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18 Feb 2008 : Column 324W—continued
Dwain Chambers
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions on the decision to allow Dwain Chambers to compete following his drugs ban; and if he will make a statement. [185750]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions on the decision to allow Dwain Chambers to compete following his ban for failing a drug-test.
Selection of athletes is a matter for the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport, in this case UK Athletics, in line with the rules set out in the World Anti-Doping Code.
European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to mark 2008 as the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. [185373]
Mr. Sutcliffe [holding answer 7 February 2008]: The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, for which my Department is in the lead, provides an opportunity to highlight the UK’s achievements in encouraging dialogue and to make further progress. The launch event, hosted by the Slovenian EU presidency in Ljubljana on 6-7 January, was attended by an official from my Department and also by the British Council and other UK organisations.
We have appointed EUCLID, the UK’s Cultural Contact Point for the EU Culture Programme, as the UK’s National Co-ordinating Body for the Year. We have asked EUCLID to draw up a programme of events. The major events planned so far are the UK launch event for the year in Manchester in early March and a conference in Liverpool on 1-3 May on “Intercultural Cities”.
I am also very pleased that Liverpool’s project, “Intercultural City”, which forms part of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture programme, has been chosen by the European Commission as the representative UK national project for the year, and will receive funding from the Commission. This project will last throughout 2008.
We want to encourage all organisations which are planning projects involving intercultural dialogue to apply to register them on the EUCLID website
Fair Trade Initiative
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department’s policy is on the use of fair trade goods (a) in staff catering facilities and (b) at official departmental functions and meetings; and if he will make a statement. [183880]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Staff have the opportunity to purchase fair trade tea, coffee and confectionery in the Department’s staff restaurant.
Fair Trade tea and coffee is supplied at official functions and meetings.
Film
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on his film policy. [183539]
Margaret Hodge: The Government aim to help create a sustainable, stable and successful film industry that brings both cultural and economic benefits to the UK.
To achieve this, the UK Government will continue to direct financial support for the production of culturally British films.
The main forms of funding support are the new film tax relief, and grant in aid/lottery funding distributed through a number of organisations including the UK Film Council.
Since the establishment of the UK Film Council in 2000, over 100 feature films have been supported, as have around 300 short films and about 400 script development projects. An estimated 34 million people have seen these films in UK cinemas.
The New Cinema Fund was established to support creative innovation and new talent, and has been involved with such award winning films as Ken Loach's The Wind that Shakes the Barley (Palme d'Or, Cannes) and Kevin MacDonald's Touching the Void (BAFTA, Best British Film).
Gambling
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the basis was for the decision to introduce B3A machines under the auspices of the Gambling Act 2005; and what evidential factors were considered when deciding to introduce the machines. [185544]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The introduction of the category B3A gaming machine under the Gambling Act 2005 was intended to assist non-commercial clubs, such as the Royal British Legion and Miners’ Welfare Institutes, with their fundraising efforts.
The background to the introduction of the B3A category was included in the regulatory impact assessment and explanatory memorandum which accompanied the Categories of Gaming Machine Regulations 2007. The regulations can be accessed at:
Non-commercial clubs can make the B3A gaming machine available as part of their entitlement to category B machines. The B3A gaming machine has a maximum prize of £500 and must not allow the user to engage in any form of gambling apart from a lottery. At least 20 per cent. of the proceeds from the machine must be used in support of the club’s activities, which must be conducted for charitable, sporting, cultural or not-for-profit purposes.
Historic Buildings: Conservation
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government has taken to promote the preservation of historic buildings in the West Midlands since 1997. [181578]
Mr. Sutcliffe
[holding answer 7 February 2008]: English Heritage has a statutory role in the planning process and provides expert advice and guidance on the maintenance, care and enhancement of historic buildings, monuments and places in the West
Midlands. It works with owners, trusts and local authorities as well as regional and sub-regional strategic partners to find solutions for historic buildings at risk in the region.
Government funding for the historic environment is mostly provided through English Heritage. Since 1997(1), English Heritage has provided £15.2 million in grants for the historic environment in the West Midlands. In addition, it has contributed towards the £20 million provided, with the Heritage Lottery Fund, to listed places of worship in the West Midlands through the Joint Places of Worship Grant Fund.
In addition to English Heritage, between April 2002 and March 2007, £4.8 million has been provided to listed places of worship in the West Midlands through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Between 1997 and 2007, the Heritage Lottery Fund has provided awards worth £185.5 million to the built environment in the West Midlands (including awards to activities such as access, learning, participation and enjoyment of historic buildings).
(1) Figures for period 1998-08. Figures are not available for the period 1997-98.
Historic Buildings: Plymouth
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made by English Heritage in reaching agreement with Plymouth City Council on the listing of the Civic Centre and its future development. [186102]
Margaret Hodge: English Heritage met Plymouth city council in summer 2007 and offered its expertise to help resolve the future of the civic centre. English Heritage remains keen to help negotiate proposals which balance the qualities of the building with the wider regeneration aspirations for the city.
Jacqueline Asafu-Adjaye
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether Ms Jacqueline Asafu-Adjaye is employed by his Department. [184843]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Jacqueline Asafu-Adjaye is employed by DCMS.
Licensing Act 2003
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timetable is of each element of the assorted evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003. [184639]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government’s evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 consists of a number of different projects. A report drawing together the main conclusions from these strands will be published shortly.
The main elements of the evaluation are:
Scrutiny Councils Initiative: a final report was issued in July 2006. The Scrutiny Councils have been asked recently whether there are any updates on the position reported in 2006.
Independent Fees Panel Report: published 25 January 2007.
Review of Statutory Guidance: completed and revised guidance was issued on 28 June 2007.
Live Music Forum Report: published 3 July 2007.
Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Statistical Bulletin: published on 8 November 2007.
DCMS Simplification Plan: the Department’s second Simplification Plan was published on 4 December 2007.
Closing times data: commissioned by DCMS from CGA Strategy Ltd. to analyse actual Saturday closing times—data collected and to be published shortly.
The impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder: the Home Office expects to publish its report shortly.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether (a) police authorities, (b) police forces, (c) magistrates and the judiciary, (d) the Association of Chief Police Officers and (e) local authorities, have been formally consulted as part of the evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003. [184640]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The evaluation brings together the various projects which were established to monitor the impact of the Licensing Act 2003. Those projects would have involved a variety of stakeholders. For example, the Scrutiny Council initiative involved 10 local authorities, but also drew on their wider licensing forums and in some cases the experiences of authorities in their surrounding areas. Similarly, the Justices Clerks Society, Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services and the Association of Chief Police Officers were members of the stakeholder group which helped review the statutory guidance to licensing authorities and several police forces and local authorities responded to the consultation on that review.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to reply substantively to the letter of 4 December 2007 from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire concerning his constituent, Mr. B. Mallalieu. [185762]
Andy Burnham: The original case referred to in the letter of 4 December 2007 from the right hon. member for West Derbyshire was transferred to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) on the 26 November 2007. Our records show that a letter informing the right hon. member of this transfer was dispatched at the time. I apologise for the delay in responding to the right hon. Member's follow-up letter of 4 December. A reply has now been sent.
National Lottery: Grants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate the amount of funding from the national lottery (a) per head of population and (b) in total for each local authority area in each of the last five years. [186453]
Mr. Sutcliffe:
The total value of lottery grants awarded since the national lottery began to operate in November 1994 is £19,733,936,681. This figure is derived from the DCMS lottery grants database. This
represents £325.71 per head of population using a population figure of 60,587,300. The population figures used are the mid-2006 estimates of the Office of National Statistics.
The totals awarded in each local authority area in each of the last five years are set out in the following tables. These will be placed in both Libraries of the House.
The Department's Lottery Grants Database is searchable at:
and uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.
National Lottery: Southend on Sea
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid in grants from lottery funds to organisations in Southend-on-Sea (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the Essex total in each of the last three years. [186406]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Since the national lottery began to operate in November 1994, Southend-on-Sea has received 283 grants with a total award value of £14,712,191. In the same time period Essex has received 4,679 grants with a total value of £258,522,025.
The figures for each of the last three completed financial years are given in the following table.
| Financial year | |||
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
The search is location specific. That is the figure includes only grants that are specific to location in the region and exclude grants that might have gone to addresses in the region, but are not otherwise related to it. The Department's lottery grants database is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk and uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much was paid in each prize awarded by the national lottery to individuals who purchased lottery tickets in Southend-on-Sea in each of the last three years for which information is available; [186407]
(2) how much was paid in each prize awarded by the national lottery to individuals who reside in Southend-on-Sea in each of the last three years for which information is available. [186408]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The information requested is not available. The national lottery operator, Camelot, does not collect prize payout information on a constituency or postcode basis, nor does it collect the addresses of winners who win prizes of less than £500.
Furthermore, Camelot does not collect ticket purchase information on individual retail customers, nor does it collect sales information on a constituency,
district, county or postcode basis. However, an analysis of sales data by postcode area is available in the Libraries of both Houses and provides information up to 2004.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value of unclaimed national lottery winnings is (a) in total and (b) arising from tickets sold in Southend-on-Sea since the national lottery began; and how such unclaimed money is managed. [186413]
Mr. Sutcliffe: From the national lottery's launch in 1994 to 11 February 2008, there has been a total of £978.8 million in unclaimed prizes. The national lottery operator, Camelot, does not collect a total value of unclaimed prizes in relation to any constituency, district, county or postcode.
Amounts in respect of unclaimed prizes are paid to the Good Causes via the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) or Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund (OLDF) as appropriate, 180 days after the relevant draw, 180 days after the end of the relevant scratchcard game or 180 days after the date on which the Interactive Instant Win Game was played. The unclaimed prize money is held in Player Trust Accounts for the 180-day period. Camelot is required to publicise larger unclaimed prizes in the area where the ticket was purchased during this time in order to encourage winners to come forward. This has included raising public awareness through television, radio and other creative publicity initiatives.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the largest amount of national lottery money is that has been awarded to (a) an organisation and (b) an organisation in Southend-on-Sea since the lottery was established; and if he will make a statement. [186415]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The largest single grant was awarded to the New Millennium Experience Company. The grant for £604 million was awarded in November 1997.
The largest grant awarded in the local authority area of Southend-on-Sea was awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in March 1999. The recipient was the Southend-on-Sea borough council and the grant of £1.5 million was used for the Southend Cliff Gardens Project.
The Department's Lottery Grants Database is searchable at:
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