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12 Jul 2004 : Column 898W—continued
Means-tested Benefits
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the means-tested benefits available through her Department and the agencies for which it is responsible (a) in May 1997 and (b) now. [182593]
Mr. Caborn: There are no means-tested benefits available through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, nor were any available in May 1997.
The only means-tested benefit available through the Department's sponsored bodies is the 'World Class Performance Programme' which is now run by Sport England and UK Sport. This benefit was also available in May 1997 but was solely administered by Sport England as UK Sport was not established as a Lottery Distributor until 1 July 1999.
National Lottery
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to (a) identify and (b) reduce the number of Lottery retailers who are selling Lottery products to under 16-year-olds. [183010]
Estelle Morris: Camelot have in place a number of measures, agreed with the National Lottery Commission. These include an extensive test-purchasing programme, in which Lottery tickets are bought by 16-year-olds who look younger. During the second licence period Camelot have committed to undertaking 10,000 test purchases a year (twice the number in the first licence period). Camelot also work with trading standards officers, and will suspend the use of Lottery terminals where retailers have sold Lottery products to under age players. Camelot also provides retailers with training on preventing underage play and display materials to reinforce the message; and runs a hotline enabling the public to report concerns about possible cases of unauthorised sales.
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible have been (a) established and (b) abolished since 1997. [182943]
Mr. Caborn: The following non-departmental public bodies have been established:
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
Film Council (now known as UK Film Council)
Football Task Force
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
National Lottery Commission (which took over the role of regulating the National Lottery from the Office of the National Lottery, a non-ministerial department)
Millennium Commission
New Opportunities Fund
New Millennium Experience Company Ltd.
The Regional Cultural Consortiums:
Culture North East (North East Cultural Consortium)
East Midlands Cultural Consortium
Living East (East of England Cultural Consortium)
North West Cultural Consortium
South East England Cultural Consortium
South West Regional Cultural Consortium
West Midlands Life Cultural Consortium
Yorkshire Cultural Consortium
Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries (now known as Museums, Libraries and Archives Council)
Spoliation Advisory Panel
Treasure Valuation Committee
Working Group on Human Remains
The following has taken on NDPB status:
Historic Royal Palaces (formerly an Executive Agency)
The following non-departmental public bodies have been abolished:
Broadcasting Standards Commission
Football Task Force
Great Britain Sports Council
Library and Information Commission
Museums and Galleries Commission
New Millennium Experience Company Ltd.
The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England
Royal Fine Art Commission
Historical Manuscripts Commission (the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts) (became part of National Archives)
Working Group on Human Remains
The following organisations still exist but no longer have non-departmental public body status:
Craft Council
British Film Institute
National Film and Television School
In addition to the above, the Community Fund (formerly known as the National Lotteries Charities Board) and New Opportunities Fund remain separate legal entities but have now administratively merged to form the Big Lottery Fund. Both the United Kingdom Sports Council (operating name: UK Sport) and the English Sports Council (operating name: Sport England) were established by Royal Charter in 1996 and came into being on 1 January 1997 (replacing the GB Sports Council). Functions of the English Tourism Council and the British Tourist Authority (BTA) were merged to form VisitBritain and the England Marketing Advisory Board (EMAB) was formed to advise VisitBritain. VisitBritain is established by statute as the BTA and EMAB as the English Tourist Board.
The Department has taken on sponsorship responsibility from the Home Office for the following:
Alcohol Education and Research Council
Gaming Board for Great Britain
Horserace Betting Levy Board
Horserace Betting Levy Board
Obesity
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she next plans to meet (a) the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and (b) the Secretary of State for Health to discuss tackling the problem of obesity in school children; and whether her Department is taking the lead on this issue. [183170]
Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular meetings with both the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the Secretary of State for Health. The complex issue of obesity is being tackled right across Government through the Choosing Health? consultation which will inform the development of a White Paper on Public Health, due for publication later this year. The process is being led by the Department of Health and overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Public Health.
Olympic Games
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total budget is for ministerial visits to the Athens Olympic Games. [183550]
Mr. Caborn: No specific budget has been allocated for DCMS ministerial visits to the Athens Olympic Games. Costs will be met from the existing DCMS Travel and Subsistence budget for the financial year of 2004–2005.
All DCMS ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what class of ticket (a) Ministers and (b) officials will use to visit the Athens Olympic Games. [183551]
Mr. Caborn: All DCMS ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. DCMS Ministers and officials will travel by business class.
WALES
Chernobyl
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment the Government have made of the impact on human health of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. [180613]
Mr. Touhig: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) provides information and advice to persons, including Government Departments, in relation to the protection of the community or particular sections of the community from radiation hazards.
The National Public Health Service Wales works closely with the NRPB to address such health issues and provide support to Local Health Boards to work with communities when concerns relating to the health of the local population arise.
The Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters (CERRIE) has been reviewing the risk models relating to the inhalation or ingestion of radioactivity, and as part of its review has considered
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the international epidemiological research on health effects arising from the Chernobyl incident. CERRIE is expected to publish its report in the autumn. It will be considered by the UK expert Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) who will then advise the UK Government.
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