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18 Dec 2006 : Column 1605W—continued
Public Service Broadcasting
Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to encourage a continued public service commitment in the independent broadcasting sector. [109258]
Mr. Lammy: The Government are committed to maintaining a healthy public service broadcasting sector within a dynamic and competitive market place.
The Communications Act places a specific duty on Ofcom to maintain and strengthen the quality of public service television broadcasting. It is obliged to undertake periodic reviews of the sector, the next of which is set to be completed by 2009-10.
Radio Frequencies
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the proposals are for selling the radio frequencies used for wireless microphones used in entertainment and the voluntary sector; and if she will make a statement. [110402]
Mr. Woodward: Ofcom manages the spectrum used for programme making and special events, which is currently licensed by JFMG under contract to Ofcom until 2008.
On 17 November Ofcom announced 2005 the beginning of the Digital Dividend Review project to examine the options arising from the release of spectrum afforded by the digital switchover programme. The DDR project also includes consideration of the spectrum currently being used by the PMSE sector. Ofcom is planning to issue a consultation on 19 December.
Rural Areas
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what programmes of support her Department makes available to rural areas; and what the financial cost of those programmes is expected to be in 2007-08. [104912]
Mr. Lammy: Our aim to improve the quality of life through cultural and sporting activities applies to both rural and urban areas. Funding is distributed through several sponsored bodies. These include Arts Council England, Sport England, English Heritage and Visit Britain. These in turn deliver funding across a number of activities and institutions. We are not able to attribute national spending specifically to rural programmes.
Renaissance in the Regions is an example of how our programmes benefit rural communities. This programme benefits groups of museums, including the Renaissance Hubs, with grants to Subject Specialist Networks and through the Museum Development Fund. These include projects in isolated communities in the north-east Northumberland, Cumbria and East Anglia, in Cornwall, East Yorkshire and Shropshire.
School Sport
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department has provided for competitive sport in schools; and if she will make a statement. [109135]
Mr. Caborn: As part of the National School Sport Strategy, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills are establishing a network of competition managers across the country to improve the quality and quantity of competitive sport in schools through the local implementation of the National School Competition Framework.
The first wave of 20 competition managers was appointed from September 2005. In their first academic year, they created 690 new competitions involving nearly 40,000 young people. We are currently recruiting a further 42 competition managers. We expect to have at least 90 competition managers in place by the end of 2007.
In addition, we have also established the UK School Games, a multi-sport event for talented school-age children. The inaugural event was held in Glasgow between 7 and 10 September. The 2007 games will be held in Coventry. Our aim is that this event will become the pinnacle of school sport competition and used to develop the content, structure and presentation of competitive sporting opportunities for young people.
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to focus on ethnic minorities under the School Sport Partnerships programme. [109329]
Mr. Caborn: The Government are committed to developing a culture that enables and values the full involvement of all children and young people. The National School Sport Strategy is creating equal opportunities in which all children and young people can participate in high quality PE and school sport by responding to the diverse learning needs, capabilities, and preferences of all children and young people.
As from September 2006 all maintained schools in England are in one of the 450 live School Sport Partnerships. The 2005-06 school sport survey showed that 80 per cent. of pupils were doing at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport per week, exceeding the joint DCMS/DfES PSA target of 75 per cent.
We will continue to work with our key delivery agent, the Youth Sport Trust, to ensure that resources and support are targeted at Partnerships where achievement is lowest, including those areas with high ethnic minority populations.
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what the results were of the most recent Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links survey of improvements in opportunities in PE and school sport for disabled young people; [109614]
(2) if she will undertake an audit of disabled pupils' participation in PE and sport; [109615]
(3) how she plans to use the information gathered in the Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links survey in relation to gifted and talented pupils to support the Paralympics in London 2012; [109616]
(4) what systems are in place for (a) disabled children and (b) those newly acquiring a disability to gain access to sport (i) in school and (ii) in the community; and what assessment she has made of the extent to which those systems are adequate to meet the medal aspirations for the Paralympics in London 2012. [109617]
Mr. Caborn: The National School Sport Strategy is creating equal opportunities in which all young people can participate in high quality PE and school sport by responding to the diverse learning needs, capabilities and preferences.
An analysis of the School Sport Survey 2005-06 shows that 82 per cent. of all pupils in special schools, which are schools provided by local authorities for certain children with special educational needs, are now receiving two hours high quality PE and sport per week. This is above the national average of 80 per cent.
All schools are now in one of the 450 School Sport Partnerships. There are 11 special schools which are Specialist Sports Colleges and eight of these act as hub sites for their School Sport Partnership. These schools are leading the way on curriculum development, teaching and learning as well as ensuring this expertise is shared. In addition, there are 110 School Sport Co-ordinators based within these special schools and their role is to support networks of other special schools and advise mainstream schools on developing high quality opportunities beyond the curriculum time and links to community activities.
A national working group comprising the Youth Sport Trust, Sport England, UK Sport and the British Paralympic Association have been working in partnership to create a playground-to-podium framework. The framework combines the expertise and functions of these four agencies along with governing bodies of sport, disability sport organisations, school sport and county sport partnerships to ensure England is able to identify and support talent leading to the 2012 Paralympic Games. The framework is due to be released in February 2007.
In addition, the Government have also funded the development of the new Paralympic Education Resource “Ability vs Ability” which is a web-based cross-curricular resource developed by the BPA and the NASUWT. The project aims to raise awareness of disability, disability sport and the Paralympic movement through education.
The inaugural UK School Games was held in Glasgow in September 2006. The UKSG will be held annually to 2011 providing opportunities for talented young athletes to showcase their skills as well as giving them the experience of competing in a multi-sport event. The 2006 event featured two disability sports—swimming and athletics—and provision for disability sports will increase in future years.
There are also a number of specific schemes aimed at supporting talented disabled athletes which will contribute towards our target to be first in the Paralympic medal table in 2012. The Talented Athlete
Scholarship Scheme (TASS) enables talented athletes to continue in their sport beyond the age of 16 while pursuing further or higher education. TASS 2012, a strand of the TASS programme, supports our most talented 12 to 18-year-olds in a variety of Olympic, Paralympic, non-Olympic and non-Paralympic sports. Between 2004 and 2008, the Government will have committed £17 million to TASS and TASS 2012.
South Bank Centre
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department provided to the South Bank Centre in 2005-06, broken down by main budget heading. [109362]
Mr. Lammy: As one of its regularly funded organisations, Arts Council England's revenue grant to the South Bank Centre was £17,948,586 during 2005-06. The centre received £438,000 from the council in relation to the care of the Arts Council Collection and the purchase of new work. The council has also advanced £5 million from the 2006-07 revenue grant.
The centre has received £2 million of capital funding during 2005-06 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport towards the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall. This was part of a one-off £5 million payment completed in 2006.
During the period of the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall, due to be completed in summer 2007, the council will have provided £25,383,000 of capital lottery funding, in addition to £5 million funding directly related to closure and change management costs.
Staff Bonuses
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been awarded to staff members in special bonuses in the last year for which figures are available; what provision was made for this expenditure; and if she will make a statement. [109372]
Mr. Lammy: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport £53,436 was awarded to staff in special bonuses during 2005-06. Provision is made annually for such bonus payments by setting aside 0.4 per cent. of the pay bill specifically for this purpose.
Telephone Services
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) schedule and (b) consultation process is for the regulation of 0871 numbers; and if she will make a statement. [108542]
Margaret Hodge:
From early 2008, the premium rate services regulator, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) will regulate 0871 telephone
numbers. Extension of the regulatory framework for premium rate services is in accordance with the decision of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) published on 19 April 2006, following public consultation. ICSTIS will lead the development of regulatory proposals for the 0871 range of numbers. A decision on how 0871 services will be regulated has not been taken and ICSTIS will consult on plans before they are introduced. An outline timetable proposes public consultation on regulatory safeguards during February and March 2007 with a view to submitting proposals to Ofcom and the EU in July 2007 and ICSTIS' regulation of 0871 services taking effect in January 2008. ICSTIS expect to make available a full project plan early in 2007.
Think Tank
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost to date has been of the think tank established within her Strategy Division; and which non-civil servants participate in the work of the think tank. [109581]
Mr. Lammy: The estimated annual cost of the think tank within the Strategy Division is as follows:
| £ | |
| Note: DCMS staff costs are calculated using current capitation rates. | |
The think tank is currently staffed by DCMS civil servants. Non-civil servants participate in its work through presentations and attendance at think tank seminars. They include academics, staff of our sponsored bodies, members of external think tanks and other external experts from the Third Sector.
Tourism
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budget is of the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group in 2006-07; and if she will make a statement. [109516]
Mr. Woodward: There is no budget for the group and costs are minimal. Administrative costs are borne by VisitBritain and any additional costs are shared with members from their own budgets.
Since its establishment in 2001, the group has an excellent record in planning for and responding to emergencies affecting the tourism industry. It enjoys the full confidence of Government and the industry. The group has also been recognised by the communications industry as an example of best practice, and has been shortlisted on numerous occasions for its crisis response work. In November 2006, the group won the PR Week Award for Best Crisis Communication following the July 2005 terrorist attacks in London.
Wembley Stadium
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the projected cost to the public purse of Wembley National Stadium was (a) at the outset of the project, (b) in 1995, (c) in 2000 and (d) in 2005; and what the most recent total projected cost of (i) the project and (ii) the associated public realm improvements are. [109366]
Mr. Caborn: The anticipated public sector contributions to the Wembley stadium project were, respectively:
| £ million | |
The anticipated overall project cost is £757 million plus any additional costs arising out of the recently announced commercial settlement between Wembley National Stadium Ltd and Multiplex. The detail of the commercial settlement is a matter for those organisations. The projected cost to the public sector remains at £161 million.
Woburn Place
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) use and (b) cost has been of her Department's accommodation in Woburn Place since May 1997; and if she will make a statement. [109352]
Mr. Lammy: The Department occupied part of one floor in a building in Woburn Place through a memorandum of terms of occupancy (MOTO) with The Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales) between 8 October 2001 and 31 March 2005. This space was used as office accommodation for members of the Department. The costs to the Department were £232,404 in 2002-03; £257,844 in 2003-04; and £239,968 in 2004-05. Data for 2001-02 do not separately identify the costs of occupying Woburn Place and those of other departmental buildings.
Communities and Local Government
1001 Inventions Exhibition
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what funds her Department provided for the development of the (a) exhibition 1001 Inventions and (b) schools education pack accompanying the exhibition; [104349]
(2) where the 1001 Inventions exhibition toured; how long it spent in each location; and what the future itinerary is for the exhibition; [104350]
(3) how many people have been to see the 1001 Inventions exhibition. [104351]
Mr. Woolas: Funding was awarded (£200,000 for the exhibition and £20,000 for the teaching pack) by the Cohesion and Faiths Unit when it was part of the Home Office. The unit transferred to Communities and Local Government in the recent Machinery of Government changes.
The exhibition was based at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester from its launch on 7 March 2006 until the 3 September 2006. The exhibition opened at the National Museum in Cardiff on 24 October and will run until 4 February 2007. Negotiations are currently under way to take the exhibition to Glasgow and Birmingham.
As entrance to the exhibition is free, detailed records of visitor attendance are not available.
Additional information on the exhibition is available through the website www.1001inventions.com
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