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10 Oct 2005 : Column 419W—continued
Reserve Art Collections
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether works of art in national museums and galleries not on display are covered by government indemnity in the event of loss or accident. [16577]
Mr. Lammy: A work of art which has been loaned to a national museum or gallery by a private individual or an institution not funded by the Exchequer will be covered by the government indemnity scheme whether it is on display or in storage, provided that a government indemnity has been issued in relation to it. However, government indemnities are not issued in respect of works of art which belong to the national museums and galleries. They bear their own risk.
School Sport
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many school children took part in some form of school sport in the last period for which figures are available; [15981]
(2) what proportion of school children spend at least two hours a week on high quality physical education and school sport. [15982]
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Mr. Lammy: The 2003–04 PE, School Sport and Club Links survey—the first, largest and most comprehensive survey of school sport in England—is the only source of robust data on national participation in school sport.
The survey found that overall, 62 per cent. of pupils in the 6,500 schools taking part spend at least two hours in a typical week on high quality PE and school sport. The results of the survey were published on 29 April 2004 and copies of the report (The Impact of School Sport Partnerships: The Results of the 2003–04 PE, School Sports and Club Links Survey") have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The results of the 2004–05 survey—in which over 11,000 schools took part—will be published in the autumn.
Physical education is a foundation subject within the National Curriculum. It is compulsory at all Key Stages for all pupils.
Television Licences
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much revenue the fines from unpaid television licences generated in 2004–05; and to which departments the revenue is allocated. [16110]
James Purnell: Information is available only for England, Scotland and Wales, and relates to all offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, most though not all of which involve television licence evasion. In 2003, the latest year for which information is available, fines totalling £9,181,186 were imposed for offences under these Acts. Information is not held centrally on the proportion of fines collected by type of offence. Revenue from fines is remitted to central funds.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many unpaid television licences there were in each year since 1997. [16111]
James Purnell: There are by definition no precise figures for television licence evasion. Evasion is estimated by comparing the estimated number of premises requiring a licence with the number of licences in force. The estimated number of evaders as at the end of March each year since 1997 was:
| Estimated number of evaders | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 2.4 |
| 1998 | 2.2 |
| 1999 | 2.0 |
| 2000 | 1.8 |
| 2001 | 1.7 |
| 2002 | 1.7 |
| 2003 | 1.5 |
| 2004 | 1.4 |
| 2005 | 1.3 |
The Valletta Convention
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to bring into force the operational guidelines of the European Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage 1992 (The Valletta Convention). [16347]
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Mr. Lammy: The Valetta Convention 1992, ratified by the UK Government in March 2001, lays out a legal and ethical framework in which all archaeology is to be carried out throughout Europe. It is for each Government to apply the Convention in ways that fit in with national practice and legislation and there are no prescriptive operational guidelines common to all countries.
Current measures in place in the UK already meet the Convention's requirements. These include legislation such as the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979; policy guidance e.g.Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: Archaeology and Planning (PPG16); and organisations such as English Heritage and other state-funded archaeological bodies, county and local authority archaeologists.
English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, DoE Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, together with the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers, the Council for British Archaeology and the Institute of Field Archaeologists have been working together on the development of a statement of archaeological principles, which archaeologists will be encouraged to sign up to.
Tourism
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to encourage and promote tourism in Bedfordshire. [16625]
James Purnell: Tourism in Bedfordshire has benefited from Government-funded marketing activity. In April 2003 my Department established VisitBritain with a new domestic marketing remit for England, and we gave strategic responsibility for tourism development to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). In respect of Bedfordshire, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) leads on tourism in partnership with the East of England Tourist Board (EETB). These changes, together with VisitBritain's successful marketing activities in promoting Britain abroad as an attractive tourist destination, benefit all parts of the country, including Bedfordshire.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effects on tourism in London of the bombings on 7 July 2005; and if she will make a statement. [15118]
James Purnell: The Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group is assessing the effects of the bombings on tourism in London and across the UK. The group was established after the foot and mouth outbreak to co-ordinate work in the public and private sectors following emergencies affecting the UK tourism industry. It includes senior representatives of the travel, hospitality and attractions sectors, as well as my Department, VisitBritain, Visit London, the London Development Agency, and the Tourism Alliance. It met on 8, 13, and 22 July.
At its first meeting, the group commissioned work on the economic effects of the bombings from Oxford Economic Forecasting. The initial results of that work suggested that spending by inbound tourists may fall by 2 per cent. for 2005 as a whole, compared to earlier
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forecasts for the year. Even so, visitor arrivals and spending were expected to rise by 7 per cent. compared to 2004.
These initial results took no account of the further events of 21 July, and the scope of the work commissioned from Oxford Economic Forecasting has been extended to include the events of 21 July. The initial results of this are expected to be made available to the group on 11 August.
This information is correct at 26 July 2005.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment has been made of the effect that the bomb attacks committed on 7 July have had on London's tourism industry; [16177]
(2) what representations her Department has received from the tourism industry regarding the impact of the 7 July bomb attacks on tourism; [16178]
(3) what steps she has taken to minimise the potential damage to the UK tourism industry of the 7 July bomb attacks. [16180]
James Purnell: I discussed the effects of the bomb attacks on the visitor economy with representatives of the tourism industry, VisitBritain, and Visit London, on 12 July. I have received further representations through the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group, which was established after the foot and mouth outbreak to co-ordinate work in the public and private sectors following emergencies affecting the UK tourism industry.
The group includes senior representatives of the travel, hospitality and attractions sectors, as well as my Department, VisitBritain, Visit London, the London Development Agency, and the Tourism Alliance. It met on 8, 13 and 22 July. At its first meeting, the group commissioned work on the economic effects of the bombings from Oxford Economic Forecasting. The initial results of that work suggested that spending by inbound tourists may fall by 2 per cent. for 2005 as a whole, compared to earlier forecasts for the year. Even so, visitor arrivals and spending were expected to rise by 7 per cent. compared to 2004.
These initial results took no account of the further events of 21 July, and the scope of the work commissioned from Oxford Economic Forecasting has been extended to include the events of 21 July. The initial results of this are expected to be made available to the group on 11 August.
This information is correct at 26 July 2005.
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