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19 Jul 2004 : Column 49W—continued

Licence Holders Database

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to introduce a national electronic database for individual pub licence holders. [184735]

Mr. Caborn: The Licensing Act 2003 requires each licensing authority to keep a register containing, among other things, a record of each personal licence, club premises certificate and premises licence issued by it and each temporary event notice received by it. The Act allows the Secretary of State to arrange for these duties conferred on licensing authorities to be discharged by means of one or more central registers. Officials are currently working with local authorities and their representatives to examine ways in which a central register might be developed.

Metal-detecting

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the extent of illicit metal-detecting; and if she will make a statement. [185186]

Estelle Morris: The DCMS does not keep statistics like this centrally. However, through the excellent work of both the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the Treasure Valuation Committee, metal detectorists and archaeologists are working more closely together than ever before.
 
19 Jul 2004 : Column 50W
 

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of air travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain was for (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Department in the latest year for which figures are available. [184532]

Mr. Caborn: Departmental expenditure on air travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain for the financial year 2003–04 was (a) £683 for Ministers and (b) £3,269 for officials.

Museums/Heritage Bodies Review

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to undertake a review of heritage and museum organisations reporting to her Department; and if she will make a statement. [183282]

Estelle Morris: We have no current plans to review museum organisations, but we are planning to consult the museum sector later this year on a range of museum policy issues.

On heritage organisations, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 12 July 2004, Official Report, columns 897–98W, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

National Lottery

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of total National Lottery income has been distributed to good causes in each year of the Lottery's existence. [184228]

Estelle Morris: The information requested is as follows.

	Total good cause income (£000)	Total annual good drawdown (£000)	Drawdown as a percentage of good cause income
1994–95	298,580	6,238	2.09
1995–96	1,535,966	165,212	10.76
1996–97	1,587,759	527,387	33.22
1997–98	1,952,219	1,087,067	55.68
1998–99	1,918,906	1,830,548	95.40
1999–2000	1,766,394	1,908,458	108.04
2000–01	1,772,839	1,855,091	104.64
2001–02	1,842,233	1,709,559	92.80
2002–03	1,591,781	1,892,798	118.91
2003–04(34)	1,390,236	1,910,472	137.42
2004–051, 2	195,327	309,263	158.33

⁽³⁴⁾ These figures have not been subject to final audit.
⁽³⁵⁾ YTD

The figure for total income includes income from the Lottery games and also investment returns on balances held.

Policies (Environmental Impact)

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many new policy proposals or significant changes in policy were produced in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; how many of these were screened for their environmental impacts; and how many were the subject of separate environmental appraisals. [185109]

 
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Estelle Morris: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Cultural Consortiums

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) running costs and (b) total expenditure of each regional cultural consortium has been in each year since its creation. [184981]

 
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Mr. Caborn: The total annual expenditure from DCMS funds of each regional cultural consortium since their creation is given in the table. These advisory non-departmental public bodies do not at present directly employ any staff and the Department does not currently distinguish between running costs and other expenditure. Most consortium expenditure is allocated on research and projects designed to enhance cultural co-operation and services in the regions. Consortiums may also receive some support from other regional cultural partners.
Regional cultural consortiums annual expenditure, from DCMS funds £

Regional cultural consortium	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04 2
Eastern	388	26,358	31,621	110,150	180,641
East Midlands	857	34,366	15,927	108,880	141,267
North East	1,355	41,855	32,415	92,952	197,326
North West	230	21,995	32,890	93,686	207,915
South East	968	20,229	36,929	30,242	204,862
South West	4,823	33,609	22,043	152,725	205,988
West Midlands	1,613	31,089	6,097	120,100	223,217
Yorkshire	829	29,800	17,326	131,450	208,324

⁽³⁶⁾ The regional cultural consortiums were established in October 1999
⁽³⁷⁾ latest available figures with some amounts still to accrue

Subtitling

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to increase the number of television channels which are regulated for subtitling. [184465]

Estelle Morris: None. Section 303 of the Communications Act 2003 establishes a duty on Ofcom to draw up a code relating to the provision for deaf and visually impaired people. Section 303 applies to all digital terrestrial, digital satellite and digital cable channels except the BBC, which is instead brought within the scope of the code by way of the BBC Agreement. Exclusions from the application of the code are a matter for Ofcom, taking into account in particular certain matters specified in the Act designed to balance the costs and difficulty of provision with the extent of the benefit to those with sensory impairments. Ofcom have consulted on their code, including proposed exemptions, and I understand that they propose to announce their conclusions shortly.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the yearly interim targets are for subtitling for the coming years that have been set by the Office of Communications. [184466]

Estelle Morris: The matter raised is the responsibility of Ofcom, as independent regulator. Accordingly, DCMS officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Tourism

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much revenue she estimates tourism has generated for (a) Somerset and (b) the South West region in the last five years for which figures are available. [184649]

Mr. Caborn: The information is as follows.

(a) The available figures for tourism expenditure in Somerset are shown in the table. Figures for tourism day trips are only available at regional level.
Tourism expenditure in Somerset by year⁽³⁸⁾ £ million

Type of tourism	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Overnight stays by overseas residents	113	125	108	113	87
Overnight stays by domestic residents	(39)n/a	293	416	357	nya
Tourism day trips by domestic residents	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Total	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

n/a=not available
nya=not yet available
⁽³⁸⁾ Sample sizes at this level of detail will be small which means that the estimates will be subject to a high margin of error. Particular caution should therefore be exercised when comparing any two of the estimates.
⁽³⁹⁾ Figures for overnight stays by domestic tourists are taken from the UK Tourism Survey. Comparable figures at regional level prior to 2000 are not available due to a major change in survey methodology.
Sources:
International Passenger Survey
UK Tourism Survey.




 
19 Jul 2004 : Column 53W
 

(b) The available figures for tourism expenditure in the South West region are shown in the second table.
Tourism expenditure in the South West region by year⁽⁴⁰⁾ £ million

Type of tourism	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Overnight stays by overseas residents	694	734	634	741	663
Overnight stays by domestic residents	(41)n/a	3,122	3,291	3,901	nya
Tourism day trips by domestic residents	n/a	n/a	n/a	2,100	n/a
Total	n/a	n/a	n/a	6,742	n/a

n/a=not available
nya=not yet available
⁽⁴⁰⁾ Sample sizes at this level of detail will be small which means that the estimates will be subject to a high margin of error. Particular caution should therefore be exercised when comparing any two of the estimates.
⁽⁴¹⁾ Figures for overnight stays by domestic tourists are taken from the UK Tourism Survey. Comparable figures at regional level prior to 2000 are not available due to a major change in survey methodology.
Sources:
International Passenger Survey
UK Tourism Survey
GB Leisure Day Visits Survey.

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