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Gambling Bill (Hospice Lotteries)

Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what impact assessment she has carried out on the implications of the Gambling Bill for society lotteries, with particular reference to lotteries run by the hospice movement. [197699]

Mr. Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to chapter 7 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) published with the Bill. Copies of the RIA were deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 18 October 2004.

Listed Buildings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on plans to merge bodies that manage, fund and police the protection of listed buildings and sites. [198420]

Mr. Caborn: There are no plans to merge any of the bodies that manage, fund and police the protection of listed buildings and sites.
 
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Lottery Funding/Grant Bodies

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projects have benefited from (a) the New Opportunities Fund, (b) the Community Fund and (c) other National Lottery funding sources in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each year since 1997; and how much each project received. [198688]

Estelle Morris: 162 projects have benefited from Lottery money in Newcastle-under-Lyme since 1997. I am arranging for a list giving their names and the value of each award received to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

This information is freely available from the Department's searchable Lottery award database at www.lottery.culture.gsi.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the merger of the Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund. [197858]

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund have undergone an administrative merger and are now operating as the Big Lottery Fund. We intend to bring forward legislation to establish one new body which will replace the two existing Funds and the Millennium Commission and have responsibility for distributing out half the money from good causes from the National Lottery. A public consultation is currently taking place which will be used to help determine the direction and future funding policy of the Big Lottery Fund.

Video Games

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has held with (a) manufacturers, (b) distributers and (c) retailers of violent video games about accessibility to such games by children. [197978]

Estelle Morris: DCMS officials have had discussions with ELSPA, the video games industry trade association, and with the Video Standards Council, about recent concerns relating to violent video games. I understand that both these bodies have expressed a willingness to consider what might be done to help ensure that the relevant provisions of the Video Recordings Act 1984 are complied with, thus restricting access to these games to people of the legally specified age.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals she has for restricting the availability to minors of video and computer games containing gross violence towards humans. [198423]

Estelle Morris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz) on 21 October, Official Report, columns 992–93W.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many successful
 
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prosecutions have been made since 1997 under the Video Recordings Act 1984 regarding video and computer games. [198422]

Estelle Morris: The number of successful prosecutions brought under the Video Records Act 1984 in 2002 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 139. However, it is not possible to identify separately those offences which relate to computer games.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to redefine the criteria for classification of violent video games. [198624]

Estelle Morris: Under the Video Recordings Act 1984, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the body designated to classify those video games that come within the scope of the Act, including those which depict, to any significant extent, acts of gross violence towards humans or animals. The BBFC has established guidelines, which it uses in carrying out its duty under the Act. These guidelines take into account the law and public opinion and are revised periodically to ensure that they continue to reflect public concerns. Games that are exempted from the Act are rated under the voluntary PEGI industry scheme. The Government have no plans to amend the Video Recording Act 1984.

DEFENCE

Combat Clothing

Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what company has won the contract to supply combat clothing. [195599]

Mr. Ingram: It is assumed that my hon. Friend is referring to Contract DC4BES/1002 for cut and sewn garments, which has been awarded to Cooneen Watts & Stone Ltd.

Mr. Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the company who won the contract to supply combat clothing is based. [195600]

Mr. Ingram: In view of his earlier Questions tabled on this day, it is assumed my hon. Friend is referring to Contract DC4BES/1002 for cut and sewn garments which has been awarded to Cooneen Watts & Stone Ltd., a United Kingdom company based in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) UK-based and (b) overseas companies his Department contract with for the production of (i) combat, (ii) operational and (iii) other clothing; how many it contracted with (A) five, (B) 10 and (c) 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement. [197663]

Mr. Ingram: Records are not maintained for contracts placed for clothing over the last 10 and 20 years. Combat and operational descriptions cover the same items and figures are provided as one category;
 
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footwear is separated, but could be added into "Other" category. The following table shows the available information held for the last five years:

	Number of clothing contractors	5 years
UK	Combat and Operational	109
	Otherl	199
	Footwear(16)	25
Overseas	Combat and Operational	9
	Other(17)	14
	Footwear	6

⁽¹⁵⁾ 26 of this total also supply combat and operational clothing.
⁽¹⁶⁾ 3 of this total also supply to combat and operational clothing
⁽¹⁷⁾ 4 of these contractors also supply to combat and operational clothing and 2 other types.

Defence Crisis Management Organisation

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the minutes of the meetings of the Defence Crisis Management Organisation. [198425]

Mr. Hoon: The Defence Crisis Management Organisation comprises elements of Ministry of Defence Central Staff, the Permanent Joint Headquarters, single-Service front-line commands and other relevant Departments. Where records of meetings are produced they fall under Exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members of the Defence Crisis Management Organisation are; and what positions they hold in the Organisation. [198426]

Mr. Hoon: The Defence Crisis Management Organisation comprises both civilian and military personnel and is made up of elements of Ministry of Defence Central Staff, the Permanent Joint Headquarters, single-Service front-line commands and other relevant Departments. It meets in a variety of configurations, and participation is not defined by positions held in the Organisation. We do not release names of officials under Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information (privacy of an individual).

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