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Bishopsgate Goods Yard
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will announce her decision on whether to list Bishopsgate Goods Yard. [37869]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will announce in due course her decision of whether Bishopsgate Goods Yard meets the criteria for inclusion on the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent communication she has had with English Heritage concerning the possible listing of Bishopsgate Goods Yard. [37870]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State asked English Heritage to provide advice on whether Bishopsgate Goods Yard meets the criteria for inclusion on the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. She has received their advice and will announce her decision in due course.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent instructions she has given to English Heritage about the listing of Bishopsgate Goods Yard. [37871]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has given no instructions to English Heritage. She has received advice from English Heritage on whether
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Bishopsgate Goods Yard meet the criteria for inclusion on the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
Listed Buildings
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at what point a decision to list a building becomes effective. [37873]
Dr. Howells: A decision becomes effective at the point an amendment is made to the list; the list is a publicly accessible document.
New Wembley Stadium
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) football matches, (b) rugby league matches and (c ) other sports events she estimates will be played each year if the new Wembley Stadium is built. [38960]
Mr. Caborn: The long-term events profile for the proposed National Stadium at Wembley is a matter for the FA and Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL). WNSL have indicated that in 2006 a new Wembley Stadium would host a total of 20 football and rugby league matches.
Non-Governmental Organisations
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list non-Governmental organisations operating in the South West Region that receive public funds from her Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39191]
Mr. Caborn: Non-governmental organisations operating in the South West Region do not receive public funds directly from my Department.
Sports Tests
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 184W, whether the research by Professor Peter Sonkson at St. Thomas' Hospital has been continued in the UK since his retirement. [39322]
Mr. Caborn: Research into the use of Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is continuing in the UK. However, the main sources of funding for this work, the International Olympic Committee and the European Commission, have not extended their financial investment beyond the initial funding agreed for this research.
Worldwide, research teams continue work in this field with grants awarded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). At present WADA is committing US$5 million per year to research in five priority areas which include compounds that aid the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, such as Erythropoietin (EPO), the factors that regulate and increase growth, such as human growth hormone hGH.
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Drug Taking
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on research into drug taking in sport in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. [39323]
Mr. Caborn: UK Sport does not assign a specific budget for research activities into drug taking in the UK and therefore an exact amount is not identifiable. UK Sport's funding for the UK's anti-doping programme has been focused on delivering appropriate testing programmes for sport. However, UK Sport have provided funding for key projects, such as the Nandrolone review that was undertaken in 2000 and the development of the international working group on human growth hormone (hGH).
Independent research projects are also funded by other organisations in the UK and abroad. Examples include a programme of research on Nandrolone commissioned by UK Athletics, which was undertaken by Aberdeen University in 2000. The International Olympic Committee has also funded research at the Cologne Laboratory into Nandrolone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is committed to increasing the volume of research dedicated to developing new and improved detection methods for the growing list of performance enhancing substances and methods. WADA currently provides US$5 million per year to further this research in five priority areas:
Compounds that aid oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, such as EPO;
Endogenous anabolic agents, such as testosterone;
Factors that regulate and increase growth, such as hGH;
Gene technology and performance enhancement; and
Other prohibited substances and methods.
Tennis (Drug Tests)
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many drug tests were conducted by (a) UK Sport and (b) another agency responsible to her during (i) all tennis tournaments with professional players in the United Kingdom and (ii) during the Wimbledon tennis tournament. [39031]
Mr. Caborn: UK Sport is the only Government agency funded to undertake anti-doping work in the UK. Since 1 April 2001 UK Sport has conducted testing at six events at which professional tennis players were present. A total of 65 tests have been collected as part of the Lawn Tennis Association's Anti-Doping Programme.
Testing at Wimbledon tournament is not undertaken by UK Sport, this is done by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). In 2001 the ITF conducted 120 tests during the Wimbledon tournament and 56 in other tennis tournaments in the UK. The testing programme is independently administered and all analysis of samples is carried out at IOC accredited laboratories.
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Lottery Funding
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what obligations are placed on athletes receiving lottery funding to (a) coach, (b) visit schools and (c) promote participation amongst the wider public. [39028]
Mr. Caborn: The Sports Councils do not place any obligations on athletes when receiving lottery funding to coach, visit schools or promote participation amongst the wider public.
Broadcast Licences
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what licences and other permissions are required by broadcasters before they can transmit their channel via (a) digital satellite, (b) digital terrestrial and (c) digital cable. [38958]
Dr. Howells: The Independent Television Commission is responsible for licensing commercial digital television services in the UK. Broadcasters will need a Satellite Television Service Licence for transmission via (a) digital satellite; a Digital Programme Service Licence for (b) digital terrestrial television; and a Digital Programme Service Licence for (c) digital cable television.
Free-to-air Channels
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an assessment of the costs to consumers of receiving only free-to-air television channels via (a) digital satellite television, (b) digital terrestrial television and (c) digital cable television. [38959]
Dr. Howells: To receive only the free-to-view television channels via (a) digital satellite television, consumers will need to pay for either a digital set top box and satellite dish and for the cost of installation, or for an integrated television set (idTV) that can be connected to a satellite dish; (b) digital terrestrial television, consumers will need to pay for either a digital set top box and possibly a new aerial, or an idTV that can be connected to an aerial and; (c) digital cable television, consumers can receive free-to-view digital services only by subscribing to a package of services. The Digital Television Action Plan includes a specific action to conduct a comprehensive review of progress towards digital switchover, with particular reference to
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the accessibility, availability and affordability tests announced in September 1999. The review will refine the tests and report on how progress towards meeting them is to be measured. A first report is due by the end of March 2002.
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