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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

British Museum

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the reasons for changes in the level of receipts by the British Museum in the last five years. [100335]

Dr. Howells: The Museum's total self-generated income increased from £48.8 million in 1998–99 and £46.7million in 1999–2000 to £51.7 million in 2000–01 as a result of their fundraising activities to secure capital funding for the Great Court and other development projects.

With the opening of the Great Court in December 2000 it was no longer necessary for the Museum to generate large sums of capital funding and as a result total self-generated income decreased in 2001–02 and 2002–03 to £44.9 million and £43.2 million respectively. In the last two years the Museum has significantly increased its revenue income primarily delivered by the

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facilities of the Great Court. The Museum is forecasting that receipts will stabilise in the next few years at around £24 million.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State supports the Museum in their activities to obtain income from trading, fundraising, donations and sponsorship.

Darts Sponsorship

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the British Darts Organisation about alternative sources of sponsorship; and if she will make a statement. [113922]

Mr. Caborn: The Government are aware of the extent to which the British Darts Organisation is reliant on tobacco sponsorship and of the challenge it faces in finding alternative sponsors.

I met Olly Croft, Managing Director of the British Darts Organisation, on 9 April to discuss sponsorship issues and to assure him of the Government's commitment to helping those sports affected by the tobacco sponsorship ban. It has always been the Government's aim to ensure that such sports do not suffer unduly during the transition away from tobacco sponsorship.

It was agreed at the meeting that the British Darts Organisation would write to me outlining the ways that they believe the Department can best assist them in their search for alternative sponsorship. I await Mr. Croft's letter.

Satisfaction Channel

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to proscribe the Satisfaction Channel as recommended by the ITC; and if she will make a statement. [113920]

Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently considering whether to proceed with a proscription order against Satisfaction Channel Television.

Sport (Women)

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with television and press organisations about increasing positive media coverage of women's sport. [113664]

Mr. Caborn: I have had no formal discussions on this issue. However, UK Sport is actively lobbying to make the media more aware of women's sport. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Sport England are leading by example, through ensuring that all internal publications give men and women equal coverage. I also met Helen Donohue at the Women's Sports Foundation to discuss general issues involving women's sport.

Television Channels

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list (a) those channels which the ITC has recommended should be the

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subject of a Proscription Order and (b) those channels against which Proscription Orders have been issued since 1990. [113921]

Dr. Howells: The information requested is as follows:

(a) The ITC has recommended proscription for the following:

Red Hot Television (Red Hot Dutch)

TV Erotica (also known as xxxTV)

Channel Bizarre

Rendezvous Channel

Adult X

Satisfaction Channel

Satisfaction Club Television

Eurotica Rendez-Vous

Eros TV

(b) The following channels have been the subject of proscription orders since 1990:

Red Hot Television

XXX TV Erotica

Rendez-Vous Television

Satisfaction Club Television

Eurotica Rendez-Vous

Eros TV

Channel Bizarre and Adult X stopped broadcasting before a Proscription Order was made. The Secretary of State is currently considering whether to proceed with a Proscription Order against Satisfaction Channel.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Education Funding

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funds his Department holds which have yet to be allocated in respect of the current financial year. [112741]

Mr. Charles Clarke [holding answer 12 May 2003]: Allocations for 2003–04 were outlined in my statement of 19 December, Official Report, column 67WS, and the Higher Education White Paper The Future of Higher Education' (Command Number, 5735) published on 22 January. Those allocations include a small element of unallocated provision (£40 million) as recommended by Treasury to cover unforeseen pressures that might arise during the course of the year.

HEALTH

Cancer Services

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the maximum waiting time is for (a) radiotherapy and (b) chemotherapy for cancer patients in Greater Manchester; and what the corresponding figures were in each of the last two years. [113919]

Jacqui Smith: The Department of Health does not collect data on waiting times for chemotherapy or radiotherapy separately from other forms of cancer treatment.

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The NHS Cancer Plan sets out the Department's strategy to reduce waiting times for cancer patients. The ultimate goal, planned to be achieved by 2008, is that no one should wait longer than one month from an urgent referral for suspected cancer to the beginning of treatment, except for a good clinical reason or through patient choice.

In order to tackle cancer waiting times, the Department is making unprecedented investment in new radiotherapy facilities, streamlining care processes through the cancer services collaborative and working to best utilise the current workforce and to increase the number of staff in post and in training.

Correspondence

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letters of (a) 4 February and (b) 14 March about Mrs.Wendy Hands. [111775]

Mr. Lammy: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 8 May.

Document Classification

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many documents are held by his Department that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification. [107344]

Mr. Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander), on 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 696W.

The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department follows the Cabinet Office guidance on document marking and control.

Dysphasia

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether is it his policy to encourage and fund the provision of dysphasia support services by voluntary groups. [111833]

Jacqui Smith: Primary care trusts now have the responsibility of improving the health of the community, securing the provision of high quality services, and integrating health and social care locally. They have the resources to commission services, and to identify the number of professional staff that they need to deliver those services.

In making their commissioning decisions PCTs will need to consider how best to use a range of providers for the benefit of National Health Service patients. PCTs may fund local support groups for a range of conditions including dysphasia, if they have identified this as a need when assessing the health needs of the local community. They will also need to consider how best to use voluntary sector providers.

Evesham Community Hospital

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the minor

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injuries unit at Evesham Community Hospital, and the implications of proposed staff reductions at the unit for its functioning. [112664]

Mr. Lammy: This is a matter for South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.

Wherever change is being considered, local health organisations, working with their partners, will need to satisfy themselves that their plans are in line with the core principles set out in the guidance "Keeping the NHS Local—A New Direction of Travel", published in February this year.

General Practitioners

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners working in North Shropshire are (a) under 40 years old, (b) between 40 and 65 years old and (c) over 65 years old. [113166]

Mr. Lammy: Figures for North Shropshire are not held centrally.

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