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Sport (National Lottery Funding)
26. Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met the chief executive of Sport England to discuss lottery funding for sports activities. [61243]
Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend, last met David Moffett, the Chief Executive of Sport England, on 8 May to discuss the restructuring of sport delivery. He also regularly attends the monthly interministerial sport policy meeting, the latest of which was on 16 May. The subjects discussed included Lottery funding for sports facilities.
School Sports
27. Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement about the progress being made in implementing the school sports co-ordinator programme. [61244]
Mr. Caborn: The Government are well on their way to meeting their target of 1,000 School Sport Co-ordinators by 2004, with 577 currently in place, benefiting 1.26 million pupils. Another 165 Co-ordinators have been designated, making a total of 742 in post by September, and increasing the total number of pupils benefiting to 1.8 million.
Tourism
28. Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met the chief executive of the Tourism Alliance to discuss tourism. [61245]
Dr. Howells: My officials have been in regular discussions with the Tourism Alliance, since its formation in October 2001, on aspects of the agenda for reform of the tourism industry.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met with Digby Jones, chair of the Tourism Alliance and Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on 14 February 2002 formally to discuss tourism
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matters and in regard to the Tourism Alliance's paper on 'Tourism Spending Priorities', which was later published in April 2002.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policies are to assist tourism in southern England. [61227]
Dr. Howells: Through the English Tourism Council and the Southern Tourist Board, the Government have invested in a number of programmes to promote tourism in the area. The Southern Tourist Board is receiving £554,000 of Government support this year and £10,000 from the English Tourism Council has supported a regeneration at Sandown Bay.
BBC Online Services
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will publish the terms of the agreement reached with the BBC on the provision of BBC Online services. [57935]
Dr. Howells: I am arranging for copies of the BBC Online service approval documents to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Computers
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures are (a) in place and (b) under discussion in her Department in order to ensure compliance with the WEE Directive. [60743]
Dr. Howells: The WEE Directive is still in draft and should be finalised this autumn. Work on implementation planning will commence at that time.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people work in the parts of her Department responsible for (a) the Royal Parks Agency, (b) strategy and communications, (c) education, training, arts and sport, (d) museums, galleries, libraries and heritage, (e) creative industries, media and broadcasting, (f) regions, tourism, millennium and international and (g) corporate services; and for each what (i) their civil service grade and (ii) their role is. [60036]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 10 June 2002]: Set out in the following table are the number of staff by individual responsibility.
| SCS | A(U) | A | B | HEOD | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy and communications | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Education, training, arts and sport | 6 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 3 | 26 | 16 |
| Museums, galleries, libraries and heritage | 4 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 2 | 27 | 30 |
| Creative industries, media and broadcasting | 4 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 18 | 16 |
| Regions, tourism, millennium and international | 4 | 1 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 10 |
| Corporate services | 4 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 2 | 14 | 18 |
The roles of these grades vary between directorate but the overall description of the roles are as follows:
- Senior Civil Servants—head Divisions and Directorates across the Department.
Grade A/AU—they are the first level of senior management and are accountable for delivering specific parts of the departmental plan.
Grade B/HEOD—carry out a wide range of tasks in support to support the Department's policy and sponsorship objectives.
Grade C—first management level and will generally be responsible for providing a range of management support to senior officers and colleagues.
Grade D—carry out a range of work to support the functional areas of DCMS.
| Grade | Total |
|---|---|
| Grade I | 29 |
| Grade II | 29 |
| Grade III | 15 |
| Grade IV | 9 |
| Inspector | 7 |
| Police Constable | 132 |
| Police Sergeant | 16 |
The roles of these grades vary but the overall description of the roles with the Royal Parks Agency are as follows:
- Grade IV—senior management within the RPA and are accountable for delivering specific objectives.
Grade III—carry out a wide range of tasks in support to support RPA objectives.
Grade II—first management level and will generally be responsible for providing a range of management support to senior officers and colleagues.
Grade I—carry out a range of work to support the functional areas including finance, procurement wildlife and estates.
Inspector/Police Constable/Police Sergeant—policing of the royal parks.
Communications Bill
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy in the forthcoming Communications Bill to place a duty upon (a) the Regulator, (b) Ofcom and (c) the media to promote good race relations in the performance of their functions; and if she will make a statement. [62305]
Dr. Howells: The existing regulatory bodies for communications (the Independent Television Commission, Radio Authority, Radiocommunications Agency, Oftel, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the BBC and S4C) already have a duty under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, in respect of their public functions, to have regard to the need to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and
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to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups. It is our intention that Ofcom should similarly be designated.
The draft Communications Bill, which is currently subject to consultation, also contains provisions placing a duty on Ofcom to take appropriate steps for promoting equality of opportunity in relation to employment in broadcasting services and training and retraining for such employment; and a requirement on Ofcom to include in broadcasting licences appropriate conditions requiring licensees to make arrangements for promoting equality of opportunity, including between persons of different racial groups, in relation to employment with the licence holder.
Concessionary TV Licences
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the rules on concessionary TV licences for elderly people living in sheltered residential accommodation were last reviewed. [63587]
Dr. Howells: The last comprehensive review of the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence scheme was carried out in 1999, by the independent review panel on the future funding of the BBC. The panel recommended that the existing scheme be retained. The Government have since introduced free television licences for everyone aged 75 or over, the cost being met from public funds.
Carlton House Terrace
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding is given to organisations to meet the cost of property in Carlton House Terrace. [63487]
Dr. Howells: Funding for the arts is a matter for the Arts Council of England and its regional offices. In 2002–03 London Arts will provide revenue funding of £1,021,248 to the Institute for Contemporary Arts (ICA) in the Mall which is adjacent to Carlton House Terrace. The ICA is an independent organisation which may use this money for artistic activity as well as other costs such as property.
BBC
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what approval she is required to give before the BBC can (a) apply for and (b) operate a multiplex service licence. [63471]
Dr. Howells [holding answer 20 June 2002]: Clause 2.4 of the agreement provides that
- "The Corporation may, subject to the prior agreement of the Secretary of State provide multiplex facilities for digital television and sound broadcasting frequencies"
but does not require her approval for the BBC to apply for a multiplex service licence.
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Dr. Howells [holding answer 20 June 2002]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's approval is required under the following articles of the BBC's Charter:
- 3(b)—ancillary services
3(c)—commercial services
3(c)—commercial services
3(i)—transmission
3(u)—joint ventures, partnerships, establishing companies and acquiring shares etc
3(w)(ii)—borrowing limit
17(i)—certain borrowings
18(i)—the appointment of auditors
24(i)—directions and approvals
and under the following clauses of the agreement:
2.2(d)—local sound programme services
2.3—the number and geographical coverage of national television and sound programme services
2.4—multiplex facilities
10.10—sponsorship and subscription
14—non assignment.
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