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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Amateur Sports Clubs
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in reviewing the licence fee costs for amateur sports clubs; and if she will make a statement. [1456]
Mr. Caborn:
The new fees under the Licensing Act 2003 were laid before this House on 20 January 2005, and came into effect on 7 February 2005. We have been
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mindful to create a fair and equitable licensing system which allows full cost recovery of the licensing authorities' administration, inspection and enforcement costs. We appreciate the important roles that amateur sports clubs play in local communities. As such, my Department held detailed discussions on fee levels with the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR), and other sports bodies, both during the passage of the Act, and thereafter. My Department has agreed to monitor the impact of the fees on all sectors including sports clubs. We intend working closely with CCPR to that end. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made a commitment to an independent review of fee levels and associated costs, within a reasonable period after the new framework is fully introduced. That review will be chaired by Sir Leslie Elton. The results of the review will inform any necessary adjustments to the levels of fees, including those payable by amateur sports clubs.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to engage community amateur sports clubs in helping schools meet the Government's target for the provision of sporting activity in schools. [1252]
Mr. Caborn: As part of the national strategy for Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is investing £9 million into increasing the percentage of 5 to 16-year-olds from School Sport Partnership schools who are members of, or participate in governing body or otherwise accredited sports clubs from 14 per cent. (2002) to 20 per cent. by 2006. This is being delivered through the national governing bodies of 22 sports. A further £9 million has been secured for the period 2006–08.
Consultants
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many consultants were employed by her Department in each of the last three years; and what their names were. [1335]
Mr. Caborn: The consultants employed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport during the last three years are as follows:
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Departmental Expenditure
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money her Department used to fund the celebration of the last (a) St. George's Day, (b) St. Patrick's Day and (c) European Day. [2186]
Mr. Lammy: No public money was spent by my Department on St. George's or St. Patrick's Day. For Europe Day (9 May), the flags of the European member states were flown on Parliament Square. The expected cost is £4,101.
Football Association Review
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department expects the Football Association's review of its structure and governance to be published; and if she will make a statement. [917]
Mr. Caborn: While all sports national governing bodies are independent from Government, the Government's aim is for them to be fit for purpose. The FA is no exception.
The FA's board and council are committed to the FA Structural Review headed by Lord Burns. Lord Burns is currently undertaking that review, and he has indicated that he will report to the board in July 2005.
Gambling Act
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to bring in secondary legislation specifying the dates for the implementation of the Gambling Act 2005; and if she will make a statement. [1323]
Mr. Caborn: A substantial number of statutory instruments will be needed to bring about the full implementation of the 2005 Act. We expect to lay an initial group before Parliament before the summer recess, which will include an order formally establishing the Gambling Commission in place of the Gaming Board from October. We are still considering, and will wish to consult interested parties, future dates for statutory instruments as part of the overall programme of work necessary to bring the Act fully into force, for which our current target is the third quarter of 2007.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Heritage Lottery Fund spent in 2004–05 on acquiring works of art and other artefacts for public museums; and what proportion of its expenditure the figure represents. [1208]
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Mr. Lammy: During the financial year 2004–05 the Heritage Lottery Fund gave grants totalling £1,602,700 for acquisitions for public museums. This represented 0.46 per cent. of HLF's expenditure for 2004–05.
Licensing Changes
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect on small bars within larger premises of the recent change to licensing fees; and if she will make a statement. [678]
James Purnell: The Licensing Act 2003 is not expected to fully come into effect until November 2005. The fee bands under the Licensing Act 2003 are set by reference to non-domestic rateable values. The Government believe that this is the fairest way of ensuring that larger premises pay more than smaller premises and of accounting for location. Rateable values are also reviewed every five years and subject to specific appeal mechanisms.
In some cases, a small bar in a larger premises will have its own rateable value and its licence fee will reflect this. In other cases, the non domestic rateable value will apply to all parts of the premises, including an area designated for a licensable activity. The new fee structure includes a multiplier, and a higher fee, for larger premises which are exclusively or primarily engaged in the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made a commitment to an independent review of fee levels and associated costs, within a reasonable period after the new framework is fully introduced. The results of that review will inform any necessary adjustments to the levels of fees introduced under the Act.
South Bank Centre
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has been informed that (a) the South Bank Centre's vice chairman is employed by solicitors Herbert Smith and (b) that solicitors Herbert Smith were employed by South Bank Centre in its lease negotiations with the London Eye; and what assessment she had made of whether a conflict of interest existed. [1228]
Tessa Jowell: My former right hon. Friend, Chris Smith, who was Secretary of State at the time was aware at the time of his appointment to the South Bank board in June 1999 that Edward Walker-Arnott was then Senior Partner of Herbert Smith, one of the law firms used by South Bank Centre (SBC). Herbert Smith have been retained by SBC since 1994. Edward Walker-Arnott has now retired from the partnership and is a part-time consultant.
I am confident that SBC and Mr. Walker-Arnott have been careful to avoid any conflict arising: in particular the decision as to which solicitors to retain on any particular matter is made by the executive team at the SBC and not by the board or any board member.
Kate Hoey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria her
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Department used to appoint Lord Hollick to be chairman of the South Bank Centre. [1231]
Tessa Jowell: The criteria used to appoint the Chair of the South Bank Board were that the successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:
strong leadership skills, the ability to broker compromises among parties with fairly entrenched views, and advocacy skills;
experience of leading a large organisation and first hand knowledge of the public and private sectors;
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