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Licensing Act

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the Licensing Act on performances in schools and hospitals; and if she will make a statement. [25969]

James Purnell: The Government believe that the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on schools, hospitals, and similar venues will be positive. The organisers of private performances at such venues do not require licences under the present licensing framework, and will not do so under the new regime introduced by the 2003 Act. Public entertainment licences are required in respect of performances for which the general public may buy tickets, under both the old and new regimes. The new regime introduces much greater flexibility and accountability in the application processes for public entertainment and other forms of licence.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance the Government have provided on licensing appeals to magistrates courts under the Licensing Act 2003. [25974]

James Purnell: It would not be appropriate for the Government to issue guidance to the Courts on dealing with appeals. The Government have, however, discussed this matter with the Magistrates Association and the Justices Clerks Society through the Department for Constitutional Affairs, and has offered whatever support has been sought to assist the courts in establishing their arrangements for dealing with appeals.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate the Government have made of the number of licensing applications made under the Licensing Act 2003 that have been considered by (a) magistrates courts, (b) Crown courts, (c) the High Court and (d) the Court of Appeal; and what assessment she has made of the impact of the number of appeals on the court system. [25975]

James Purnell: Appeals against licensing authorities' decisions are made to magistrates courts. There is no appeal to the Crown court, the High Court and the Court of Appeal would consider only requests for Judicial Review.

My Department estimates that there may be up to 1350 appeals to magistrates' courts during the transitional period; 540 in the year following the introduction of the new licensing regime, and up to 360 a year thereafter.
 
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These estimates were included in the public consultation document concerning fee regulations to be made under the Licensing Act 2003.

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance the Department has issued on the grounds for appealing a Licensing Act 2003 licensing appeal decision of the magistrates court to the Crown court. [24968]

James Purnell: My Department has not issued guidance on this issue. The Licensing Act 2003 places no limitations on the grounds for appeal, so long as appeals are made within the time limits specified. It is for the courts to decide on the legitimacy or otherwise of the grounds for appeals, in the light of general case and common law.

Olympic Games

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had with the London Development Authority regarding businesses in the Marshgate Lane area being relocated to make way for Olympic development; how many of these businesses have reached agreement over relocation; how many have appointed advisers regarding relocation negotiations; what the situation of the remaining businesses is; and when she expects all agreements to be completed. [25708]

Tessa Jowell: There are 274 businesses in the Olympic Park area that need to relocate (96 of these are in or adjacent to Marshgate Lane).

The London Development Agency (LDA) is engaging with each business to understand their relocation requirements and to discuss with them the LDA's offer to acquire their premises by agreement. This is the LDA's preferred approach to land acquisition.

More than 150 businesses have appointed advisers and the LDA is actively encouraging businesses who have not yet done so to appoint advisors as soon as possible. The LDA has reached in-principle agreements with around 30 firms.

The aim is to complete the final agreements with businesses by the end of 2006 to allow sufficient time for relocation. The LDA has compulsory purchase powers in cases where individual agreements are not reached.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the proposed Olympic Park site is (a) greenfield and (b) brownfield land; and how much is planned to be (a) greenfield and (b) brownfield land after the games are completed. [28738]

Mr. Caborn: The Olympic Park site as defined in the Olympic and Legacy planning permissions for the construction, operation and legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games comprises 273 hectares.

Of this, 100 hectares are currently open space, comprising green space and landscaped land. This land will be augmented to provide 127 hectares of open space after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Of the existing 100 hectares of open space, currently only 76 hectares are fully accessible. After the games, all 127 hectares of open space will be accessible.
 
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173 hectares within the Olympic Park site are currently developed space (either brownfield or occupied). There will be no brownfield sites in the Olympic Park after 2012 as they will all have been landscaped into new open space or developed.

The following table summarises the existing and proposed land use for the Olympic Park:

	Built (hectares)		Open space (hectares)
	Area	Percentage	Area	Percentage
Existing	173	63	100	37
Proposed (post games legacy)	146	53	127	47

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the composition of the Olympic Delivery Authority Board will be; and what criteria will be used when selecting members. [22611]

Tessa Jowell [holding answer 28 October 2005]: Our expectation is that the Board of the Olympic Delivery Authority will comprise a Chair and between seven and 11 members whose expertise will be relevant to the nature of the authority's functions and to the places in which it exercises them. The selection criteria will encompass the normal skills required of the members of the Boards of non-departmental public bodies plus the specific skills that the role specifications for each position on the Board will require. The composition of the Board and the role specifications will be determined following consultation with the Chair when he/she is appointed but we expect that the Board will include among its members experts in the management and procurement of large construction projects.

Television Licences

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the annual average number of people given prison sentences for not paying their television licence was over the last five years; and what the average annual cost of that process was in each year. [25907]

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.

The information on the annual number of people given prison sentences for not paying their television licence over the last five years is in the following table, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system. The Prison Service does not collect data relating to the costs of keeping prisoners in custody by offence type.
Receptions into prison of people given prison sentences for using a TV without a licence by year—England and Wales

	Number
2000	36
2001	30
2002	14
2003	20
2004	28

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Leeds, North-West have been prosecuted for not having a television licence in each of the last five years. [25768]

 
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Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 3 November 2005]: I have been asked to reply.

The information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on the number of people proceeded against at magistrates courts in West Yorkshire police force area for offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts 1949 to 1969 (mainly television licence evasion), 1999–2003 is provided in the table.

It is not possible to identify those prosecutions in Leeds, North-West as the data are not collected at this level of detail. Court statistics for 2004 will be available in late November.
Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts 1949 to 1967⁽⁵⁾, West Yorkshire police force area, 1999 to 2003⁽⁶⁾

	Number
1999	6,025
2000	9,535
2001	5,975
2002	6,612
2003	5,822

⁽⁵⁾ Mainly television licence evasion.
⁽⁶⁾ These data are on the principal offence basis.

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