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Millennium Bridge
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the opening date of the Millennium Bridge. [80]
Tessa Jowell: [holding answer 25 June 2001]: This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I will write to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of both Houses.
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on compensation for self-employed tour guides affected by foot and mouth restrictions. [2149]
Dr. Howells: It is the long-standing policy of successive Governments not to offer compensation for consequential losses associated with animal disease outbreaks. However, despite the restrictions needed to control foot and mouth, more and more of the countryside is open for business and there is still plenty to do and see. Visitor attractions are continuing to open and rights of way throughout England are now 68 per cent. open. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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wrote to local authority chief executives on 22 June proposing revocation of blanket closures of public rights of way. I am confident that these measures will benefit self-employed tour guides.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met representatives of the British Hospitality Association to discuss the impact of foot and mouth on tourism. [132]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: Representatives of the BHA were present when I addressed the CBI's tourism Conference, "Tourism UK—Restoration or Regeneration", on June 26, as well as the Tourism Foot and Mouth Summit which I chaired on 3 July.
On both occasions I stressed the importance I attach to my Department's sponsorship of the tourism industry, and I look forward to meeting the BHA on many occasions in the future.
My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State is arranging a series of meetings, which will include discussions with the representatives of the British Hospitality Association.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the foot and mouth crisis on the hotel and tourism industry on the Isle of Wight. [2695]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 9 July 2001]: Our best estimate to date is that the loss of revenue in 2001–02 by the English tourist industry is likely to be around £120 million per week averaged over the eight month tourism season. We have not attempted to apportion this overall estimate to individual Regional Tourist Boards or individual tourism destinations, such as the Isle of Wight, since the available data do not enable this to be done with a sufficient degree of reliability. We are currently revising the model on which this estimate is based in the light of the latest available data.
Public Libraries
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on standards of service in public libraries. [117]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 makes it a duty of library authorities to
- provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.
Film Council
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many representatives of the Film Council attended the latest Cannes Film Festival; at what costs to public funds; and how many new British films were screened at the festival. [115]
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Tessa Jowell [holding answer 25 June 2001]: 28 Film Council and British Film Commission (BFC) staff attended the Cannes "Marché"—the commercial film market—which runs parallel with the main Film Festival, at a cost of £66,500. 100 British films were shown or promoted at the Marché.
The BFC ran a series of seminars and workshops for international/European producers and other industry professionals explaining film finance opportunities in the UK; the range of the production section in the UK; and financial and fiscal mechanisms that can benefit films that shoot in the UK. In addition the BFC organised three showcases exploring different areas of production expertise and co-hosted a reception with the British Screen Advisory Council for European producers.
Diary Appointments (Cancellations)
Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many diary appointments for the Secretary of State were cancelled on her taking office. [1269]
Tessa Jowell: I have not cancelled any of my diary engagements since becoming Secretary of State. Invitations accepted by my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) for engagements after June 8 were accepted on the understanding that they would need to be reconsidered should a new Secretary of State be appointed.
Digital Terrestrial Television
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the future of digital terrestrial television. [2091]
Tessa Jowell: The Government have set out in their White Paper—A New Future for Communications—their proposals for the sector, including working with industry and viewer groups to develop a clear and effective strategy for achieving the switchover to digital broadcasting.
S4C
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the subsidy to S4C was (a) in total and (b) per viewer in the last year. [1754]
Dr. Howells: The level of S4C's grant in aid is determined by a formula introduced by the Broadcasting Act 1996. For the calendar year 2000, S4C's grant in aid was £78.218 million. The BBC also produce 10 hours per week of Welsh language programmes for broadcasting on S4C, costed at £16 million for the financial year 2000–01. This represents a cost of approximately £65 per viewer, based on S4C's estimated weekly reach of 1.441 million viewers for the year. In addition, outside peak hours S4C broadcasts the best of Channel 4's English language output.
Religious Broadcasting
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will undertake a review into the quality and content of religious broadcasting on (a) terrestrial and (b) satellite television. [1660]
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Dr. Howells [holding answer 3 July 2001]: No. Requirements with regard to religious broadcasting are set out in the BBC's Agreement with the Secretary of State, and in the case of other broadcasters, in their licences. It is the responsibility of the BBC Governors and the Independent Television Commission to ensure that those requirements are met.
TV Licences
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to provide free television licences to all old age pensioners. [2478]
Dr. Howells: The Government have introduced free television licences for people aged 75 or over, because older pensioners are more likely to be reliant on television as their window on the world. Older pensioners are also more likely to be on low incomes. We have no plans to extend free television licences to pensioners below the age of 75.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timetable is for the introduction of new proposals on concessionary television licences; and if she will make a statement. [2838]
Dr. Howells: We hope to set a timetable shortly for the introduction of measures to preserve the rights of beneficiaries of the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence scheme who remain in accommodation provided or managed by a local authority, a housing association or a development corporation, when the social mix or the level of warden cover change. We are currently consulting with the BBC on the implementation of the proposals to ensure that they will work smoothly. Regulations will then be introduced.
School Sport Co-ordinators
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, columns 73–77W, what measures she has taken to monitor the effectiveness of the school sport co-ordinator programme. [2814]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 9 July 2001]: In addition to Sport England's standard monitoring of Lottery projects, the Government's Plan for Sport commits DCMS and DfES to commissioning an impact study to look at the effectiveness of the school sport co-ordinator programme in raising school standards, raising sporting standards and increasing participation for all young people, with an emphasis on under-represented groups. We are in discussion with Sport England, the New Opportunities Fund and the Youth Sport Trust about the nature of that impact study, which we expect to have under way in September.
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