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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 18 July 2001
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
European Capital of Culture
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to review the guidelines associated with the European Capital of Culture for 2008. [3251]
Dr. Howells: Guidelines for those preparing bids for the European Capital of Culture 2008 were published in September last year, and I have no plans to review them.
School Sports and Arts
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what will happen to moneys not used in the latest round of applications for sports and arts facilities in schools; [2870]
- (2) what the reasons are for the length of time taken for a decision to be reached on the schools that are to be awarded money for sports and arts projects. [2869]
Dr. Howells: As announced in March 2001, around 300 schools have been invited to develop detailed applications under the Space for Sport and Arts programme, which are due by the end of October. All 65 of the local education authorities (LEAs) participating in the programme have been given an indicative funding allocation for planning purposes with a ceiling on each project of £0.5 million. LEAs are currently in the process of designing the spaces and applying for planning permission. Only once this has been done will it be possible to confirm the final allocations for each individual project. It is expected that the full £130 million allocated to this programme will be spent on those projects identified by the LEAs involved.
Lottery Funding
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to review how the Arts Council ensures that Lottery funding is distributed to the regions of England on an equal basis. [3203]
Dr. Howells: The Government are keen to see a fair distribution of funding throughout the country and have directed distributors to ensure that all parts of the UK have access to Lottery funds. The Arts Council of England undertook substantial consultation last year when devising the Arts Capital Programme, the first tranche of prioritised projects being announced in June 2001. Geographical inequity was one of a number of considerations in the programme, together with investment in Black, Asian and Chinese Arts associations.
Arts Council
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2001,
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Official Report, columns 68–71W, on the Arts Council, if she will provide a breakdown of the figures per head of population in each local authority. [3131]
Dr. Howells: We have contacted West Midlands Arts Board to request the information required, and my noble Friend the Minister for the Arts will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of her letter in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much support the Arts Council provided for projects within each London authority in each of the last three years, broken down per head of population. [3204]
Dr. Howells: We have contacted both the Arts Council of England and London Arts to request the information required, and my noble Friend the Minister for the Arts will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of her letter in the Libraries of both Houses.
Osborne House
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to comply with the provisions of the Osborne Estate Act 1902 pending the reintroduction of legislation to amend that Act; what proposals she has for the future use of rooms at Osborne House formerly occupied by the King Edward VII Convalescent Home for Officers; and what representations she has received on the future use of those premises. [3261]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 10 July 2001]: The parts of Osborne House used formerly as the King Edward VII Convalescent Home for Officers which closed on 31 October 2000 will not be available for alternative use until repair and refurbishment of the exterior of the accommodation is completed. This is currently estimated to be in January 2002. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be considering how to meet from that date the obligations under the Osborne Estate Act 1902 to devote part of Osborne House for the benefit of members of the armed forces and the civil service until such time as the statutory requirement is repealed. English Heritage, which is responsible for the maintenance and management of the Osborne Estate, have sent my right hon. Friend proposals for opening to the public a large part of the former convalescent home accommodation and the gardens previously restricted to convalescent home use. My right hon. Friend has not received any other representations concerning the future use of the accommodation.
New Opportunities Fund
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish details of the most recent awards made under the New Opportunities Fund. [3956]
Mr. Caborn: A large number of awards have been announced recently by the New Opportunities Fund, including £1.6 million to facilitate access to 50,000 items of specific importance to the history and culture of Wales via the internet.
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I have contacted the New Opportunities Fund to request the detailed information required, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.
Green Ministers
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) on what date a Green Minister was first appointed in her Department; when subsequent appointments were made; and if she will make a statement; [3973]
- (2) what the terms of reference are for the Green Minister in her Department; and if she will make a statement. [3982]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 13 July 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Environment on 13 July 2001, Official Report, columns 689–90W.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what dates her Department's Green Minister attended meetings of the Green Ministers Committee during the current Session of Parliament; on what dates subsequent meetings are planned to take place; and if she will make a statement. [4819]
Tessa Jowell: This Parliament the Green Ministers Committee has been reconstituted as the Cabinet Sub- Committee of Green Ministers, ENV(G), under the chairmanship of the Minister for the Environment. It is established practice under exemption two of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees.
Television Licences
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to (a) extend free television licences and (b) introduce reduced-cost television licences for pensioners under the age of 75 years. [4388]
Dr. Howells: The Government have no plans to extend free television licences to pensioners below the age of 75 or to introduce reduced fee licences for such individuals.
Party Political Broadcasts
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the arrangements under which the BBC and the ITV companies are given access to, and the right to edit, party political broadcasts. [4125]
Dr. Howells: The broadcasting of party political broadcasts is ultimately the responsibility of the broadcasters and the broadcasting regulatory authorities. It is the broadcasters' responsibility to ensure that all the material they broadcast complies with their obligations to maintain programme standards, such as those relating to taste and decency. They may reject any material submitted, including party political broadcasts, unless or until it so complies.
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Regional Arts Board (West Midlands)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds have been made available for the west midlands to support (a) dancing, (b) singing and (c) acting through the regional arts board; and what plans she has to increase funding for these purposes. [3932]
Tessa Jowell [holding answer 17 July 2001]: The table shows expenditure through grant-in-aid and the Regional Arts Lottery Programme (RALP) for all artforms by West Midlands Arts which is the main funding body for the arts in the region for the last financial year, 2000–01. The Arts Council of England separately funds Birmingham Royal Ballet (£5,650,087) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (£9,160,300).
Alterations to the amounts already given to dancing, singing and acting is a matter for West Midlands Arts.
| Artform | Treasury | RALP | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crafts | 134,120 | 25,699 | 159,819 |
| Dance | 672,775 | 261,087 | 933,862 |
| Drama/Theatre/Mime | 2,586,765 | 255,660 | 2,842,425 |
| Film, Video and Broadcast | 244,306 | 64,398 | 308,704 |
| Literature | 166,079 | 89,032 | 255,111 |
| Mixed Media | 138,475 | — | 138,475 |
| Combined Arts | 1,572,552 | 273,584 | 1,846,136 |
| Music | 1,958,030 | 110,231 | 2,068,261 |
| Non-artform | 800,849 | — | 800,849 |
| Photography | 113,534 | — | 113,534 |
| Visual Arts | 1,441,982 | 540,413 | 1,982,395 |
| Grand Total | 9,829,467 | 1,620,104 | 11,449,571 |
(a) Dancing may be included within Dance, Drama/Theatre or Combined Arts.
(b) Singing may be included within Music or Combined Arts. Not all music is singing.
(c) Acting may be included within Drama/Theatre/Mime, Combined Arts or Film, Video and Broadcast.
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