Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 20 November 2007
Culture, Media and Sport
British Library
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to his Department's press release of 8 November 2007, how many visitors from Europe the British Library attracted in each year since 1997. [166155]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 November 2007]: The British Library does not collect data specifically on visitors from Europe. It does, however, collect data in a number of specific areas of activity, which indicate the level of European usage of its services:
| New Reader Passes and Renewals: Europe (excluding the UK) | |
| Number | |
Exit surveys indicate that the Rest of Europe attendance for the last three British Library exhibitions were: 2006 Front Page 4 per cent. (4,458); 2006 London: A Life in Maps 9 per cent. (11,857) and 2007 Sacred 10 per cent. (20,005).
From market research undertaken during the past three years it is estimated that approximately 15 per cent. of website usage comes from the Rest of Europe. The British Library's current website usage stands at nine million unique hosts per annum, which suggests that approximately 1.35 million users are from the Rest of Europe.
Churches Conservation Trust: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has given to the Churches Conservation Trust in each of the last five years. [166674]
Margaret Hodge:
The Churches Conservation Trust cares for Church of England churches no longer required for regular worship, and considered to be of historical
or architectural significance. The Trust's Grant-in-Aid from the Department is shown in the table.
In addition, the Trust receives funding under the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme, which makes grants equivalent to the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed church buildings. The amounts received by the Trust in each year under the scheme are in the table.
| Grant in a id (£ million) | Listed places of worship grant scheme (£) | |
Cricket: Primary Education
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to encourage cricket in primary schools. [162137]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Cricket is one of 26 sports helping to deliver the National School Sport Strategy. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the National Governing Body for cricket, has received over £1.5 million to date to deliver its objectives for the Club Links and Step into Sport programmes within this Strategy.
The 2006-07 School Sport Survey found that cricket is the 5th most popular sport among schools in a school sport partnership, with 88 per cent. of primary schools offering it to their pupils. The survey also found that 53 per cent. of primary schools have links with a local cricket club.
We have established over 150 cricket community sports coaches through the CSC scheme. The majority of CSC time is spent within the school setting.
Since 2003, Sport England has allocated £14.15 million of Community Club Development Programme (CCDP) funding to the ECB to help community sports clubs develop, or redevelop its sports facilities. Early evaluation of CCDP indicates that, since 2003-04, it has made a key contribution to an increase in links between community sports clubs and schools.
The ‘Chance to Shine’ initiative, aimed at regenerating competitive cricket in state schools has received £4.5million funding to date, £2 million of Sports Lottery funding over the two years 2005 to 2007 and, 2007-08, £2.5 million through the National Sports Foundation.
Departmental Cost Effectiveness
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efficiency savings projects his Department put in place under the Spending Review 2004 targets; on what date each was initiated; how much each was expected to contribute to the target; how much was saved by each; and if he will make a statement. [164146]
Margaret Hodge: The Department has five efficiency programme streams that contribute to its overall target of £262 million savings over the SR04 spending period. Latest figures up to June 2007 are:
| £ million | ||
| June 2007 Outturn | March 2008 Target | |
Our efficiency savings are reported publicly in our Departmental Annual Report and our Autumn Performance Report. The 2007 Autumn Performance Report, due to be published in December, will contain the latest figures up to September 2007.
Departmental Flexible Working
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff (a) have applied to work flexible hours and (b) work flexible hours (i) in his Department and (ii) the Executive agencies for which his Department is responsible. [164317]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not keep central records of (a) staff who have applied to work flexible hours and (b) central records of how many staff work flexible hours. Many requests for flexible working are made informally between managers and staff and therefore not formally recorded.
The information requested could therefore be provided only at disproportionate costs. However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sports operates a flexible working policy that includes:
Flexible working hours (formal and informal flexi, compressed hours, term-time working and annualised hours);
Part-time working or job sharing; and
Home working including formal or informal arrangements.
Our Agency, The Royal Parks, is also unable to provide information on number of staff who have applied to work flexible hours or work flexible hours.
Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Greater London
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government (a) have taken and (b) plan to take to assist elderly people in London to prepare for the switchover from analogue to digital TV; and if he will make a statement. [162205]
James Purnell: The Government have asked the BBC to establish and fund the digital switchover help scheme. This scheme will assist the over-75s and those with significant disabilities (including the blind or visually impaired) to convert to digital television. This help is free of charge to poorest households—those who receive income support or pension credit. Others will pay a £40 charge.
The help scheme will be available to eligible residents in London at least eight months before switchover begins in the London area. The London ITV region is scheduled to switchover in the first half of 2012.
In the meantime, advice and information about digital switchover is available from Digital UK: from their website www.digitaluk.co.uk<;http://www.digitaluk.co.uk>; or by calling Digital UK's helpline on 0845 650 5050.
Festivals and Special Occasions: Film
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to his Department's press release of 1 November 2007 (127/07), what plans there are to attract (a) inbound and (b) domestic visitors to the proposed UK Film Council-funded film festivals. [166156]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 19 November 2007]: The role of the Film Festivals Fund in attracting inbound and domestic visitors is fully set out in the Strategy for the UK-Wide Film Festival which is available on the UK Film Council's website at:
As part of the assessment process for the Film Festivals Fund, applicants must demonstrate a festival's contribution to the UK economy in terms of employment, skills, exports, inward investment and tourism.
Football Foundation: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has given to the Football Foundation in each of the last five years. [166673]
Mr. Sutcliffe: My Department has given a total of £124 million to the Football Foundation since 2000. The first funding period from 2000-01 to 2004-05 was £62 million made up of £24 million Lottery funding, £30 million from the New Opportunities Fund and £8 million from the Pools betting duty.
The second funding period from 2005-06 to 2006-07 was for £45 million made up of £25 million Lottery funding and £20 million Exchequer funding through Spending Review 2004 and Sport England.
For 2007-08 the funding was £15 million from DCMS.
In addition the Football Foundation received £2 million Exchequer funding for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 for anti-crime initiatives.
Heritage
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when a decision is expected from English Heritage on the possibility of listing remaining buildings at the Standish Hospital site. [163641]
Margaret Hodge:
While English Heritage receives applications, assesses buildings and makes recommendations, responsibility for decisions on whether or not to list a building remains, under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, with the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has
received advice from English Heritage on Block C (the former women's ward) at Standish hospital, and will be making a decision shortly. I will inform the hon. Member by December.
Sports Direct: Finance
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the establishment of Sports Direct; and what proportion of this has been spent on consultancy fees. [165095]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 19 November 2007]: All costs of developing and establishing Sports Direct have been met within existing budgets. There was no separate budget for Sports Direct.
Sport England commissioned consultants to produce a feasibility study at a cost of £8,000 in 2005.
Sports: Children
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether there are any schemes funded in whole or in part by the Government that encourage sporting participation among children under five-years-old. [164340]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a single framework for learning, development and care for children from birth to age five, will become statutory in all settings from September 2008. The physical development of babies and young children is one of the six areas of learning and development which practitioners must encourage through play and by providing opportunities for physical activities. Implementation of the EYFS is funded through grants for training and delivery primarily through the free offer for three and four-year-olds.
Sports: Schools
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007, Official Report, column 639W, on Sports: Schools, by what date he estimates that the 225 competition managers will be in post. [166677]
Mr. Sutcliffe: We estimate that our final wave of senior competition managers will be in post between April and September 2008, and our final wave of competition managers between September 2008 and January 2009.
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