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8 Jan 2007 : Column 253W—continued
Film Production
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what bilateral film co-production treaties were agreed by the end of 2006. [113469]
Mr. Woodward: The UK/South Africa film co-production treaty was signed by the Secretary of State and South African Arts Minister Pallo Jordan in May 2006. The treaty will come into force once the constitutional procedures have been completed.
Negotiations on other new co-production agreements are progressing well. Statements of Intent to progress negotiations have been signed with India, China and Morocco. Furthermore, the main body of an agreement with India was signed in December 2005 and a further Annex, containing most of the detail, is now being negotiated.
Flags
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on which occasions the Cross of Saint George is flown from Government department buildings. [113682]
Mr. Caborn: The St. George's Cross is flown on Government buildings with two or more flag poles on St. George's Day (23 April) alongside the Union Flag.
Gambling: Advertisements
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to regulate claims made in advertisements by betting tipsters guaranteeing betting success. [113122]
Mr. Caborn:
Section 327(1)(a) of the Gambling Act 2005 provides that a person advertises gambling if “he does anything to encourage one or more persons to
take advantage (whether directly or through an agent) of facilities for gambling”. While tipsters are not directly involved in gambling, there may be circumstances under which advertisements by tipsters could fall within the Act's definition of advertising, and therefore within the scope of any regulations made by the Secretary of State controlling the advertising of gambling.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to keep her regulation making powers with regard to advertising in reserve for the time being, in favour of self-regulation by the advertising industry. The Advertising Standards Authority, in consultation with the Gambling Commission, is in the process of drawing up new advertising codes of practice, on which it will consult shortly. Advertising by tipsters will be subject to these codes, including general rules on misleading advertising.
General Household Survey
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will next publish Sports and Leisure: results from the General Household Survey; and if she will make a statement. [113361]
Mr. Caborn: The Sports and Leisure module of the General Household Survey (GHS) has been superseded by the national Taking Part survey, the annual results of which were published on 14 December 2006.
Historic Environment Sites
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made towards increasing the number of people visiting designated historic environment sites from priority groups; and if she will make a statement. [113479]
Mr. Caborn: Final baseline data on the proportion of visitors from priority groups to the historic environment were published on 14 December 2006. Progress on increasing these proportions will be monitored regularly with final assessment of achievement available in late 2008.
My Department continues to work closely with English Heritage, the National Trust and other heritage organisations on a broad range of policies and programmes to increase participation in the historic environment by the priority groups.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the baseline is for the target for increasing the number of people visiting designated historic environment sites from priority groups. [113480]
Mr. Caborn: My Department published the final baseline data on 14 December 2006. The baseline figures for the proportion visiting the historic environment during the previous 12 months have been set at the following for the priority group population:
| Percentage | |
The Department’s PSA 3 target for the historic environment is, by 2008, to increase each of the priority group baseline estimates by 3 percentage points.
Historical Sites
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many historical sites were destroyed during construction projects in each year since May 1997. [109369]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not keep a record of those data. This information is recorded on a case by case basis at local government level as part of their Historic Environment Records. Two of the entries on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register have been demolished in the last 12 months. English Heritage is working on amending its database of Scheduled Monument Consents to capture unlicensed or unauthorised works to scheduled monuments. There were 33,500 decisions on applications for listed building consent in 2005-06.
Kensington Palace Gardens
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to whom the land which belonged to Kensington Palace Gardens was sold; whether construction is permitted on the land; when it was originally acquired; and whether the relevant royal authorities were consulted on reintegrating the land into the Gardens estate. [109353]
Mr. Caborn: The land at the Royal Garden Hotel was sold to the Imperial Tobacco Pension Fund in July 2005. The land was initially leased to the owner of the hotel but it was subsequently decided to transfer the freehold. This was sanctioned by the Land at Palace Avenue, Kensington (Acquisition of Freehold) Act 2002. The land was originally acquired by William III. Under the terms of the sale in 2005 no new buildings are allowed without prior consent in writing from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Royal Household was consulted over the sale of the land.
Museums and Galleries
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the baseline is for the target for increasing the number of people accessing museums and galleries collections from priority groups. [113474]
Mr. Caborn: My Department published the final baseline data on 14 December 2006. The baseline figures for the proportion attending a museum or gallery during the previous 12 months have been set at the following for the priority group population:
| Percentage | |
| Baseline figure | |
The Department’s PSA 3 target for museums and galleries is, by 2008, to increase each of the priority group baseline estimates by two percentage points.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on increasing the number of people accessing museums and galleries collections from priority groups; and if she will make a statement. [113475]
Mr. Caborn: Final baseline data on the proportion of visitors from priority groups to the historic environment were published on 14 December 2006. Progress on increasing these proportions will be monitored regularly with final assessment of achievement available in late 2008. My Department continues to work closely with our sponsored museums, the MLA and other organisations in the museum and gallery sector on a broad range of policies and programmes to increase participation by the priority groups.
National Lottery
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery funding was made available to (a) public and (b) private libraries in each year for which figures are available, broken down by project. [113078]
Mr. Caborn: The information is not held by the Department in the form requested so it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information on all Lottery awards is available from the database, searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.
Olympic Games
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2006, Official Report, column 1095W, on the Olympic Games, what proportion of the population in England engaged in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week in each year since 2002; what estimate her Department has made of the expected proportion in each year until 2020; and if she will make a statement. [113329]
Mr. Caborn: According to the Health Survey for England (2004) the percentage of the population achieving the physical activity recommendations of a minimum of 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity activity at least five times a week is 35 per cent. for men and 24 per cent. for women. Data for subsequent years since 2002 are not available and no precise estimates have been made to 2020.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2006, Official Report, column 1095W, on the Olympic Games, whether the commitment to increase to 70 per cent. the proportion of the population who are reasonably active is still a government target distinct from the public service agreement to increase the number of people from priority groups who participate in sport by 3 per cent. by 2008; and if she will make a statement. [113330]
Mr. Caborn: As set out in “Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan”, the Government acknowledge the 70 per cent. target as an aspirational goal and has set out its priority target for increasing participation in the Public Service Agreement (PSA) to increase the number of people from priority groups who participate in sport by 3 per cent. by 2008.
Parliamentary Questions
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation; [112976]
(2) how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session did not receive an answer. [113585]
Mr. Caborn: All written parliamentary questions tabled to the Department in the 2005-06 session received an answer.
Six questions were answered at the end of the 2005-06 session with a prorogation answer.
My Department aims to answer parliamentary questions within the timescales specified by Parliament which is named day questions on the day named, and ordinary written questions within a working week.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many written parliamentary questions to her Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on the grounds of disproportionate cost. [112977]
Mr. Lammy: This figure is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However all DCMS answers are a matter of public record and can be found in the Official Report.
Physical Activity
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the amount of time (a) adults and (b) children spent each day on outdoor activities and sport in each year since 1997. [113029]
Mr. Caborn: Year on year figures for the amount of time (a) adults and (b) children have spent each day on outdoor activities and sport since 1997 are not available.
Figures taken from the General Household Survey (GHS) for 2002 show that 43 per cent. of adults participated in at least one activity, excluding walking, in the four weeks before interview compared to 46 per cent. in 1996. The figure, including walking, was 58 per cent. in 2002 and 64 per cent. in 1996. The apparent drop in participation may, in part, have resulted from a change in the wording of the question in relation to walking between the 1996 and 2002 surveys. Although in both surveys walks of two miles or more were asked about, the 2002 survey asked only about ‘recreational walks.’
Figures from the 2005-06 Taking Part survey show that 54 per cent. of adults participated in at least one active sport, excluding walking in the past four weeks.
Figures from the 2003-04 National School Sport Survey show that 62 per cent. of pupils in School Sport Partnerships were doing at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport in a typical week. The figure rose to 69 per cent. in the survey year 2004-05 and 80 per cent. in 2005-06.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has made an estimate of the proportion of the population who engage in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times a week in (a) England and (b) other European countries; and if she will make a statement. [113359]
Mr. Caborn: According to the 2004 Health Survey for England, 37 per cent. of men and 24 per cent. of women are engaging in a minimum of 30 minutes moderate intensity activity at least five times a week.
Figures from the 2005-06 Taking Part survey show that 21 per cent. of adults participated in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport at least three times a week. Although a direct comparison cannot be made, figures from the Review of National Sport Effort and Resources (2005) show that 11 per cent. of the adult population in Italy, 24 per cent. in France and 27 per cent. in Germany are undertaking at least 30 minutes of activity at least three times a week.
Public Appointments: Political Activities
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what political activity has been undertaken by board members of the (a) Arts Council England, (b) Heritage Lottery Fund and (c) UK Film Council in the last five years. [112787]
Mr. Lammy: Information about political activity, undertaken during the preceding five years, is required to be given by any applicant for appointment to the Board of these non-departmental public bodies. Serving Board members of these bodies are also required to provide up-dated information on any such activities when they are being considered for reappointment. I am aware that a member of the Board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (which oversees the operations of the Heritage Lottery Fund), stood unsuccessfully for election as a local councillor during 2004, and that two members of the UK Film Council board have acted as occasional, unpaid consultants to the Labour Party in the last five years.
Political activity has been interpreted in this response as it is defined in the Code of Practice published by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointment.
Remembrance Sunday
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which delegates from the (a) Commonwealth, (b) the British Overseas Territories and (c) Crown Dependencies will be invited to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 2007. [113679]
Mr. Lammy: Each year, representatives from Commonwealth countries with a high commission in London are invited to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. The Foreign Secretary lays a wreath on behalf of the Overseas Territories. Representatives from the Crown Dependencies are not invited to lay wreaths at the Ceremony at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. Her Majesty the Queen lays her wreath on behalf of the whole nation. There are currently no plans to change these arrangements.
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