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6 Feb 2006 : Column 836W—continued
Unexploded Ordnance
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much unexploded ordnance discovered was (a) exploded and (b) defused in each of the last 20 years. [48243]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 2 February 2006]: This information is not held.
Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the use of Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles stationed with 4 Armoured Brigade after redeployment of that unit from Germany to Catterick in 2008–09. [47971]
Mr. Ingram: 4th Armoured Brigade becomes 4th Mechanised Brigade during 2006 and will redeploy to Catterick in 2008–09, retaining a single Warrior Battalion. As the hon. Member will be aware, a Mechanised Brigade contains one Armoured Infantry Battalion equipped with Warrior.
In preparation for its re-roling to a Mechanised Brigade, 4th Armoured Brigade has already re-roled its second Armoured Infantry Battalion. The surplus equipment from this re-role will be reinvested back into other elements of the Army to increase capability across the force structure.
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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Broadcast/Print Media Analysis
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the use of broadcast and print media analysis. [45996]
James Purnell: We are undertaking our first evaluation of the effectiveness of our media relations at present. It is a useful tool, which allows us to monitor how effectively we are communicating departmental policies with the objective of ensuring value for money.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned research into the presence and reporting in the (i) broadcast and (ii) print media of hon. Members other than Ministers of her Department since 5 May 2005. [46066]
James Purnell: The Department has not undertaken or commissioned any research of this nature.
Casinos
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authorities have indicated to the Casino Advisory Panel that they are interested in a (a) regional casino, (b) large casino, (c) small casino and (d) a combination of these types of casino. [47949]
Mr. Caborn: The Casino Advisory Panel wrote to all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales in November 2005, inviting them to give a provisional indication of their likely interest in securing the right to issue one of the 17 new casinos premises licences permitted by the Gambling Act 2005. The information requested is set out in the following table, and includes all responses received by the panel up to 11 January 2006.
Type of casino | Number of expressions of interest |
|---|---|
| Regional(14) | 46 |
| Large | 7 |
| Small | 8 |
| Mixture of large and small | 5 |
| One of the above (not specified) | 9 |
| Total | 75 |
(14) Where a local authority has not indicated clearly which type of casino it is interested in, or has indicated that it is interested in a mixture of casinos including a regional casino, the panel has included the authority in the regional casino premises licence total.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the local authorities which have informed the Casino Advisory Panel that they wish to be considered for a regional casino. [47951]
Mr. Caborn:
The following local authorities have expressed an interest in securing the right to issue the one regional casino premises permitted under the Gambling Act 2005: Birmingham; Blackpool; Brent; Canterbury; Cardiff; Chesterfield; Coventry; Glasgow; Great Yarmouth; Greenwich; Havering; Hull; Ipswich; Leeds; Luton;
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Maidstone; Manchester; Middlesbrough; Newcastle; Renfrewshire; Sheffield; Solihull; Southampton; Southend-on-Sea; Sunderland; Wakefield; West Dunbartonshire.
The following local authorities have either not indicated clearly which type of casino they are interested in, or have indicated that they are interested in a mixture of new casinos including a regional casino. For the purposes of its scoping exercise, the Casino Advisory Panel has included these authorities in the regional casino premises licence total: Bedford; Bolsover; Bury; Cannock Chase; Dumfries and Galloway; East Lindsey; Havant; Hertsmere; Leicester; Mansfield; North Lanarkshire; North Somerset; Restormel; Salford; Scarborough; Sevenoaks; South Lanarkshire; Stevenage; Tewkesbury.
Chamber Music
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants of public money have been made available to chamber music groups in each of the last three years; and how much was granted for the purpose of establishing (a) trios, (b) quartets and (c) quintets. [47734]
Mr. Lammy: Government funding for chamber music is primarily channelled through Arts Council England. Over the last three years, this funding has been in excess of £1.75 million per year and has supported the development, touring and promotion of chamber music throughout England. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this figure for trios, quartets and quintets.
Cultural Goods (Security)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will seek to legislate to guarantee the security of national cultural goods on loan from other countries; and if she will make a statement. [48920]
Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 February 2006, Official Report, column 543W.
Database Rights
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what progress has been made in the implementation of the European Court of Justice ruling on database rights in relation to horse racing; [48535]
(2) what assessment she has made of the likely effects on football of the European Court of Justice ruling on database rights. [48536]
Mr. Caborn: Following the EJC ruling on database rights the British Horseracing Board asked Lord Donoughue to report on alternative funding mechanisms for horseracing. Lord Donoughue reported in December 2005 and we are now consulting the industry on his findings.
The professional football leagues report that the ECJ ruling will cost them in excess of £6 million from lost income. The Government are working with the leagues to help them identify sources of replacement funding.
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Departmental Assets
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the items of departmental property worth over £100 that have been reported as (a) lost and (b) broken in the last 12 months. [47687]
Mr. Lammy: In the last 12 months the departmental property items reported lost or broken, valued at over £100 were:
Digital Television
Mr. McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Government have spent on promoting the take-up of digital television. [44047]
James Purnell [holding answer 20 January 2006]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have spent £170,000 in 2004–05 on the promotion of digital switchover. In 2005–06 the total budget will be £320,000.
Disabled Swimmers (London)
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what facilities are being developed to encourage disabled swimmers in London. [48503]
Mr. Caborn: British Swimming (ASA in England) is one of the leading national governing bodies in terms of inclusion and it is encouraging and supporting participation by disabled people at all levels of the sport. They have a disability section with dedicated staff.
ASA is working with pool operators to encourage more people with a disability to swim through the Everyday Swim campaign, funded by Sport England.
ASA is re-launching its Swim 21" club accreditation scheme in April 2006 with the aim of encouraging its mainstream and disability sections to work together for the benefit of all swimmers. They are also about to enter into a 'service level agreement' with the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) regarding the promotion and development of opportunities for disabled swimmers.
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the 50 metre public swimming pools within London which have facilities for the disabled. [48506]
Mr. Caborn: There are currently two 50 metre swimming pools in London, one at Crystal Palace and one in the London borough of Ealing. A further three 50 metre pools are proposed for London, including one in the London borough of Hillingdon and two at the new Aquatic Centre in Stratford.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) requires that all service providers must take reasonable measures to remove, alter or provide a reasonable means of avoiding physical barriers to accessing and using their premises. In August 2005 I wrote to all local
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authorities reminding them of their responsibilities under the DDA in the context of leisure and tourism facilities.
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