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Football World Cup
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to ensure that every match in the football World Cup finals in 2002 is available for live free-to-air transmission. [3633]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 12 July 2001]: The whole of the World Cup finals tournament is a listed event under part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996. Under that legislation, the Independent Television Commission will ensure that a non-free-to-air broadcaster—or a free-to-air broadcaster which covers less than 95 per cent. of the population—can show any part of the tournament live only if a free-to-air broadcaster with at least 95 per cent. coverage has either acquired similar rights, or been given the opportunity to do so on fair and reasonable terms.
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she plans to hold with her counterparts in the Council of Ministers about the Kirsch 2002 football World Cup contract. [3634]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 12 July 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no current plans to discuss this matter with her counterparts in the Council of Ministers.
Digital Radio (BBC)
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to refuse applications for new BBC digital radio channels unless they are based on formats clearly distinct from existing digital radio channels. [3568]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 12 July 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will assess all the proposed new BBC digital radio services against the criteria set out in the public service approvals guidelines. These include the distinctiveness (in programming and content) of the proposed BBC service from those provided by other broadcasters.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the extent to which the BBC's application for a digital radio channel Network Z is based on a format clearly distinct from the existing channel, Oneword. [3570]
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Dr. Howells [holding answer 12 July 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently assessing the BBC's application against the published public service approval guidelines. In reaching a decision she will take into account all the comments she has received during the consultation period, including those from Oneword.
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she will make of (a) the intended target audience of and (b) the distinctiveness of programmes proposed by Network Z in reaching a decision on it. [3762]
Dr. Howells: The criteria against which the Secretary of State will make her decision on the BBC proposals for new digital services, including Network Z, are set out in the published public service approvals guidelines. In reaching a decision, she will consider all the comments made to her during the consultation period.
Indemnities (Art Collections)
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many indemnity undertakings were given under section 16 of the National Heritage Act 1980 for the six-month period ended 31 March; and what the value was of (a) any contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings given at any time under that section which remain outstanding as at 31 March, (b) non-statutory Government indemnities in respect of loans handled by the Government Art Collection which remain outstanding as at 31 March and (c) non-statutory undertakings to Her Majesty in respect of loans from the Royal Collection which remain outstanding at 31 March. [4527]
Tessa Jowell: The provision for the Government Indemnity Scheme is made by the National Heritage Act 1980. The scheme facilitates public access to loans of works of art and other objects for public display made to museums, galleries and other such institutions by private owners and non-national institutions. It does this by indemnifying lenders against loss or damage to their loan. Loans covered by the scheme must be for public benefit. The scheme also covers loans of such objects for study purposes within borrowing institutions where this would contribute materially to the public's understanding or appreciation of the loan. Examples of this are enhancing interpretation or explanation to the public of objects or bringing into the public domain, the conclusions of any study.
In the six-month period ended 31 March 2001, the following undertakings to indemnify were given under section 16 by the relevant Departments for objects on loan to national and non-national institutions:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 647 |
| Scottish Executive Education Department | 178 |
| The National Assembly for Wales | 72 |
The value of contingent liabilities in respect of undertakings given at any time under section 16 and which remained outstanding as at 31 March is:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 2,041,341,918 |
| Scottish Executive Education Department | 444,818,689 |
| The National Assembly for Wales | 74,198,187 |
The value of non-statutory Government indemnities to cover loans handled by the Government Art Collection and which remained outstanding as at 31 March is:
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The value of non-statutory undertakings given to Her Majesty in respect of loans from the Royal Collection and which remained outstanding as at 31 March is:
- Value: £180,225,170.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Police Performance Indicators
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for reviewing key performance indicators for policing following Merseyside police's reorganisation of neighbourhood policing; and if he will make a statement. [2116]
Mr. Denham: We are currently considering the views of the Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Association of Police Authorities on possible changes to police best value performance indicators. The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions will then publish a consultation document on all best value performance indicators and the performance indicators for 2002–03 will be set on the basis of that exercise. The suite of performance indicators for policing will be kept under review to ensure that it is consistent with the outcome of the police reform programme.
Prison Overcrowding
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners were held in overcrowded accommodation in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01; and if he will make a statement. [2467]
Beverley Hughes: The number of prisoners held in overcrowded accommodation expressed as a percentage of the average population during 1999–2000 and 2000–01 is given in the table. There is no comparable overcrowding data for 1996–97.
| Year | Percentage of overcrowding |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 20.0 |
| 2000–01 | 17.5 |
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce overcrowding in prisons; by what date he expects overcrowding to end; and if he will make a statement. [1512]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 9 July 2001]: The prison population on 29 June 2001 was 66,736. This was 4,305 below the total certified operational capacity of 71,041 for the same day. The Government set no target for the prison population as it is for the courts to determine who is sent to prison. The Government will provide the places necessary to accommodate safely and securely those sentenced by the courts. New prison capacity is opening this year. Rye Hill, a 600 place prison near Rugby, opened in January 2001 and Dovegate, an
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800 place prison in Staffordshire, will open on 9 July 2001. The 2000 spending review also provides funding to increase capacity by a further 2,660 by 2004.
London Underground
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last travelled on the London Underground in the course of his official duties. [3676]
Mr. Blunkett: I have not yet travelled on the London Underground for official duties in the five weeks that I have held the post of Home Secretary.
Drug Use
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the progress made in achieving the illegal drugs use reduction targets in the Government's 10-year strategy. [2385]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 9 July 2001]: The Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator's annual report for 1999–2000 shows that we are making progress towards achieving the challenging targets we have set as part of our 10-year anti-drugs strategy. Most of our annual targets were met in full. We are on track to deliver published targets for 2002. We recognise the particular importance of tackling the problem at the local level and that there is more to do.
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