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Football

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the relevant authorities regarding codes of conduct within football. [194361]

Mr. Caborn: The Government understand the important role that sports men and women have as role models in our society. As Minister of Sport I have impressed upon the Football Association, Premier League, and the Football League, on a number of occasions, the importance of upholding codes of conduct within the game. I have also written to all the football club chairmen highlighting this.

Gambling

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what protocols are in place
 
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governing the attendance of her departmental officials at trade conventions promoting the interests of the foreign gaming industry. [193799]

Mr. Caborn: Officials attend trade conventions, conferences or similar outside events when it is judged that this use of official time is justified by the opportunity to obtain information relevant to the conduct of policy which will enhance their ability to advise Ministers, or to pursue discussions with commercial and other interest groups which are relevant to the assessment of the benefits, costs and risks of policy options or proposals and their implementation. All attendances are subject to the rules laid down in the Civil Service Code and the Department's Staff Guide.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her proposals for gaming machines. [194574]

Mr. Caborn: I am proposing that machines which may be played by children will be available in fewer places than at present, and will have lower stakes and prizes than at present. Machines with the highest stakes and prizes will be available only in the strictly regulated environment of regional casinos—unlike Australia. And the Bill provides new and extensive controls over the operation of all gaming machines, wherever sited.

Licensing Act

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the cost to local authorities of implementing the Licensing Act 2003, in terms of (a) set-up and transition costs and (b) ongoing costs. [194693]

Mr. Caborn: We estimate that the costs falling on licensing authorities of start up and during the transitional period, which is expected to last for nine months, will be approximately £41 million and that the costs in each of the first three years after the regime becomes fully operational would be approximately £34 million, £30 million and £31 million. These costs would be recovered through fees charged for authorisations under the Act. The fees are to be set centrally by the Secretary of State by regulations made under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003. We expect to commence a public consultation on our estimates of costs and proposed fee levels imminently. A small number of licensing authorities are not local authorities.

New Deal

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many personnel the Department has recruited under the New Deal in each of the past five years. [194853]

Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 25 October 2004, Official Report, columns 1052–54W.
 
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Public Libraries

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's policies towards provision of public libraries in north east Lincolnshire. [194595]

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has a duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to superintend the provision of public library services by the 149 library authorities in England to secure the proper discharge by them of their responsibilities, under the same legislation, to provide a "comprehensive and efficient" service. Public libraries are funded through a combination of the Local Authority Settlement, locally raised taxation, and income that they generate for themselves. Public library funding is a matter of local discretion and it is a matter for each library authority to decide how much to spend on their libraries. The Department issues national standards for public libraries and last year produced "Framework for the Future" a ten year vision for public libraries.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will conduct a review of the way libraries are funded. [192667]

Estelle Morris: The Department with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council will shortly commission a study of the book supply chain and the most effective and efficient ways for libraries to spend, which will include a look at the sources of libraries income.

Quality Schemes

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding her Department has provided for England's Quality Schemes in this financial year; and what expenditure on such schemes is planned for future years. [195228]

Mr. Caborn: There are three quality schemes for accommodation in England; managed by the AA, the RAC and VisitBritain. The AA and RAC schemes are run as part of their commercial operations and receive no public funding.

VisitBritain supports its National Quality Assurance Standards for accommodation and the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme from the grant in aid it receives from the Department of Culture Media and Sport. The budget for these schemes for this financial year is £1,454,000. It is anticipated that this figure will remain broadly constant for the foreseeable future, but detailed forward plans have not been finalised.

St. James' Palace

Mr. Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what accommodation HRH Princess Anne and her staff occupy at St. James' Palace. [193941]

Mr. Caborn: HRH The Princess Royal has a private apartment in St. James's Palace. The Princess's office, and office accommodation for her immediate staff are in Buckingham Palace. None of The Princess Royal's staff live in either St. James's Palace or Kensington Palace.
 
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Television Licences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in (a) North Southwark and Bermondsey, (b) Camberwell and Peckham and (c) Dulwich and West Norwood are receiving a free television licence for over-75s. [194232]

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 (a) 5,400 people in the North Southwark and Bermondsey constituency, (b) 3,500 people in Camberwell and Peckham and (c) 5,100 people in Dulwich and West Norwood aged 75 or over.

Tourism

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action her Department is taking to improve collection of data about the tourism industry. [195229]

Mr. Caborn: Better business data for the tourism sector is one of the key priority work areas set out in Tomorrow's Tourism Today, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched in July. The Review of Tourism Statistics, published in June in co-operation with the Office of National Statistics, recommended a number of changes to the UK Tourism Survey and other sources of sectoral data. The Tourism Statistics Implementation Planning Group, which is led by my Department and includes representatives of the Devolved Administrations and Tourist Boards, is considering the recommendations and will publish an action plan before the end of the year.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the percentage growth per annum required to reach the £100 billion target value for the tourism industry by 2010. [195267]

Mr. Caborn: The target of a £100 billion UK tourism industry by 2010 was agreed by my Department with VisitBritain, the Tourism Alliance, the Regional Development Agencies and the Local Government Association, and included in the national strategy document, Tomorrow's Tourism Today, in July. The target was based on a baseline figure of £76 billion for 2002.

Since that target was agreed, my Department has adopted a revised method of calculating the value of the tourism sector. Tourism Satellite Accounting produces a more accurate estimate of total turnover, and is the accepted international standard. Using the revised method, the total value of expenditure by tourists on UK trips in 2002 was £73.7 billion.

The target of £100 billion by 2010, against the revised baseline of £73.7 billion, stands. The achievement of that target would entail a percentage growth rate of 3.9 per cent. per annum.
 
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