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Television Licences
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in (a) Houghton and Washington, East constituency and (b) Sunderland city council area have been in receipt of free television licences in each year since the introduction of free licences for people over 75 years. [87374]
Mr. Woodward: 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 Houghton and Washington, East constituency in 2004-05 was 4,490, according to Department for Work and Pensions records. Winter fuel payment figures for the Sunderland city council area are not available; however, the figure in 2004-05 for the unitary authority of Sunderland was 15,330.
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will introduce a scheme to exempt those staying in respite care from the need to purchase a television licence in addition to the one purchased for their home. [87418]
Mr. Woodward: Television licences for respite care arises principally in relation to the Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary scheme. As part of BBC Charter Review, the Government re-examined anomalies within the existing concessionary arrangements, with a special focus on the ARC scheme. In the March 2006 White Paper, the Government acknowledged the shortcomings of the scheme but noted that proposals for change focussed on individual anomalies rather than ways to improve the scheme as a whole. Previous changes to correct individual anomalies have done little to improve the scheme as a whole and have tended to create new problems. We therefore have no plans to amend the scheme, nor to introduce a separate concessionary scheme for respite care accommodation.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussion took place between her Department and the BBC about the decision not to renew the contract for renewal and purchase of television licences supplied at post offices. [87429]
Mr. Woodward: The award of the contract was a commercial decision for the BBC as television licensing authority. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not therefore have any discussions with the Corporation about the substance of the decision. However, DCMS officials were briefed by the BBC prior to the Corporation's announcement of the award of the contract on 31 March this year.
Ticket Touting
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions were agreed at the Ticket Tout summit on 17 July regarding the charging of administration fees in relation to tickets returned to the original sellers for re-sale at face value; and if she will make a statement. [87118]
Mr.
Woodward: At the summit on 17 July, the industry stated
their agreement to introduce a returns policy whereby fans can return
tickets to the original sellers at face value. There were no specific
provisions
agreed around charging of administrative fees in relation to these
tickets. The returns policy will be implemented by the industry itself
and I hope they will take all relevant views into account, especially
those of the ticket buying public, when doing this. The industry also
agreed to set up a website where fans could sell tickets to other fans
at face value.
At the summit my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I also announced a future DCMS-led public consultation to establish the views of consumers and the industry on ticket sales issues. Other measures announced included further work with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on terms and conditions of ticket sales and the introduction of kite marks for ticket sales websites. The Government also pledged to continue working with the industry and OFT to draw up and overarching code of practice for both primary and secondary ticket sellers.
Our principle in taking this forward remains that the interests of the consumers are paramount and that our creative, cultural and sporting industries should be able to prosper in a healthy legitimate market.
Tourism
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the tourism deficit in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [87382]
Mr. Woodward: The UK tourism balance of payments deficit was £18.1 million in 2005. This figure has been produced using a range of data sources including the UK Tourism Survey and the International Data Survey.
The deficit reflects a range of factors including increased prosperity and the availability of cheap flights. The UK is by no means alone in this regard, indeed in 2003 Germany’s deficit stood at over £27 billion.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to increase domestic tourism visits. [87392]
Mr. Woodward: Domestic tourism represents around 80 per cent. of the turnover of the UK tourism industry. My Department funds VisitBritain to market England to the British, as advised by the England Marketing Advisory Board. £10.4 million a year in grant in aid to VisitBritain is presently allocated for this purpose.
VisitBritain’s domestic marketing activities include the EnglandNet project, which provides comprehensive destination information for both domestic and overseas visitors, with facilities for live booking of accommodation and other services using the websites of VisitBritain’s commercial and public sector partners. A total of£10 million has been allocated to EnglandNet to date, including £2 million over the current Spending Review period from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
My Department
also works closely with regional and local government in supporting and
promoting domestic tourism, currently contributing £3.6 million
a year to the Regional Development Agencies to support
tourism in the regions, and £1.9 million a year to the Greater
London Authority to support the Mayor’s statutory tourism
duties.
Support for the growth of domestic tourism is central to the consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Games, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched on 19 July.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding her Department plans to contribute for (a) marketing, (b) e-tourism, (c) improving the quality of tourism products and (d) skills and training in connection with achieving the target of £100 billion value for tourism by 2010. [87393]
Mr. Woodward: My Department funds VisitBritain to market Britain overseas, and market England to the British and in some European territories as advised by the England Marketing Advisory Board. Grant in aid to VisitBritain under the current Spending Review is in the following table:
| Resource | Capital | Total (£000) | |
My Department also currently contributes£3.6 million a year to the Regional Development Agencies’ Single Pot in support of their strategic responsibilities for tourism in the regions, and £1.9 million a year to the Greater London Authority to support the Mayor’s statutory tourism duties.
Marketing including the use of e-tourism, and improvements in product quality and workforce skills, are essential elements of the consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Games, which my RHF the Secretary of State launched on 19 July. In these and other areas, VisitBritain, the development agencies, and the Authority are expected to have major roles in tourism’s preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The effects of any new work arising from the consultation on VisitBritain’s future funding levels cannot be foreseen at this stage. Levels of grant-in-aid from my Department to VisitBritain, the development agencies, and the Authority for years after 2007-08 are yet to be agreed, and are subject to the present Comprehensive Spending Review.
The consultation also seeks views on the possible effects of the Games opportunity, and of changes in statistical methodology, on my Department’s strategic targets for tourism.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department provides to assist (a) small hotels, (b) guest houses and (c) other tourism businesses to enhance the skills of employees. [87394]
Mr. Woodward: The Department is working closely with DFES and People 1(st) (the Sector Skills Council for the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism industries) on a broad and ambitious skills programme.
My predecessor chaired two Skills Summits with People 1(st) and industry representatives to develop a draft National Skills Strategy, which is based on sectoral priorities of improving retention rates and skills levels for management, chefs and customer service. Agreement of a final employer-led Strategy is planned for the winter.
We also work closely with People 1(st) and industry to ensure full advantage is taken of wider initiatives such as Train to Gain, National Skills Academies and Skills Passports.
Given the nature of the tourism sector and the domination of small and micro businesses, these developments will be of direct benefit to them.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government support for the tourism industry was in 2005-06; and if she will make a statement. [87396]
Mr. Woodward: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provided support to the tourism industry via grant in aid to VisitBritain of £49.3 million in 2005-06. VisitBritain used this money to market and promote the UK to both the domestic and international markets.
In addition, DCMS contributed £3.6 million to the regional development agencies’ single pot in support of their strategic responsibilities for tourism in the regions.
A further £1.9 million was allocated to the Greater London Authority to support the Mayor’s statutory tourism duties.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department provides to assist small tourism enterprises in the use of information technology. [87399]
Mr. Woodward: My Department does not provide direct assistance to small tourism businesses in the use of information technology. Such assistance is available to tourism and other businesses through the Small Business Service.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to VisitBritain for e-tourism; and if she will make a statement. [87400]
Mr. Woodward: VisitBritain’s e-tourism activities are supported by grant in aid from my Department. These activities include the EnglandNet project, to which a total of £10 million has been allocated, including£2 million over the current spending review period from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
The EnglandNet portal is administered by VisitBritain and fully supported by the regional development agencies, which are providing partnership funding from 2005-06. EnglandNet provides comprehensive destination information for overseas and domestic visitors, with facilities for instant booking of accommodation and other services using the websites of VisitBritain’s commercial and public sector partners. The portal took its first live booking in December 2005.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's planned expenditure is on the tourism sector outside London in each of the next three years. [87401]
Mr. Woodward: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provides support to the tourism industry via grant in aid to VisitBritian (VB). VisitBritian uses this money to market and promote the UK to both the domestic and international markets.
The level of grant in aid for VB agreed as part of the 2004 Spending Review was as follows:
| £000 | |||
| Resource | Capital | Total | |
It is not possible to provide details of VBs grant in aid beyond 2007-08, this will be decided following the completion of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.
In addition, my Department contributes £3.6 million per year to the Regional Development Agencies’ Single Pot in respect of their tourism role.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourists visited (a) London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997. [87254]
Mr. Woodward: The tables set out the number of visits to London from (i) overseas and (ii) the UK where this included an overnight stay. Information is provided for the 2000 to 2005, equivalent data prior to this are not available.
| Inbound visits to London by year | |
| Visit (all) (Thousand) | |
| (1)
2005 data are
provisional. Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS). | |
| Domestic overnight trips to London by year | |
| Visit (all) (Thousand) | |
| (1)
VisitBritain believes the old UKTS methodology significantly
underreported
2004. (2) In 2005 an improved methodology was introduced for UKTS therefore direct comparison with previous years is not appropriate. Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards). | |
In addition, London receives a substantial number of day visitors, the last Leisure Day Visitors Survey in 2002-03 recorded a total of 169 million to the region.
My Department does not have details of tourist visits to each London borough.
TV Transmitters
Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) television transmitters and (b) relay stations there are in (i) Ceredigion, (ii) Wales and (iii) the UK. [88859]
Mr. Woodward: Ceredigion has one transmitter and 13 relays. The main transmitter is at Blaen Plywyf.
In Wales there are seven transmitters and 202 relays and in the UK there are 51 transmitters and 1,105 relays.
UK School Games
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what part volunteers will play in the running of the 2006 UK School Games in Glasgow; [86726]
(2) if she will list the applicants who submitted tenders to run the UK School Games for 2007 to 2011; and if she will make a statement; [86727]
(3) whether the Youth Sports Trust has subcontracted any part of the running of the UK School Games for 2006; and if she will make a statement. [86789]
Mr. Caborn: The selection of an operator to organise the UK School Games for 2006 and for 2007-11, and the subsequent grant of National Lottery money was a matter for the Millennium Commission. In my capacity as Chair of the Commission, I will write to you on this matter and arrange for copies of my reply to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Visitor Attractions
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of visitors to (a) the Avebury monuments, (b) Bowood House, (c) Corsham Court, (d) Lacock Abbey, (e) Iford Manor, (f) Longleat, (g) Stourhead, (h) Old Wardour Castle and (i) Silbury Hill in each year since 1997. [88242]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not hold estimates of the number of visitors to Bowood House, Corsham Court, Lacock Abbey, Iford Manor, Longleat or Stourhead.
The Avebury Monuments, including
Silbury Hill, have free access and it is difficult to gain an accurate
estimate of the number of visitors due to the nature of the site. A
survey held by Bournemouth University in 1996-1998 gave an approximate
figure of 350,000 a
year. Data for 1999-2000, gives an annual figure of 342,000 and 276,600
for the year
2004-05.
Visitor figures for the English Heritage property of Old Wardour Castle is as follows:
| Number | |
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