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16 Oct 2006 : Column 984W—continued
Heroes Return Scheme
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in each region have applied for the Heroes Return Scheme. [93860]
Mr. Caborn: The Heroes Return Scheme, developed by the Big Lottery Fund, recognises the importance of the sacrifices and contribution made by millions in the war effort. All those who were deemed eligible were funded. The table shows how many by region.
| Number of pensioners | |
Independent Fees Review Panel
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the recommendations of the interim report of the Independent Fees Review Panel her Department has implemented; and if she will make a statement. [93867]
Mr. Woodward: I wrote to Sir Les Elton in July about implementing the recommendations in the Licensing Fees Review Panel’s interim report.
As part of the initial review of Statutory Guidance to licensing authorities, we have already clarified the position on premises plans.
We have also clarified the position for licensing authorities on the development of collective working practices and are exploring good practice in this area for wider dissemination.
A central source of information for licence payers about the Licensing Act 2003 will be completed later this autumn.
We have considered the possibility of simplifying the application process by introducing alternative methods of advertising applications. We will consult on options when considering any possible amendments to regulations.
We have also agreed in principle to the panel’s recommendation for a single date for payment of the annual fee. We are considering the technical aspects (such as transitional arrangements) and the options for which date to adopt. Licence holders will be given notice before new arrangements are brought in and we have been clear in the meantime, they should continue to pay their annual fee as the current law requires.
Internet Advertising
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have taken to regulate advertising campaigns via the medium of electronic games made available across the internet; and if she will make a statement. [93865]
Mr. Woodward: The Government have no plans to regulate in this area.
Internet Neutrality
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with (a) other Departments, (b) telecommunications companies and (c) other interested parties on internet neutrality; and if she will make a statement. [93864]
Mr. Woodward: No Ministers or officials in the Department have had such discussions.
Licensing Act
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has received on the cost of obtaining premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003 for schools; and if she will make a statement. [93825]
Mr. Woodward: The Department has received a small number of representations from schools about the cost of obtaining a premises licence.
Schools are, of course, exempt from the fees associated with the authorisation of regulated entertainment where the entertainment is provided by and at the school and for the purposes of the school.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of schools falling into band (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D and (e) E rateable value bands for the purposes of premises licences granted under the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement. [93827]
Mr. Woodward: The Department has made no estimates of the number of schools falling into each of the fee bands for premises licences.
We believe that the majority of schools will use temporary event notices to cover licensable activities.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department will publish its review of the guidance issued to local authorities under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement. [93917]
Mr. Woodward: The Secretary of State expects shortly to begin consultations on draft revised Guidance to licensing authorities.. The public consultation exercise will last for 12 weeks. We expect to issue finalised revised Guidance early in 2007.
Minimum Wage
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees in (a) her Department and (b) its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on 1 October. [93431]
Mr. Lammy: None of the employees in this Department or its Agency were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on the 1 October. The information for the non-departmental public bodies could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Ministerial Offices
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 961W, on ministerial offices, what the cost was of each redecoration project; and what the total cost of redecoration was over the last five years. [91738]
Mr. Lammy:
Pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 961, on ministerial offices, the cost of each redecoration to the office of the Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was as follows: in 2002 the office was decorated at an estimated cost of £1,200 following water ingress caused by exterior stone cleaning; in 2005 the office was repainted at an estimated cost of £1,300 as part of a planned schedule of works; and in 2006 the office was decorated as part of a complete refurbishment of the
DCMS main building at 2-4 Cockspur Street at an estimated cost of £18,164. This includes costs for replacing furniture damaged by faulty air conditioning.
Total cost of redecorating and refurbishment over the last five years equates to the sum total of the above figures, i.e. £20,664. All figures are exclusive of VAT.
Overseas Heritage Memorial Fund
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to establish an Overseas Heritage Memorial Fund. [93433]
Mr. Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to establish an Overseas Heritage Memorial Fund.
Press Releases
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press releases her Department has issued since April. [92979]
Mr. Lammy: The number of press releases issued by the Department since April is 82.
Sport England
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people applied for the post of Chair of Sport England; who was on the interview panel; how many people were interviewed; how many candidates were subsequently recommended to her; and whether she accepted the recommendation. [94233]
Tessa Jowell: 29 people applied for the post of Sport England Chair. The interview panel was chaired by Jeff Jacobs, director-general for children, young people and communities at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and included: Mike Farrar, Sport England board member; Sir Keith Mills, deputy chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Sheila Hewitt, an independent assessor.
Four candidates were interviewed and, in accordance with the principles of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Bodies' Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, the interview panel recommended to me a choice of two candidates. One of these recommended candidates was then appointed by me.
Sports Facilities Funding
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006, Official Report, columns 727-28W, on sports facilities, how much of the £40 million available for the Community Club Development programme has been allocated; and what the relevant deadlines are for applications for funds until 2008. [93709]
Mr. Caborn: £40 million has been allocated to 19 national governing bodies (NGBs) in the period 2006-08. These NGBs have allocated, in principle, £35.5 million of this amount to community sports club projects.
There is no formal deadline for CCDP applications; NGBs will consider applications until their agreed allocations for 2006-08 have been fully committed.
Television Licences
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many official warning letters have been sent out in the past 12 months by television licensing enforcement divisions to households that do not own a television set. [92974]
Mr. Woodward: The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration under contract to the Corporation. I have referred this question to the BBC's Head of Revenue Management and asked him to reply directly. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Tourism
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support the Government are providing for leisure and catering initiatives in the tourism industry. [93140]
Mr. Woodward: The Department awarded grant in aid of some £50 million this year in support of VisitBritain's work to promote Britain abroad and England domestically.
Domestically, VisitEngland's present television advertising campaign highlights a range of contemporary leisure pursuits. EnjoyEngland includes the domestic TasteEngland campaign which promotes the excellent catering available throughout the English regions. VisitBritain also has a long-term marketing partnership in place with Food From Britain who promote regional food and drink.
In the leisure and catering workforce, the Department works closely with People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, to improve skill and productivity levels. We support People 1st's work to develop a National Skills Strategy for the sector, which will focus on improving management and leadership, chef and customer service skills alongside improving staff retention.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government initiatives are in place to improve standards in UK tourism accommodation. [93141]
Mr. Woodward: Raising the quality of tourist accommodation across the UK is a high priority for DCMS, which has over the last four years sponsored work to improve and standardise the national accommodation grading schemes run by VisitBritain, VisitScotland, VisitWales, and the Automobile Association.
The Department's consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games, which continues until November 17, seeks responses on increasing the proportion of accommodation providers which participate in grading schemes. The Department is also currently in discussion with the Office of Government
Commerce about all Government Departments using only accommodation assessed under the improved schemes for official travel, (where this is operationally possible,) and within the constraints of competition law.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department is giving to co-ordination between regional tourism initiatives and those of VisitBritain. [93139]
Mr. Woodward: The Department is working actively with its public sector partners and the industry to improve the Government's engagement with tourism policymakers at all levels.
The Department fully supports the Partners for England initiative, designed to co-ordinate better the marketing and other tourism support work of VisitBritain, the England Marketing Advisory Board, the Regional Development Agencies, and local authorities across the country. Officials attended both national Partners for England seminars held in December 2005 and June 2006.
UK Visitor Attractions
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department is giving to visitor attractions in the UK. [93137]
Mr. Woodward: The Department works with the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers, and Attractions on a range of tourism issues.
VisitBritain also provides marketing support to the attractions sector, particularly through the prominent positions of leading national and regional attractions on its websites, www.visitbritain.co.uk and www.enjoyengland.com. VisitBritain also supports the visitor attraction quality assurance scheme.
The Department also provides substantial grant in aid funding to the many publicly-owned cultural and other institutions which make up a significant element of the UK's attractions offer.
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