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LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Lord Chancellor's Apartments

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much public money has been spent on the acquisition of artefacts for the Lord Chancellor's apartments in each year from 1997 to date. [96419]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Since 1997 to date, £105,317 has been spent on the acquisition of artefacts for the Lord Chancellor's apartments. These include a dining table, eight mirrors, three beds, and a Pugin designed crockery set. This money was spent as part of the refurbishment of the apartments in 1997/98 and forms part of the overall cost of the refurbishment, namely part of £580,000, not £650,000 as often erroneously stated. No public money has been spent on the Lord Chancellor's apartments since this time.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to question no. 96416 for further information.

Staff Numbers

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff were employed by her Department in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [106975]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 4 April 2003, Official Report, column 891W.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

National Audit Office

30. Andrew Selous: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what plans he has to increase the budget of the National Audit Office to enable it to examine off-balance sheet Government accounting. [107111]

Mr. Alan Williams: The National Audit Office already examines whether financing arrangements and related assets should be on or off-balance sheet where the private sector provides assets or services to Government bodies. The National Audit Office does this as part of its annual audit of accounts. Any cost implications of this work will be reflected in the annual corporate plan submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the summer, which the Commission will consider before the Summer Recess.

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CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Rights of Way

David Taylor: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on the implications of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 for church-owned land in England. [107086]

Mr. Bell: There have been four applications brought under this Act in connection with land owned by the Church Commissioners. Two of which they have objected to, and two of which they have conceded.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Lottery Funding

12. Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to introduce a distribution of National Lottery funding aimed at tackling social exclusion and regenerating deprived communities. [107057]

Mr. Caborn: Since the introduction of the 1998 Lottery Act and changes to policy directions, distributors have increasingly focussed on areas of social and economic deprivation. Fair Share is one such initiative designed to target funding at those deprived areas which have benefited least from the Lottery.

Press Complaints Commission

15. Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met the Press Complaints Commission to discuss its work. [107060]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met the Press Complaints Commission recently, but she will be meeting Sir Christopher Meyer, the new chairman, on 7 April.

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what powers OFCOM will have over the Press Complaints Commission. [107058]

Tessa Jowell: None. The Press Complaints Commission is an independent body overseeing the self-regulation of the newspaper industry. We continue to believe that self-regulation is preferable to any statutory measures.

Cricket (Disabled People)

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's support for cricket for people with disabilities. [107059]

Mr. Caborn: The Government funds sport for people with disabilities through the English Federation for Disability Sport (EFDS), which will receive £2 million from Sport England over the next year. The EFDS is presently considering whether to add cricket to its list of priority sports.

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Children's Play Facilities

16. Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what neighbourhoods will be prioritised in the review of children's play facilities for the New Opportunities Fund. [107061]

Mr. Caborn: No decisions have yet been made on this. The review is currently looking at the needs of areas which have inadequate play opportunities and groups of children who have limited access to play. A report with recommendations about priorities for play provision will be published this summer.

Sport Facilities (Rural Colleges)

17. Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance she is giving to support access to sporting facilities in rural colleges. [107062]

Tessa Jowell: The Government are fully committed to improving access to a wide range of sporting opportunities in all areas of the country, including rural areas. A number of initiatives including School Sport Co-ordinators, Spaces for Sport and the Arts and the New Opportunities Fund PE and Sport Programme will help to improve provision in rural areas.

Entertainment Licences

18. Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to promote the use of live music in pubs and clubs by reducing the cost of entertainment licences. [107063]

Dr. Howells: The Licensing Bill will do away with the current system of separate, annually renewable, public entertainment licences and establish a system under which a pub or club obtaining permission to sell alcohol will not pay anything extra to seek permission to provide live music.

Tourism

20. Mr. David: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and sport how the distinct identities of the Celtic nations will be promoted by the new UK-wide tourist body. [107065]

Dr. Howells: VisitBritain will build on the work of the BTA to market vigorously overseas each component part of Britain, ensuring that the strong and distinct brand identities are strengthened and developed in partnership with Britain's national and regional tourist boards.

Churchill Museum

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will provide support for plans to build a Churchill Museum in the Cabinet War Rooms. [107247]

Dr. Howells: The creation of a museum in the Cabinet War Rooms dedicated to the life achievements and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill has been a long-term goal of the Imperial War Museum, which is sponsored by my Department. I fully support the Imperial War

7 Apr 2003 : Column 22W

Museum's aims and objectives for this museum, which will complete the development of the Cabinet War Rooms as a world class Heritage Resource.

Departmental Annual Report

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the annual report of the Department will be published. [107870]

Dr. Howells: The DCMS annual report for the year 2002–03 will be published on 16 May 2003.

Entertainment Costs

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she has entertained Labour hon. Members at public expense in the last 12 months; and at what cost. [106400]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not entertained any Labour hon. Members at public expense in the last 12 months.

Entertainment Licensing

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is her policy that common areas in (a) sheltered accommodation, (b) residential homes and (c) day centres should be subject to licensing when used by a one-person singing entertainer. [107588]

Dr. Howells: Under the provisions of the Licensing Bill, performances in sheltered accommodation, residential homes or day centres would not be licensable unless the public were able to attend, or a charge was made to those who attended with a view to do more than cover costs.

Market Testing

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated level of saving to the Department is from the use of market testing in 2002–03. [107758]

Dr. Howells: There have not been any contracts suitable for market testing over the past year.

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