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23 May 2006 : Column 1640W—continued
The Department has confirmed funding for both TASS and TASS 2012 Scholarships up to the end of the 2007-08 financial year. UK Sport has been allocated £3 million and £1 million per annum to TASS and TASS 2012 Scholarships respectively to cover the costs of sporting services provided to athletes. An additional 1 million per annum has been allocated to cover specific additional athlete support, such as
medical support, the TASS Hardship Fund, institutional staff training, educational review (2012 athletes), attendance at the World University Games, as well as the schemes administration costs.
National Governing Bodies of sport have been invited to put forward their athlete nominations for this academic year, 1 August to 31 July, for consideration by UK Sport and the TASS National Manager. Until this process is complete we are not in a position to confirm the funding allocation to each sport with regard to TASS and TASS 2012 Scholarships.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public funding has been made available to people with physical and learning difficulties to train and equip themselves for the Olympics in (a) 2012 and (b) 2008; and how many individuals have received such funding, broken down by sport. [72063]
Mr. Caborn: Athletes with a learning disability are currently ineligible under the International Paralympic Committee rules, from competing in the Paralympics and as a result UK Sport does not provide funding support to athletes with this disability.
UK Sport has allocated £19.1 million to assist athletes with a physical disability to train and compete at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The funding allocation to support disabled athletes beyond this period will be determined following a review of athlete performance at Beijing.
The number of athletes with a disability currently benefiting from the funding made available by UK Sport for the Beijing cycle is shown in the following table:
| Total | |
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the average funding allocated to (a) a person with a physical or learning disability and (b) a person with no disability in preparation for the Olympic Games in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2012. [72067]
Mr. Caborn: UK Sport supports our very best athletes indirectly through funding support to the national governing bodies of sport and directly
through Athlete Personal Awards (APA). The APAs are available to able bodied and disabled athletes, are paid directly to the athlete and are a contribution to their sporting and living costs.
The level of award is dependent upon whether the athlete qualifies for category A, B or C. funding. The category of award into which an athlete falls is based upon a number of criteria, including the most recent performance in major international competitions as well as their ability to deliver medal success at a future Olympics /Paralympics. The level of APA that an athlete is entitled to receive is the same, irrespective of whether they are a disabled or able-bodied athlete.
For both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the annual APAs are currently set at the following levels—"A" Category athletes £23,930, "B" Category athletes £17,948 and "C" Category athletes £11,965.
Millennium Stadium
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on crowd crushes due to the collapse of safety rails outside the Cardiff Millennium Stadium on 13 May 2006; and if she will make a statement. [71988]
Mr. Caborn: I have received no representations about crowd crushes outside the Millennium Stadium on 13 May 2006. However, my officials have been informed by the Football Licensing authority that the incident which took place before kick-off was not caused by the failure of safety railings. Rather, the cause, as recorded in the formal report by the FLA officer in attendance, was the attempt by a large number of fans to rush the turnstiles at gate 2, as a result of which, three spectators are reported to have required treatment for injuries.
The local authority will review the matter at the next safety advisory group to ensure that this will be figured into future arrangements for events at the stadium.
Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers in her Department have stayed overnight in (i) five star, (ii) four star and (iii) three star hotels in each of the last three years. [69121]
Mr. Lammy: An analysis by type of expenditure on travel and subsistence including hotel star rating is not recorded on the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In general, choice of hotels is influenced by cost rather than star rating.
Problem Gamblers (Tamworth)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 9 May 2006, Official Report, column 183W, to the hon.
Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins), on problem gamblers (Tamworth), whether this figure is intended as the baseline figure against which the impact of problem gambling will be assessed. [71696]
Mr. Caborn: I can confirm that the figure of 0.06 per cent. will be used as the baseline figure against which the impact of problem gambling will be assessed.
Royal Parks
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Royal Parks Agency concerning the provision of motor cycle parking spaces within the Royal Parks; and if she will make a statement. [72655]
Mr. Lammy: DCMS has had no discussions with The Royal Parks Agency about the provision of motorcycle parking spaces within the Royal Parks. Motorcycles are already able to park wherever there is visitor parking provision in the Royal Parks. And in those parks which operate a pay and display system motorcycles are exempt from the charges. There are no plans to increase overall parking provision in the Royal Parks.
Sports Funding
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been distributed to sport from the national lottery in each year since 1997; and through which bodies it has been distributed. [72051]
Mr. Caborn: To pay Lottery grants and meet administrative costs, the five sports lottery distributors have drawn down the following amounts in each financial year:
| Amount (£ million) | |
The five bodies are Sport England, SportScotland, Sports Council for Wales, Sports Council for Northern Ireland and UK Sport.
Other lottery distributors have made grants that have directly or indirectly benefited sport, for example money to a village hall that has enabled people to play indoor football.
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Big Lottery Fund plans to give to sport in the period 2006 to 2009. [72816]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 22 May 2006]: The Big Lottery Fund is the operating name of the National Lottery Charities Board and the New Opportunities Fund, working jointly together.
The Big Lottery Fund has committed £19 million to the School Sports Co-ordinator programme in England over the period 2006 to 2009. A further £438 million will be spent on sport-related activities across the UK from the fund's legacy programmes over this period. In addition, the fund has said it is likely to provide funding to sport-related projects under a number of its new programmes.
Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding is available to (a) the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) and (b) TASS 2012 Scholarship in each year to 2012; and how much of that funding will be allocated to (i) summer Olympic sports, (ii) winter Olympic sports, (iii) non-Olympic sports, broken down by sport and (iv) paralympic sport. [72057]
Mr. Caborn [holding answer 18 May 2006]: The Department has confirmed funding for both TASS and TASS 2012 Scholarships up to the end of the 2007-08 financial year. Funding details beyond this period is therefore not available.
The annual allocation of funding up to the end of 2007-08 is £5 million, with £3 million and £1 million allocated to TASS and TASS 2012 Scholarships respectively to cover the costs of sporting services provided to athletes. The remaining funding will cover specific additional athlete support, such as medical support, the TASS Hardship Fund, institutional staff training, educational review (2012 athletes), attendance at the World University Games, as well as the schemes administration costs.
While the funding of TASS and TASS 2012 is based on a financial year, the athlete awards are made annually and run from 1 August to the 31 July. National Governing Bodies have been invited to put forward their athlete nominations for this year for consideration by UK Sport and the TASS National Manager. Until this process is complete we are not in a position to confirm the funding allocation across the sports requested.
Timber
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is her policy that only timber products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council will be used for the 2012 Olympics. [72427]
Mr. Caborn: The Government are committed to ensuring that we deliver not only the most successful Games, but also that they are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. Environmental principles have been taken into account from the very earliest stages, influencing every aspect of planning for the Games and their legacy. The Candidate File, which
set out the policy for the Olympic Games, states that the London Organising Committee's sustainability management system will ensure that environmental and sustainability criteria are taken into account in planning, tendering and procurement decisions, including support for independent certification of products, such as Forestry Stewardship Council timber.
Water Sports
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to promote water sports. [72597]
Mr. Caborn: We are committed to encouraging more people to participate in water sports.
Sport England has so far awarded £367 million of Lottery funding to 538 water sports projects around the country.
The National School Sport Strategy has enabled further financial support for water sports through its Club Links workstrand. This workstrand aims to strengthen links between schools and local sports clubs and by doing so increase the number of children who are members of accredited sports clubs. In 2006-07, funding has been awarded through Club Links as follows:
| £ | |
Funding has also been made available for water sports through the Step into Sport programme, which is part of the National School Sport Strategy. The programme provides a simple framework of opportunities at a local
level to enable young people to experience sports leadership and volunteering. In 2006-07, funding has been awarded to the following National Governing Bodies of sport through the Step into Sport programme:
| £ | |
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what publicly-funded resources are available for people with physical disabilities to train in water sports; and where these facilities are located. [72062]
Mr. Caborn: Sport England has awarded £367 million of lottery funding to 538 water sports projects around the country. Although it is not possible to assess which of these projects specifically target people with physical disabilities, any project receiving lottery funding would be expected to provide opportunities for all members of society, including disabled people.
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