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27 Feb 2006 : Column 219W—continued
Online Gambling
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many online gambling companies have registered with (a) her Department and (b) the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005. [53895]
Mr. Caborn: There is no provision for online gambling companies to register with this Department under the Gambling Act 2005.
From September 2007, when the Act is fully implemented, any remote gambling company wishing to operate from Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission. Under current proposals the Commission will begin taking advance licence applications from January 2007.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what additional regulations she intends to bring forward concerning internet gambling companies advertising in the UK. [53896]
Mr. Caborn:
It is the intention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State that the regulation of gambling advertising should fall to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), based on codes drawn up in consultation with the Gambling Commission.
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Under section 328 of the Gambling Act 2005 the Secretary of State has the reserve power to make regulation controlling gambling advertising, should it become apparent that the ASA was not able to do so.
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many internet gambling companies have been prosecuted for violating the Gaming Act 1968 after advertising gambling services in the UK. [53897]
Mr. Caborn: To date no internet gambling companies have been prosecuted for violating the Gaming Act 1968 after advertising gambling services in the UK.
Pension Liabilities
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the net present value of accrued pension liabilities in respect of (a) present and (b) former employees of her Department and its predecessors. [52117]
Mr. Caborn: The Principal Civil Service Pension scheme is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefit scheme and individual departments' pension liabilities are not available. The Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts for 2004–05 showed that the total pension liability at 31 March 2005 was £84.1 billion. The value of pension liabilities was assessed as follows:
Deferred pensions and contingent pensions for dependants in respect of members no longer contributing-£12.7 billion
As a result of a change in the discount rate used for calculating pension liabilities with effect from 1 April 2005, the total pension liability at 1 April 2005 increased by £10.6 billion to £94.7 billion.
Playing Fields
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures are in place to record the number and quality of playing fields in the UK. [54145]
Mr. Caborn: The Active Places database www.activeplaces.com run by Sport England is the method used to record the numbers of playing pitches. The national collection of this data is a complex process and Sport England's work on this continues. Some 50,000 grass pitches are currently listed on the database, with further analysis ongoing. The proposed inclusion of sport as part of a cultural block within the Comprehensive Performance Assessment will be used to measure quality and include the use of benchmarks.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have for the creation of new playing fields. [54146]
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Mr. Caborn: The development of new playing fields is a matter for local authorities who are best placed to decide on local needs. Sport England is working with a range of local partners to determine the priorities for increasing participation in sport, including supporting the development of local authority facilities strategies. Sport England is also developing a national facilities strategy, in partnership with local authorities, and will continue to invest in indoor and outdoor sports facilities (including playing fields). The creation of new playing fields will be recorded on Sport England's Active Places database www.activeplaces.com.
Television Licences
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public consultation will be undertaken on the future level of television licence fee funding; and if she will make a statement. [47780]
Tessa Jowell: As part of this BBC Charter review, we have conducted extensive public consultation and research on attitudes to the BBC, including funding. In line with our commitment in the Green Paper we will take account of the public's views via tailored survey research. We also intend to hold a seminar as part of the evidence gathering process offering an opportunity for key interested parties to express their views.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Government plan to publish an initial response to the proposals put forward by the BBC to set the future level of the licence fee at retail price index plus 2.3 per cent.; and what measures her Department will be taking to ensure that the process for setting the future level of the licence fee (a) is transparent and (b) includes public consultation before a decision is taken. [47783]
Tessa Jowell: The Government are currently conducting a funding review to determine the level of the television licence fee to apply from April 2007. Throughout the process of this Charter Review we have conducted extensive public consultation and research on attitudes to the BBC, including funding. We have also commissioned external expert analysis from PKF. Subject to proper consideration of confidentiality, we intend to make PKF's findings public in due course. In line with our commitment in the Green Paper we will take account of the public's views via tailored survey research. We also intend to hold a seminar as part of the evidence gathering process offering an opportunity for key interested parties to express their views.
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in (a) Uxbridge constituency and (b) the London borough of Hillingdon are in receipt of the free television licence for over-75-year-olds. [53642]
James Purnell:
TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in 2004–05 in the Uxbridge constituency was 4,130 and 12,860 in the London borough of Hillingdon, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.
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Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people over 75 years in West Lancashire are in receipt of free television licences; and what percentage of viewing households this figure represents. [52778]
James Purnell: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the West Lancashire constituency in 2004–05 was 4,975, according to Department for Work and Pensions records. This represents 13.2 per cent. of the total number of households in West Lancashire according to the 2001 Census statistics.
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to ensure that senior citizens over the age of 75 years are taking advantage of their right to avail themselves of a free television licence. [53076]
James Purnell: The BBC, as television licensing authority has responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and therefore also for promoting awareness of the licensing requirements and the concessionary arrangements. I have asked the BBC's Head of Revenue Management to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Northern Ireland received free television licences in 2005. [53240]
James Purnell: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the estimated number of benefit units claiming the retirement pension in Northern Ireland, where at least one person is aged 75 years or over, is 81, 325 according to the Department for Social Development figures.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to make free TV licences available to people aged 65 and over; and what assessment she has made of the cost of doing so. [52601]
James Purnell: In the BBC Charter Review Green Paper published in March 2005, the Government indicated that it believed the current scope of television licence fee concessions was about right but undertook to re-examine any anomalies in the existing concessions policy. Our conclusions, which will take into account the responses to the Green Paper consultation, will be set out in the White Paper which we intend to publish shortly. However, the estimated additional cost of extending free television licences to all households with a person aged 65 or over would be over £425 million a year, based on the current licence fee level.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the BBC on alternatives to the licence fee. [52736]
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James Purnell: In the context of Charter Review, there has been a wide range of discussions with interested parties, including the BBC, to discuss alternatives to the licence fee. We confirmed that the BBC would continue to be funded by the licence fee for the duration of the next Charter period in the Green Paper, A strong BBC, independent of government", published in March 2004.
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