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Museums

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of trends in the number of visitors to museums neither funded by her Department nor participating in the Renaissance in the Regions programme. [176455]

 
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Estelle Morris: Estimates drawn from published data ¹ suggest that, between 2000 and 2002 ² , the mean number of visits to these museums (museums in England not directly funded by DCMS nor participating in Renaissance in the Regions) went up by 4 per cent.

¹ Visits to Visitor Attractions, published by VisitBritain.

² Latest figures available.

New Opportunities Fund

Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Bootle in each year since 1997. [176999]

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Bootle are shown in the table:

	Financial year amount (£)
1999–2000	4,416,628
2000–01	1,355,191
2001–02	327,965
2002–03	2,776,451
2003–04	993,693
2004–05	500

The information is freely available from the Department's searchable Lottery award database at www.lottery.culture.gsi.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

Olympics 2012

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action the Government are taking to address the criticism in the International Olympic Committee's assessment of the UK rail network and the capital's transport infrastructure to improve London's chances of hosting the Games in 2012. [175559]

Tessa Jowell: Detailed transport plans are being developed for London's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012, which will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee in November.

Over £17 billion of public money has been allocated to improve transport in London between now and 2012. This includes £1 billion which is being invested every year until 2010 in improving London Underground, which will deliver better services and greater capacity. By 2012, Stratford station, which is already the most accessible transport interchange in London, will be served by 10 railway lines, including the new high speed Channel Tunnel rail link into St Pancras.

Portable Electrical Equipment

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how often since 1997 (a) her Department and (b) its associated public sector organisations have undergone portable appliance testing of IT equipment; and what the cost was of portable appliance testing in each year since 1997. [176572]

 
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Mr. Caborn: The Department does not hold detailed historical information for portable appliance testing and costs. The last test of portable items was conducted in 2002 but did not include computers replaced that year and those due for replacement in 2003.

This year the Department will be conducting tests on all portable electrical appliances. The contractor for this work will be chosen on a competitive basis. A budget sum of £4,500 has been allowed for testing of all equipment including computers.

Royal Parks Agency

The Royal Parks undertake portable appliance testing of electrical equipment, including IT equipment, annually at a cost of £1,500 per annum.

IT equipment comprises 62 per cent. of all electrical equipment, resulting in an annual spend of £930 on portable appliance testing of IT equipment. Since 1997 and including committed funds for 2004, this totals £7,440. In accordance with published guidance and best practice, The Royal Parks intend hereafter to portable appliance test IT equipment at two-year intervals only.

In respect of the Department's non-departmental public bodies, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Positive Activities for Young People Programme

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) which areas have been targeted for support under the Positive Activities for Young People programme; how these areas were decided upon; what targets have been set for the programme; and how success in those targets will be measured; [176457]

(2) what estimate she has made of the impact of the Positive Activities for Young People scheme on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. [176460]

Mr. Caborn: Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) is delivered in every Government office region in England. The target Local Education Authority areas within each region were selected using a weighting system encompassing crime levels, education goals on truancy and attendance and experience of previous activity schemes.

The PAYP target is to provide up to 22,500 full-time equivalent places (this could involve up to 67,000 young people) on diversionary activities for 'at risk' young people and to provide key worker support for up to 7,500 young people with a view to engaging them with positive outcomes within education and training and thereby reducing the likelihood of offending. Young people remain engaged in PAYP for as long as they need this type of support. The aim is to achieve a 65 per cent. positive outcome rate for PAYP participants, which is measured by entry into education, training and employment.

There is in place a three-year programme of evaluation that will look at the impact of PAYP over a period of time.
 
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Public Libraries

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability in public libraries of reading material for those with reading disabilities. [176522]

Estelle Morris: It is for local authorities to make decisions about the reading stock provided in public libraries. We have funded the National Library for the Blind to provide seminars for library staff, and people with sight problems to promote a better understanding of services available and customer needs. With the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) we are bringing together a number of disability organisations and library agencies, to look at what practical improvements could be made. The People's Network of computers in all libraries, provided by early last year with 100 million from the National Lottery, enables texts to be printed in large formats. MLA is looking at how this and other services could be improved.

Regional Assemblies

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department has commissioned on the role which regional assemblies could play in service delivery in her Department's sectors. [176422]

Mr. Caborn: The existing regional chambers, or assemblies, do not have a service delivery function. Their principal responsibilities are the scrutiny of regional economic strategies under the Regional Development Agencies Act, 1998. In addition, from 1 April 2003 all the chambers took on the role of regional planning bodies, with responsibility for producing regional planning guidance. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, 2004, they will have responsibility for producing Regional Spatial Strategies. I have therefore commissioned no such research, but I do require the Regional Culture Consortiums for which I am responsible to develop regional cultural strategies in consultation with a wide range of regional partners including regional chambers and assemblies.

The Government's proposals for the powers and functions of elected regional assemblies, including their cultural responsibilities, were set out in the 2002 White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions" (Cm5511). These will be reflected in the draft Bill that we intend to publish before the first referenda are held on whether to establish elected assemblies.

Television (Disabled Access)

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to encourage an increase in the proportion of television programmes subject to (a) subtitling, (b) signing and (c) audio description. [176388]

Estelle Morris: The Communications Act 2003 provided for substantially increased access provision by broadcasters, including, for the first time, cable and satellite broadcasters. It is the responsibility of Ofcom to
 
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establish the code governing that increased provision. Following a recent consultation exercise, Ofcom expects to publish that code in the summer.

Within the context of planning for digital switchover, the Government have also had discussions with broadcasters to encourage them to increase the provision of audio description services across all digital platforms, including satellite and cable.

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 24 May 2004, Official Report, column 1313W, on Ofcom (Television Access), if she will take steps to ensure that Ofcom includes in the code the annual increases in subtitling, signing and audio description of television programmes promised during the passage of the Communications Act. [176389]

Estelle Morris: As we made clear during the passage of the Communications Act, we do not believe that it is necessary to specify in legislation annual targets for the increased provision of subtitling, signing and audio description. Ofcom has the power to establish interim targets, should they appear to Ofcom to be necessary to meet its duties in respect of people with disabilities. Those duties, combined with the extension of access obligations to cable and satellite channels and the 10 and five-year targets which are set out in the Act, represent a realistic way of achieving the substantial increase in access provision to which the Government are committed.

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