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Digital Broadcasting

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which constituencies in England are not able to receive digital reception. [216569]

Estelle Morris: The vast majority of households in England can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital TV services via either digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.

However at least a quarter of households cannot currently receive the digital terrestrial television (DTT) service; this figure cannot be increased before switchover. We do not have a breakdown of coverage by constituency but we are arranging for DTT coverage maps to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Freeview also provides a comprehensive postcode
 
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database (www.freeview.co.uk <http://www.freeview.co.uk>) that gives availability of digital terrestrial television throughout the UK.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the percentage of the population in the Bridgwater constituency which does not have access to digital television. [217399]

Estelle Morris: The vast majority of households in Bridgwater can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via digital satellite. However, according to Ofcom, digital terrestrial coverage in and around the Bridgwater area is patchy; this cannot be improved before switchover, due to topography and technical constraints on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmissions.

We do not have a breakdown of coverage by constituency but we are arranging for DTT coverage maps to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Freeview also provides a comprehensive postcode database (www.freeview.co.uk <http://www.freeview.co.uk>) that gives availability of digital terrestrial television throughout the UK.

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when digital reception will be available in (a) the constituency of Solihull and (b) postcode area B92; [216346]

(2) for what reasons digital reception is not available in Solihull. [216347]

Estelle Morris: The vast majority of households in Solihull can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via either digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable. However, according to Ofcom, digital terrestrial coverage in and around the Solihull area is patchy; this cannot be improved before switchover, due to the technical constraints on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmissions from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter.

No firm dates for Switchover have been set, but Ofcom have suggested an indicative date of 2010 for the Central ITV region.

The Government will confirm the timetable once all the remaining issues relating to digital switchover are resolved and we are satisfied that the interests of consumers, especially the most vulnerable, are well protected.

Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ensure that people in the constituency of Solihull will be able to receive analogue reception up to the point of their being able to benefit from digital reception. [216348]

Estelle Morris: This process will begin by switching off one analogue channel, which will immediately be made available on a digital multiplex, also carrying other digital services. Then at a later date the other analogue services will be switched off and immediately replaced by the remaining digital services.
 
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Film Industry

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support the Government are offering the UK film industry. [216963]

Estelle Morris: The Government are committed to creating a sustainable, stable and successful film industry. The UK Film Council, our strategic body for film, allocates Lottery money for film making, and works with Government support to promote the widest possible enjoyment and understanding of cinema throughout the UK. The Government itself continues to make available generous and appropriately-targeted tax relief for film makers, and is working to create the best possible framework for increased and improved co-productions between UK film makers and their counterparts abroad.

Gaelic Language

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's policy is on the use of the Gaelic language; and what plans her Department has to prepare and implement a Gaelic language scheme. [217092]

Mr. Caborn: DCMS does not have a Gaelic language scheme. However, our good practice policy is to ensure that Gaelic versions are available on request.

Licensing

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when licensing authorities were informed that Government-approved forms for the new licensing regulations were available; [216750]

(2) in what formats the new licensing forms were made available on the departmental website; and for what reasons the Word format was only available to those who had already bought the right to the US font style called Bliss; [216751]

(3) when the Department put the new licensing forms to comply with the new licensing regulations on the departmental website; [216752]

(4) whether the Bliss font style that was available in Word format for the new forms for licensing applications was made freely available on the departmental website; [216753]

(5) what the official start date was for the new licensing forms to be used. [216782]

Mr. Caborn: 7 February marked the start of the transition from the old licensing regimes to the arrangements under the 2003 Act. There was no requirement to apply on the first appointed day; applicants have six months to convert existing licences and until November to secure new licences before the new regime comes into force. New forms were placed on our website www.culture.gov.uk on 4 February at which point we also informed LACORS (Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services) so that they could inform local authorities. However, near final versions of the forms have been available for several weeks and applicants have been able to use these to plan their applications. Both versions of the application form were made available on our website as pdf files. They were
 
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not made available on our website in Microsoft Word format using the Bliss font, although we hope to be in a position to provide them in Word format using the Arial font soon.

Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public house licences were withdrawn in 2004 due to the sale of alcohol to (a) individuals below the minimum legal age and (b) inebriated individuals. [216608]

Mr. Caborn: We do not have information about the reasons for licence revocations and are therefore unable to provide the breakdown of figures in the categories that the hon. Gentleman has requested, but we can provide the overall figure for public house justices' on-licence revocations in the 12 months ending 30 June 2004.

The overall number of public house justices' on-licence revocations in England and Wales was 186 in 2004. These statistics are collected on a triennial basis and are for the year to 30 June.

DCMS deposited the source publication for these figures, Statistical Bulletin Liquor Licensing (England and Wales, July 2003-June 2004)", on 27 October 2004 in the House Libraries. This document is available on the DCMS website at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/research/statistics_outputs/liquor_licensing_statistics.htm.

National Lottery

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received proposing that lottery tickets should indicate that grants may be restricted to exclude applications from areas deemed to be affluent. [216038]

Estelle Morris: None. Lottery distributors do not exclude applications from geographic areas on the grounds of affluence. Lottery tickets do indicate that further information about the National Lottery is available at www.national-lottery.co.uk <http://www.national-lottery.co.uk> and this includes details of how to apply for a Lottery grant and the many awards which have been made since the Lottery was established in 1994. Lottery distributors, the Lottery operator and the National Lottery Promotions Unit are also working together to increase public awareness of Lottery funding.

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason lottery funding is denied to specific geographic areas in the UK on the grounds of perceived affluence. [216039]

Estelle Morris: Lottery funding is not denied to specific geographic areas in the UK on the grounds of perceived affluence. Policy directions issued to distributors by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport require them to take into account the need to ensure that all parts of England have access to lottery funding". There is extremely strong competition for lottery funding and some distributors' awards give priority to areas or people who are at risk of social exclusion.
 
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