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24 July 2007 : Column 948W—continued
Wood: Recycling
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the reasons for the level of recycling of timber; and what steps he is taking to increase the level. [150706]
Joan Ruddock: Recent research(1) carried out on DEFRA’s behalf, suggests that it is generally better, in carbon and energy terms, to recover energy from waste wood than to recycle it, with either option being far better than landfill. It estimated that 16 per cent. of waste wood in the UK is currently recycled and 80 per cent. landfilled.
No specific assessment has been made of the reasons for the current level of wood recycling. However the waste and resources action programme (WRAP) continues to play an important role in developing recycling capacity for clean waste wood and markets for the resulting products.
Most waste wood is, however, unsuitable for recycling and the waste strategy for England 2007 sets out the Government's intention to recover more energy from wood that would otherwise be landfilled. DEFRA’s waste implementation programme is taking forward a
programme of work to develop energy markets for waste wood by addressing the informational and practical barriers to expansion.
(1) Carbon Balances and Energy Impacts of the Management of UK Wastes, report by ERM (with Colder Associates) for DEFRA, Final Report, March 2007.
Culture, Media and Sport
Arts Council of England: Finance
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant in aid he plans to allocate Arts Council England in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [150535]
James Purnell: Discussions on the comprehensive spending review are continuing between DCMS and HM Treasury. No decision has yet been taken about grant in aid for Arts Council England for the next three years.
Arts: National Lottery
Mr. Hunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was allocated from the
National Lottery to (a) the Heritage Lottery Fund and (b) UK Arts Lottery Distributors in each financial year since 1994, not including investment income. [152324]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The total operator proceeds for each financial year for (a) the Heritage Lottery Fund were:
| Heritage lottery fund (£ million) | |
| Note: Figures rounded to the nearest thousand pounds | |
and (b) the Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen and the UK Film Council were:
| £ million | ||||||
| Arts Council of England | UK Film Council. | Arts Council of Northern Ireland | Scottish Arts Council | Arts Council of Wales | Scottish Screen | |
| Note: Figures rounded to the nearest thousand pounds | ||||||
Betting: Regulation
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to receive the conclusions of his Department’s working group on regulation and administration of on-course betting. [152333]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Following an approach from the Bookmakers’ Committee, my Department facilitated the setting up of the Working Group on the Regulation and Administration of On Course Bookmaking in February 2007. It is chaired by the chief executive of the National Joint Pitch Council and includes representatives of the betting and racing industries. DCMS is not represented on the group.
The group originally planned to report in April 2007. However, it has taken it longer than originally expected to fulfil its terms of reference. We are expecting it to publish its draft proposals for consultation soon.
Digital Switchover Help Scheme
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether those eligible for the targeted assistance scheme in relation to digital switchover are entitled to a digital box with the technical potential for later upgrading with a return path and IPTV slot. [149755]
James Purnell:
The digital terrestrial set top boxes provided under the digital switchover help scheme will
meet the scheme's core receiver requirements. These requirements do not at present require that the boxes have a return path but nor do they rule it out. The requirements will be kept under review throughout the process of switchover by an emerging technologies group, which will assess the case for changes, including the possible provision of a return path, based on their usability and cost-effectiveness, and will, where appropriate, recommend that DCMS and the BBC amend the requirements.
National Joint Pitch Council
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department’s working group on regulation and administration of on-course betting has identified those administrative functions of the National Joint Pitch Council which are not provided for in regulations under the Gambling Act 2005; and if he will make a statement. [152332]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Working Group on the Regulation and Administration of On Course Bookmaking is independent of my Department. It was set up following an approach from the Bookmakers’ Committee, includes representatives of the betting and racing industries and is chaired by the chief executive of the National Joint Pitch Council. Its terms of reference include a requirement to
“Agree a comprehensive list of the current administrative functions of the NJPC that are not preserved in regulations under the Gambling Act 2005”.
I understand that its members are in the process of completing this task and will publish their findings for public consultation soon. I am further aware that the Group decided of its own volition to exclude any consideration of pitch tenure issues.
National Lottery: Wales
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the diversion of Lottery funding for the London Olympics on future Lottery funding in Wales. [151856]
Mr. Sutcliffe: As announced on 15 March, it is proposed that the Arts Council of Wales will contribute £8.1 million and the Sports Council for Wales £7.3 million.
Of the relevant UK-wide distributing bodies, it is proposed that the Heritage Lottery Fund will make a contribution of £161.2 million and Big Lottery Fund a contribution of £638.1 million. It is for these distributors to determine the proportion of their funding which goes to Wales. No funds will be transferred before 2009.
In addition, non-Olympic good causes may lose about 5 per cent. of their income as a result of sales diversion from Olympic Lottery games during the eight years from 2005 to 2012.
Grants already made need not be affected. Furthermore, the Big Lottery Fund will maintain, and extend from 2009 to 2012, its commitment to provide 60 to 70 per cent. of its funding to the voluntary and community sector, at the levels planned before the announcement of the Olympic transfer.
Sports: Children
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to increase sporting participation among children nationally as part of the legacy of the 2012 Games. [151118]
James Purnell [holding answer 23 July 2007]: Our continued investment in the National School Sport Strategy, jointly delivered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, will help us to achieve a sustainable legacy of sporting participation for children and young people now and beyond the Games in 2012. There is a PSA target to increase the percentage of 5-16 year olds participating in a minimum of two hours high quality PE and school sport each week to 85 per cent. by 2008. The 2005-06 annual survey of schools in school sport partnerships showed that 80 per cent. of children and young people were already doing so.
The Government’s long-term aim has been to offer all 5-16 year olds four hours of sport by 2010, through a combination of provision in the school day, out of school and community activities. On 13 July 2007 the Prime Minister announced an additional £100 million funding to increase this offer to five hours per week of sport for children and young people aged 5-16, plus three hours per week for young people aged 16-19, by 2010.
Sports: National Lottery
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery funding was provided to (a) athletics, (b) swimming and (c) rowing in each year since 1998. [152289]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The amount of lottery funding provided to athletics, swimming and rowing in each year since 1998 is in the following table.
| Lottery funding | |||
| £ | |||
| Athletics | Swimming | Rowing | |
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