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18 Mar 2008 : Column 1054W—continued
Licensing: Public Order Offences
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance he has issued to local authorities on using powers under the Licensing Act 2003 to reduce public disorder. [194399]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government issued revised guidance under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 on 28 June 2007. The guidance can be viewed on:
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport also announced on 4 March 2008 that the Government would work with police and local authorities to help them better identify potential problem premises and areas. We will also encourage them to make full use of the powers in the 2003 Act to tackle premises that are a source of disorder.
Listed Buildings
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he chose not to accept English Heritage's advice on the listing of buildings in each of the last three years; and on how many occasions this was because he did not assess the building as having sufficient architectural or historic interest to merit listing. [194933]
Margaret Hodge: No central record is maintained, either by the Department or English Heritage, to show the number of occasions on which advice provided by English Heritage on listing applications is overruled. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
All listing decisions are based on an assessment of whether a building meets the listing criteria of special architectural or historic interest.
Museums and Galleries
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2008, Official Report, columns 1178-9W, on museums and galleries, how many people each percentage figure represents. [194819]
Mr. Sutcliffe: Attendance at museums and galleries
| Attendance at museums and galleries | ||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |||
| Priority group | Percentage | Thousand | Percentage | Thousand |
| Note: Population figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000. | ||||
Obesity
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's public service agreement targets were for combating obesity in (a) 1998, (b) 2000, (c) 2002, (d) 2004 and (e) 2007; and what the (i) baselines and (ii) targets set were in each case. [194932]
Mr. Sutcliffe: In July 2004, a Public Service Agreement (PSA) target was set for the first time to "halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole".
This PSA was co-owned by the Department of Health, the Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children, Schools and Families) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
With progress against the target measured through the Health Survey for England data on obesity prevalence in children aged between two and 10, the baseline established for the three-year period 2002-04 was 14.9 per cent.
Last year's comprehensive spending review set a new PSA to "improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people", which is co-owned by the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
As part of this new PSA, there is the commitment to reduce the rate of increase in obesity among children under 11 as a first step towards a long-term national ambition by 2020 to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels in the context of tackling obesity across the population.
The baseline figure is still in development and will be confirmed by the Department of Health by April this year.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport remains a key partner in delivery of this commitment.
Performing Arts
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Arts Council on encouraging theatre, opera and ballet companies to schedule more tours in the regions of England. [194376]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 14 March 2008]: Touring by regularly funded organisations is part of on-going discussions between the Department and Arts Council England as we take forward the recommendations of “Supporting Excellence in the Arts—From Measurement to Judgment” by Sir Brian McMaster.
Arts Council England supports the widest possible touring of work and in 2006-07 a total of 14,926 performances were given by 130 touring performing arts organisations.
Arts Council England's distribution policy covers both touring and digital distribution. Priorities for distribution for 2007-11 are to:
“Publish and implement a detailed distribution strategy to enable more people to access the arts in the places, context and formats of their choice. We will do this through consultation with artists, arts organisations, the public and partners in the commercial and subsidised creative industries.”
I am arranging for copies of “Supporting Excellence in the Arts—From Measurement to Judgment” to be placed in the House Libraries.
Playing Fields
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007, Official Report, column 10-11, on playing fields, (1) what assessment he has made of the concerns raised about the adequacy of playing fields protection, with particular reference to the five year rule on consultation; [194875]
(2) whether he has subsequently met Sport England to discuss concerns raised about the protection currently provided to playing fields, with specific reference to the five-year rule on consultation. [195010]
Mr. Sutcliffe: We have tough protections in place to protect playing fields and planning guidance is clear that no playing field needed by the local community should be lost. This is supported by the facts. In 2005-06 (the latest year for which we have figures) Sport England reported that 97 per cent. of all planning applications affecting playing fields represented either an improvement or no change to sporting provision.
However, we are not complacent and continue to keep the effectiveness of current arrangements under review. I am aware of concerns from some organisations that having a time limit acts as an incentive for developers to fence off playing field land from public use in the hope of gaining future planning permission. As such, I have asked Sport England to investigate and assess any issues surrounding the five year rule on consultation. Following this my officials and Sport England will be meeting their colleagues in Communities and Local Government shortly to discuss the issue.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how his Department defines a playing field. [194923]
Mr. Sutcliffe: A playing field is defined in The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order 1996 as the whole of a site that encompasses at least one playing pitch. A pitch is defined as a delineated area, which together with any run off area, is of 0.4 hectares or more, and which is used for association football, American football, rugby, cricket, hockey, lacrosse, rounders, baseball, softball, Australian football, Gaelic football, shinty, hurling, polo or cycle polo.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has met (a) Sport England and (b) Fields in Trust to discuss the effectiveness of legislation for the protection of playing fields in the last 12 months. [194924]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I met Fields in Trust (FIT) in October 2007 and we had a wide-ranging discussion about playing fields issues. I have regular meetings with Sport England and discussions cover all aspects of their remit, including playing fields. In addition, my officials have met Sport England and FIT to discuss, inter alia, the current legislation for the protection of playing fields.
Playing Fields: Planning Permission
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many planning applications were accepted for development of playing fields where the site was too small or the wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch in each of the last five years. [194926]
Mr. Sutcliffe: It is Sport England’s policy to object to any planning application that will result in the loss of a playing field, unless applicants can prove it represents a better deal for sport and meets one of five exceptions as defined in Sport England’s Planning Policy Statement—A Sporting Future for the Playing Fields of England, (available on their website at http://www.sportengland.org). Exception E3 is defined as:
The proposed development affects only land incapable of forming, or forming part of, a playing pitch, and does not result in the loss of or inability to make use of any playing pitch (including the maintenance of adequate safety margins), a reduction in the size of the playing areas of any playing pitch or the loss of any other sporting/ancillary facilities on the site.
Reason: The development of minor parts of a site (e.g. frontage land, steep slopes unsuitable for pitches) can provide a useful source of capital for sports organisations to develop their activities without detriment to the facilities. In order to avoid incremental loss of land, Sport England will use the nature and extent of provision available at any time during 1996 as a base for all assessments.
The table shows planning applications accepted for development on playing fields in each of the last five years that fall within this exceptions policy.
| Cases where the site was too small or wrong shape to accommodate a playing pitch (REF E3) | |
Public Libraries
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on library services. [194452]
Margaret Hodge [holding answer 14 March 2008]: I have had no discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government about library services.
Sport: Community Development
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding grassroots community sport has received from (a) the national lottery and (b) the public purse in each year since 1997; and how much it is projected to receive in each year of the comprehensive spending review period to 2010-11. [194861]
Andy Burnham: Financial support for community sport from public sources is primarily channelled through Sport England which dispenses Exchequer and lottery funds for sport. The tables show how much (a) lottery and (b) Exchequer funding has been spent through Sport England on grassroots community sport (including School Sport through the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESCCL) strategy) in each year since 1997:
| £000 | ||
| Lottery | Exchequer (including School Sport) | |
These lottery and Exchequer figures include funding invested through national governing bodies whole and one sport plans, some of which supports talent and elite activities, as this could be separated out only at disproportionate cost.
In addition the following funding has been provided through the BIG Lottery Fund:
| £000 | |
| BIG Lottery | |
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