House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 2 Jul 2001 (pt 22)

UK Sports Institute

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the UK Sports Institute. [124]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Good progress is being made in the establishment of facilities and delivery of services to our top athletes. Centres in Scotland and Wales are now operational; the English Institute is developing apace and work on the Northern Ireland Institute will begin soon.

The UKSI is beginning to provide our best sportsmen and women with world-class facilities and a higher standard of co-ordinated support services than the UK has ever had before. This will complement the support already being provided through World Class funding.

The Government remain committed to the development of the United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI), which should be fully operational by the end of 2002.

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Digital Television

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure platform diversity for the delivery of digital television services. [87]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The Government have set out in their White Paper "A New Future for Communications" their proposals for the sector, including how to ensure a competitive environment for the delivery of digital television services across platforms and the availability of public service channels on all main platforms.

Ealing Studios

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the future of Ealing Studios. [118]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The Ealing Film Studios are privately owned and future ownership is therefore a commercial matter. Nonetheless, the Government welcome the fact that the studios, which are an important part of our film heritage, are to undergo a £50 million refit.

Licensing Laws

Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to introduce legislation to reform the liquor licensing laws. [648]

Dr. Howells: We remain fully committed to bringing forward legislation to reform the alcohol and public entertainment licensing laws as soon as parliamentary time permits.

Commonwealth Games

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library copies of the correspondence received by her Department from Sport England about the funding of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester 2002. [1343]

Mr. Caborn: My Department regularly discusses issues of sports policy with Sport England and these discussions—including exchanges of correspondence—are carried out on the understanding that they are in confidence and will not be divulged.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what advice she has received about the proposed funding of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester; [1341]

(3) what representations she has received from Manchester 2002 Ltd. and Manchester City Council about the funding of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. [1342]

Mr. Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement about the 2002 Commonwealth Games. [2198]

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Tessa Jowell: The Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 will be the biggest multi-sport event ever held in the United Kingdom. They will leave a lasting sporting, economic and social legacy.

The Minister of State, Cabinet Office explained, in evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 20 March 2001, that Manchester City Council, with the Government, had arranged a review of the finances and organisation of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester next year as a build up to the Games moves from the planning to the implementation phase.

Following the review, conscious of the benefits the Games will bring to the nation as a whole, the Government have agreed to provide from existing resources up to £30 million to support the Games. Sport England has agreed to provide up to £30 million to support the Games' costs in addition to its existing contribution to capital facilities, and Manchester City Council will make available a further £35 million. £25 million of these funds will be held jointly by the three parties as a contingency fund. This support is additional to the £10.5 million which the Government have already made available towards the costs of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games, and marks the full extent of the financial support that the Government are prepared to make available.

The Government consider that this package should give the Games' organisation sufficient certainty to deliver the Games. Manchester City Council continues to retain ultimate financial responsibility for the Games.

Discussions continue about the make up and timing of the package of financial support. The Government, Manchester City Council and Sport England will working with the Games' organisers so strengthen the management arrangements for the control of expenditure.

Athletics Stadium

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects Sport England to make a further announcement about the feasibility of a new national athletics stadium at Picketts Lock. [1753]

Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the plans for staging the World Athletics Championships in 2005. [2083]

Tessa Jowell: Sport England have concluded that they are not able yet to provide lottery funding to develop the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre and have asked

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Patrick Carter, who is conducting the review of the national stadium project, to carry out a separate review of the project with the following terms of reference:

"In the light of the Government's manifesto commitment to ensure that a first-class athletics stadium is available for the World Athletics Championships in 2005, to assess whether the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre project can be funded and managed in its current format and if not, what alternatives might be feasible. The review should report its findings within seven weeks."

Picketts Lock

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the athletics facility at Picketts Lock to be completed; and if she will make a statement. [102]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Sport England have concluded that they are not able yet to provide lottery funding to develop the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre and have asked Patrick Carter, who is conducting the review of the national stadium project, to carry out a separate review of the project with the following terms of reference:

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Regional Government

Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to publish a White Paper on regional governance. [2197]

The Deputy Prime Minister: Our manifesto committed us to making provision for directly elected regional government in regions where people decide in a referendum to support it and where predominantly unitary local government is established. The Prime Minister has asked me to be responsible for a White Paper on Regional Governance, in close liaison with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and in co-operation with other Cabinet colleagues. I will present the White Paper to Parliament as soon as it is ready.

Lord Ashcroft

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what date his Department received a request for documents under the Data Protection Act 1998 from Lord Ashcroft; and on what date his Department replied to the request. [1001]

Mr. Leslie: Under the non-disclosure provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 it is not appropriate to disclose personal data except to the individual concerned.