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Diversity/Social Inclusion
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what targets her Department has set for public libraries to promote (a) diversity and (b) social inclusion. [66290]
Mr. Lammy:
There are no DCMS set targets for public libraries in these areas. However, by their very nature, public libraries are institutions that are safe,
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neutral and welcoming to all and most of the services they provide are free. Provisional DCMS adult participation data showed, for example, that adults from black and ethnic minority backgrounds had higher rates of attendance at public libraries than those from white ethnic backgrounds.
In addition, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), one of DCMS's sponsored bodies, is leading on work to develop impact measures to encourage improved provision to whole communities including, for example, those who rely on home library services. This is in addition to the MLA's advice to library staff on matters such as addressing access and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
East Midlands (Tourism Deficit)
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated regional tourism deficit was for the East Midlands area in (a) money and (b) numbers of visitors in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [67036]
James Purnell: The estimated expenditure and visits from inbound, outbound and domestic tourism in the East Midlands are shown in the following tables. Figures are provided for 2000 to 2004, the latest year for which data are available.
Source:
International Passenger Survey (East Midlands = Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire)
Source:
United Kingdom Tourism Survey (East Midlands = East Midlands Development Agency Area)
Source:
International Passenger Survey (East Midlands = Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire)
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Source:
United Kingdom Tourism Survey (East Midlands = East Midlands Development Agency Area)
These tables exclude expenditure and visits by domestic leisure day visitors as these figures are not available over the required time period. Please note the latter two tables refer to number of visits not visitors.
Sample sizes at regional levels will be small and so estimates will be subject to a high margin of error. Caution should therefore be exercised when interpreting the data.
United Kingdom Tourism Survey data for 2004 should be treated with particular caution owing to concerns about the methodology used to produce these figures. An extensive review of this survey has since taken place and a new methodology has been adopted.
Due to the level of non-response to the question of area of residence on the International Passenger Survey, figures for expenditure and visits by East Midlands residents abroad are likely to be slightly under-estimated.
Gambling
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Gambling Commission will take to ensure that the findings of the prevalence study are sufficiently robust to allow Parliament fully to consider the causes of problem gambling by gambling type. [66833]
Mr. Caborn: No gambling prevalence study, on its own, can identify the causes of problem gambling. However, a series of studies, carried out with regularity and consistency, such as those planned by the Gambling Commission, can provide data to assist in the identification of factors which are associated with an enhanced risk of problem gambling.
High Definition Television
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of new television sets being sold are estimated to be high definition ready. [65874]
James Purnell:
According to Ofcom, around 40 per cent. of 'high-end' TV sales (plasma, LCD, rear projection) are now estimated to be high definition ready. We do not have a figure for the percentage of total TV sales, but it would be lower.
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Licensing
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 in South East London; and if she will make a statement. [65679]
James Purnell: The Department has received a number of representations concerning the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 in South East London, Last year I received a representation about the Act from the hon. Member, enclosing correspondence from a constituent about carol singing under the Licensing Act 2003, to which I replied on 6 March 2006.
We are currently monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 nationally, but it is too early as yet to draw firm conclusions.
Ed Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether an assessment has been made of the impact of the change in licensing hours on the (a) Wakefield district and (b) Normanton constituency; and if she will make a statement. [66023]
James Purnell: The Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of the change in licensing hours on the Wakefield district or the Normanton constituency. We are currently monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 nationally, but it is too early as yet to draw firm conclusions.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the change in licensing hours in (a) Coventry South and (b) the West Midlands region as a whole. [66497]
James Purnell: The Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of the change in licensing hours in Coventry South and the West Midlands region. We are currently monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 nationally, but it is too early as yet to draw firm conclusions.
Millennium Projects
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the millennium projects with a capital cost in excess of £25 million; and what the (a) deficit and (b) surplus was of each project for each financial year since 2000. [64943]
Mr. Caborn: Millennium Commission funded projects with a total capital cost of over £25 million are set out in the table.
The Commission monitors projects to satisfy itself that capital assets funded by lottery grant remain in use, and requires projects to provide it with their annual reports and to notify it if they cease operating or become insolvent. To date, three projects out of 223 supported by the Commission have ceased to operate. However, information about the individual performance of each project is not held centrally.
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