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Analogue Television

17. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the switch-off date for analogue television; and if she will make a statement. [129568]

Tessa Jowell: The criteria set for switchover are that: everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form must be able to receive them on digital systems; switching to digital is an affordable option for the vast majority of people; and as a target indicator of affordability, 95 per cent. of consumers must have access to digital equipment. The objective of the Digital Television Action Plan Project is to ensure these criteria are met so that we can, if we choose, take the decision to proceed to full switchover by ordering the switching off by 2010 of analogue terrestrial transmissions.

Horseracing Industry

20. Mr. Laurence Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on the Office of Fair Trading's proposals on the British horseracing industry. [129571]

Mr. Caborn: The OFT has made no proposals for the racing industry. It is conducting an enquiry into racing's rules and regulations and has issued a Rule 14 notice. That notice points to those areas that appear to restrict or distort competition. The British Horseracing Board and the Jockey Club have now responded and the process will continue until the OFT hands down a final ruling.

BBC Charter

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the process for renewal of the BBC's charter. [128891]

Tessa Jowell: The Government will announce how it intends to conduct the Charter Review before the end of the year. I can give a commitment now, however, that the process will be both wide-ranging and thorough, that public debate will form a critical element of the review, and that there will be opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny.

Food Expenditure

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on food by her Department and by each agency for which it is responsible in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what proportion of that food by value was produced in the United Kingdom; what guidance she has issued to encourage the procurement of home-grown food; and if she will make a statement. [129383]

Mr. Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not directly buy food substances. DCMS opened a staff restaurant on 2 April 2001 and employs a catering organisation to provide the required service. The service provider is encouraged by the Department to purchase ethically and environmentally sound goods where this is practical.

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Additionally, the Royal Parks Agency does not operate a system of buying food directly.

Television (Foul Language)

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take powers to prevent the use of obscene, abusive and insulting language on television; and if she will make a statement. [129440]

Estelle Morris [holding answer 11 September 2003]: Responsibility for what is broadcast on television rests with the broadcasters and the organisations which regulate broadcasting—the Governors of the BBC, the Independent Television Commission and the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority. They are independent of the Government and responsible for safeguarding the public interest in broadcasting. In carrying out their responsibilities, these authorities have a duty to ensure that programmes contain nothing which offends against good taste and decency or is likely to be offensive to public feeling. They also maintain guidelines for programme-makers on the standards which should be observed. This guidance includes advice on the use of language and timing of programmes and recommends when warning announcements about programmes should be made. In addition, the Broadcasting Standards Commission acts as a forum for public concern.

The Communications Act 2003 establishes a new regulatory framework for broadcasting and the communications industries, including the creation of a single regulatory body for the communications industries, the Office of Communications, which will have similar responsibilities for broadcast content. Viewers who are offended by television programmes should complain to the relevant broadcaster and, in the case of serious breaches of the regulatory codes, to the regulator.

Gatwick Airport Expansion (Listed Buildings)

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Grade I, II, and II* listed buildings would (a) be left without public access and (b) need to be demolished under each of the different proposals to expand runway capacity at Gatwick airport. [129007]

Mr. Caborn: If a close parallel runway were built three Grade II* and four Grade II buildings would be demolished, rising to five Grade II* and 12 Grade II buildings under the wide-spaced option and 6 Grade II* and 18 Grade II under the two runway option. No Grade I buildings would be affected under any proposed option. We do not hold information about the number of buildings likely to be left without public access.

Private Museums

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support she provides for private museums; and if she will make a statement. [129727]

Estelle Morris: Independent museums with charitable status are eligible to apply for status as a Registered Museum, under Resource's Registration Scheme. This makes them eligible for support under a wide range of

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initiatives, including the Renaissance in the Regions programme, the Museum Development Fund, and, if its collections are designated as being of 'outstanding importance', the Designation Challenge Fund.

Privately owned collections, however, are not eligible for Registered status and do not receive such financial support.

National Lottery

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her policy on linking the value and number of National Lottery constituency awards and constituency deprivation. [129830]

Estelle Morris: All parts of the country should have access to Lottery funds. Many areas suffering wider social and economic deprivation need extra support to develop and put in good applications which are more likely to be successful. The fairshare initiative, bringing together funding from the New Opportunities Fund and Community Fund, specifically seeks to target areas of the UK which were most deprived, and which have not received their 'fair share' of Lottery funding. In addition, the Lottery Funding Decision Document, published in July, contains a number of proposals to make it easier for people to apply for Lottery funding, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. These include the creation of a new distributor, which will focus on improving the quality of life in communities by tackling disadvantage and social exclusion.

Sport England

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria Sport England Exchequer uses to allocate grant aid to national governing bodies; and if she will make a statement. [128778]

Mr. Caborn: The process for Exchequer grant allocations to National Governing Bodies of Sport from Sport England is currently under review, the outcome of which is expected towards the end of October.

To date Sport England Exchequer grants are made available to those National Governing Bodies of Sport that are recognised as leading the development of their sport in England. Sport England investment in National Governing Bodies is based on the ability of the National Governing Body to deliver increased numbers of

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participants in the sport, to retain involvement in the sport either as participant, coach, official or volunteer, and to achieve publicly recognised levels of success.

Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the additional level of Exchequer Funds is that has been made available to support the World Class Performance Programme contained in the recommendations of the Cunningham Review for Elite Sports. [130364]

Mr. Caborn: Following the Spending Review 2002, this Department has made available to UK Sport an additional exchequer allocation of £4.7 million in 2004–05 and £4.7 million in 2005–06, to enable them to take forward some of the recommendations of the Elite Sports Funding Review.

Government Art Collection

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by the Government in each year since May 1997 on acquiring works of art; and where each work acquired is held. [129281]

Estelle Morris [holding answer 11 September 2003]: In the seven Financial Years since 2 May 1997 the Government Art Collection has spent a total of £1,111,500 from its Programme Vote on the purchase of works of art. This breaks down as follows:

	£
2 May 1997 to 1998	137,000
1998–99	127,000
1999–2000	179,000
2000–01	130,500
2001–02	158,000
2002–03	241,000
1 April to 11 September 2003	139,000

These works of art are currently located in some 55 Government buildings in the UK and around the world, as part of the Collection's remit in promoting British art and culture to visitors to these buildings.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been realised by the Government through the sales of works of art in each year since May 1997. [129280]

Estelle Morris [holding answer 11 September 2003]: The Government Art Collection has sold no works of art from its holdings since May 1997.

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