---

21 Mar 2005 : Column 551W—continued

Antarctic Huts

Mr. David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust regarding the future of the huts used by the British explorers Scott and Shackleton in Antarctica; and if she will make a statement. [222492]

Mr. Caborn: In September 2004, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Media and Heritage, met the High Commissioner of New Zealand and the UK Consultant to the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust to discuss proposals by the Trust to preserve the huts of the Antarctic explorers Scott and Shackleton. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also discussed the on-going preservation and conservation of these huts with the Prime Minister of New Zealand which has territorial responsibility for the Ross Dependency in Antarctica where the huts are located.
 
21 Mar 2005 : Column 552W
 

Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, visited Antarctica from 25 January to 1 February 2005 as part of a small group invited by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust. The purpose of his visit was to ascertain what advice and expertise English Heritage could offer to the New Zealand Government and the Trust on the conservation of the Scott and Shackleton huts located in the Ross Sea Region of the continent.

The British Government are keen to support New Zealand's efforts to preserve these historic huts. In 2002, the Government, through the Government of the British Antarctic Territory, donated £70,000 to support the proposed Ross Sea heritage restoration project developed by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust. Officials in my Department have also been exploring funding options to assist with this but no suitable sources of funding within the UK heritage sector have been found. However, the Government will continue to support fund raising efforts for the preservation of these unique huts.

Arts (Public Spending)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on public spending on the arts in 2004–05. [222748]

Estelle Morris: A total of £507.5 million of public money has been allocated to Arts Council England for spending on the arts to date in 2004–05. This consists of £367 million of Grant in Aid and £140.5 million from the National Lottery Distribution Fund.

In addition, local authorities up and down the country are spending significant sums of money on the arts. While we have no current figures for this, a survey in 2002–03 suggested that this was then at least £261 million.

Cairngorms

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the possibility of the Cairngorms being designated a world heritage site; what the process for that would be; and if she will make a statement. [222653]

Mr. Caborn [holding answer 17 March 2005]: The Government has recognised the potential for the Cairngorms being designated as a World Heritage Site by its inclusion on the Tentative List of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which was published in 1999. The Tentative List is an inventory of properties in a territory which the State Party considers suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List and inclusion on the Tentative List is necessary before a property can be nominated for consideration by the World Heritage Committee.

EU Sport Provisions

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement on the provisions of (a) existing EU treaties and (b) the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, relating to sport; [222311]
 
21 Mar 2005 : Column 553W
 

(2) if she will make a statement on the areas in which the institutions of the European Union regulate UK sport; and whether these regulations could be widened under the provisions of Article III-282 of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. [222312]

Mr. Caborn: The existing European Union treaties contain no provisions that relate directly to sport, but EU law has implications for the conduct of some sporting activities (for example because of the rules on competition and free movement of workers).

Articles 1–17 and III-282 of the Constitutional Treaty provide for a limited competence in relation to sport under which the Union may only act to support, co-ordinate or complement member states' action. But the Constitutional Treaty expressly precludes any harmonisation of member states' laws and regulations in the area of sport.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the reasons underlying the inclusion of sporting issues in the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe. [222313]

Mr. Caborn: The proposal to create a specific EU competence for sport was first introduced in the draft treaty establishing a constitution for Europe proposed by the convention on the future of Europe. Articles I-17 and III-282 of the constitutional treaty set out what was eventually agreed.

The Government are content with these provisions because it is clear that the Union may only act to support, co-ordinate or complement member states' action. The treaty also expressly precludes any harmonisation of member states' laws in the area of sport. The constitutional treaty is therefore fully consistent with the Government's view that sport is primarily a matter for the member states.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projects and organisations received funding from the European Union during the last financial year under EC budget lines (a) 15 04 02 01 (framework programme in support of culture), (b) 15 04 02 03 (preparatory actions for co-operations on cultural matters) and (c) 15 05 04 (European year of
 
21 Mar 2005 : Column 554W
 
education through sport); how much was spent in total; and what funding is available during the next financial year. [222314]

Mr. Caborn: The information requested is as follows:

(a) Framework Programme in Support of Culture (Culture 2000)—EC Budget line 15 04 02 01.

233 European cultural projects have been offered grants in 2004 under the Culture 2000 programme. They will share approximately £22 million in funding. A list with descriptions of the funded projects is available at the following website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/cac/index_en.htmi.

The total available under this programme in 2005 will be approximately £14 million.

(b) Preparatory Actions for Co-operation on Cultural Matters—EC Budget line 15 04 02 03

From 2002 to 2004, the EC budget included funds for preparatory actions for co-operation on cultural matters. This appropriation had a limited budget (£1.5 million in 2004) and was intended to finance measures aimed at developing cultural co-operation. The table provides details of the six projects selected in 2004.

Project title	Objective	EU funding (£)
Generation Europe	Social inclusion	204,682
Wonderland-architectural network	Encourage partnerships	92,873
Foreign editions	Translating literature	238,929
Promoting European live music	Promoting young musicians and facilitating exchanges	640,504
Gateway to cultural co- operation	Information for cultural practitioners	208,720
Les Metropoles de I'Europe	Compare data on artistic practice	58,157
Total		1,443,865

(c) European Year of Education Through Sport—EC Budget line 15 05 04

The following table provides details of the projects and organisations that received funding under the auspices of the European year of education through sport (EYES) 2004, totalling approximately £364,112. EYES 2004 has now ended, and the EU has not committed any further funds for projects in the year 2005.

Project applicant	Project focus	EU funding (£)
City of Hull Education Department	To develop a series of study activities for young people in the Kingston Stadium who were disaffected with their mainstream studies	38,987
UK Sport	'Clean Start' production of resources to be used in educational contexts to inform young people of the issues and dangers of drug misuse in sport	26,456
The Football Association of England	'Learning through football' used Euro 2004 as catalyst for a teaching resource and the organisation of mini soccer tournaments across the country.	39,683
Leeds City Council Education Department	'LEAP' organised a sports camp for young people, at risk of social exclusion, from across Europe.	34,114
Loughborough University	Researched the impact sport can have in supporting asylum seekers in their attempts to integrate into a new community	38,987
Easington School Sport Partnership	The organisation of a 'health, fitness and activity camp' for several hundred young people form twinned areas across Europe	31,329
Essex County Council Sport Development Unit	Implementing a strategy to encourage young people in schools to link to the local sports clubs in rural Essex	8,354
Renfrewshire Council	The development of a group of young sports leaders who would eventually work in sports clubs in schools and local clubs	17,405
Ross County Football Club	A 'Health and nutrition roadshow' to visit local schools to help young people and their families develop	14,620
Ipswich Rugby Union Club	Linking school/communities of Ipswich and Arras in France through the medium of rugby	14,620
Belfast City Council	The staging of a conference to assist in the development of a national approach to physical education and sport in all schools	33,418
Glasgow City Council	The organisation of an international conference sharing good practice on the use of sport development to support young people in their communities	19,494
Gateshead Borough Council	A conference linked to the staging of the European junior clubs athletics championships. The conference examined the issues and approaches and young people in sport that are experienced around the United Kingdom and Europe	16,709
Buckinghamshire Disability Sport Partnership	A two day seminar to look at the development of a strategy to improve the integration of young disabled people into sporting activities	11,139
Atlantic Challenge (funding subsequently withdrawn by EU but event still held under EYES objectives and supported by UK)	The organisation of an international rowing and sailing event for young people from 17 nations. The activities also include educational and vocational development activities.	8,354
British Universities Sports Association	An international conference specifically focused on how to improve the transition of young sports people from school sport to sport in higher education	10,443
Total		364,112

 
21 Mar 2005 : Column 555W
 

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the projects relating to sport that her Department has funded in partnership with institutions of the European Union during the past 12 months; and what further projects are planned. [222315]

Mr. Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not directly funded any projects relating to sport in partnership with EU institutions in the past 12months. However, one of the Department's non-departmental public bodies, UK Sport, did partly fund the Clean Start" project, which was 50 per cent. funded by the European Commission, under the auspices of the European Year of Education through Sport 2004. This project produced educational resources to inform young people of the issues and dangers of drug misuse in sport. There are no plans to fund further projects in partnership with European institutions at present.

---