---

Private Pensions

Lord Wakeham asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals they have to change the regulatory regime for small self-administered pension schemes; and when they propose to implement them.[HL2168]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: On 10 December 2003 the Government published a document setting out the details of their proposals to radically simplify the tax rules for all private pension schemes. Copies of this document, Simplifying the taxation of pensions: the Government's proposals, have been placed in the House of Commons Library. In his Budget speech on 17 March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that these rules would be introduced from 6 April 2006.

Conservation Areas: North-west England

Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many conservation areas have been created in north-west England in the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to date.[HL2127]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: In accordance with Section 70(5)(a) of chapter 9 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has been notified of the designation of two new conservation areas in the north-west region of England, which have been created between 2001 and 2004 to date. Both conservation areas were designated in 2001. In line with the Government's belief that local planning issues are best handled at local level, conservation areas are designated by local planning authorities in the light of their local knowledge.

Olympic Games 2012: London Bid

Lord Freyberg asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Heritage Lottery Fund has been informally asked to reduce the size of lottery awards to ensure that there will be sufficient funds for Britain's Olympic bid.[HL2156]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We have made no such request of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Lottery funding will not be used for bidding costs, but for the staging of the Olympic Games. The costs of bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012 will be met by DCMS from exchequer funds, by the London Development Agency, and through financial support or value in kind from commercial or other organisations. In the event of a successful bid, the lottery contribution to the costs of staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 will be up to

1 Apr 2004 : Column WA180

£1.5 billion. This will consist of £750 million from new Olympic lottery games, £340 million from sport lottery distributors, and up to £410 million, if required, from changing percentage shares after 2009. New Olympic lottery games would not begin until after a decision has been taken in July 2005 on who will host the Olympics, and then only in the event of London being awarded the games.

Sport England

Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people were employed, and at what cost, by Sport England nationally and in the regions in 2000–01; 2002–03; and 2003–04.[HL2174]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey:

	2001–02 Actuals				2002–03 Actuals				2003–04 Projection
	Number of staff	Cost (£000)	Number of staff	Cost (£000)	Number of staff	Cost (£000)
North East	20	504	22	664	20	633
Yorkshire	20	557	21	602	12	634
East Midlands	14	529	17	643	15	644
East	20	541	19	579	18	658
London	22	642	22	717	20	818
South East	29	864	30	934	19	826
South West	19	531	21	624	22	639
West Midlands	21	545	23	593	21	626
North West	25	721	23	792	15	692
Headquarters	258	12,463	200	12,469	124	8,750
TOTAL	435	17,895	385	18,617	273	14,920

The costs shown include posts funded through specific programmes by other agencies and temporary staff costs. The headcount numbers exclude posts funded through specific programmes and temporary staff as these can vary throughout the year. For 2001–02, the average number of externally funded staff was 42 and temporary staff was 93, bringing the total staff number to 570.

Sport England changed its accounting system for the 2001–02 year. Therefore, information for prior years (i.e. 2000–01) is not readily available.

Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether Sport England's pre-recorded service which thanks callers for telephoning Her Majesty's Government is consistent with Sport England's independent status.[HL2175]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Until 29 March, Sport England used the government switchboard, which carries a message thanking callers for telephoning Her Majesty's Government. From 29 March, Sport England has operated its own low-cost telephone number for all inquiries. lynne

Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:

What were the total redundancy costs arising from the reorganisation of Sport England; and how these costs were allocated between (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; (b) Sport England grant-in-aid; and (c) the Sports Lottery Fund.[HL2176]

1 Apr 2004 : Column WA181

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The estimated costs of redundancy and related costs were set out in Sport England's 2002–03 financial statements, copies of which were placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The costs were shown as £11.5 million of which £6.6 million related to redundancy costs and £4.9 million related to ongoing pension liabilities (contributions for these staff). Within the statements, £6.9 million was shown as funded through the Lottery Fund and £4.6 million through grant-in-aid. An additional DCMS grant of £2.5 million was provided towards the full cost of modernisation, including the move of the support centre to Victoria House.

Private Finance Initiative

Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Sport and Tourism on 10 March (HC Deb, col. 1500W), in which constituencies the 16 private finance initiative schemes are located.[HL2179]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Sport and Tourism on 10 March (HC Deb, col. 1500W), the 16 private finance initiative schemes are located in the following constituencies:

Recipient Authority	Constituency/Constituencies where PFI scheme is located
Sheffield Borough Council	Sheffield, Attercliffe
Liverpool City Council	Liverpool, Walton and Liverpool, Riverside
Telford and Wrekin Borough Council	Wrekin County
Croydon (London Borough)	Croydon Central
South Tyneside Council	Jarrow
Brent Council	Brent East
Wolverhampton City Council	Wolverhampton North East
Redbridge (London Borough)	Ilford North and Ilford South
Shepway District Council	Folkestone & Hythe
Rotherham Borough Council	Wentworth and Rother Valley
Oldham Borough Council	Oldham West & Royton
Cambridgeshire District Council	Cambridgeshire South East or Cambridge City (site to be confirmed)
Newcastle City Council	Newcastle upon Tyne Central, Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend and Newcastle upon Tyne North
Liverpool City Council	Liverpool, Riverside
Rochdale Borough Council	Middleton & Heywood and Rochdale
Bournemouth Borough	Bournemouth West
Council

1 Apr 2004 : Column WA182

Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life

Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give effect to the recommendation made by the European Commission against Racism in June 2000 that the United Kingdom should ratify the Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life.[HL2035]

The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The United Kingdom signed the Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life in February 1992. The then government did not seek ratification which, if all parts of the convention were subscribed to, would require changes to domestic law on the franchise for local elections.

Food Labelling: Sugar

Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will ensure that health warnings are given on the packaging of food stuffs containing sugar.[HL1517]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Current European Union food labelling rules do not require pre-packaged foods containing sugar to carry health warnings and there are no proposals to introduce such a requirement. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that information on the content of sugars is given in the nutrition label even when such information is not required by law.

The Government are pressing for EU rules to require compulsory nutrition labelling on all pre-packaged foods, in a format which gives clear information about levels of fat, sugar and salt.

The FSA is also considering the case for voluntary front of pack sign-posting to help consumers identify healthier options; any such scheme would be likely to take account of fat, sugar and salt content.

1 Apr 2004 : Column WA181

---

---