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PRIME MINISTER

Afghanistan

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 197W, which British Muslim organisations have specifically expressed support for the coalition's military action against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. [14709]

The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to my previous answer.

Islamic Society of Britain

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives of the Islamic Society of Britain; and what plans he has to do so in future. [15122]

The Prime Minister: I have had a number of meetings recently with representatives of the faith communities including representatives of the Muslim community. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of such meetings.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister if the Islamic Society of Britain has signified its support for the Coalition's military action against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. [15123]

The Prime Minister: It would not be appropriate for me to comment on behalf of the Islamic Society of Britain.

Cabinet Secretary

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister what factors he will take into account when deciding who to appoint as Cabinet Secretary; whether the successful applicant will be drawn from the civil service; and if he will make a statement. [17360]

The Prime Minister: The Secretary of the Cabinet reaches retirement age in October 2002. I will make a statement on his succession when I am ready to do so.

House of Lords

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether individuals appointed by him to the House of Lords to act as Ministers following further reforms will be expected to serve a minimum time in that capacity in order to qualify for life membership of the Chamber. [17972]

The Prime Minister: As the Government's White Paper on further reform of the House of Lords, "The House of Lords—Completing the Reform" (Cm 5291), makes clear, there will be no life membership of the second Chamber, other than as a transitional measure for existing life peers at the time that the reforms come into force.

The Government are consulting on the length of the terms for appointed members, with the choice being between terms of five, 10 or 15 years.

26 Nov 2001 : Column: 629W

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Expenditure (Scotland)

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list, in real terms, for each year since 1979 (a) the total sums of money spent directly by her Department in Scotland and (b) the total sums of money allocated by her Department for spending in Scotland through (i) the Scottish Office, (ii) the Scotland Office and (iii) the Scottish Executive. [16182]

Mr. Caborn: The information requested is not readily available. Public expenditure information by territory and function is available in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02 (Cm 5101) for the years 1995–96 to 1999–2000, and earlier years are available in previous PESA publications. Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House of Commons.

Local Bodies

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list those local bodies which were set up under legislation which is the responsibility of her Department and its predecessors since May 1997. [17578]

Mr. Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not set up any local bodies under legislation since May 1997.

World Athletics Championships

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who made the decision to support the staging of the 2005 World Athletics Championships. [16654]

Tessa Jowell: The decision to bid for the 2005 World Athletics Championships was taken by UK Athletics with the support of the Government, Sport England and UK Sport.

Regional Arts Development

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what schemes and programmes are available to support and encourage the development of artists and musicians in the regions, with particular reference to the Teeside area. [17800]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 23 November 2001]: Funding for the Arts is a matter for the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards. As a result of last year's spending review, however, the Arts Council's grant-in-aid budget will increase by over £100 million, from £233 million in 2000–01 to £338 million in 2003–04. Northern Arts, which includes the Teesside area, will see its budget for supporting the arts increase by £1.4 million, or nearly 11 per cent., over the same period.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the support provided by her Department for the arts in the regions. [17799]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 23 November 2001]: My Department issues grant-in-aid to the Arts Council of England, the main funding body for the arts in England, which is in turn committed to delegating increasing

26 Nov 2001 : Column: 630W

amounts of that funding to the regions. Grant-in-aid to the Arts Council itself is worth £253 million this year, of which £107 million is going directly to the regions. Grant-in-aid is set to increase to £338 million, of which £143 million will go directly to the regions, by 2000–04.

Listed Places of Worship (Grant)

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when she intends to announce details of the grant scheme for listed places of worship; [17640]

(2) if she has selected a preferred bidder to become operator of the grant scheme for listed places of worship. [17641]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 23 November 2001]: The Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme is an interim scheme which will return in grant aid the difference between 5 per cent. and the actual amount spent on VAT on eligible repairs and maintenance to listed places of worship. It is intended to bridge the two-year gap leading up to the 2003 review by the European Commission of the permitted reduced VAT rates in the sixth VAT Directive. Full details of the scheme operator, its criteria and application forms will be available in early December.

Television Licences

Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many older people are in receipt of a free television licence in the Tynemouth constituency. [18003]

Mr. Caborn: Everyone aged 75 or over is entitled to benefit from a free television licence. TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 7,000 people aged 75 or over in the Tynemouth constituency.

Lottery Funding

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average lottery funding to date is for parliamentary constituencies in (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom. [16980]

Mr. Caborn: According to my Department's National Lottery Awards database, which holds information supplied to us from the lottery distributors, the average lottery funding to date for parliamentary constituencies in England is £12.9 million and is £12.4 million for the United Kingdom.

Football

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many football matches she has attended since 7 June in her official capacity. [17199]

Tessa Jowell: I have attended no football matches in an official capacity. However, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport has attended four England international matches, but no domestic matches.

26 Nov 2001 : Column: 631W

Giant's Causeway

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what responses she has made to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre regarding the Giant's Causeway. [16785]

Mr. Caborn: The UK Government recently received a request from UNESCO's World Heritage Centre for a report on the current situation at the Giant's Causeway. My Department has lead responsibility for compliance with the World Heritage Convention and will be responding to that request as soon as possible, and certainly before the next meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Helsinki in December.

As yet there is no tangible threat to the integrity or heritage value of the Giant's Causeway World Heritage Site. The competition devised by Moyle district council for the development of its land has not yet resulted in a firm planning proposal coming before the Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland. As and when such a proposal does materialise, it will be considered carefully in accordance with the requirements of the Northern Ireland planning system; the need to protect the integrity and setting of the site will obviously be a material and significant factor. My Department intends to keep UNESCO fully informed of developments.

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