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BBC News 24

Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the terms of reference will be for the review of BBC News 24. [45863]

Tessa Jowell: The independent review of News 24 which I have asked Richard Lambert, formerly editor of the Financial Times, to conduct will have the following terms of reference:

The independent reviewer shall:

consider whether, in delivering its News 24 service, the BBC is acting in accordance with the facts and assurances upon which approval to proceed with the service was given;


have regard, in reaching any conclusions, to:


(a) the BBC's own report on the performance of News 24 and to any subsequent evidence provided by the Corporation; and


(b) views submitted by any other interested parties in response to the BBC's report;


submit a report to the Secretary of State, in publishable form, by the end of June 2002, setting out his conclusions and, if appropriate, making any recommendations he believes necessary to ensure that News 24 is operated in line with the original approval.

I am today placing on my Department's website, www.culture.gov.uk, the BBC's own report on the operation of News 24: this sets out the basis on which the service was approved. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Richard Lambert is writing to a range of organisations who may wish to comment to him. I would encourage all those with an interest to contribute their views.

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Free Television Licences

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of households (a) entitled to and (b) receiving the free TV licence for the over-75s in each year since its introduction. [43365]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 14 March 2002]: The Government introduced free television licences for people aged 75 or over on 1 November 2000. An estimated 3.4 million households previously paying the full licence fee are now entitled to a free licence. Three million free licences were issued in the financial year 2000–01. 3.2 million free licences were issued between April and December 2001 and the forecast take-up of the concession for the year as a whole is 99 per cent. In addition, approximately 500,000 people living in residential homes and sheltered housing, who previously qualified for the £5 Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary fee, now receive their licence free of charge; we believe this represents the great majority of those eligible, though precise figures are not available.

Mrs. Irene Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioner households in Paisley, North are benefiting from free television licences for the over-75s. [43930]

Dr. Howells: TV Licensing, which administers the free television licence scheme 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 3,800 people aged 75 or over in the Paisley, North constituency.

Communications Bill

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will publish the Communications Bill. [43330]

Dr. Howells: The Government intends to publish the draft Communications Bill around the end of April.

Art Market

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the impact of (a) resale artists' rights, (b) taxation and (c) EU regulations on the European and UK art markets. [43052]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

The latest Government assessment on artists' resale rights was contained in Explanatory Memorandum 5665/01, of 1 March 2001. The EU Directive of artists' resale rights will not be implemented in the UK until 1 January 2006 and the implementation process will include updating of this assessment.

No other assessments of the art market have been made.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the impact of taxation and EU regulations on the European and UK art markets; and if she will make a statement. [43051]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

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The Department has received no representations about the impact of taxation and EU regulations on the European and UK art markets since negotiations on the artists' resale rights in 2001. The Government's response to these representations was covered in Explanatory Memorandum 5665/01, of 1 March 2001.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the size of the UK's share of the international art market in each of the last five years. [43053]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

The Department has made no such estimates.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Zimbabwe

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Councils of the Commonwealth. [46034]

Mr. Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made earlier today in the House.

India (Ian Stillman)

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the UK high commissioner for India met the Stillman family during their recent stay in Delhi to discuss the case of Ian Stillman. [44807]

Mr. Bradshaw: Our high commissioner in New Delhi did not meet Ian Stillman's family during their recent visit. However, Mr. Stillman's family did meet senior officials at the high commission on 1 March and 5 March 2002.

We are doing all we can to assist Mr. Stillman's family. My noble Friend Baroness Amos met Mr. Stillman's sister on 5 February 2002 to discuss the case. The Head of our consular division in London also met Mr. Stillman's family on 14 January 2002 and 14 May 2001.

Celebrations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements his Department has made to celebrate (a) St. Patrick's Day, (b) St. George's Day, (c) St. Andrew's Day and (d) Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and how his Department celebrated St. David's Day. [42303]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 11 March 2002]: There were no special arrangements made for St. David's Day or St. Patrick's Day. Neither are there special arrangements being made to celebrate St. George's Day and St. Andrew's Day.

The FCO is sponsoring the tour of The Queen's Golden Jubilee Baton through 23 Commonwealth countries. It left London on Monday 11 March, Commonwealth Day, and will return to the UK on 5 June. Our missions overseas

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will arrange events and encourage publicity to support the Baton's passage, supported by local Commonwealth Games associations and the British Council.

Additionally, there will be eight open days from April to October when the FCO will be open to view by members of the public. It is one of the "String of Pearls" historic public buildings that will be open to the public, along the banks of the Thames in central London.

We have issued general guidance to all our missions overseas on the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee. Many of our embassies and high commissions will use the occasion to enhance their annual Queen's birthday party. Missions will also hold additional events using publicity materials specifically prepared for the Jubilee in the FCO, taking into account The Queen's desire that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds.

Ministerial Visits

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the official visits within the UK outside London made by each Minister in his Department in 2001, giving for each (a) the origin and destination and (b) the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on choice of mode of travel for official visits; [38194]

(2) if he will list the official visits to (a) Paris and (b) Brussels made by each Minister in his Department in 2001 and the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on the choice of mode of travel for such visits. [38156]

Mr. MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet office on 6 March 2002, Official Report, column 421W.

Age Discrimination

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is towards age discrimination. [42577]

Mr. Bradshaw: In line with the recommendations of the Performance and Innovation Unit Report "Winning the Generation Game", the FCO has examined its retirement ages. As a result, clerical and support staff are now able to work until 65 and junior and middle managers to 63.

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