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Tourism

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance has been given to (a) the tourist industry and (b) coastal towns since the foot and mouth epidemic. [68239]

Dr. Howells: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport gave an additional £14.2 million to the British Tourist Authority in 2001–02. This funding was one element in the Government's package of recovery assistance that included rural business recovery funding, hardship business rate relief and interest-free deferral of tax payments. This year, the British Tourist Authority has launched a £40 million 'Million Visitor Campaign' aimed at promoting Britain in seven key international markets through a unique partnership between Government and the tourism industry.

Assistance for tourism in Scotland and Wales, outside the programmes of the British Tourist Authority, is a matter for the devolved Administrations. Coastal towns have continued to benefit from a range of Government programmes.

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on tourism in the UK in 2002; and what assessment she has made of the prospects for tourism. [68238]

Dr. Howells: The British Tourist Authority has forecast that inbound tourism trips to the UK in 2002 will be up by 5 per cent. to 7 per cent., and inbound tourism expenditure up by 8 per cent. to 10 per cent., on 2001.

The English Tourism Council (ETC) has said that it expects tourism to return to pre-foot and mouth levels during 2002. A recent survey by the ETC has suggested that 59 per cent. of tourism businesses have already returned to normal business levels.

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Domestic tourism forecasts in Scotland and Wales are matters for the devolved Administrations.

Music Industry

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in establishing an office in the USA to assist and promote the British music industry. [66389]

Dr. Howells: The Government share the UK music industry's assessment of the importance of the US market, and are working closely with the industry on ways of improving our export performance in it. We welcome the industry's innovative approach, and are considering very carefully the proposal, set out in its report of 28 May, to establish a music office in the US.

Hockey

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the role hockey will play in the plans to invest in school sports recently announced by the Prime Minister. [68111]

Mr. Caborn: Hockey, together with other sports played in schools and clubs, will benefit from initiatives to improve access to, and the quality of, PE, school sport and club links for five to 16-year-olds. These initiatives include: expanding the specialist sport college network and school sport co-ordinator programme; "Step into Sport", a leadership and volunteering programme and investment in school sport facilities with an element of community use. Sports clubs will be helped to develop stronger links with local schools and to attract more children and young people as members and volunteers.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many new astroturf hockey pitches have been opened in each of the last five years; [68113]

(2) how many (a) water based astroturf hockey pitches and (b) sand based astroturf hockey pitches there are in England. [68112]

Mr. Caborn: We have contacted Sport England to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

NORTHERN IRELAND

District Policing Partnerships

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for the establishment of district policing partnerships in each of the district command units in Northern Ireland. [66696]

Jane Kennedy: It is the Policing Board's intention to establish Direct Policing Partnerships (DPPs) as soon as practicable. Recruitment consultants have been appointed to facilitate the process leading to the appointment of independent members, and the Government will shortly issue a code of practice providing guidance as to how that process is to be managed. The final decision as to when positions are advertised rests with the Policing Board.

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Paramilitary Symbols

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the role of the Terrorism Act 2000 in addressing the problems of (a) paramilitary flags, (b) paramilitary murals and (c) kerbstone painting; and if he will make a statement. [67223]

Jane Kennedy: Section 13 of the Terrorism Act makes it an offence to wear clothing or to wear, carry or display an article which arouses reasonable suspicion that the individual concerned is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation. The Act makes no specific provision about flags, murals or kerbstone painting. Many of the flags, murals or kerbstone paintings in Northern Ireland are in any event of sectarian rather than paramilitary nature.

Police Service for Northern Ireland

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress has been made in improving ethnic minority representation in the Police Service for Northern Ireland. [67330]

Jane Kennedy: At 1 November 2001 there were 17 police officers in Northern Ireland from an ethnic minority background (0.16 per cent. of the total). Since recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began on 4 November 2001, there has been one new recruit from an ethnic minority community background, bringing the total number within the PSNI to 18 (0.18 per cent.)

While the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland (the Patten Report) noted that ethnic minorities comprise less than 1 per cent. of the Northern Ireland population (para. 14.6), particular account is being taken of the need to increase ethnic minority representation in the new policing service. This is reflected through both the design and publication of recruitment advertisements, and the organisation of familiarisation days for members of the Chinese community.

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent progress has been made in improving the gender balance in the Police Service for Northern Ireland. [67336]

Jane Kennedy: At 1 November 2001 there were 931 (12.9 per cent.) female officers in the Northern Ireland police service. Since recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began on 4 November 2001, this figure has risen to 1,012 (14.9 per cent.) female police officers (as at 1 June 2002).

Particular effort is being made to increase female representation in the PSNI, through targeted recruitment advertising and the organisation of familiarisation days for women. In addition, section 48 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 requires the Policing Board to make an action plan for monitoring the number of women in the service and for increasing their numbers if they are under-represented.

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Public Service Agreement Targets

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in reviewing PSA targets. [67331]

Jane Kennedy: Discussions are ongoing between the Department and the Treasury to finalise the details of NIO's revised PSA, covering the three-year period of the 2002 Spending Review, commencing 2003–04 and ending 2005–06. This will appear in a Treasury White Paper, to be published within the next few weeks.

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress the Northern Ireland Office has made in meeting objectives and targets in its PSA. [67332]

Jane Kennedy: Details of progress made in meeting objectives and targets in the NIO's PSA as at 31 March 2002 are contained in the Northern Ireland Office 2002 departmental report, "Expenditure Plans and Priorities" (Cm 5432), published in June 2002 (Table 4.1).

Small Business Security Grant Scheme

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the Northern Ireland Office with the Small Business Security Grant Scheme. [67333]

Jane Kennedy: The Small Business Security Grant Scheme is administered by the Northern Ireland Crime Prevention Panel (NICPP), a registered charity which aims to promote initiatives that help reduce crime locally. The NIO has provided funding amounting to £650,000 for the scheme. The panel established a scoring system based against which to assess applications. After a slow start, 1,800 applications were received by the closing date of 31 January 2002 exceeding expectations and the funding available. £560,000 has already been distributed to 631 successful applicants. The NICPP's Awards Panel has recently met to approve a further tranche of grants and to finalise the arrangements finalising the scheme at the end of November 2002 by which time all applicants to the scheme will have been informed as to the outcome of their application.

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