| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
11 Jul 2005 : Column 636W—continued
National Lottery
16. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from charities in respect of the distribution of National Lottery grants. [10638]
Mr. Caborn: I receive representations from time to time about the distribution of Lottery grants, some of these are from charities. The National Lottery Bill will create a better framework for distributing Lottery money to charities and other voluntary and community organisations. My predecessor discussed this with representatives of the voluntary sector and I will be meeting them again soon to renew those discussions.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been provided from National Lottery funds to support the development of (a) netball, (b) tennis, (c) football, (d) rugby union, (e) rugby league, (f) cricket and (g) motor sport in England in each of the last five years. [9228]
Mr. Caborn: Lottery funding to support the development of sport in England is distributed primarily through Sport England. The Big Lottery Fund also administers lottery grants to individual sports through the Awards for All programmes. Details of this funding over the last five years can be found in the following table:
11 Jul 2005 : Column 637W
Further lottery grants from Sport England were made through World Class Funding and through Whole Sport Plans (2004–05):
And additionally, a large number of the multi-sport projects Sport England has funded have benefited these sports. Since 1 April 2000, Sport England has awarded £364,201,963 to multi-sport projects.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact on (a) public health, (b) education and (c) the environment of abolishing the Big Lottery Fund and instead equally dividing the National Lottery Good Causes' funds between charities, arts, heritage and sport from 2009; and if she will make a statement. [10192]
Mr. Caborn: The three new good cause areas of health, education and the environment were only created in 1998. They stand alongside, not in place of, the four other good causes. I have no intention of abolishing either them or the Big Lottery Fund, or of making an assessment of the opportunities which would be missed if we were to abolish them.
Licensing Act
17. Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made with the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. [10639]
James Purnell: As I announced to the House on June 8, the Licensing Act 2003 will be fully implemented on November 24. My Department has initiated an intensive and targeted publicity campaign, and is working closely with industry and local authority representatives to advise licensees of the need to convert their existing licences before the deadline of 6 August and the recent upturn in applications reflects the impact of this campaign.
19. Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of amateur sports clubs which might have to pay more to operate as licensed premises following the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. [10641]
James Purnell:
We do not have figures for the numbers of sports clubs in particular that hold full justices' on-licences or club registration certificates. However, at 30 June 2004 there were 19,913 registered clubs in England and Wales. This number also includes political, ex-services, working men's and other clubs as well as Miners' Welfare Institutes.
11 Jul 2005 : Column 638W
It should be noted that sports clubs do not just pay the fee of £16 now for a registration certificate allowing them to supply alcohol. Those that obtain permanent extensions for their bars must pay an additional £25 for their special hours certificate. To obtain such a certificate, the club must first obtain a certificate of suitability" from its local authority. This is essentially the same as a public entertainment licence and costs vary between local authority areas from £50 to £500 annually. Those clubs without permanent extensions of hours but which open their bars later for special occasions like Christmas and other holiday dances and functions, weddings, anniversaries or during periods like World Cups abroad, must pay for each permission to extend their hours. These are occasional permissions" and special orders of exemption". Each costs the club £10 and many clubs will have as many as 12 per year. All of this and the bureaucracy involved is swept away by the 2003 Act. Under the new licensing regime, the fee of between £100-£635 will cover all the activities and hours involved, and the majority of sports clubs will pay no more than £100, and £70 annually thereafter.
The new fees are intended to do no more than recover the licensing authorities' (local authorities') costs of administration, inspection and enforcement.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of public houses which may lose their license as a result of failing to meet the (a) deadlines and (b) requirements of the Licensing Act 2003. [8789]
James Purnell: The information is as follows:
(a) No estimate has been made of the number of public houses which may lose their licenses as a result of failing to meet the deadlines set out in the legislation.
My Department estimates that (b) some 50 public houses and other licensed premises may lose their licenses under the new licensing regime, following possible objections from the police and others. The 2003 Act allows for such objections in the interests of giving local communities more say in licensing decisions. The estimate is low as the majority of public house licenses will have been reviewed relatively recently under the existing licensing regime.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from the Local Government Association on the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. [11050]
James Purnell: Ministers and officials have frequent contact with the Local Government Association about the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. The association is also a member of the high level group of senior representatives of key stakeholders which we established to monitor and evaluate implementation of the Act. Minutes of the group's meetings are available on my Department's website www.culture.gov.uk
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with trade associations representing companies involved in the retail of alcohol who are or will be affected by the new licensing regime. [9141]
11 Jul 2005 : Column 639W
James Purnell: I chair a high level group to ensure the smooth running of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003. This group contains representatives of trade associations as well as representatives of central Government, local government, and the police. The minutes of the meetings of this group are available on the DCMS website at http://www.culture.gov.uk/alcohol_and_entertainment/hlm_sogroup.htm.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from the (a) Local Government Authority and (b) individual licensing authorities about the timetable for licensing applications before (i) 6 August and (ii) the second appointed day in November. [9457]
James Purnell: The Local Government Association has made clear that they are not in favour of changing either the 6 August date for transitional applications, or the second appointed day of 24 November, when the Licensing Act 2003 comes into force. Some individual local authorities have sought that these dates be delayed. We do not intend to move either of these dates. A change to the 6 August deadline would require primary legislation, which is not feasible before that date. Any delay in implementing the Act would be counter-productive as it would also delay the important powers under the Act to deal with alcohol-fuelled violence and antisocial behaviour.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the number of applications for licences under the Licensing Act 2003 received by licensing authorities by 30 June; what percentage of the projected total those represent; whatproportion have applied for a variation; and what proportion have applied for an entertainments licence. [9553]
James Purnell: As at 30 June we estimate that approximately 47,500 applications for premises licences and club premises certificates under the Licensing Act 2003 have been made. This represents approximately 25 per cent. of existing licensed premises and registered clubs. We would expect 65 per cent. of these applications to involve variations. We have no estimate of the number of applications that will have included regulated entertainment as a licensable activity.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from Action with Communities in Rural England on the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on village halls and village social life. [9755]
James Purnell:
Representations from Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) have primarily concerned the complicated nature of some aspects of the new legislation, the role of designated premises supervisors and the limitations placed by the 2003 Act on the number of temporary event notices that may be given in respect of any individual premises in a calendar year. In response, my Department have continued to work closely and constructively with ACRE. The organisation recently commented publicly that DCMS have been very helpful in explaining the new processes and providing guidance and legal interpretation of the new legislation.
11 Jul 2005 : Column 640W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |