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28 Nov 2005 : Column 87W—continued
Departmental Finance
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the real terms percentage increase in allocated resources for her Department (a) was for the period 1997–98 to 2004–05 and (b) is estimated to be between 2005–06 and 2007–08 (i) for each period and (ii) for each year. [31035]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) do not have comparable figures for 1997–98 and 1998–99. The real terms percentage increase year-on-year of allocated resources for the DCMS for 1999–2000 through to 2007–08 are as follows:
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 5.9 |
| 2000–01 | 0.9 |
| 2001–02 | 7.6 |
| 2002–03 | 14.9 |
| 2003–04 | 4.4 |
| 2004–05 | 3.2 |
| 2005–06 | 2.9 |
| 2006–07 | 1.9 |
| 2007–08 | 0.9 |
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For the six-year period 1999–2000 to 2004–05 the increase was 35.5 per cent. and within the period 2005–06 and 2007–08 the expected increase will be 2.9 per cent.
Departmental Staff
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department have been relocated into London and the South East in each of the last five years for which records are available. [31771]
Mr. Lammy: No staff from the Department have been relocated into London and the South East over the last 5 years.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to relocate staff in her Department and related agencies into London and the South East. [31772]
Mr. Lammy: There are no plans to relocate staff from the Department or the Royal Parks Agency into London and the South East.
Departmental Websites
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to ensure the Department's websites attain the W3C AAA standard of accessibility for people with visual and other disabilities; and if she will set a target date for this standard to be achieved by. [30963]
Mr. Lammy: My Officials are currently working to attain W3C AA standard for all its websites. The main website is being re-developed and we aim to achieve AAA compliance by 2007.
Digital Broadcasting
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent estimate is of the date by which households across Tamworth constituency will be able to receive digital terrestrial broadcasts. [32027]
James Purnell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has confirmed the regional timetable for digital switchover; it will take place between 2008 and 2012 by ITV region in the following order:
Digital Switchover will enable coverage for digital terrestrial television to reach the same level as that of the current analogue signals. It will take place in the Tamworth constituency (Central region) in 2011.
Engagements
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to visit Coventry in the next 12 months. [31427]
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Tessa Jowell: I have no plans to visit Coventry at present.
English Heritage
Robert Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the income was from all sources
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at the English Heritage properties at (a) Stonehenge, (b) Old Sarum and (c) Wardour Castle in each of the last five years. [31343]
Mr. Lammy: Earned income at these three sites is as follows:
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonehenge | 3,839,138 | 3,602,585 | 3,924,347 | 4,825,050 | 5,154,289 |
| Old Sarum Castle | 242,172 | 240,418 | 219,395 | 212,213 | 203,778 |
| Old Wardour Castle | 41,141 | 53,123 | 67,986 | 81,774 | 83,618 |
This includes income from admissions, retail, catering, corporate events and membership subscriptions (paid at the sites).
Government Art Collection
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2005, Official Report, column 1136W, on departmental spending, if her Department will publish the guidelines issued to the Government Art Collection relating to the purchase of art. [31353]
Mr. Lammy: The Government Art Collection (GAC) is part of DCMS; its acquisition policy is guided by the advisory committee on the GAC, which is a non-departmental public body. This meets three times a year, members being both independent and ex-officio, including three national collection directors.
The Department does not issue guidelines to the GAC relating to the purchase of works of art. There is a formal acquisitions policy approved by the advisory committee and the DCMS management board and I am arranging for copies of that document to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Licensing Applications
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance she has issued on the circumstances that would require a person holding a charity fundraising event in their (a) home and (b) garden to need to apply for a licence. [31242]
James Purnell: My Department has not issued any specific statutory guidance, however it has issued supplementary advice and guidance on its website in respect of garden fe(r)tes and this information can be found at:
The provisions of the Act mean that garden fe(r)tes, or functions or events of a similar nature, are exempt from the requirement for a licence when providing public entertainment provided they are not being promoted or held for purposes of private gain. However, if alcohol or late night refreshment is to be sold, a licence will be required for those activities. These events would generally require a temporary events notice.
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what review has been carried out of the effectiveness of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. [32288]
James Purnell: On 25 February 2004 the National Audit Office (NAO) published the findings of its value for money investigation of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The NAO found that
NESTA has established generally sound approaches to selecting which projects to support and to managing its portfolio of awards and two of its three funding programmes have done well to generate interest and applications."
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) whether she plans to change the emphasis placed on (a) science, (b) technology and (c) the arts by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts; [32289]
(2) whether she plans to amend the aims of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts; and if she will make a statement. [32290]
James Purnell: Pursuant to Section 17 (3) of the National Lottery Act 1998 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State can only make such amendments by order at the request of NESTA. To date, no such requests have been received.
NESTA's role will continue to be to support and promote talent, innovation and creativity in the fields of science, technology and the arts. NESTA has full autonomy to determine the emphasis in each area.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the return on investment generated by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts has been in each year since its inception. [32293]
James Purnell:
The return on NESTA's investments is listed as follows for both Fund A (NESTA's core endowment, invested on their behalf by the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt in accordance with NESTA's Financial Directions) and Fund B. (the Endowment's income, invested by NESTA), for each year for which audited figures are available.
28 Nov 2005 : Column 91W
| 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund A | 11,618 | 11,599 | 9,006 | 8,005 | 9,189 | 12,852 |
| Fund B | 161 | 591 | 656 | -3,089 | 2,658 | 2,191 |
| Bank interest | 20 | 23 | 49 | 47 | 70 | 90 |
| Total | 11,799 | 12,213 | 9,711 | 4,963 | 11,917 | 15,133 |
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