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Passports

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the UK Passport Agency's criteria are for deciding to undertake a security check on a passport application. [4409]

Angela Eagle: All passport applications are examined to establish the identity and eligibility on nationality grounds of the applicant. The guidance notes with application forms explain this and set out what evidence is required. Further checks are made if identity and nationality cannot be satisfactorily established from the evidence sent with the application. In addition, a random sample of examined applications is re-checked before the passport is issued, as part of the United Kingdom Passport Service's quality assurance procedures.

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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Sailing

11. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to promote the sport of sailing. [2431]

Mr. Caborn: The Sports Councils—UK Sport and Sport England—continue to work with the governing body to develop the sport at every level. To date, the national governing body of sailing has received Exchequer support of £1.9 million, and lottery support of £6.9 millions for its world class Programmes. In addition awards of £32.9 million have been made to sailing organisations in support of 142 capital projects.

Local Museums

14. Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to promote local museums. [2434]

Dr. Howells: The Government encourage the development of local museums through the work of Resource and through the development of our cultural policies. Resource are now leading a taskforce to consider the issues facing regional museums and to make recommendations about their sustainability.

We have also allocated £10 million per annum to Resource starting next year to enable them to support regional collections.

Local Authority Lottery Liaison Officers

15. Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement concerning relations between her Department and lottery liaison officers employed by local authorities. [2436]

Mr. Caborn: The Government are keen to see all areas of low take-up receiving their fair share of lottery funding. This will not happen overnight, but is an important priority for distributors. I understand that since being designated a priority area, north-east Derbyshire has received increased funding from the community fund.

Lottery Funding (Thurrock)

16. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to meet Camelot to discuss their ability to deliver their projected level of funding for good causes. [2437]

Tessa Jowell: I met Camelot on 12 July. We discussed a range of issues, including income for good causes under the new licence period.

Media Ownership

17. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to introduce legislation to deal with cross-ownership in the media. [2438]

Dr. Howells: The White Paper, "A New Future for Communications" asked for comments on how we might reform the cross media regime. We are currently considering the responses. The Government will publish details of their proposals in a draft Bill as announced in the Queen's Speech.

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Licensing Laws

18. Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to reform the liquor licensing laws. [2439]

Dr. Howells: We remain committed to bringing forward legislation, as announced on 2 May, when parliamentary time allows.

Cricket Matches (Crowd Violence)

20. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the problems of crowd violence at cricket matches. [2441]

26. Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to hold further meetings with the cricketing authorities to discuss the disturbances during the recent triangular one-day international tournament. [2448]

Mr. Caborn: The Minister of State, Home Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr Denham) and I met the cricket authorities on 27 June. Following that meeting, a review group has been appointed to consider recent disorder at cricket matches and to recommend measures for ensuring the safety of spectators and players. The group includes Government officials and representatives of the cricket authorities, the police, and the Football Licensing Authority. I expect it to report by mid-August.

Digital Broadcasting

21. Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the take-up of digital services for (a) Wales and (b) England. [2442]

Tessa Jowell: From the figures declared by the service providers, we estimate that over 31 per cent. of households in the United Kingdom have taken up digital television services. We do not have a breakdown of take-up figures by country.

Tourism Industry (Foot and Mouth)

22. Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of foot and mouth disease on domestic tourism. [2444]

Dr. Howells: 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 (the impact in subsequent years has not yet been estimated). We are currently revising the model on which this is based in the light of the latest available data.

Lottery Funding

23. Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to reform the criteria for distributing national lottery funding. [2445]

Mr. Caborn: The criteria that are used for determining awards from national lottery funds are a matter for the lottery distributors. The criteria vary from distributor to

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distributor and from funding programme to funding programme. They are based on financial and policy directions which the Government issued to lottery distributors, and also on distributors' own policies and strategic plans.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list those major millennium projects which have applied for additional national lottery funding, indicating the sum requested, the reasons given for this request and the amount of extra funding allocated in each case. [71]

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.

Arts Festivals

24. Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support is available from her Department for town and city arts festivals. [2446]

Tessa Jowell: There are several programmes run by the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards to which those organising town or city festivals can apply, including the regional arts lottery programme. The National Foundation for Youth Music's music maker scheme also supports arts festivals.

So far, a total of £10,870,781 of lottery funds has been awarded to town and city festivals by the Arts Council, the National Foundation for Youth Music and the Regional Arts Boards.

Millennium Dome

25. Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money the millennium dome has received from the national lottery. [2447]

Dr. Howells: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has received a national lottery grant of £628 million for the millennium experience at Greenwich and for its associated national programme of events and activities.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had since 15 February with (a) Mr. Robert Bourne and (b) his associated parties regarding the future of the dome. [4257]

Tessa Jowell: I have had no discussions with Mr. Robert Bourne or his associated parties regarding the future of the dome.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much money was allocated to NMEC Ltd. during 2000 by the Millennium Commission; and from which of the Commission's budgets this sum was drawn; [3650]

(2) from what date the Millennium Commission set aside reserve funds as a contingency against the financial problems of the dome; how much was set aside; and from which budgets those funds were drawn; [3652]

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(3) for what purpose the money set aside by the Millennium Commission for unforeseen contingencies and unforeseen costs of the dome was used; [3649]

(4) what budget was set aside by the Millennium Commission for 2000 for other good causes, excluding the dome; and what proportion of this sum was spent on such projects; [3651]

(5) what was the total value of grant applications turned down by the Millennium Commission during (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000; and how many applications were refused during this period; [3638]

(6) what was the sum total of all funds paid by the Millennium Commission to (a) NMEC Ltd. and (b) other organisations involved in the design, construction, management and decommissioning of the dome; and what were the total amounts authorised for these purposes by Parliament. [3639]

Tessa Jowell: 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.

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