| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Football
24. Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the football authorities on the financial position of Nationwide League football clubs. [53985]
13 May 2002 : Column 413W
Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have remained in close touch with the Nationwide League and the Football Association since it was announced that ITV Digital was to go into administration, and met the league's management on 17 April. The Government will now work with the working group appointed by the FA's chief executive to consider how affected football clubs might be helped to secure their futures.
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department is giving to football-based schemes levels in the coalfields. [53980]
Mr. Caborn: Funding from public sources for football is channelled through the Football Foundation. The Foundation's grass roots, community and education, and stadium safety funding programmes are not geographically targeted. They are designed to address lack of provision in England wherever it exists. However, the Foundation has indicated that it considers local levels of economic deprivation, among other issues, in assessing applications for funding.
Regional Theatre
25. Mr. Mole: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to support theatre in the regions. [53986]
Tessa Jowell: This is a matter for the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards. From 1 April this year the Arts Council is investing an additional £12 million in theatre increasing to £25 million a year from 2003–04, as a result of its extensive review of the needs of regional theatre. Funding for the New Wolsey in Ipswich will increase from £322,750 last year to £492,750 in 2003–04, an increase over two years of 53 per cent.
Public Libraries
27. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the role public libraries play within the Government's culture plan. [53988]
Tessa Jowell: Two of the key strategic priorities I have set for my Department are developing children and young people and building stronger communities through participation in the arts and culture. Public libraries have a major role to play in both of these and I intend to publish a policy document in the autumn setting out how they will contribute.
British Grand Prix
28. Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what studies her Department has undertaken to ensure the continuation of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. [53989]
Mr. Caborn: I met representatives of Octagon Motorsports, Sir Jackie Stewart, the Motor Sports Association, the British Racing Drivers' Club and other interested parties on 11 December 2001 and 24 January 2002 to discuss proposals for improving arrangements for the 2002 British Grand Prix, as well as wider proposals for the long term development of Silverstone. New access roads are under construction to improve access to and from the Silverstone circuit for future years. My officials
13 May 2002 : Column 414W
are working closely with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, the Government Office of the East Midlands and the Highways Agency. I am receiving monthly reports on the progress of access improvements to Silverstone.
I also met Max Mosley, President of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, on 12 December 2001 to inform him of the Government's commitment to motor sport and the British Grand Prix.
Sports Action Zones (Cumbria)
29. Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the performance of sports action zones in west Cumbria. [53990]
Mr. Caborn: A Sport Action Zone manager was appointed in September 2000 and a Needs Assessment and Action Plan was compiled in the first year of the Zone's operation, covering the period 2001–2006. This plan was approved at the Sport Lottery panel in October 2001. Approximately £230,000 per annum was ring- fencing over the five year period across the Allerdale, Barrow and Copeland districts. The projects in the Year One action plan have received ring-fenced funding and are in various stages of development, depending on match-funding sources and lead organisations' time scales.
The Sport Action Zone is being overseen by the six strategic partners including Allerdale Borough Council and Copeland Borough Council.
The Sport Action Zone partnership is looking into marketing and evaluation reports, which will be publicly available when they are produced.
Hotel Industry
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make funding available for marketing the English hotel industry. [53975]
Dr. Howells: The marketing of hotels is a matter for the industry itself but the announcement today will have a beneficial impacts on all sectors of the industry in England. The English Tourism Council has made considerable progress in extending its quality assurance schemes to all types of accommodation. Hotels and others that commit to the national quality standards benefit since the quality assurance fee entitles them to a free entry in the ETC's 'Where to Stay' guidebooks and entry on the BTA's VisitBritain website.
Pride of Place
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if it is intended to place on sale copies of Pride of Place; [54998]
- (2) pursuant to the answers of 18 April 2002, Official Report, column 1039W, and 1 May 2002, Official Report, column 785W, what the intended destination is of the copies of Pride of Place that are not being sent out as complimentary copies to award recipients. [55000]
Dr. Howells: 4,000 copies of Pride of Place will be available for sale through the Arts Council at £12 each.
13 May 2002 : Column 415W
Works of Art (Indemnities)
Sir Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many indemnity undertakings were given under section 16 of the National Heritage Act 1980 for the six-month period ended 31 March; and what the value was of (a) contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings given at any time under that section which remained outstanding as at 31 March, (b) non-statutory Government indemnities in respect of loans handled by the Government Art Collection which remained outstanding as at 31 March and (c) non-statutory undertakings of Her Majesty in respect of loans from the Royal Collection which remained outstanding at 31 March. [55027]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 9 May 2002]: The provision for the Government Indemnity Scheme is made by the National Heritage Act 1980. The scheme facilitates public access to loans of works of art and other objects for public display made to museums, galleries and other such institutions by private owners and non-national institutions. It does this by indemnifying lenders against loss or damage to their loan. Loans covered by the scheme must be for public benefit. The scheme also covers loans of such objects for study purposes within borrowing institutions where this would contribute materially to the public's understanding or appreciation of the loan. Examples of this are enhancing interpretation or explanation to the public of objects or bringing into the public domain, the conclusions of any study.
In the six-month period ended 31 March, the following undertakings to indemnify were given under section 16 by the relevant Departments for objects on loan to national and non-national institutions:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 629 |
| Scottish Executive Education Department | 258 |
| The National Assembly for Wales | 114 |
The value of contingent liabilities in respect of undertakings given at any time under section 16 and which remained outstanding as at 31 March is:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 2,466,655,792 |
| Scottish Executive Education Department | 467,275,161 |
| The National Assembly for Wales | 45,990,729 |
The value of non-statutory Government indemnities to cover loans handled by the Government Art Collection and which remained outstanding as at 31 March is:
13 May 2002 : Column 416W
- Value: £219,601,825.
Party Conferences
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent organising events at (a) the Labour party's, (b) the Conservative party's and (c) the Liberal Democrat party's (i) autumn and (ii) spring conference in each of the past five years; what the purpose of events organised at party conferences is; what form these events took; and if she will make a statement. [55750]
Dr. Howells: No events have been organised by this Department at party conferences.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |