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BBC Charter
23. Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to announce the timetable for the review of the BBC Charter. [68981]
Tessa Jowell: I have already made clear that I expect the process of BBC Charter review to start in 2004.
Crime Initiative
24. Mr. Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department is doing to support the Government's street crime and robbery initiative. [68982]
Tessa Jowell: My Department is playing a full part in the Government's drive to tackle street crime. We are today, jointly with the Youth Justice Board, launching a comprehensive programme of summer activities aimed at children and young people at risk of offending in the street crime areas. The programme—Splash Extra—builds on the Board's excellent Summer Splash programme.
Resourced through the New Opportunities Fund, Splash Extra is aimed at children and young people aged 9 to 17 identified as at risk of offending and living in 300 estates in and around the street crime 'hotspot' areas.
It will provide a varied programme of quality sports, arts and other cultural activities, as well as personal development and education. We expect to reach at least 48,000 children and young people and possibly many more.
Supported by key workers from Youth Offending Teams, the Connexions Service and the Children's Fund, Splash Extra will not only provide something for those at risk of offending to do over the summer. It will also ensure that they are supported back into education and training once the programme finishes.
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Euro
26. Dr. Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has recently met the English Tourism Council to discuss the acceptance of euro notes and coins. [68984]
Dr. Howells: No I have not. The British Tourist Authority have, in consultation with the tourism industry and HM Treasury, issued guidance entitled "The Euro—A guide for small tourism businesses" to assist tourism firms. Copies were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 25 March.
Tennis
27. Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Lawn Tennis Association and the All England Lawn Tennis Club on developing access to tennis coaching for children from poorer neighbourhoods. [68985]
Mr. Caborn: I met the chief executive and representatives from the LTA on 5 September 2001 to discuss the City Tennis Scheme which encourages children from inner city areas into the sport. I discussed the scheme further while attending the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships on 6 July.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met either the Lawn Tennis Association or the All England Lawn Tennis Club specifically to discuss this subject.
Historic Buildings (Public Access)
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 3 July 2002, Official Report, column 314W, how many of the properties (a) grant aided through the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Local Government Act 1985 and (b) aided by the Heritage Lottery fund allow some public access. [68299]
Dr. Howells: 129 properties in London have received grants administered under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Local Government Act 1985. There is no power under this legislation to require public access as a condition of the grant. These grants are for external repairs and improvements which can be viewed by the public from the street. Some buildings do allow an element of public access by virtue of their function, such as places of worship and shops.
As part of the condition of grant, the Heritage Lottery Fund requires that grantees ensure that the general public has appropriate access to properties and that no one is unreasonably denied access.
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 3 July 2002, Official Report, column 315, for what reason there is no automatic access requirement when properties are grant-aided under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Local Government Act 1985. [68300]
Dr. Howells: The grants English Heritage is empowered to give under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Local Government Act 1985 are wide in scope. They are a transfer of responsibility from the former Greater London Council to English Heritage, along with the special statutory powers that the former
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Greater London Council held. There is no power under this legislation to require public access conditions. The grants are normally given for listed buildings at risk where they make a contribution to the appearance of a conservation area and where the works can be seen by the public from the exterior.
Historic Buildings (Grant)
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what requirements are placed on the owners of buildings of historical interest who are grant-aided by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund to refund the grant or part of the grant, if the property is sold. [68302]
Dr. Howells: For grant aid administered by English Heritage under Section 3A of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Act 1953, the whole grant is usually recoverable if the property is disposed of within 10 years of the original offer. Recovery conditions may be omitted where it is considered unnecessary or unenforceable.
Grant aid administered by English Heritage under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 includes the following condition:
- "The grant or any such part of it as the Council sees fit, may be recovered from the grant recipient under Sections 58 and 80(7) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 if:
(b) during the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which the grant is made, the recipient disposes of the interest held in the property on that day (the relevant interest), or any part of that interest, by way of a sale exchange or lease for a term of not less than 21 years."
- "If you [the applicant] sell or dispose of a property we [the Heritage Lottery Fund] have funded within the period specified in our contract, we may ask you to repay our grant."
Drugs (Sport)
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to create an independent body responsible for drug-testing in sport. [69726]
Mr. Caborn: UK Sport currently has responsibility for the anti-doping programme in the UK. UK Sport is subject to scrutiny by the British Standards Institute, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Standards Organisation and the National Audit Office. Its achievement of certification by these bodies provides an independent assessment of the validity and effectiveness of its anti-doping programme and procedures. UK Sport's anti-doping programme, as it currently stands, provides appropriate levels of independent scrutiny and is well respected throughout the rest of the world.
South Bank Centre
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the South Bank centre has spent
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on (a) accountants, (b) legal advisers, (c) planning consultants and (d) other professionals, to work on the Rick Mather master plan to develop the south bank. [70997]
Dr. Howells: Between April 1998 and March 2002 the South Bank centre has spent £1.493 million, of which £300,000 has come from private donations, on the development of the master plan for the redevelopment of its three arts buildings, the British Film Institute Film Centre and the 27-acre riverside estate.
Of this sum, £399,000 was architectural costs, £160,000 was for planning advice, £224,000 legal costs, £149,000 was for other professional advice and £217,000 for public consultations. Other costs relate to technical studies, an economic option appraisal and the cost of international architectural competitions.
Consultation
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which consultation documents published by her Department in 2001 carried the consultation criteria as recommended in the Cabinet Office code of practice on written consultations. [70977]
Dr. Howells: A number of the consultation documents published in 2001 referred to the consultation criteria although none reproduced them in full.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many consultation documents published in (a) electronic or (b) printed form in 2001 her Department has monitored and evaluated in accordance with the Cabinet Office code of practice on written consultations. [70979]
Dr. Howells: The Department regularly monitored and evaluated consultations in 2001.
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