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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
British Grand Prix
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the British Racing Drivers' Club over the future of the British Grand Prix. [193005]
Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with the British Racing Drivers Club concerning the recent negotiations over the future of the British Grand Prix.
The East Midland Development Agency (EMDA) are currently leading discussions about the future of the British Grand Prix for the Government.
British Library
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the funding arrangements for the British Library. [193347]
Estelle Morris:
In the current financial year the British Library will receive £90.8 million in grant-in-aid from DCMS and expects to receive £24.9 million in self-
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generated income. In 2005–06 the British Library will receive £95.1 million in grant-in-aid and plans to raise £24.7 million in self-generated income. Grant-in-aid for 2006–07 and 2007–08 will be determined shortly.
Computer Games
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support the Government has given to the establishment of a classification system for video and computer games. [193345]
Estelle Morris: The Video Recordings Act 1984 requires video games to be classified if, to any significant extent, they depict: human sexual activity; gross violence towards humans or animals; human genital organs, urinary or excretory functions; or techniques likely to be useful in the commission of offences. The very small number of video games that fall into this category (32 of the 1,484 published in the UK in 2003), are submitted to the British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC carefully assesses all such games against published guidelines. Under the 1984 Act, it is a criminal offence to supply or offer to supply a legally classified game to a person below the specified age; the penalty is a fine of up to £5,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, or both. It is also an offence to supply or offer to supply an uncertificated video game that should have been legally classified by the BBFC; the maximum penalty is an unlimited fine or imprisonment of up to two years, or both. Trading Standards Officers are the enforcement authorities for the 1984 Act.
All other video games offered for sale or rental in the UK are subject to a voluntary classification system introduced by the industry itself. This is the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system, which now applies across 16 European countries, and is administered in the UK by the Video Standards Council. Between 1994 and the Spring of 2003, nearly 70 per cent. of published video games were rated as suitable for playing by people of all ages.
Departmental Funding
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which funding streams have been allocated by her Department using a funding formula which includes rankings or scores on the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000; and if she will list the amount of funding allocated in such a way (a) nationally by the Department or (b) to all Government sponsored bodies reporting to the Department. [191531]
Mr. Caborn:
Space for Sport and Arts is a programme that seeks to provide around 300 new sports and arts facilities in primary schools in deprived areas. It is jointly funded as follows: £75 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund administered jointly by DCMS and DfES; £5 million from Arts Council England; £25 million from Sport England; and £25 million from the Big Lottery Fund. Sixty-five local education authorities, selected using a number of indices of educational, socio-economic, sporting and cultural deprivation including Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000, have been invited to participate in the scheme.
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In 2002 the Department allocated £40 million to the Arts Council of England for the establishment of 16 Creative Partnerships in deprived areas to provide opportunities for young people to experience artistic and creative activities. The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000, along with other measures of economic and educational deprivation and an assessment of cultural deprivation, was used in determining these areas.
In addition, many programmes and initiatives run by Lottery distributors are targeted at deprived areas, using the Index of Multiple Deprivation and a variety of other indicators.
Free TV Licences
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Warrington North receive a free television licence. [193298]
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 geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, 2001 Census data indicate that there are approximately 5,900 people aged 75 or over living in the Warrington North constituency.
Heritage Lottery Fund (Scotland)
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the monetary value of grants awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund since its inception was awarded to projects in Scotland. [193375]
Mr. Caborn: From its inception to 30 September 2004 the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded 11.12 per cent. of the monetary value of grants to projects in Scotland.
Libraries
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has for modernisation of libraries. [192641]
Estelle Morris: In February 2003 we published "Framework for the Future", setting out our vision for the future of public libraries in England during the next 10 years. "Framework for the Future" identified three central themes vital to the future development of public libraries, the promotion of reading and learning, improving access to digital skills and services and helping to build and improve community and civic values. We commissioned the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to produce a three year action plan setting out a range of programmes to help libraries achieve this vision, to which have been added a peer review process, and expert help on matters such as marketing and research; procurement; property and design. These programmes are now being implemented.
Television Licences
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the annual change in each of the past five years in the number of households requiring a television licence has been; and what the impact on the finances of the BBC has been in each of those years. [190584]
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Estelle Morris: Television licences are required not only for households but also for any other premises where a television is installed or used. The estimated annual growth in the number of (i) all premises and (ii) households requiring a television licence in each of the last five years, and the estimated impact of that growth on licence fee revenue, have been as follows.
| Total premises requiring TV licence (million) | Annual growth (%) | Corresponding additional licence fee revenue (£ million) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (i) All premises | |||
| March | |||
| 1999 | 25.2 | — | — |
| 2000 | 25.5 | 1.1 | 24.2 |
| 2001 | 25.5 | 0.2 | 4.2 |
| 2002 | 25.5 | -0.1 | -2.2 |
| 2003 | 25.7 | 0.9 | 23.8 |
| 2004 | 26.0 | 0.8 | 23.1 |
| Total households requiring TV licence (million) | Annual growth (%) | Corresponding additional licence fee revenue (£ million) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (ii) Households | |||
| March | |||
| 1999 | 24.1 | — | — |
| 2000 | 24.4 | 1.1 | 24.4 |
| 2001 | 24.5 | 0.5 | 10.6 |
| 2002 | 24.5 | -0.1 | -2.4 |
| 2003 | 24.7 | 0.9 | 23.0 |
| 2004 | 24.9 | 0.8 | 22.3 |
Theft and Fraud
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997. [191416]
Mr. Caborn: The available information is given in the table:
| DCMS | Royal Parks Agency | Historic Royal Palaces Agency(17) | Non-Departmental Public Bodies(18) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 1,909 | 0 | 13,600 | 417,493 |
| 1998–99 | 0 | 0 | — | 240,530 |
| 1999–2000 | 0 | 0 | — | 6,228 |
| 2000–01 | 0 | 0 | — | 79,872 |
| 2001–02 | 1,823 | 0 | — | 3,884 |
| 2002–03 | 4,300 | 0 | — | 22,117 |
| 2003–04 | 0 | 40,000 | — | 334,611 |
(17) Historic Royal Palaces became a Non-Departmental Public Body on 1 April 1998.
(18) All figures are net of amounts recovered.
Notes:
1. Includes only those lottery distributors directly sponsored by DCMS.
2. Frauds have been allocated to the year of discovery.
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