---

31 Jan 2005 : Column 634W—continued

Digital Conversion

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the statement in the recent report by the Ofcom Consumer Panel that, though financial barriers to digital conversion exist, they are of secondary importance, represents Government policy. [211367]

Estelle Morris: The independent Ofcom Consumer Panel report published in November gave views on what help may be necessary to ensure the interests of the most vulnerable consumers are protected. We are considering the recommendations in the Panel's report and will be responding in due course.

European Audiovisual Observatory

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's policy towards European Community participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory; what activities the Observatory undertakes; and at what cost. [211362]

Mr. Caborn: The Department welcomes and supports European Community participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory. The aim of the Observatory is to improve the transfer, and promote transparency of information in the audiovisual industry in Europe. The Observatory analyses and distributes a wide range of statistics, as well as data on economic, legal and financial matters concerning the film, TV, DVD/video and new media industries in the organisation's member countries. The European Audiovisual Observatory Budget for 2005 totals EUR 2,311,000.

Football Stadiums

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will meet representatives of the Stand Up Sit Down campaign to discuss standing at football matches; and if she will make a statement. [210986]

Mr. Caborn: The Government have always made their position on standing at football matches very clear—specifically that the grounds of the clubs in the top two divisions of football should remain all-seated.

While the Department has no plans at present to meet representatives from the Stand Up Sit Down campaign, the Football Licensing Authority (FLA), our advisers on safety at football grounds, met them on 20 January 2005 to discuss their proposals.

Free Television Licences

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in Warrington, South are in receipt of free television licences. [211404]

 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 635W
 

Estelle Morris: TV Licensing, which administers 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 Warrington, South constituency in 2003–04 was 4,850, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.

Historic Sites (Babylon)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports the Government have received on damage done to historic sites in Babylon; and if she will make a statement. [210094]

Tessa Jowell: I have studied the report prepared by John Curtis of the British Museum on the damage caused to the site of Babylon. In addition to that report, my officials have kept closely in touch with Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on matters relating to the protection of Iraq's heritage.

I have also offered to help meet the cost of three interns coming to the UK from the Iraqi Ministry of Culture to learn the skills that will be necessary for the future management of the Babylon site and have confirmed this in my recent discussion with Mr. Muffeed Al Jazairi, the Iraqi Minister of Culture. The UK also remains committed to the terms of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1546, which stressed that all parties need to respect and protect Iraq's archaeological, historical, cultural and religious heritage.

Liquor Licensing

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the net costs to local authorities of administering liquor licensing under the Licensing Act 2003. [209889]

Mr. Caborn: Fee levels under the Licensing Act 2003 were announced on Friday 21 January. They will be set centrally at a level that we believe will allow the full recovery of the costs of administration, inspection and enforcement associated with the new system. Therefore, we anticipate that there will be no net costs for local authorities. However, we will monitor the situation and establish an independent review of the fees and costs once the new system is in operation.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) the alcohol industry regarding the proposed annual fees for liquor licensing. [209734]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 24 January 2005]: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, and I have met the Local Government Association, Association of London Government, Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services and individual local authorities
 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 636W
 
to discuss the fee levels to be made under the Licensing Act 2003. We have had no formal discussions with the alcohol industry about the fee levels. The proposed fees were subject to a public consultation between 4 November and 23 December 2004 to which we received 124 responses from industry and their representatives. These responses were fully considered before decisions on the fees were made. The fee levels were announced by the Secretary of State on 21 January and the relevant regulations were laid before Parliament on 20 January.

London Olympic Bid

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times since May 2003 (a) she and (b) Ministers from her Department have visited (i) Newham, (ii) Tower Hamlets, (iii)Hackney and (iv) Waltham Forest in connection with the 2012 Olympic bid. [210483]

Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have visited Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest on five separate occasions since May 2003 in relation to London's 2012 Olympic bid. The Department and London 2012 are in regular contact with the representatives of all London boroughs—in particular the Olympic boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Greenwich.

National Lottery

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines she gives to the National Lottery board about the criteria for making grants; and if she will make a statement. [211535]

Estelle Morris: Lottery distributors are, and are intended to be, independent of Government, but they are obliged to take account of policy and financial directions issued to them by the Secretary of State, when making funding decisions. These directions set out the framework for the wider aims of lottery funding. Copies of the policy directions have been deposited in the Library of the House.

Special Advisers

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 departmental special advisers travelled (a) domestically and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [202262]

Mr. Caborn: Between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, total domestic travel and subsistence claims by DCMS special advisers came to £1,156.93. No foreign travel was undertaken during this period. The number of occasions and places visited are not held in an accessible form. All travel by special advisers is
 
31 Jan 2005 : Column 637W
 
undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 her special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost. [207173]

Mr. Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 566.

---