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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Jubilee Medal

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include traffic wardens in those eligible for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. [87184]

Mr. Caborn: No. The medal is being issued to the living holders of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross, to serving members of the armed forces and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and to the '999' emergency services. Traffic wardens do not fall within any of these eligible groups.

Community Developments

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the public organisations that make grant funding available for community developments, and the funds available last year for them to disburse. [87413]

Mr. Caborn: The Department's annual report (May 2002, Cm 5423) gives details of all the public bodies sponsored by the Department and of any grant funding that they disburse.

Drug Testing

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what further action she has taken to increase the number of drug tests on competitors at elite sporting events in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [87887]

Mr. Caborn: This Government is firmly committed to combating doping in sport. The anti-doping programme in the UK is delivered through the national anti-doping organisation, UK Sport, in conjunction with sports

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governing bodies. As a result of the 2002 Spending Review this Government has allocated additional funds to UK Sport specifically to increase the number of public interest tests carried out under the anti-doping programme and to meet the additional costs of new blood tests. The funding, which amounts to #1.5 million in 2004–05 and #3.2 million in 2005–06, will ensure the continued quality and comprehensiveness of UK Sport's anti-doping programme.

National Lottery

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much revenue has been collected from lottery sales in Morecambe and Lunesdale in the last 12 months. [87506]

Mr. Caborn: Information about National Lottery ticket sales is not collected by constituency. But the National Lottery Commission is able to provide information about sales broken down by post code area. In October this year in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) on 22 October 2002, Official Report, columns 182–83W, I placed in the House Libraries a table provided by Camelot plc listing sales by postcode area since the Lottery's launch.

New Opportunities Fund

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total of uncommitted funds is from New Opportunities Fund Rounds 1 and 2; and if she will make a statement. [87651]

Mr. Caborn: The New Opportunities Fund had #1.5 billion available for its round 1 and 2 programmes which are designed to improve the quality of life for people and communities, address disadvantage and encourage community participation.

The New Opportunities Fund has committed 93.11 per cent. of Round 1 and 2 funds. There is #97.5 million yet to commit.

Noise Pollution

Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment of the noise pollution caused by (a) amplified music and (b) television sets was made by her Department when considering licensing reform. [87408]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 16 December 2002]: We consulted local authorities and local residents groups, as well as representatives of the music industry, following the publication of our proposals for reform of the licensing laws, and considered views on public nuisance and the impact of various forms of entertainment on the community. The comments that were received during the initial review and in response to the publication of the White Paper led to our making the prevention of public nuisance one of the four primary licensing objectives of the Bill.

During the consultation, no organisation or individual commented on the issue of noise from television sets. Subsequently, we have considered

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whether the live broadcast of television in public venues should be brought within the proposed licensing regime and concluded that this is not necessary.

Tax Relief

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Treasury about tax relief for those charitable organisations affected by the provisions of the Licensing Bill, with regard to the requirement for applying and paying for licences for fundraising events. [87450]

Dr. Howells: This Department has not had discussions with the Treasury with regard to this issue.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Housing Support

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated cost of administration was in relation to the introduction of charging and means testing for housing support services in Northern Ireland. [87336]

Mr. Browne: In the interests of targeting resources to where the need is greatest I have decided that those who can afford to pay for their housing support services should continue to do so. However it is important that the administration costs of operating such an arrangement are kept to a minimum. Rather than spending around #250,000 to develop and administer a specific supporting people means test, I have decided that eligibility for housing benefit or any other means tested benefit, should be the automatic passport to free housing support services. This will be easy to operate with little additional costs in terms of administration.

North-South Implementation Bodies

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what agreement he has reached with the Irish Government about the operation of the North-South Implementation Bodies during the period of suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and if he will place a copy of the agreement in the Library. [85884]

Mr. Paul Murphy: In an exchange of notes on 19 November the British and Irish Governments agreed a mechanism so that during the period of temporary suspension of the Assembly, decisions on policies and actions relating to the Implementation Bodies, Tourism Ireland (a publicly owned company established as an area of co-operation by NSMC) or their respective functions could be taken. The agreement was made to ensure the continuation during suspension of the necessary public functions performed by the Implementation Bodies. The agreement, which came into force on 3 December, also provided that no new functions would be conferred on the Implementation Bodies during suspension. The exchange of notes will be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

Personal Care

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent in each of the last three

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years in Northern Ireland in providing free personal care for those living in sheltered accommodation or living in their own homes. [87331]

Mr. Browne: Information on the cost of providing free personal care for those living in sheltered accommodation or living in their own homes is not available. The provision of personal care includes services such as district nursing, home help, occupational and physiotherapy and applies to a number of programmes of care. Information at the level required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public-Voluntary Sector Partnerships

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements for partnerships between statutory bodies and the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. [87057]

Mr. Browne: Voluntary and community sector involvement in the design and delivery of public services is a key aspect of the Modernising Government agenda.

There are numerous and diverse partnerships at local level, funded through grant aid and service level management, between the voluntary sector and statutory bodies such as district councils and health and social services trusts. Of particular importance are Local Strategy Partnerships, supported under Peace II and now working in every district council area in Northern Ireland.

Further detail on the wide ranging sources of funding for partnerships between government and the voluntary and community sector can be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Voluntary Sector (Service Delivery)

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives in and between Northern Ireland Government Departments are in place to encourage and facilitate the voluntary sector in delivery of services. [87058]

Mr. Browne: Government strategy for support of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland is set out in XPartners for Change", a consultation document launched in June 2001. The strategy aims to add value to Government in Northern Ireland through a partnership approach with the voluntary and community sector, enabling the sector's contribution to service delivery, policy comment and achievement of government objectives.

I have endorsed the final draft of partners for change and arrangements for publishing the document are currently in place. The document will be available early in 2003 and will be posted on the Department for Social Development's website.

An allocation of #6 million from executive programme funds was announced on 7 October 2002 to maintain important services delivered by the voluntary and community sector, which otherwise might be lost due to funding difficulties. Applications for funding

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under this initiative have now closed and Departments aim to make recommendations to Ministers by the end of January 2003.

Longer-term sustainability issues will be considered by a Task Force on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector. This Task Force will consider the further diversification of funding sources for the sector and is due to report its conclusions by April 2004.

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