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Ministerial Duties

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which film showings (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department have attended in an official capacity since 8 June; and what was the (i) purpose and (ii) date of each attendance. [21378]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 6 December 2001]: My hon. Friend the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting and I attended a showing of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" on 13 November 2001. In addition, my hon. Friend also attended a showing of Gas Attack on 3 October 2001 and the opening night gala screening of Gosford Park at the London Film Festival on 7 November 2001 and we have both attended the cinema in a private capacity.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which countries (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department have visited in an official capacity since 8 June; and what was the (i) purpose and (ii) date of the visits. [21380]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The information the hon. Gentleman requested is shown in the following table.

DateMinisterCountryPurpose
21 June 2001Minister of State for the ArtsLuxembourgEU Council of Ministers meeting on Culture and Audiovisual matters
1–2 July 2001Minister for Tourism, Film and BroadcastingBelgiumEU Presidency Tourism Summit
2–8 August 2001Minister of State for SportCanadaWorld Athletics Championships
1–2 September 2001Minister of State for SportGermanyGermany v. England World Cup qualifier
9–10 September 2001Minister of State for the ArtsGermanyOpening of Berlin's Jewish Museum and meeting with Julian Nida-Rumelin
26–27 September 2001Secretary of StateUSASupporting British families of victims of September 11
14–17 October 2001Secretary of StateUSAUKwithNY and supporting British families of victims of September 11
27–28 October 2001Secretary of StateUSARemembrance Service for victims of September 11
30–31 October 2001Minister of State for the ArtsFranceUNESCO World Heritage Committee elections
5 November 2001Minister of State for the ArtsBelgiumEU Council of Ministers meeting on Culture and Audiovisual matters
12 November 2001Minister of State for SportBelgiumEU Ministerial Conference on Sport
23 November–1 December 2001Minister for Tourism, Film and BroadcastingCanada/USAPromotion of UK Tourism and Creative Industries
3 December 2001Minister of State for the ArtsIrelandMeeting with the Irish Prime Minister, to discuss the 2002 Irish Special Olympics

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Staff Training

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on opportunities for staff training in her Department. [21389]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 6 December 2001]: My Department has Investors in People accreditation and is committed to providing opportunities for staff development. Through the annual appraisal system staff identify their own training and development needs. Both formal and informal opportunities are provided for staff. Formal opportunities include bought-in training from bodies like the Government's Centre for Management and Policy Studies, and courses delivered by DCMS's in-house trainers. Informal opportunities include shadowing, secondments and coaching.

Press Notices

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what determines (a) whether a press notice issued by her Department is placed on the Department's website and (b) how long a press notice issued by her Department remains on the Department's website. [21374]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 6 December 2001]: Press notices publicising policy announcements and statements appear on the department's website www.culture.gov.uk. Operational notices, inviting the media to launches or events, are sent directly to the media and are not posted on the website. Press notices dating back to 1999 are archived on the website. Earlier releases are available from my department's Press Office.

Yorkshire Cultural Consortium

Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the cost of establishing the Yorkshire Cultural Consortium. [21438]

Dr. Howells: At 6 December 2001, the Yorkshire Cultural Consortium had spent £39,000 from the budget allocated to it by my Department. It has also been helped by a grant of £30,000 from Yorkshire Forward. Much of the money spent so far has gone towards the research and publication of the Consortium's strategy 'Deep Roots, Real Achievements, Lofty Ambitions' which was published on 13 November.



New Deal (Young People)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed by the Department under the New Deal for Young People; and at what cost to public funds. [21310]

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Dr. Howells: There are currently no staff employed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport under the New Deal for Young People.

Announcements

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what announcements her Department is planning to make between 19 December and 8 January. [21375]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 6 December 2001]: Final decisions on any announcements for this period will be taken nearer the time.

Commonwealth Games

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the process which resulted in Manchester City Football Club being chosen as the final occupier of the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester. [21355]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 6 December 2001]: In order to secure the long term viability of the City of Manchester Stadium, a tenant was required to assume the operational risk and maintenance obligations, so that these would not fall on the public sector. Manchester City Football Club was identified as the only realistic long term tenant able to undertake that role. Manchester City Council and Sport England negotiated terms with Manchester City Football Club for the Club to operate the stadium after the Games. Those arrangements have been evaluated independently, on behalf of Sport England, who are satisfied that they comply with lottery funding rules.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of converting the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester into a football stadium will be. [21351]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The cost of removing the athletics track, creating a football pitch and replacing the temporary north stand with a permanent facility is estimated to cost around £12 million.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the design of the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester. [21350]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The City of Manchester stadium is being built in two phases.

The first build phase, in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, is designed for athletics. Following the Commonwealth Games in 2002, in the second phase of building, the stadium is to be further

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developed into a football stadium. In both phases the stadium will provide high quality facilities for athletes and spectators.

With the construction of the stadium in two phases the venue is made suitable first for the Commonwealth Games and then as a lasting legacy to Manchester as a football stadium. The stadium and other venues within the overall Sport City complex will provide facilities to support both elite athletes and facilities for community use, a key element in the regeneration of east Manchester.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the cost of (a) the Commonwealth Games Stadium, (b) the Manchester Commonwealth 50 Pool, (c) each other sporting facility and (d) each non-sporting facility to be used in the 2002 Commonwealth Games; and which bodies own each facility. [21353]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The information requested is as follows:

Construction costs of sporting venues(2)
£ million

VenuesConstruction costs Owned by
Stadium(3)110Manchester City Council
Manchester Aquatics Centre(4)32.7Manchester 50 Pool Ltd.
Heaton Park Bowls1.06Manchester City Council
Belle Vue Hockey Pitches(3)3.2Manchester City Council
English Institute of Sport(3)16.2Manchester City Council
International Convention Centre(5)23.6G.Mex
National Cycling Centre (complete 1993)(5)10Velodrome Trust

(2) Projections for those not yet complete

(3) Projected costs

(4) Developed as a partnership between Council and three Manchester universities who made capital and revenue contributions to cost of project.

(5) Will be used, but not specifically built, for the Games.


All the other venues to be used are listed and will be the subject of hire agreements between Manchester 2002 Ltd., the Commonwealth Games organisers, and the venue owner. Costs associated with the temporary works for the venues necessary for the Games are contained in the Games organisers' budget.

Venues Owned by
Other sporting venues to be usedG-Mex Ltd.
G-MexSMG Ltd.
MEN ArenaManchester University
Athletes VillageNational Rifle Association, Bisley
National Shooting Centre, BisleyUPP (Manchester Student Village) Ltd.
Technical Officials VillageManchester City Council
Wythenshawe ForumUMIST
Manchester School of ManagementBolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Bolton ArenaBolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Rivington and Blackrod High SchoolManchester City Council
Manchester Town HallLowry Trust
Lowry CentrePeel Holdings
Dock 9 Salford Quays
Training Venues
Sugden CentreUMIST
Grand Central PoolStockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Ducie Sports AcademyManchester City Council
Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester Grammar School
Salford Wrestling AcademyThe British Wrestling Association Ltd.
Boggart Hole CloughManchester City Council
GMP Hough EndGreater Manchester Police
Northern Lawn Tennis ClubNorthern Lawn Tennis Club
Wythenshawe ParkManchester City Council
Manchester Leisure Sports Development CentreManchester City Council
Aquinas CollegeDiocese of Shrewsbury
Manchester Rugby ClubManchester Rugby Club
Sale Sharks Rugby ClubSale Sharks Rugby Club
Aldwinians Rugby ClubAldwinians Rugby Club
Old Bedians Rugby ClubOld Bedians Rugby Club
Burnage Rugby ClubBurnage Rugby Club
Bowdon Hockey ClubBowdon Hockey Club
Non-Competition Venues
Openshaw Business CentreManchester City Council
Midland HotelHoliday Inn
Commonwealth HouseBruntwood Properties
Heron HouseManchester City Council
Commonwealth Games VillageManchester University
Technical Officials VillageJarvis
Bisley VillageUniversity of Surrey
Mancat CollegeMancat
Manchester High School for GirlsManchester High School for Girls
Hollings CollegeManchester Metropolitan University

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Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the 2002 Commonwealth Games and on the cost of its organisation. [21352]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 6 December 2001]: The Commonwealth Games will be held in Manchester from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The Games are organised by Manchester 2002 Limited, an operating subsidiary of Manchester Commonwealth Games Limited, a company limited by guarantee, which is wholly owned by Manchester City Council. Manchester City Council are underwriting the cost of the Commonwealth Games.

The current budget of the Games organisers is £125 million. This is being funded by a combination of commercial revenue from TV rights, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing income and by public sector support from Manchester City Council, the Sports Lottery Fund and the Government.

Manchester City Council is also meeting approximately £10 million of additional human resource costs and expenses of preparing the City.

The Government, Sport England and Manchester City Council have agreed to provide contingency funding of up to £25 million which would be available if necessary to meet unforeseen Games' costs.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the timing of the process of transferring the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester from its current owners to Manchester City Football Club. [21354]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 6 December 2001]: It is anticipated that the transfer to Manchester City Football Club will be undertaken in time for the 2003–04 football season.

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