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Sports (Co-ordination)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had to ensure that there is greater co-ordination within different sports at (a) international, (b) national, (c) regional and (d) local levels. [14849]

Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no recent discussions to ensure greater co-ordination within different sports at the various levels. However, she is aware that the Sports Councils work closely with the national governing bodies of sport continually to examine improved methods of co-ordination across all sports and all levels.

Sports (Rural Regeneration)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the role of sport in regeneration, with specific reference to rural areas. [14845]

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Mr. Caborn: The Government fully recognise the important role that sport can play in the regeneration of both urban and rural areas and in addressing a whole range of social issues such as better health, reduced crime and social inclusion. Both the report of Policy Action Team 10 and the Government's Plan for Sport highlight how sport can be used to tackle neighbourhood renewal, social exclusion and community development. Among the initiatives included in the plan are the creation of the Community Sport Alliance which brings together key stakeholders of all levels to identify the key challenges facing sport in the community; the promotion of sport in regional policy making through contributions to the work of regional agencies such as the Regional Cultural Consortiums; and ensuring that equity principles are at the heart of all the Government's and Sport England's policies for the promotion and development of sport. In particular the Policy Directions issued to Sport England in respect of the distribution of the Lottery Sports Fund require it, in deciding applications for funding, to have regard to the scope for reducing economic and social deprivation, the need to promote access to sport for people from all sections of society and the need to further the objectives of sustainable development taking into account social and community progress and employment opportunities created by sports projects. Sport England has also introduced a number of other specific initiatives aimed at the regeneration of deprived areas including Sport Action Zones, one of which is Cornwall, its Priority Areas Initiative and the establishment of a Regeneration Policy Advisory Group.

Playing Fields

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Minister for Sport's answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath on 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 4, what was the basis of the analysis her Department used for the calculation of numbers of playing fields disposed of during the period 1992 to 1997. [14844]

Mr. Caborn: Public concern about the loss of school playing fields led directly to the introduction in October 1998 of section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Before section 77 was introduced, only grant-maintained schools were required to seek consent from the Secretary of State before selling land, including areas of their playing fields. Local authorities and other schools that owned their own playing fields were free to sell without restriction. The then Department for Education and Employment estimated that an average of 40 playing fields a month were sold in this way before October 1998. Their estimate is based on the number of playing field disposals at grant-maintained schools between April 1996, when the previous Government further encouraged the disposal of playing fields by relaxing the Local Authority Capital Finance Regulations which governed the use of sale proceeds, and 1 October 1998, when section 77 took effect. During this 30-month period, some 64 grant-maintained schools were given approval to dispose of areas of playing field, which is an average of over two a month. Using the proportion of grant-maintained schools at that time compared with the number of other schools, the Department for Education and Skills estimate the total number of playing field disposals each month to have been around 40.

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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Fireworks

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans she has to heighten public awareness of (a) the dangers of fireworks and (b) the effects of fireworks on animals; [9240]

(2) what plans she has to restrict the decibel level of fireworks; [9242]

(3) what plans she has to review firework legislation; and if she will make a statement; [9243]

(4) what control the Government have over fireworks bought on the internet; and if she will make a statement; [9244]

(5) what plans she has to restrict the use of fireworks to a limited time period. [9241]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 24 October 2001]: The Department has recently launched this year's fireworks safety campaign informing the public of the dangers posed by fireworks. The theme of this year's campaign, is to urge children and young people to take care when using or being near fireworks. As part of the campaign, around 2,000 information packs to help mount local safety campaigns have been distributed to trading standards, fire brigades, health promotion units, environmental health officers and police forces. In addition over 25,000 special information packs have been distributed for use in schools.

The public is warned of the effects of fireworks on animals through the fireworks code, which advises pet owners to keep pets indoors. Each pack of fireworks on sale contains a copy of the code.

Fireworks on sale in the United Kingdom are required under the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 to adhere to British Standards BS 7114 which restrict the size and weight of fireworks. I have no plans to change this at present, although we are involved in the proposed European Standard which is likely to specify sound levels for certain fireworks.

We have no plans to restrict the use of fireworks to a limited time period. The working of regulations safeguards is kept under regular review.

United Kingdom based firework companies selling over the internet are subject to the provisions of the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997.

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to reduce accidents from fireworks. [10473]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The comprehensive measures introduced under the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 are again being supplemented by a robust, targeted firework safety campaign. The measures include controls on the types and size of fireworks which can be sold to the public, and prohibiting sales to those under 18 years of age.

The emphasis of this year's campaign, is that children and young people should take care when using or being near fireworks. As part of the campaign, around 2,000 information packs to help mount local safety campaigns

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have been distributed to trading standards, fire brigades, health promotion units, environmental health officers and police forces. In addition over 25,000 special information packs have been distributed for use in schools.

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many reported incidents involving injuries with fireworks in each of the last five years have involved (a) minors and (b) adults as the alleged perpetrators of the incidents in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK; [13164]

(2) how many reported incidents involving injuries with fireworks in each of the last five years have involved (a) minors and (b) adults as victims of the incidents in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK. [13165]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 8 November 2001]: The following data were collected from Accident and Emergency Departments in Great Britain over the firework season. Data are collected separately by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. These figures are recorded cases of accidental injury involving fireworks. We have no statistics relating to alleged perpetrators of incidents.

	Scotland		England and Wales
Year	Under 18	Over 18	Under 18	Over 18
2000	49	19	508	396
1999	45	37	549	425
1998	47	13	414	353
1997	35	22	439	412
1996	61	24	647	501

Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further plans she has to regulate the sale and use of fireworks for purposes other than organised displays. [13984]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We have no plans further to regulate the sale and use of fireworks.

Coal

Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the circumstances in which she will accept continued state aid from the EU for the UK coal industry. [10376]

Mr. Wilson: The EU must approve state aid paid by the Government to the UK coal industry, but it does not itself pay such aid.

The DTI is currently reviewing the rationale for the business support it gives, and so it would be premature to give a definitive view on the circumstances in which we would continue to subsidise the UK coal industry. However, as a general principle we would need to be convinced that the benefits of continued subsidy (for example in energy supply, economic or social terms) would outweigh the costs of that subsidy.

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