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Television Licences

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether residential homes have to purchase television licences for televisions that are watched by residents over the age of 75 years and other people. [24226]

Dr. Howells: Residents aged 75 or over living in residential homes are entitled to a free television licence to cover the installation or use of television in their private accommodation. Such licences do not extend to cover television sets in the communal parts of a residential home, which require a separate, full fee licence. However, we have received representations on this subject and our policy is currently under review.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people benefit from the £5 concessionary television licence scheme; and, in the last year for which figures are available, how many people stopped being entitled to a reduced fee licence because the (a) social mix and (b) level of warden cover at their accommodation changed. [24225]

Dr. Howells: At the end of October 2001, there were a total of 633,000 units of accommodation covered by the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence scheme, of which 200,000 were occupied by residents under 75, who pay a £5 fee, and 433,000 by residents aged 75 or over, who pay no fee. An accurate breakdown of the number of people who have ceased to be entitled to the concession because of changes to the social mix or the level of warden cover is not currently available, but we have contacted the BBC to request the information required and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Library.

Tourism

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment she has made of the cost of implementing the English Tourism Council's "Sea Changes" document; [24144]

8 Jan 2002 : Column: 549W

Dr. Howells [holding answer 19 December 2001]: The Government have welcomed the publication of "Sea Changes" and we are working with the English Tourism Council (ETC) to take it forward. The ETC is consulting closely with the British Resorts Association and relevant local authority tourism officers.

The ETC does not have a specific budget for implementing the report since its role is to inform and help develop the strategies of public agencies and the private sector, predominantly at local and regional level. The Government have not set out specific priorities for action in relation to the report and have not made any assessment of the potential cost of implementation. We are awaiting a preparatory assessment from the ETC and will then be in a better position to consider how best an impact can be made.

We do not propose to establish a separate unit to co-ordinate the case for resorts within Government. This is already the responsibility of my Department and we have raised the profile of resort regeneration in discussions both at national level at the March 2001 inter-Ministerial Tourism Summit, shortly after "Sea Changes" was published, and in ministerial meetings with Regional Development Agency (RDA) chairmen since then. We have also ensured that the new draft corporate planning guidance for RDAs asks them to work with regional and local partners on sustainable tourism strategies which should include the promotion of coastal resort regeneration.

Golden Jubilee

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements have been put in place for public holidays relating to the Queen's Golden Jubilee. [24417]

Mr. Caborn: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 23 November 2000, Official Report, column 294W, Tuesday 4 June 2002 will be a bank holiday in place of the Spring Bank Holiday, which would otherwise fall on 27 May. Monday 3 June will be an additional Bank Holiday for the Golden Jubilee.

Sports Clubs (Charitable Status)

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many community and amateur sports clubs will benefit from the revised Charity Commission guidelines on charitable status. [25001]

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Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington), on 13 December 2001, Official Report, column 1029W.

Museums (Buckingham)

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the museums in the Buckingham constituency that have received funding from her Department allocated to cutting museum entry fees; and the amount awarded in each case. [23744]

Dr. Howells: No museums in the Buckingham constituency have received funding from my Department allocated to cutting museum entry fees. None is sponsored by my Department.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the museums based in the Buckingham constituency which have received funding from the Designated Museums Challenge Fund indicating (a) the nature of the project, (b) the date of the award and (c) the amount of funding provided in each case. [23717]

Dr. Howells: There are no designated museums within the Buckingham constituency.

Arts Bodies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of staff turnover at (a) regional arts boards and (b) the Arts Council of England since the proposals outlined in 'Working Together for the Arts' were made; and if she will make a statement. [23572]

Dr. Howells: Staff turnover at the Arts Council of England in the period 1 April 2000–31 March 2001 was 28.4 per cent. In the first quarter of 2001–02, turnover reduced to 25 per cent. and reduced again in the second quarter to 20.5 per cent. Policies have been prepared to maximise staff retention, and these have been taken to the local union/management groups for ratification and workplace-based application.

The Regional Arts Boards are autonomous organisations, which report to their own boards about the turnover of staff.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the funding for the Arts Council of England in each year since 1995; what proportion of that funding in each of those years has been spent on salaries; what the Arts Council of England has spent in each year since 1995 on salaries; what the average salary of an Arts Council of England employee has been in each year since 1995; what the average salary of an employee of a regional arts board has been in each year since 1995; and if she will make a statement. [23573]

Dr. Howells: The following information has been supplied by the Arts Council of England, in answer to the question:

Arts Council
£000

Funding in each year since 1995 (grant-in-aid and lottery combined)
1995–961996–971997–981998–991999–20002000–01
GIA and Lottery funding435,327426,013454,788400,904416,271420,584
Proportion spent on salaries (percentage)0.81.01.31.61.31.6
How much spent on salaries3,4814,3516,0206,4575,6036,615
Average salary of ACE employee212122232833


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Regional Arts Boards

Average salary in yearPercentage of total expenditure spent on salaries
1995–96
East England19,40213
East Midland15,60614
London22,7947
Northern17,8569
North West21,1117
Southern18,98515
South East18,58316
South West16,73111
West Midlands18,69911
Yorkshire17,36810
1996–97
East England18,08511
East Midland15,89813
London23,2706
Northern19,5858
North West15,3088
Southern17,99812
South East20,38814
South West17,48912
West Midlands18,75710
Yorkshire17,6899
1997–98
East England18,82813
East Midland16,59914
London22,3327
Northern18,7749
North West18,0037
Southern20,99015
South East19,50916
South West17,58611
West Midlands18,47911
Yorkshire19,09510
1998–99
East England21,19415
East Midland16,67014
London23,4637
Northern19,2729
North West19,3349
Southern21,02114
South East20,80217
South West17,80311
West Midlands18,45811
Yorkshire18,77910
1999–2000
East England21,54214
East Midland17,04214
London25,6257
Northern20,5608
North West18,9638
Southern20,46113
South East21,53120
South West17,96812
West Midlands19,37111
Yorkshire20,37210
2000–01
East England22,62912
East Midland19,36712
London24,1815
Northern21,3636
North West19,8885
Southern24,0469
South East22,53015
South West19,73010
West Midlands21,0547
Yorkshire21,9518

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Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Arts Council of England has distributed to each of the regional arts boards in each year since 1995. [23574]

Dr. Howells: The Arts Council of England has been supplied the following information, which includes grant-in-aid and lottery funding combined:

Summary of RAB audited accounts
Total funding from ACE   £

All RABs1995–961996–971997–981998–991999–20002000–01
East England5,011,0535,109,8355,248,7105,322,2806,152,4509,718,024
East Midlands4,480,1584,443,5404,502,9004,938,1206,454,1079,682,517
London14,157,38013,762,83213,789,20214,603,19416,284,43932,014,120
Northern6,209,7666,353,2876,212,9706,353,2877,399,75811,714,473
North West8,099,9778,028,6108,441,0008,515,5299,766,31318,039,684
Southern3,598,4503,839,7713,918,7864,267,8465,159,65211,192,305
South East2,907,6882,931,2143,109,2643,319,0404,216,4796,999,710
South West4,577,4224,516,8834,972,6305,084,7576,027,1289,133,900
West Midlands5,955,3575,853,0526,169,3506,388,0827,545,18813,598,401
Yorkshire7,173,6136,988,9627,316,0137,296,3478,513,20012,458,582

Note:

These are total figures, both GIA and Lottery combined.



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