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1 Dec 2004 : Column 168W—continued
Digital Television
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has held with (a) the European Commission and (b) other European Union member states regarding the parameters permitted by European state aid laws for the funding arrangements of the Government's intended switch to digital television transmission; and if she will make a statement. [200567]
Estelle Morris:
We have had no formal discussions with the Commission to date regarding the state aid rules in connection with the switch to digital television transmission but we have made them and the other member states aware of our plans for switchover on various occasions, including in response to the eEurope 2005 Action Plan.
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Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice she has sought regarding the parameters permitted by European state aid laws for the funding arrangements of plans to switch to digital television transmission. [200568]
Estelle Morris: In considering the plans to switch to digital television transmission, we have taken advice on state aids from experts within Government and from Ofcom.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice SwitchCo has sought regarding the parameters permitted by European State Aid laws for (a) its structure, (b) its funding and (c) the funding arrangements for the switch to digital television transmission. [200569]
Estelle Morris: There is no legal entity called "SwitchCo" currently in existence. However, broadcasters are working closely with the supply chain to create an organisation to co-ordinate the implementation of the switch to digital television and I expect them to take full account of national and European legislation.
Free TV Licences
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Pendle receive the free television licence for the over 75s. [199931]
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, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Pendle constituency in 2003–04 was 5,170, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect the implementation of the EU Directive on Age Discrimination will have on the free TV licence for those aged over 75 years. [200187]
Estelle Morris: The provision of free television licences for the over-75s does not fall within the scope of the European Employment Directive (2000/78/EC), the age provisions of which extend only to the areas of employment and vocational training.
Horseracing
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the British Horseracing Board to complete its assessment of the impact of the European Court of Justice's recent ruling. [200663]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 30 November 2004]: I expect that the Board will wish to complete this assessment with some urgency
Olympic Games
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the benefits to Northern Ireland of the Olympic Games being held in London in 2012. [199638]
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Tessa Jowell: We are assessing the impact of staging the Games on the whole of the UK. We and London 2012 are working with all the regional development agencies and devolved administrations to ensure the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland, can benefit.
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether football matches are planned to take place in Northern Ireland as part of the bid for a London Olympics in 2012. [199639]
Tessa Jowell: London 2012 have no current plans to hold Olympic football competition matches in Northern Ireland. This is because at present there is no stadium which meets FIFA accredited standards. If Northern Ireland builds its planned national stadium, London 2012 will consider incorporating this venue within the competition—thereby ensuring that it includes cities across the UK.
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much she estimates has been spent in promoting the 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement. [199669]
Tessa Jowell: London 2012, the company established to develop, market and promote London's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, has so far spent £15.1 million in undertaking its activities.
School Sport
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether (1) she expects the Public Service Agreement (PSA) to increase the percentage of school children in England who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality physical education and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006 to be met; what percentage has been reached to date; and what travel provisions have been made in connection with the PSA; [200358]
(2) if she will make a statement on the Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links initiative. [200365]
Mr. Caborn: The Government are investing over £1 billion in England to transform school sport. The PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy is delivering an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with the Department for Education and Skills, to increase the percentage of 5 to 16-year-olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport to 75 per cent. by 2006; and to 85 per cent. by 2008.
We expect the targets to be met. Evidence from the 2003–04 survey of School Sport Partnerships showed that an average of 62 per cent. of pupils in Partnerships are spending a minimum of two hours in a typical week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum. However, this figure rises to 68 per cent. in schools that have been in Partnerships the longest, while schools new to Partnerships average 52 per cent. This shows that School Sport Partnerships are making a difference.
School Sport partnerships now cover over half of schools (54 per cent.), benefiting over 3.5 million pupils. 75 per cent. of schools will be in a partnership from September 2005 and 100 per cent. from September 2006.
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No special travel provisions have been made in connection with the PSA target. Time spent changing and travelling will normally fall outside the two hours.
Tourism
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to assist small tourism enterprises in the use of information technology. [199700]
Mr. Caborn: DCMS seeks to use information technology as a means of increasing productivity across the small tourism business sector. We are presently contributing to the Small Business Service-led review to identify how a more coherent and customer-focused offer of public sector support can be made to small businesses, and the use of information technology and e-commerce are an important element of that review. My Department is also supporting the development of the EnglandNet project, which is being developed by VisitBritain and its regional partners. When complete, EnglandNet will offer tourism enterprises access to the 11 million potential customers who visit the VisitBritain website each year. Small tourism businesses will have access to EnglandNet through regional and sub-regional destination management systems, with the option of online booking facilities.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to VisitBritain for e-tourism; and if she will make a statement. [199701]
Mr. Caborn: The Department is supporting the EnglandNet project, which is presently being developed by VisitBritain and its regional partners. When complete, EnglandNet will offer tourism enterprises access to the 11 million potential customers who visit the VisitBritain website each year. Individual tourism businesses will have access to EnglandNet through regional and sub-regional destination management systems, with the option of online booking facilities.
Funding from my Department for EnglandNet over 2001–02 to 2004–05 totals £6,891 million, as follows:
As part of the EnglandNet project, an additional £300,000 has been made available from the Capital Modernisation Fund to enable Tourist Information Centres to access the extranet services to be provided by EnglandNet. A further £150,000 has also come from the Invest to Save Fund to support more general work on e-business awareness and training for tourism businesses in rural areas of England.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to increase expenditure on the tourism sector outside London. [199702]
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Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently considering tourism expenditure plans for 2005–08, including allocations to VisitBritain. Her decision will be announced in the near future.
With respect to regional development agencies, who have strategic responsibility for tourism in the regions, the spending review provided for a DCMS contribution of £3.6 million per annum to the RDAs' "Single Pot" funding.
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