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Historic Buildings
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met the English Heritage Directors to discuss policy on historic buildings being included in the registered list; and if she will make a statement. [188046]
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Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and other Ministers have regular meetings with the English Heritage Chairman and Chief Executive, most recently on 22 June 2004. Among other things they discussed the Review of Heritage Protection including the new Register of Historic Sites and Buildings in England.
Licensing Arrangements
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what access (a) local and (b) national temperance societies will have to discussions on licensing when the new licensing arrangements come into operation. [188315]
Mr. Caborn: Members of local and national temperance societies have the same rights as any other citizen. The Licensing Act 2003 provides that interested parties, including persons living or involved in a business in the vicinity of a premises or bodies representing them, may make representations about applications for provisional statements and about the grant or variation of premises licences or club premises certificates, except where a simple conversion of an existing licence or certificate is made under the grandfather rights provisions in Schedule 8 of the Act. Interested parties may also apply for the review of a licence or certificate at any time as well as make representations about a review once it has been applied for. Representations must be about the effects of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Members of local and national temperance societies will be able to make representations if they are interested parties under the terms of the Act.
Regional Broadcasting
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance she gives to Ofcom relating to regional programming by broadcasting companies. [187901]
Estelle Morris: None. The Communications Act 2003 set out clear responsibilities for OFCOM to secure regional programming by broadcasting companies. Ofcom is currently reviewing public service television broadcasting and regional broadcasting forms an integral part of that review.
Supporters Direct
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding has been received by Supporters Direct in each financial year since 2000–01. [188062]
Mr. Caborn: Supporters Direct has received the following funding:
| Financial year | England and Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 250,000 | — |
| 2001–02 | 250,000 | — |
| 2002–03 | 294,000 | 75,000 |
| 2003–04 | 325,000 | 75,000 |
| 2004–05 | (20)325,000 | (20)90,000 |
(20) TBC
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Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what mechanisms are in place to ensure the allocation of public funds to supporter's trusts by Supporters Direct is transparent, equitable and objective. [188063]
Mr. Caborn: There are strong mechanisms in place to safeguard the allocation of funding to supporters trusts by Supporters Direct.
Supporters Direct are regulated by the Financial Services Authority and they evaluate the eligibility of all groups applying for funding according to clear criteria, laid down and enforced by the Supporters Direct Board. Details can be found on the Supporters Direct website at www.supporters-direct.org.
All grants to Supporters Direct are capped at a maximum reimbursement of 50 per cent. up to a value of £1,000. This is a one-off payment. All expenditure is documented by receipts. All grants are reported to the Board of Supporters Direct and grants are only made to existing supporters trusts.
Supporters Direct are currently audited by Limehouse and Co.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what procedures are in place to prevent Supporters Direct's allocation of public funds being influenced by the club interests of current members. [188064]
Mr. Caborn: Supporters Direct is an Industrial and Provident Society and has rules approved by and registered at the Financial Services Authority. Those rules were drafted by the official lawyers to the Co-operative Movement.
Its members are the existing supporters' trusts. Membership of Supporters Direct is subject to the provisions in its rules and the policy on membership agreed by the Board of Supporters Direct. The funding it receives from Sport England and Sport Scotland respectively is related to agreed business plans, and is managed according to policy laid down by the Board of Supporters Direct, which is elected by the members.
As a body in receipt of public funding, the Board have a clear conflict of interest policy, and a register of board members' interests is maintained. Members with an interest in a particular issue do not debate or vote on the issue, and staff with an interest do not undertake to work on it.
Television Licences (Tamworth)
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many old age pensioners in the Tamworth constituency have benefited from the introduction of free television licences. [188115]
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Estelle Morris: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide breakdowns by parliamentary constituency of the number of free licences issued. However, 2001 Census data for Parliamentary constituencies identifies that there are approximately 3,650 people aged 75 or over living in the Tamworth constituency.
Television Reception
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to seek solutions for those people in the Stroud constituency who can neither receive a digital signal nor access satellite because of signal problems. [188414]
Estelle Morris: Ofcom do not hold data on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) or digital satellite coverage in individual constituencies.
Total core analogue TV coverage for the four main public service channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4) stands at 98.5 per cent. of UK households. In addition, according to Ofcom figures, digital satellite is available to between 96 per cent. and 98 per cent. of UK households.
The Government is committed to ensuring that at Switchover, everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC 1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Channel 5) can receive them on digital systems.
Much progress has been made in the discussions between the Government, Ofcom and the Public Service Broadcasters. While the broadcasters have not reached a full consensus on the optimum timetable, some—including the BBC—have suggested that 2012 may be the most appropriate date for the completion of Switchover.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress is being made on the roll-out of digital television to those areas which have yet to receive it. [188415]
Estelle Morris: The Government is committed to ensuring that, at switchover, everyone who can currently receive the public service channels can receive them in digital form, and that digital television is available throughout the country.
Digital satellite signals can already reach the vast majority of UK homes. Around 73 per cent. of the population can receive digital terrestrial television, but it is not possible to increase reception before switchover, as signals currently have to be transmitted at low power to prevent interference with analogue signals.
Much progress has been made in the discussions between the Government, Ofcom, and the public service broadcasters. While the broadcasters have not reached a full consensus on the optimum timetable, some—including the BBC—have suggested that 2012 may be the most appropriate date for the completion of switchover.
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