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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 5 December 2001

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Tobacco Sponsorship

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which recommendations of the tobacco taskforce have been implemented to date; and which are planned to be implemented in the future. [20156]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 3 December 2001]: The tobacco taskforce was established in 1998 to provide practical assistance to the sports affected by the Government's decision to ban tobacco sponsorship of sport. The taskforce's role is mainly advisory: to assist sports currently in receipt of tobacco sponsorship to find replacement sponsors by assessing the needs of each sport offering advice on best practice in establishing commercial relationships with sponsors; and assisting the sports in making links with potential new sponsors. In all, seven sports have sought assistance to make the transition from tobacco sponsorship—rugby league, clay pigeon shooting, billiards and snooker, pool, darts, ice-hockey and angling.

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value of tobacco sponsorship for each sport sponsored in the UK, was in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [20167]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 3 December 2001]: Records are not kept of the amount of tobacco sponsorship received by each sport. As part of the 1995 voluntary agreement on sponsorship of sport, the Tobacco Manufacturers Association is required to make a return detailing the expenditure incurred in that year by tobacco sponsorship in the United Kingdom. The total value of tobacco sponsorship of sport in the United Kingdom for 1999–2000 was £8,815,000.

Sports (North-East)

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has further to develop grassroots sports in the north-east. [20358]

Mr. Caborn: The Government are committed to the development of sport and increasing opportunities for participation throughout the country. The strategy for sport—A Sporting Future for All—and the Government's plan for sport set out an action plan on how we intend to achieve those objectives. Responsibility for developing grassroots sport at the regional level rests with a number of organisations including Sport England, local authorities, local education authorities, schools, sports governing bodies, sports clubs, volunteers, and in order to ensure the best use of resources it is essential that all these interests work in partnership.

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In the north-east region all of the programmes for providing better sports facilities and improving sports provision are being implemented. These include lottery funding, where almost £80 million has been committed to the region, the school sport co-ordinators programme and specialist sports colleges, while £20.6 million under the spaces for sport and arts, £37.9 million under NOF Round three and £2.8 million under the NOF Green Spaces programmes will be invested into facilities which will be available to schools and the wider community.

The North East Sports Board has also published its Sports Strategy—2001–2006 as a result of which eight action plan implementation groups have been set up to take forward a range of issues including investment in sport, health, education, social inclusion and links to economic and cultural strategies.

For the future I have made it clear that I want to see a strengthened regional structure for the delivery of sport in the regions which involves local decision making and strong partnerships with all the key local interests. I will be discussing these issues with the Sport England Council and its new chief executive when he is in post.

English Heritage

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if it is her policy to reduce grants to English Heritage proportionately to reductions on VAT liabilities following the Finance Act 2001. [20180]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 3 December 2001]: In the last Budget the Chancellor announced a new grant scheme to assist repairs and maintenance to listed places of worship. Initial estimates are that the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme could be worth up to £30 million per year. There is no cap on the scheme; all listed places of worship that meet the criteria will receive a grant. This Department has been asked to make a small contribution to its administration costs. We have asked English Heritage to meet this commitment, which they have chosen to do through the redirection of £2 million in grant-in-aid from the Joint Places of Worship (JPOW) Scheme.

Competitive Bidding

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the schemes administered by (a) her Department and (b) its agencies where funds are allocated by a competitive bidding process; and what was the amount of money allocated to each scheme. [19789]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 3 December 2001]: My Department administers two schemes through Re:source, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, where awards are allocated on a competitive bidding process. These are the DCMS/Wolfson challenge fund for public library projects to which we allocate £2 million a year; and the designated museums challenge fund for which £15 million was allocated for the three year period from 1999–2000 to 2001–02 to support projects to improve presentation at museums with designated collections.

National Foundation for Youth Music

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made

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of the effectiveness of the National Foundation for Youth Music in providing more opportunity for young people to participate in musical activity; and if she will make a statement. [19613]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 30 November 2001]: The National Foundation for Youth Music operates independently of Government. It has made over 500 awards nationally totalling nearly £16.5 million, and reaching over 150,000 participants. 84 per cent. of these are enjoying their first musical experience.

Broadband Broadcasting

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to ensure that all areas of the UK proceed at the same rate with the shift from analogue to broadband broadcasting. [19976]

Dr. Howells: The Government are committed to ensuring that everyone who currently receives free-to-air broadcast channels on analogue will continue to do so digitally after the switchover to digital television, whether by terrestrial, cable or satellite means. We recognise that there are some synergies between the ranges of services which digital television and broadband access can deliver and we aim to ensure that these synergies are developed. But it is for the competitive market to determine which services are valued by consumers and which technology is best able to deliver them.

Silverstone

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of (a) the future of and (b) the costs of improved access to the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone. [17327]

Mr. Caborn: Silverstone is one of the most popular Grand Prix circuits in the world. The Government are in discussion with the owners and operators of Silverstone about its future and their proposals for its redevelopment.

The operator of Silverstone is concerned that the problems encountered by spectators arriving at recent British Grand Prix threaten the retention of the event. The operator has been consulting with the Highways Agency and the local authorities about an improved access from the A43 trunk road. Planning applications have recently been submitted to the planning authorities. I have made no estimate of the costs of these proposals.

International Sporting Events

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to submit bids for future major international sporting events; and if she will make a statement. [18166]

Mr. Caborn: Responsibility for submitting bids for major sports events lies with the relevant governing body. The Government encourage all sports to work closely with the UK sports major event's steering group in the preparation of bids for major events to ensure that bids are properly co-ordinated. Where a bid cannot proceed without significant public funding, the Government will need to review all aspects of a bid thoroughly before giving any support. The Government have asked the

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performance and innovation unit (PIU) to consider the structure of support for major international sporting events.

2005 World Championships

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what work her Department is undertaking to ensure that Sheffield is a viable alternative to London as a bidder for the 2005 World Championships; and if she will make a statement. [17944]

Mr. Caborn: The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) decided at its council meeting on 26 November to reject the offer of Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium as an alternative to Picketts Lock and to reopen the bidding for the 2005 World Athletics Championships. The IAAF's decision is disappointing; Sheffield would have provided an outstanding venue for the 2005 World Championships.

At a meeting between UK Athletics, Sheffield city council, the Government, UK Sport, Sport England and the British Olympic Association on 27 November, it was agreed unanimously that UK Athletics should not enter a Sheffield bid.

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