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Performance Targets

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new initiatives his Department has taken in 2001–02 to assist in achieving its Public Service Agreement targets. [47185]

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 12 April 2002.

Motor Fuel

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many UK-duty paid litres of motor fuel products have been sold in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. [54293]

Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.

HM Customs and Excise does not collect information on the destination of diesel or petrol after it passes the duty point, which is normally a refinery or storage facility.

Estimates of the volumes of oils delivered in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the United Kingdom are published by the Department of Trade and Industry in the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics Table 3.9.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Appointments

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list all the outstanding appointments that (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have to make, stating for each one (i) the date on which her Department became aware of the vacancy and (ii) when she expects an appointment to be made. [48377]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 9 April 2002]: Details of outstanding appointments are set out in the table, indicating current vacant posts. These do not include appointments which have been left open for operational reasons. For the majority of outstanding appointments, my Department would have been aware of the possibility of a vacancy occurring when the decision was made not to reappoint the existing post holder. This is usually six months before their term of appointment ends and we aim to complete the process to identify a successor within four months. In some instances, however, post holders have unexpectedly chosen to stand down before their terms are due to end.

DCMS outstanding board appointments as at 31 March 2002

BodyVacant positionDate vacancy aroseExpected date of appointment 2002
Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck SitesChair5 October 2001June
Member31 March 2002July
Alcohol Education and Research CouncilMember31 March 2001June
British Broadcasting CorporationMember19 December 2001July
The Community FundMember17 January 2002July
Horserace TotalisatorMember31 March 2002July
Museum of Science and Industry in ManchesterMember8 February 2001May
National Museums and Galleries on MerseysideMemberNew postMay
ResourceMember30 September 2001July
MemberNew postJuly
Theatres TrustMember5 April 2001June

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Young People

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what subjects and on which dates her Department has recently consulted organisations representing young people; and if she will list such organisations. [52506]

Mr. Caborn: Many of the Department's sponsored bodies with which DCMS regularly liaise and consult represent, among other groups, the interests of young people. The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department is committed to the new Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People, published by the Minister for Young People in November 2001. The Department will shortly be publishing an action plan setting out for the first time how it will implement these principles to extend the participation of children and young people in the design, delivery and evaluation of policies and services that affect them.

National Insurance

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the cost to (a) community and amateur sports clubs and (b) the fitness industry of the proposed increase in national insurance contributions. [52759]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 29 April 2002]: It is estimated that the changes to employers national insurance contributions announced in the Budget will

7 May 2002 : Column 64W

increase the wages costs of community amateur sports clubs and the fitness industry by 0.7 per cent. on average next year.

Tourism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the changes that took place in real terms in income of the British tourism industry in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02. [54014]

Dr. Howells: The estimated value of tourism expenditure for the UK in real terms (1999 prices) is:




Information is not available in the form requested because the basis of calculation for the UK Tourism Survey was changed in 2000 and not all figures for January to March 2002 are yet available.

Commonwealth Games

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the total public expenditure for each financial stage, by (a) Government, (b) Sport England, (c) the National Lottery and (d) central Government funding bodies, to build the stadium and infrastructure required to host the Commonwealth games in Manchester. [53796]

Mr. Caborn: Sport England's capital expenditure is detailed in the table, all of which is lottery funding.

£ million

Capital facilities (lottery)1998–991999–20002000–012001–022002–03(15)Sport England grant(15)
City of Manchester Stadium001056.110.977
Sportcity non stadium facilities—English Institute of Sport0009.45.615
Belle Vue00002.92.9
Bisley004.61.30.16
Manchester Aquatics Centre6.48.96.70021.9
Bolton Arena1.21.47.21.80.211.7
Total134.5

(15) Expected


In terms of the wider infrastructure necessary for the games, the Northwest Development Agency has contributed £10.66 million and English Partnerships £0.3 million, for the regeneration of the Ashton Canal Corridor, highways and footways reconstruction, and works on the station to stadium shuttle route.

In addition there are plans for spending a further £0.7 million on the physical infrastructure at the games' village, and at a number of other venues. This money will come from the additional £105 million in games' funding from Sport England, Government and Manchester city council that was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 2 July 2001.

Football League Clubs

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the economic contribution of Football League clubs to the (a) local and (b) national economy. [53884]

7 May 2002 : Column 65W

Mr. Caborn: Nationwide football league clubs make significant contributions to their local economies, both directly by providing employment and indirectly by stimulating the activities of local businesses. The wider contribution of the Nationwide League, and football more generally, to the national economy cannot be quantified but should be considered alongside football's substantial non-financial contribution to society.

Sports Clubs

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what help she is giving community and amateur sports clubs in applying for the tax reliefs announced in the Budget. [54121]

Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of tax reliefs for community amateur sports clubs in his Budget statement on 17 April. This is included in the Finance Bill.

Community amateur sports clubs are now able to apply for the tax and other financial benefits of charitable status, which include mandatory 80 per cent. tax relief. I announced the publication of improved Charity Commission guidance for sport on 17 April. Clubs considering applying for registered charity status will be able to receive guidance and information from a regional Sport England advice network, to be established very shortly.

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the money from the Capital Modernisation Fund to provide new or refurbished community sports facilities will be allocated. [54122]

Mr. Caborn: The money allocated from the Capital Modernisation Fund is excellent news for sport. The Government will use it in partnership with Sport England and the governing bodies of sport to enhance community sports facilities across the country. Detailed allocation plans will be developed over the next few weeks.


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