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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
International Swimming Events
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what stadiums there are in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) London capable of holding international swimming events under the auspices of FINA; [11019]
- (2) what assessment she has made of the level of investment needed to upgrade United Kingdom (a) international athletics and (b) international swimming stadiums to international competition standards; and if she will make a statement. [11020]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 29 October 2001]: There are a number of athletics and swimming facilities across the United Kingdom that are used regularly for international athletics and swimming events which meet IAAF and FINA standards. The main athletics stadiums are: Crystal Palace in London, the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, the Gateshead Stadium, the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh and the Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow. The main swimming centres used for international 50 metre competition are the Ponds Forge Centre in Sheffield and the new Manchester Aquatics Centre.
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Sport England has set aside £21 million from the National Lottery to fund a regional high performance centre at Crystal Palace which will have improved facilities for athletics, boxing, swimming and tennis. The refurbishment will bring the existing 50 metre pool up to FINA standards.
World Cup 2002
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to introduce a deregulation order to allow more flexible liquor licensing during the football World Cup Finals in 2002. [11552]
Dr. Howells: None. The statutory consultation and the periods for parliamentary scrutiny and approval set out in the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 for making a regulatory reform order could not be completed by the time of the World Cup Finals next June. The hospitality and leisure industry has made no formal request to have licensing hours varied to allow them to serve alcohol during early morning games. As the games will be shown on BBC and ITV terrestrial television channels, the public demand to attend licensed premises to watch the games is now likely to be limited. However, licensed premises which do wish to open very early to sell alcohol during televised games can apply for special orders of exemption from the magistrates courts (and in London, from the Commissioners of Police for the City and the Metropolis) in respect of this special occasion, and under the terms of the Licensing Act 1964 it is for the magistrates, or the chief officers of police in London, to decide whether any additional hours should be permitted.
Departmental Assets
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what stocks of (a) antiques, (b) paintings and (c) fine wines are held by her Department; if she will list such assets sold over the last three years together with the sale proceeds from such transactions; what plans she has to sell further such assets over the period of the current comprehensive spending review; and if she will make a statement. [10843]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 31 October 2001]: The Government Art Collection is the only collection of art for which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has direct responsibility. The collection at present comprises approximately 12,000 works of art. None of these has been sold over the last three years, nor are there any plans to do so. The Department holds no stocks of antiques or fine wines.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Regulatory Impact Assessments
Ms Buck: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list those regulatory impact assessments published during the latest six-month period. [12435]
Mr. Leslie: The Government are committed to ensuring that regulations are necessary, give effective protection, balance cost and risk, are fair and command public confidence. In accordance with this, we require Departments to produce and publish regulatory impact assessments for all regulatory proposals likely to have an impact on business.
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I have presented to Parliament today a Command Paper listing regulatory impact assessments published between 1 January and 30 June 2001. Copies of those listed have been placed in the House Libraries. This is the fifteenth such Command Paper.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Foxhunting
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Masters of Foxhounds Association about the restarting of foxhunting. [10005]
Alun Michael [holding answer 25 October 2001]: Officials from this Department have met a number of organisations including the Masters of Foxhound Association regarding the possible relaxation of foot and mouth disease controls over foxhunting.
Institute for Animal Health
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will list the places of origin of cattle tested in error during the recent work undertaken by the Institute for Animal Health; [10828]
- (2) if she will publish the results of the recent work undertaken by the Institute for Animal Health on cattle brains which were tested in error. [10829]
Mr. Morley: DEFRA has commissioned two independent audits to investigate the provenance of the samples used by the Institute of Animal Health. The reports of these audits will be published. Any publication of results from experiments will depend upon the findings of the audit teams.
Arable Agrimoney
John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received from the First Minister for Scotland, about the payment of arable agrimoney; and if she will make a statement. [9710]
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received from (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) the Scottish Rural Development Department on the matter of agrimonetary compensation; and what her response was. [9841]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 23 October 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been involved in discussion with Ministers from the devolved Administrations about the issue of agrimonetary compensation for the arable sector. In addition, Ross Finnie, the Scottish Executive Minister for Environment and Rural Development has written to my noble Friend the Under-Secretary, Lord Whitty, on this subject.
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the
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Government have made of the Council for the Protection of Rural England's report on the handling of the foot and mouth crisis. [7767]
Alun Michael: The council for the Protection of Rural England's report "The Strategic Lessons of the foot-and-mouth outbreak" contains much which accords with the recommendations in the reports from the rural task force, which I chair, and from my noble Friend Lord Haskins on the impact of foot and mouth disease on the wider rural economy. Both reports were published on 18 October. We are currently considering their recommendations and will respond shortly, taking the views expressed in the CPRE report fully into account.
Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the independent inquiries into the foot and mouth outbreak will make recommendations. [9070]
Mr. Morley: The Royal Society Inquiry into Infectious Diseases in Livestock has been asked to make recommendations by summer 2002. Dr. Iain Anderson's "Lessons Learned" Inquiry had been asked to make recommendations six months after it has officially started.
Veterinary Medicines Directorate
Kali Mountford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the outcome of the Quinquennial and Better Quality Services Reviews of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. [12517]
Mr. Morley: After having undertaken both a consultation exercise and detailed reviews of the functions, form and performance of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate over the past five years, I have concluded that they should remain an Executive Agency for another term. The reviews established that the retention of agency status would be the most appropriate means of delivering high quality and cost-effective services over the next five years.
The Better Quality Services stage of the reviews has specifically identified measures to ensure continuous improvement in VMD's quality of service and cost effectiveness.
SCOTLAND
Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with representatives from the National Air Traffic Services about the effects of the downturn in air travel on the development of the Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre; and if she will make a statement. [10243]
Mrs. Liddell: My officials are in regular contact with representatives from the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), and with officials from DTLR, about matters relating to the Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre.
The Government and NATS both remain committed to the new centre in Prestwick.
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