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11 July 2007 : Column 1516Wcontinued
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the time period necessary for the gambling industry to implement fully the regulations to be made under section 240 of the Gambling Act 2005. [148542]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The overwhelming majority of gaming machines currently operating under Part III of the Gaming Act 1968 will not require significant alteration when the Gambling Act comes fully in to force on 1 September. Where adjustments are necessary, the Department has invited the gambling industry to provide estimates of the time period necessary to implement the regulations under section 240 of the Act. The Department has received several responses, which will be carefully considered as the regulations are finalised in the coming weeks.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the regulations contained within the Licensing Act 2003 lead to a growth in live music. [148541]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The DCMS Simplification Plan sets out where we think there may be scope to adjust the licensing regulations to remove any unnecessary burdens on those putting on licensable activities, including live music. In addition, the Live Music Forum published its report on 4 July 2007, and made a number of recommendations relating to the Licensing Act 2003, which we will consider carefully before responding formally.
However, I am pleased that the evidence so far, including the Forums report, does not suggest the new licensing regulations have had a widespread negative impact on live music, and shows a number of benefits have been delivered. Our aim is to ensure the new licensing legislation will help live music continue to thrive.
The DCMS Simplification Plan and Live Music Forum report are available in the Libraries of the House, and on the DCMS website:
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the impact on the standards and accessibility of museums and libraries of changes to local government structure. [146461]
Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State looks forward to discussions on future unitary structures at the appropriate Ministerial Committee of the Cabinet.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made towards its public service agreement target to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity among children under 11 by 2010. [148826]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Given the complexity of this public health challenge, DCMS shares this target with the Department of Health and with the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
The three Departments are working together, through joint cross-departmental programme management arrangements, on six fronts: to change population attitudes towards eating and activity; helping children to be active and eat healthily; supporting targeted local-level obesity interventions in children; raising awareness of the importance of healthy weight to children and parents; working with local partners on delivery; and developing the knowledge base.
My Department's contribution to this programme of work is chiefly through making children and families more physically active via children's play, school sport and community sport; improving children's diet via our work with Ofcom on restricting promotion and advertising to children of foods high in fat, salt and sugar; and our work with the hospitality sector to promote healthier food choices.
Through the Big Lottery Fund £155 million Play initiative local authorities are able to develop free open access play provision in areas of greatest need in England.
And on broadcast food promotion we have worked with Ofcom to produce new rules that ban the advertising of high fat, salt and sugar foods in and around all children's programming; on dedicated childrens channels; and in programmes of particular appeal to children under the age of 16. Ofcom have also introduced new rules on the content of advertisements targeted at primary school children. These rules ban the use of celebrities and characters licensed from third-parties (such as cartoons), promotional claims (such as free gifts) and health or nutrition claims. Ofcom announced the new rules in February 2007.
The National School Sport Strategy, jointly implemented by DCMS and DCSF, is a key component of a whole school programme of addressing obesity. The 2005-06 school sport survey found that overall, 80 per cent. of pupils participate in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week. This exceeded the target of 75 per cent. for 2006 and demonstrates a considerable increase from the estimated 25 per cent. in 2002. This target will rise to 85 per cent. by 2008. By 2010 the ambition is to offer all children at least four hours of sport a week.
We are also working with school sports partnerships to increase participation in physical activity by overweight and obese children.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) overseas and (b) domestic tourists visited England in each year since 1997. [148829]
Margaret Hodge: The following tables show the number of visits to England by (a) overseas residents and (b) UK residents where this included an overnight stay.
Inbound visits to England | |
Visits (million) | |
Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS) |
Domestic overnight trips in England | |
Visits (million) | |
Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards)(1) |
In addition, a substantial number of day visits are made to, or within, England. The last Leisure Visits Survey in 2005 recorded a total of 870 million tourism day visits to destinations in England by English residents. It is not possible to provide a time series for this information as the surveys are run intermittently.
(1)( )The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred due to concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which are thought to be an under-representation of the true position. There was also a change in survey methodology in 2000, though figures for 1997-99 have been reworked to allow comparisons with the later data.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total expenditure from the public purse was on promoting England as a tourist destination (a) domestically and (b) internationally in each year since 1997. [148540]
Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain has been responsible for the marketing of England as a tourist destination since April 2003, and has been advised in this by the England Marketing Advisory Board. Until the beginning of 2005-06, VisitBritain marketed England only within Britain. Under the new Strategy agreed by the Department and the devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in March 2005, VisitBritain now additionally markets England as a tourist destination in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland.
VisitBritains spending on marketing England since 2003 | ||
£ million | ||
Marketing within Britain | International marketing | |
Before 2003, England was marketed internationally by the British Tourist Authority as part of its remit to promote and market the whole of Britain. The expenditure incurred cannot be broken down by the constituent nations of Britain.
These figures do not include public spending by the Regional Development Agencies, the Regional Tourist Boards, and other bodies, seeking to promote particular areas of England in domestic and international markets.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of VisitBritain's overseas marketing budget was used to promote tourism to (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 2003. [148827]
Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain does not disaggregate its spending on marketing Britain by country or territory. Its marketing campaigns are based around market sectors or themes, such as heritage or sport, and usually involve the promotion of many locations throughout Britain.
However, VisitBritain has marketed England in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Ireland since 2005, with the agreement of the devolved Administrations of Scotland and Wales. Spending for that purpose, from VisitBritain's budget was as follows:
2005-06: £1.2 million;
2006-07: £1.3 million.
VisitBritain's marketing budget does not cover Northern Ireland, for which Tourism Ireland is responsible.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for manufacturing methylamphetamine in the past five years; and how many such cases involved the use of over-the-counter medicines for this purpose. [148034]
Mr. Coaker: Prior to 18 January 2007, methylamphetamine production formed part of the offence Production or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Amphetamine under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It was not possible to separately identify the production of methylamphetamine or its constituent parts from other types of amphetamine within this offence, nor was it possible to identify which cases involved the use of over-the-counter medicines for this purpose.
Following methylamphetamines reclassification from a class B drug to a class A drug, Production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth) became a new offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2006, section 4(2).
Information on the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 sec. 4(2) [Class B Drug] for the offence of Production or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Amphetamine, in England and Wales for the years 2001 to 2005 can be found in the following table. Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.
Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 sec. 4(2) [Class B Drug] , f or the offence of production or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Amphetamine, in England and Wales for the years 2001 - 05( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3) | |
Number | |
(1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Prior to 18 January 2007 the production of Methamphetamine was not a separate offence. The following is the new Act and offence description for Methylamphetamine offences: The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Production of or being concerned in the production of [Class A Drug] Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths) s.4(2) Production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meth). Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice |
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