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Wembley Stadium
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to recoup Government money invested in the Wembley National Stadium project. [10247]
Mr. Caborn: No exchequer funds have been committed to the National Stadium project. Sport England have provided a grant of £120 million to Wembley National Stadium Ltd. to secure the acquisition of the Wembley site and to take forward development work. Discussions are continuing between Patrick Carter, the Football Association and Sport England to determine the future direction of the project.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on Wembley stadium. [10539]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 26 October 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) and Birmingham, >Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) and the hon. Member for Ryedale (Mr. Greenway) on 19 October 2001, Official Report, column 1380W.
European Football Championships
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support she plans to give to Scotland's bid to host the 2008 European Football Championships. [10751]
Mr. Caborn: The possibility of a bid for Euro 2008 by Scotland is a matter for the SFA and the Scottish Executive. I will receive an update on bids to stage major sports events in Scotland at the next meeting of the Sports Cabinet on 31 October.
Football (Funding)
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support is provided through (a) Sport England, (b) UK Sport and (c) other Government funding sources to develop football at the grassroots. [10987]
Mr. Caborn: Football is the nation's most popular participation sport by far, and it is a priority for both the Government and Sport England to develop the sport at the grass roots. Sport England's funding for football has been channelled through the Football Foundation since July 2000. The Foundation received Lottery funding totalling £7 million from Sport England in 2000–01, and the majority of this went to funding the sport at the grass roots level. Children's and recreational football also benefits from substantial Sport England Lottery funding for multi-use capital projects, and the financial benefits to grass roots football cannot be quantified.
In addition, exchequer-funded grants from Sport England to the Football Association to fund work on grass roots development totalled £165,000 in 1998–99 and £144,000 in 1999–2000.
The primary role of UK Sport is to support elite sportsmen and women by funding the development of training and competition facilities, and the provision of high quality coaching. UK Sport does not fund grass roots development initiatives in any sport.
Sports Review
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what are the (a) terms, (b) timescale and (c) membership of the Performance and Innovation Unit review of how major sporting events are staged. [11022]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 29 October 2001]: Details of the Performance and Innovation Unit review will be announced shortly.
BBC
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) black and (b) Asian governors there are on the BBC Board of Governors. [11433]
Dr. Howells: The BBC Board of Governors currently includes one black and one Asian member.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last discussed the ethnic breakdown of staff with the Director General of the BBC. [11432]
Dr. Howells: Decisions about recruitment of staff and equal opportunities are the responsibility of the BBC. I understand that the BBC has launched a number of managerial development schemes and training initiatives aimed at ensuring that 10 per cent. of BBC staff are from ethnic minorities by 2003.
Independent Commission on Gaming
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from non-profit making private clubs on the proposals of the Independent Commission on Gaming; and how many >of these expressed concern regarding the impact on their clubs if the Commission's proposals were implemented. [10817]
Mr. Caborn: We have received over 1,500 representations from such clubs, all expressing concern about the proposal by the Gambling Review Body that they should no longer be allowed to install jackpot gaming machines.
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact on the financial viability of non-profit making private clubs of the proposals of the Independent Commission on Gaming. [10807]
Mr. Caborn: We shall make such an assessment, following the closure today of the consultation period on the report of the Gambling Review Body.