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1 Mar 2004 : Column 668W—continued
Ministerial Speeches
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many speeches she made between 9 June 2003 and 1 February 2004; and where a copy of each speech can be obtained. [156153]
Tessa Jowell: The information is as follows.
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The text of all major ministerial speeches can be found on the DCMS website www.culture.gov.uk
Official Travel
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on travel by officials and Ministers in her Department in each year since 1997. [157789]
Mr. Caborn: The following table shows departmental expenditure on travel and subsistence. An analysis on travel only is not recorded on the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook and all Ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
| Financial year | £ |
|---|---|
| 2003–04(6) | 735,669.48 |
| 2002–03 | 876,636.96 |
| 2001–02 | 750,593.38 |
| 2000–01 | 811,985.53 |
| 1999–2000 | 755,429.32 |
| 1998–99 | 643,283.50 |
| 1997–98 | 582,564.51 |
(6) Cost shown in 2003–04 are to the 25 February 2004
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in her Department are entitled to travel first class by rail when travelling to perform their responsibilities. [157797]
Mr. Caborn: DCMS travel and subsistence rules encourage staff to use Standard Class travel wherever possible. To obtain best value for money, management of the policy is delegated to line management who are responsible for authorisation and economical management of all official travel. While first class travel is permitted for some grades many of them travel at standard class unless, for example, they need extra space or comfort to work during travel.
The number of people entitled to travel by first class rail when travelling in the UK to perform their responsibilities is 124 (including Ministers). The number of people entitled to travel by first class rail when travelling overseas to perform their responsibilities is 400 (including Ministers).
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Sports (Governing Bodies)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support has been offered to the national governing bodies of sport to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority; and if she will make a statement. [156811]
Mr. Caborn: Governing bodies have to become, or work in partnership with, a recognised Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Awarding Body before their qualifications can be added to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The Central Council for Physical Recreation is providing support and guidance to help governing bodies achieve this.
Sports coach UK offers technical support to Awarding Bodies to ensure that NQF submissions meet QCA requirements.
Tourism
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to promote tourism in (a) the Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West. [156493]
Mr. Caborn: In April 2003 Regional Development Agencies took on formal strategic responsibility for promoting tourism within their regions. We are encouraging them to work towards enlarging the overall national market, in a manner consistent with the national marketing strategy. The North West Development Agency (NWDA) will receive Government funding of £713,000 per annum over 2003–06 towards implementing their tourism strategy for the region. Part of this strategy includes the creation of five new Destination Management Organisations (DMOs). Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board will be the DMO for the Lancashire sub region and its board will represent the county's tourism interests. It is anticipated that the Ribble Valley will play a significant and supporting role in the establishment of the new tourism support structures. A bid is currently with NWDA for funding for the new DMO.
In addition, the Ribble Valley is featured in VisitBritain's domestic Outdoor England campaign, launched in Autumn 2003, which encourages tourists to walk along the Ribble Way or cycle round the Lancashire Cycleway Northern Loop. A photograph of Ribble Valley is also featured prominently in the brochure. Details can be found on www.visitengland.com/outdoorengland.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimates she has made of the indirect economic effect of visitor generated revenue on (a) the South Kensington economy, (b) the London economy and (c) the UK economy of expenditures by the Natural History Museum; what estimates she has made of the multiplier effect of the direct expenditure of the Natural History Museum on (i) the South Kensington economy, (ii) the London economy and (iii) the UK economy; and if she will make a statement. [156892]
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Estelle Morris: The DCMS has not made any of the estimates referred to in the question.
However, I am aware that an independent report commissioned by the Natural History Museum (NHM) "Treasurehouse and Powerhouse, an assessment of the scientific, cultural and economic value of the Museum", was published on 11 February 2004. This Report suggests that:
- Expenditure generated for the London and UK economies by visitors to the NHM is £55.7 million to £59.5 million pa; and that
- The multiplier effect of the Museum's direct expenditure of £52 million (for 2002–03), on the UK and London economies is £161.56 million to £189.55 million.
The report made no estimates of the impact of the NHM on the economy of South Kensington.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to reduce regulations imposed on the tourism industry. [157140]
Mr. Caborn: With the exception of the Licensing Act 2003, which integrates six archaic licensing regimes into a single efficient system, DCMS does not have direct responsibility for the majority of regulations that affect the tourism industry. In pursuit of the DCMS Public Spending Agreement objective to increase the productivity of the domestic tourism industry, my Department will continue to work hard with other Departments to ensure that the burden of regulation is reasonable, and that regulation is applied sympathetically and consistently.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to give grants for the tourism industry in non-assisted areas. [157684]
Mr. Caborn: The DCMS does not give direct grants to the tourism industry.
The DCMS sponsors VisitBritain to promote Britain as a holiday destination to foreign visitors and England as a holiday destination to the British. The DCMS annual grant to VisitBritain is of the order of £50 million.
In April 2003 strategic responsibility for tourism in the regions was passed to the Regional Development Agencies. It is the Government's view that decisions on investment are better made at the regional level, rather than by central Government.
West End Theatres
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's policy towards theatres based in the West End of London. [157784]
Estelle Morris: The commercially owned and operated theatres which make up London's theatreland are outside the remit of this Department. I will however be meeting with the Theatres Trust and others in the near future to discuss the findings of their report, Act Now! Modernising London's West End Theatres, published last October. I hope we can have an informed debate on the report's conclusions.
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