of those outlined in Professor Palmer's Report.

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Televised Sporting Events

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his policy is on keeping important national sporting events free to TV viewers. [153032]

Janet Anderson: The Government believe that all television licence holders should have free access (on the BBC, the ITV Network or Channel 4) to those sporting occasions which have true national resonance. These events are listed under Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Queen's Counsel

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he accepts the findings of the Office of Fair Trading concerning the Queen's Counsel system; and if he will make a statement. [153598]

Mr. Lock: The report by the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading, on competition in the market for professional services, raises a number of complex issues which need to be considered. The Government will issue a consultation paper inviting comments.

Restrictive Practices

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Office of Fair Trading report on restrictive practices in the legal profession; and if he will make a statement. [153597]

Mr. Lock: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry stated to the House on 8 March 2001, Official Report, columns 458-59, the Government recognise the complexity of the issues raised by the Director of the Office of Fair Trading and will therefore issue a formal consultation paper addressing those issues and inviting comments.

Departmental Policies (Houghton and Washington, East)

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on Houghton and Washington, East of the Lord Chancellor's Department's actions since 2 May 1997. [152988]

Jane Kennedy: The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for the administration of the courts and for legal services. We have taken steps to improve the management and effectiveness of the services we provide and to meet customer needs, including working closely with other agencies to provide a fair, swift and effective system of justice, improve the availability of affordable and good quality legal services and to improve the lives of children and help build and sustain strong families.

In particular, the Sunderland Community Legal Service Partnership (CLSP), which covers Houghton and Washington, East constituency, is one of 165 CLS Partnerships throughout England and Wales.

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A wide range of organisations have come together to form the CLSP including Sunderland city council, the Legal Services Commission, local solicitors, Wearside Money Advice Unit, the University of Sunderland, the Family Mediation Service, the Benefits Agency, Shiney Row Advice and Resource Project and Washington CAB.

Within Houghton and Washington the Legal Services Commission has awarded contracts to solicitors with a total value in excess of £327,000. The contracts cover a range of categories, including family, debt and employment.

In addition, Wearside Money Advice Unit has a contract form the Commission to provide debt advice. Although based in Sunderland, they offer a service across the whole of Wearside. The contract is worth £41,514.

All of these organisations hold the Quality Mark at Specialist level. In addition a further eight organisations have expressed an interest in obtaining the Quality Mark.

The Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs) of Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland amalgamated to form the Northumbria MCC on 1 April 2000.

Departmental Policies (South Shields)

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the South Shields constituency, the effects on South Shields of her Department's polices and actions since 2 May 1997. [153089]

In particular over £750,000 in capital expenditure was allocated for the construction of the magistrates court in South Shields which opened in 1997.

South Shields constituency will be covered by the South Tyneside Community Legal Service Partnership. Discussions are taking place between the Legal Services Commission and South Tyneside MBC with a view to staging a launch seminar at the end of March or beginning of April 2001. There are already 165 Community Legal Service Partnerships throughout England and Wales.

Within South Shields solicitors firms have been awarded contracts whose total value amounts to over £770,000. The contracts cover a range of categories, including family, debt and employment. In addition South Tyneside CAB has also been awarded a contract worth £64,905 to provide debt and welfare benefits advice. Their main office is within South Shields.

All of the above organisations hold the Quality Mark at the specialist level. A further 11 organisations based in South Shields have expressed an interest in obtaining the Quality Mark.

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The Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) of: Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland, amalgamated to form the Northumbria MCC on 1 April 2000.

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