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Royal Palaces
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many flats in the royal palaces are occupied by persons other than the royal family. [8240]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 23 October 2001]: There were 244 residences in the occupied royal palaces occupied by persons other than members of the royal family at 31 December 2000.
Theatre Visitor Numbers
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact on (a) London and (b) regional theatres of the fall in the number of visitors following the events of 11 September. [9649]
Dr. Howells: It is too early to say how far the events of September 11 have affected attendance at theatres in London and the regions. The Arts Council of England, Regional Arts Boards and Society of London Theatres
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will continue to monitor the situation within both the commercial and subsidised sectors over the coming weeks and will keep me informed of all developments.
Royal Prerogative
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many ministerial decisions were made where authority for the same derived from the royal prerogative for the most recent calendar month for which information is available. [9366]
Dr. Howells: The Department does not keep records of the individual occasions on which powers under the royal prerogative are exercised, nor could it be practicable to do so.
TV Quality Criteria
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria relating to quality of programmes and schedules she applies to decisions on granting and renewing television broadcasting licences. [10204]
Dr. Howells: Under the terms of the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996, the licensing of television services is a matter for the Independent Television Commission. Channel 3 and Channel 5 licensees had to pass a programme quality threshold before the Commission granted their licences. Channel 4's distinctive and innovative remit is incorporated in its licence. Cable and satellite television services are not subject to statutory programming requirements.
On-line Libraries
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authorities have put all of their public libraries on-line; and when the remaining libraries will be brought on-line. [10469]
Dr. Howells: 79 local authorities offer public internet access in all their public libraries. By the end of December 2002 all will do so.
Sportsmatch
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant was allocated to Sportsmatch in each full financial year since the scheme was started. [10233]
Dr. Howells: Sportsmatch received the grants shown in the table.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1992–93 | 1.0 |
| 1993–94 | 2.9 |
| 1994–95 | 3.3 |
| 1995–96 | 3.7 |
| 1996–97 | 3.2 |
| 1997–98 | 3.2 |
| 1998–99 | 3.2 |
| 1999–2000 | 3.37 |
| 2000–01 | 3.37 |
| 2001–02 | 3.55 |
| 2002–03 | 3.55 |
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Commercial Radio Licences
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish her policy on future commercial radio licences as they affect Torbay and South Devon. [9979]
Dr. Howells: The award of commercial radio licences is a matter for the Radio Authority.
Lottery Funding (Scotland)
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was (a) the total amount of Lottery awards, (b) their purpose and (c) the total value of Lottery awards per constituency in Scotland over the last year; and what was the total percentage of Lottery funding and value in Scotland compared with the other nations and regions within the United Kingdom. [10159]
Dr. Howells: To date, National Lottery awards across the UK total £9.54 billion, shared between projects covering the Arts; Charities; Health; Education and Environment; Heritage; and Sport, plus those associated with celebrating the millennium. (A complete list is available on the DCMS website: www.culture.gov.uk.) The total value of Lottery awards per constituency in Scotland over the last year was £1.22 million. A comparison of Scottish Lottery funding with the other nations and regions within the United Kingdom is set out in the following table.
| Regions/country | Amount awarded (£) | Percentage of lottery funding |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 51,569,533 | 5.89 |
| Eastern | 44,273,651 | 5.06 |
| London | 172,898,301 | 19.74 |
| North-East | 45,541,175 | 5.20 |
| North-West | 95,052,820 | 10.85 |
| Northern Ireland | 36,023,995 | 4.11 |
| Scotland | 88,066,669 | 10.06 |
| South-East | 59,966,324 | 6.85 |
| South-West | 56,865,218 | 6.49 |
| Wales | 51,202,363 | 5.85 |
| West Midlands | 58,538,348 | 6.68 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 59,701,202 | 6.82 |
| n/a | 56,011,231 | 6.40 |
| Total | 875,710,830 |
(17) Covering the period 1 October 2000 to 30 September 2001
TV Licences (Scotland)
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what income the BBC raised in the last 12 months from licence payers in Scotland; and how much of this is spent on the production and broadcasting of television and radio programmes in Scotland. [10098]
Dr. Howells: The BBC income and budgets are calculated for the financial year. In the financial year 2000–01, the total licence fee income from television licence fee payers in Scotland, minus approximately £10 million collection costs, was £195 million.
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BBC Scotland's budget income for the same period breaks down as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Specific television and radio services for Scotland | 68.1 |
| Scottish productions for network TV | 35.1 |
| Scottish productions for network Radio | 3.4 |
| Co-production/Gaelic Broadcasting Funds | 13.8 |
| Total | 120.4 |
The projected budget for BBC Scotland in 2001–02 is £140 million, and in 2002–02 is £160 million.
Scotland also benefits, of course, from the programming which the BBC provides across the UK as a whole.
The costs of transmitter operations, which are paid for centrally by the BBC, are not included. The budgets for independent production companies commissioned by network television and radio on behalf of BBC Scotland are included, but the costs of independent companies commissioned by the networks for their own productions are not included.
Departmental Staff
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of staff employed by her Department by region and nation of the UK; and if she will make a statement. [6774]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1008–12W.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Departmental Spending (Deprived Areas)
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the expenditure by her Department in each of the years (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000, (e) 2000–01, (f) 2001–02 and (g) 2002–03 (estimated) was allocated with reference to the Index of Multiple Deprivation; which expenditure programmes are allocated with respect to this Index and other measures of relative geographic deprivation; and if she will make a statement. [8936]
Mr. Morley: No departmental funding has previously been allocated on this basis. The Index is used however, as an indicator to measure sustainable development.
Organic Farming
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms became organic in 2001 to date. [7733]
Mr. Morley: For the period December 2000 to June 2001, the number of officially registered organic holdings, including those in conversion, in the UK increased from 5,508 to 5,939.
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Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the support mechanism to convert to organic farming in EU member states; which countries make no payments for them; which provide transitional support; and which make continuing post conversion payments. [9533]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 22 October 2001]: Support for conversion to organic farming is governed by EC Regulations 1257/99 and 1750/99. The regulations require member states to set out their planned support for organic farming in a rural development programme which must be approved by the EC Commission. We have done so in the England Rural Development Programme, which can be accessed through the DEFRA website. We do not have copies of the programmes of other member states but detailed information about other Governments' support is available at www.organic-europe.net.
Under the EC regulations, payments to farmers who convert their land to organic farming methods must be made for at least five years. For most farmers, the conversion period is two years, thus farmers are supported during conversion and in the immediate years following. The rates and structure of payments vary widely between member states. Many of them make payments beyond the five-year period. The current England Organic Farming Scheme directs support at the time of greatest need, ie during the conversion period and the initial years of full organic status.
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