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4 Feb 2003 : Column 209W—continued
Digital Curriculum
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will publish the reports to date from the BBC about development of the Digital Curriculum made before Government approval was given; [95623]
- (2) what agreements were made between the Director General of the BBC and Pearson Ltd. about the development of a digital curriculum prior to Government approval being given; [95625]
(3) whether the Director General of the BBC authorised development of the Digital Curriculum prior to the Government approval being given. [95624]
Dr. Howells: These are matters for the BBC.
English Heritage
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what statutory authority English Heritage has to engage in capital fundraising projects; and if she will make a statement. [95162]
Dr. Howells: The National Heritage Act 1983 sets out English Heritage's core functions and duties. Section 33(5)(d) gives them the discretion to do such things as they think necessary or expedient for the purpose of exercising their statutory functions. This includes becoming involved in capital fundraising projects.
Licensing Reform
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how the Government intend to differentiate in the Licensing Bill between live music used as part of a religious service and live music used to entertain in places of worship; [88250]
- (2) what plans the Government have to amend the Licensing Bill to exempt places of worship from (a) the need to obtain entertainment licences and (b) the cost of obtaining an entertainment licence; [88249]
(3) if the staging of a Christian musical in a church or church hall would need an entertainment licence if (a) it was purely for the purpose of entertainment and (b) it formed part of a religious service; [88253]
(4) under what provisions of the Licensing Bill (a) bell ringing and (b) carol concerts will be exempt from licences if these events do not form part of a religious service; [88252]
(5) whether it is her policy that a church carol concert that is not part of a religious service should be exempt from the live music licensing proposals contained in the Licensing Bill and not count towards the five temporary event limit; [88251]
(6) what costs she estimates will be incurred by North Yorkshire churches and village halls under the live music proposals in the Licensing Bill; [88247]
(7) what assessment she has made of the effect that the Licensing Bill will have on the ability of churches and village halls to host community events involving live music. [88248]
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Dr. Howells: In developing the proposals in the Licensing Bill the Government were careful to ensure that it included appropriate exemptions in relation to the provision of entertainment, including live music, for any faith when they are engaged in worship or any form of religious meeting. The Bill as drafted draws a distinction, however, between the provision of secular entertainment in a place of public religious worship and entertainment which is provided there for, or incidental to, a religious service or meeting. The Government are aware of the concerns that have been expressed about the licensing of secular entertainment in places of public religious worship and we have discussed possible solutions with faith organisations. An amendment extending the exemption to the provision of any entertainment or entertainment facilities at a place of public religious worship has been tabled for consideration at Report stage in another place.
Under the Bill as presently drafted, carol singing as part of, or incidental to, a religious service or meeting would not be licensable as the exemption in paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 to the Bill would apply. This exemption relates to the activity, not the place, and therefore applies irrespective of the venue. However, if a carol concert were held not as part of, or incidental to, a religious service or meeting it would be licensable and authorisation would be needed either under a premises licence or a temporary event notice. As noted above, an amendment has been tabled for consideration at Report stage in another place.
Bell ringing would not be licensable under the Bill if it were part of, or incidental to, a religious service or meeting. Further, if bell ringing is undertaken as a hobby or for practice, it would not be licensable because it would not be being provided for the public. However, if a bell ringing concert is put on for the public and it is not part of a religious meeting or service, then it would be licensable under the Bill as drafted. As already noted, an amendment has been tabled for consideration at Report stage in another place.
Under the current law, live music is licensable in community centres and village and parish halls.Outside Greater London these venues enjoy an exemption from fees in respect of public entertainment. Under the Bill, fees will be set centrally by the Secretary of State in regulations and the Government have announced their intention to exempt church halls, chapel halls or other similar buildings occupied in connection with a place of public religious worship, and village halls, parish or community halls or other similar buildings from the fees associated with the provision of entertainment under the licensing regime.
The Government do not anticipate that the Licensing Bill will cause any adverse impact on the ability of churches and village halls to host community events involving live music, and in fact believe that the new system of premises licences and temporary event notices will be simpler for applicants than the current regime. No specific estimates were made of the costs that would be incurred by churches and village halls in North Yorkshire. However, a Regulatory Impact Assessment was published with the Bill.
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As the Bill is currently drafted, a Christian musical staged in a church or a church hall would not be licensable if it were provided for the purposes of, or for purposes incidental to, a religious meeting or service, but it would otherwise be licensable. As noted, an amendment has been tabled for consideration at Report stage in another place.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what costs she estimates will be incurred by North Staffordshire churches and village halls under the live music proposals in the Licensing Bill. [95731]
Dr. Howells: No costs will be incurred by churches and village halls in North Staffordshire for the provision of regulated entertainment or entertainment facilities under the proposals of the Licensing Bill.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a statement to the House on 3 February 2003, Official Report, columns 7WS-8WS setting out the conclusions of our consideration of the provision of entertainment and entertainment facilities in places of religious worship and village halls under the Licensing Bill. The Government have now tabled an amendment to the Bill that would exempt secular entertainment provided in places of public religious worship and the provision of entertainment facilities in such places from the need to obtain a licence under the Bill when it is enacted. Music for the purposes of or incidental to a religious service or meeting will remain exempt.
We have also made clear our intention to exempt church halls, chapel halls or other similar buildings occupied in connection with a place of public religious worship, and village halls, parish or community halls or
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other similar buildings from the fees associated with the provision of entertainment or entertainment facilities under the licensing regime.
Lottery Funding (Children's Hospices)
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what eligibility criteria were employed by the New Opportunities Fund when allocating National Lottery money earmarked for children's hospices; which hospices applied to the New Opportunities Fund for a share in the allocation; which hospices were successful; how much each hospice was allocated; and which hospices were declined funding and on what grounds. [95427]
Mr. Caborn: Applicant organisations must have had a hospice building; have been providing hospice services for children including in-patient services; and must have been registered with the Charity Commission with the word 'hospice' included in the registered name or with the 'relief of sickness' included as a charitable objective. An applicant organisation had to meet all these eligibility criteria to be considered for funding against a further set of published assessment criteria. Full details of all published assessment criteria is available from the New Opportunities Fund.
With the funding available the Fund was able to fund 23 applications. The following table gives details of the awards.
Three hospice applications were not successful because they failed fully to meet either the programme's eligibility or assessment criteria. The Fund's policy is that, to protect the confidentiality of unsuccessful applicants, feedback on individual bids is not made public unless the organisation concerned gives its express approval.
| Organisation and grant scheme | Grant awarded |
|---|---|
| Acorns Children's Hospice Trust. Acorns Selly Oak. | 650,000 |
| Acorns Children's Hospice Trust. Acorns Walsall. | 650,000 |
| Butterwick Children's Hospice. Butterwick Children's Hospice NOF Bid. | 435,057 |
| Chase Children's Hospice Service. Christopher's Hospice. | 650,000 |
| Children's Hospice South West. Bridging the Gap. | 617,758 |
| Claire House. Specialist paediatric palliative care at Claire House Children's Hospice. | 650,000 |
| Cope Children's Trust, known as Rainbows Children's Hospice. | 650,000 |
| Demelza House Children's Hospice. | 647,332 |
| Derian House Children's Hospice. Children's hospice provision. | 649,971 |
| East Anglia's Children's Hospices. Care development scheme for children and the family (Quidenham/Milton/Ipswich (ii)). | 617,570 |
| East Anglia's Children's Hospices. Care development scheme for children and the family (Quidenham/Milton/Ipswich (i)). | 617,570 |
| East Anglia's Children's Hospices. Care development scheme for children and the family (Quidenham/Milton/Ipswich (iii)). | 617,570 |
| Haven House Foundation. Haven House Foundation Children's Hospice. | 650,000 |
| Helen House Children's Hospice. Helen House children's hospice scheme. | 650,000 |
| Hope House Children's Hospice. Support for the existing high quality provision of children's palliative care by Hope House. | 650,000 |
| Little Haven. Provision of hospice care to children with life limiting and life threatening illnesses. | 650,000 |
| Martin House. Hospice for children and young people. | 644,005 |
| Pasque Charity. Keech Cottage children's hospice service. | 650,000 |
| Richard's House Children's Hospice. Children's in-patient respite and palliative care service. | 649,557 |
| St. Andrew's Hospice Ltd. Development of family support and video phone installation. | 337,909 |
| St. Barnabas Hospice. Chestnut Tree House children's hospice. | 650,000 |
| The Donna Louise Trust. Hospice based nursing care for life limited children and their families. | 631,064 |
| Wessex Children's Hospice Trust. Developing our services. | 650,000 |
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