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9 Oct 2006 : Column 51W—continued
Digital Television (Unsolicited Messages)
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what systems, regulations and guidelines are in place governing the unsolicited messages that are displayed on digital television screens. [92193]
Mr. Woodward: The matters raised are the responsibility of the Office of Communications as independent regulator. Officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly. Copies of the Chief Executive’s letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Gambling
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many code of practice provisions relating to social responsibility the Gambling Commission is proposing for (a) licensed bingo clubs, (b) licensed betting offices and (c) licensed casinos. [89724]
Mr. Caborn: The Gambling Commission is still considering responses to its consultation document Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, (published in March 2006), so the number of provisions to be included in the Commission’s social responsibility codes for each type of licensed operator is still to be finalised. The Commission is aiming to publish its response to the consultation document and the final codes of practice and conditions on social responsibility by the end of October 2006.
Independent European Football Review
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made with the Independent European Football Review; and what the deadline is for its final report. [89289]
Mr. Caborn: My officials continue to consult with the football authorities, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, other Departments and the devolved Administrations.
We anticipate that discussions about the review will continue at a number of levels for the foreseeable future, including at the Sports Ministers Conference during the Finnish presidency in November.
Intellectual Property
Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Gowers intellectual property review team with regard to (a) football fixture lists, (b) sports specific rights and (c) proposals from the Independent European Football review. [89845]
Mr. Caborn: To date the Department has not discussed these issues with the Gowers review team.
Libraries
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance her Department has issued to library authorities in the last 12 months on improving library services. [89165]
Mr. Lammy:
In 2003 the Department published Framework for the Future, its national strategy for public libraries over the next 10 years. Since then the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has devised and led on an action plan to take forward its
recommendations. Over the last 12 months the MLA has undertaken a considerable number of activities to help individual library authorities improve their services. These have included publishing several reports such as on improved stock procurement by libraries, and on how libraries might engage more fully with their local communities together with a toolkit to help them do so. Programmes of leadership training and peer reviews of individual library authorities have continued and a review of the Public Library Service Standards has been instituted.
A full list of its activities is contained in the latest quarterly monitoring report (to June 2006) to be found on the MLA website at http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/programmes/framework/background/background A new action plan setting out the MLA’s proposed activities over the period 2006 to 2008 may also be found there.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on refurbishing public libraries in each year since 1997. [89167]
Mr. Lammy: The Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Expenditure (CIPFA) estimates that the following sums of capital expenditure were spent on public library refurbishments between 1997-98 and 2004-05.
| £ | |
These figures show that capital expenditure has increased from £7.2 million (over £8.5 million in 2004-05 prices) to over £26 million. This represents a three fold uplift across the period in real terms.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures her Department is taking to improve the quality of book stocks in public libraries. [90093]
Mr. Lammy: In 2001 my Department introduced the Public Library standards, to help to define local authorities' statutory duty. Two of these standards have regard to the lending stock held by libraries, setting targets for items added to the collections through purchase per 1,000 population, and time taken to replenish the stock. Since 2001 there has been significant improvement in these areas primed by these standards, which both aim to encourage the quantity, freshness and condition of the stock that library users find when they visit.
Reader development organisation Opening the Book has been joint funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), Arts Council England and
the Audit Commission to deliver a stock quality health check of public libraries. This looks in detail at the range and depth of adult fiction and poetry stock in public libraries, and the findings are made available online (www.stockquality.org/stockquality/). This tool continues to enable them to compare themselves with other authorities—105 of the 149 English authorities did so last year—and to understand how their existing book selection systems might align their purchasing more closely with the varying needs of local communities.
The MLA has also developed a national book purchasing model for public libraries. This was published in August this year under the title Better Stock, Better Libraries. The report outlines how up to 20 million of savings can be made for local authorities through joint selection and purchasing, and creates a significant opportunity for authorities to reinvest those savings in improving library services to customers, including their book stock levels. The next stage of the project will develop the proposals in detail and test them fully—including the costs, risks and benefits—before they are implemented.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to ensure that public libraries do not charge users for access to the internet as part of the People's Network. [90094]
Mr. Lammy: The People's Network was introduced from 2002 onwards, connecting all public libraries in England to the internet through publicly accessible computers.
At the time of the Network's introduction, the intention was that it should be free universally at point of use. The majority of the 149 library authorities do not charge for public access to it. However, the decision whether or not to charge for this access rests with the individual authorities. All authorities that do charge offer concessions for particular types of user and some offer free access each day for a limited period.
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Government intend to publish their libraries’ buildings audit. [92100]
Mr. Lammy: The Library Buildings Survey, funded by DCMS and commissioned by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, was published on 18 September 2006.
The Survey results can be found at:
www.mla.gov.uk/website/news/press_releases/Library_Buildings_Survey_Published2
Licensing Act
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date the Government expect to publish revised guidance to local authorities on the Licensing Act 2003; and whether the Government plan to consult on the revised guidance. [90500]
Mr. Woodward:
The Secretary of State expects to consult on draft revised guidance to licensing authorities on the discharge of their functions under
the Licensing Act 2003 shortly. The public consultation exercise will last for 12 weeks. Following consideration of responses to the consultation, we expect to issue finalised revised guidance early in 2007.
Listed Buildings
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties are listed at each grade of listed building. [91546]
Mr. Lammy: The number of properties listed at each grade is as follows:
| Number | |
There are also a number of churches that are still graded under the old ABC system. These are as follows:
| Number | |
National Lottery
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much superdraws have contributed to the funds raised by the national lottery for good causes since they were introduced; and if she will make a statement. [90150]
Mr. Caborn: There have been 72 national lottery guaranteed jackpots, or superdraws, since they were first introduced in 1995. In total, they have contributed £776,966,865 to the good causes.
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the source is of the money paid out on national lottery superdraws; and how many draws there have been since they were first introduced. [90151]
Mr. Caborn: There have been 72 national lottery guaranteed jackpots, or superdraws, since they were introduced on 7 January 1995. Of these, 52 took place under the first and interim licence periods, with a further 20 taking place under the second (current) licence period.
Under the first and interim licence periods, funding for superdraws was taken from the prize target shortfall. The shortfall was the difference between the amount of revenue that Camelot’s 1994 bid anticipated paying in prizes and the actual amount paid. Following the funding of the superdraw, the balance of the shortfall, together with the interest generated on it, passed in full to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).
Under the 2002-09 licence, which took effect on 27 January 2002, there has been a change in the way that superdraws are funded. The increased prize payout
for a superdraw is now funded jointly by the NLDF and the operator (Camelot) in the proportion that they benefit from incremental sales. Since superdraws use funds which would otherwise be destined for the good causes, individual superdraw events have to be approved by the National Lottery Commission.
Portchester Castle
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, columns 963-64W, on Portchester Castle, if she will place in the Library a copy of the regulations made in 1974; and if she will make a statement. [90130]
Mr. Lammy: I have arranged for copies of the 1974 Portchester Castle Regulations to be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.
Questionnaires
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) questionnaires, (b) statistical inquiries and (c) investigations have been carried out wholly or partly at public expense on behalf of or by her Department or public bodies for which she is responsible in each year since 1997; and what the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was of each. [83191]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following information is readily available:
Questionnaires and statistical inquiries
Taking Part Survey—a continuous survey of individuals in private households collecting information on how people choose to spend their time and their views on the leisure activities and facilities available to them. Results are used to provide a robust evidence base for policy-making and to monitor participation and attendance in DCMS sectors by priority groups, reflecting our PSA3 target for 2005-08.
Total Cost: £1.47 million (2005-06), £2.7 million (2006-07)—funded by DCMS, Arts Council England, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, Sport England and English Heritage
General Household Survey—prior to the launch of the Taking Part survey, the Department made an annual contribution to this major ONS survey. Additionally, in 2002-03, Sport England and Arts Council England jointly funded a module on the survey to collect information on individuals' participation and attendance in sporting and cultural activities.
DCMS Contribution: £16,300 (2000-01), £16,700 (2001-02), £17,200 (2002-03), £17,600 (2003-04), £18,000 (2004-05)
UK Time Use Survey—along with several other Departments, DCMS made contributions over five years relating to this large one-off survey in 2000, with surplus finances used to fund a follow-up exercise in 2005. The survey combined diary and questionnaire elements to illustrate how people in the UK spend their time.
DCMS Contribution: £30,000 (in each year 1998-99 to 2002-03)
International Passenger Survey—the Department makes an annual contribution to this survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Information is gathered on tourism to and from the UK and is used to meet our statutory requirement to provide tourism statistics to Eurostat.
DCMS Contribution: £1,600 (2000-01), £18,300 (2001-02), £18,900 (2002-03), £1,800 (2003-04), £20,300 (2004-05), £21,100 (2005-06)
Other Tourism Surveys—As part of a consortium, DCMS funded the last GB Day Visits Survey in 2002-03 to capture information on the volume and value of this important element of the tourism industry. Alongside results from other tourism surveys, this allows estimation of the size of the industry and monitoring of progress towards industry growth targets.
DCMS Contribution: £45,000 (2001-02)
Although DCMS does not contribute directly to their funding, two other major tourism surveys are carried out by the National Tourist Boards partly on the Department’s behalf. The UK Tourism Survey collects information on domestic overnight trips and the UK Occupancy Survey collects information on levels of occupancy in different types of accommodation. The results of both these surveys are used by the Department to meet our statutory requirement to provide tourism statistics to Eurostat.
Broadcasting Surveys—As part of its work on the BBC Charter Review and Digital Switchover, DCMS has undertaken a number of surveys of individuals.
Cost: £35,000 (2001-02), £120,000 (2004-05), £32,500 (2005-06)
Licensing Surveys—Prior to the recent change in the Licensing Act, a Liquor Licensing statistical bulletin was published by DCMS in 2004, and this is scheduled to be updated in 2007 (though reflecting changes in laws). The Department has also undertaken several small-scale ad-hoc surveys in relation to the implementation of the new Act. A survey of betting licences was also carried out in 2003.
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