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Regional Orchestras
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on his policy on regional orchestras. [57255]
Mr. Alan Howarth: Government policy on the arts is guided by a desire to promote excellence, access, innovation and education. Our regional orchestras play a valuable role in this, by opening up to a wide range of people the enjoyment of music of the highest standards.
Football (Youth Development)
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the English Sports Council's promised annual funding for youth development has been disbursed to lower league football clubs. [57159]
Mr. Banks: The English Sports Council has made available £20 million over the next four years from the Lottery Sports Fund for the establishment of new academies or centres of excellence for Football League clubs. This money is to be matched pound for pound by the FA Premier League. The English Sports Council take the final decision on applications from this source. The Council has recently allocated £5.8 million over the next four years to 22 Football League Clubs--the first allocation under this initiative. The Premier League will be allocating a similar sum.
Artistic Heritage
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has held in the past year on proposals to protect the United Kingdom's artistic heritage from export. [57180]
Mr. Alan Howarth: The UK's artistic heritage is already well protected by our present system of export controls. Ministers have not within the past year discussed proposals for improving them.
Film Industry
Mr. Spring:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the new Film Export Trade body was established; and how often it has met. [58486]
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Janet Anderson:
Film Export UK was established on 25 September this year as a division of the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT). To date it has held two meetings.
Mr. Butterfill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 29 October 1998, Official Report, column 267, what assessment he has made of the impact of weekend charges for parking in the Royal Parks on (a) parking and (b) road safety in neighbouring streets where no charges are levied; and what representations he has received from residents. [58225]
Mr. Alan Howarth
[holding answer 4 November 1998]: The Agency undertook a consultation exercise to solicit the views of interested parties before making a final decision on the amendments to regulations affecting Hyde Park and Regent's Park.
Those consulted include the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the neighbouring local authorities, local interest groups, including residents' associations, and the four local MPs. The original proposals were amended as a result of the responses received.
The level of charges is designed to improve traffic management, and is pitched at a level to minimise displacement of traffic and avoid increasing on-street parking in the vicinity. The changes are consistent with government policy on traffic, parking and transport in London.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the criteria required in the invitation to tender for the Staff Requirement (Air) 1239 for a beyond visual range air-to-air missile. [58523]
Mr. Spellar:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) on 6 July 1998, Official Report, column 354.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those companies which have been invited to tender for the SR(A) 1239. [58525]
Mr. Spellar:
SR(A)1239 refers to our requirement for a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile for Eurofighter. Invitations to tender were issued in December 1995 to the following companies:
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Responses were received from Matra BAe Dynamics and Hughes Aircraft Co., now Raytheon Systems Ltd. Following initial evaluation, it was decided to conduct a project Definition/Risk Reduction phase, and further Invitations to Tender were issued to both companies in October 1997.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from other EU countries on the Staff Requirement (Air) 1239 for a beyond visual range air-to-air missile. [58524]
Mr. Spellar:
Although SR(A)1239 is to meet a UK requirement for a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile for Eurofighter, our Eurofighter Partner Nations, Germany, Italy and Spain, have similar requirements, as do Sweden for their JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, and have agreed to be associated with our competition. We are assessing the bids jointly and are exploring the possibility of meeting our requirements through a common solution.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there will be a reduction in the number of warheads produced at Aldermaston as a result of the alterations to the United Kingdom's nuclear posture announced in the Strategic Defence Review; and if he will make a statement. [58144]
Mr. George Robertson:
We announced in the Strategic Defence Review that a stockpile of fewer than 200 operationally available nuclear warheads was required to meet our future needs, a reduction from the maximum of 300 announced by the previous Government. There will, therefore, be a reduction in the number of warheads produced at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if all UK Trident missiles are (a) deployed, (b) held as part of a processing margin or (c) to be used in test firings; [58148]
(3) under what circumstances the Government would consider further reducing the number of nuclear warheads deployed on UK Trident submarines. [58150]
Mr. George Robertson:
Our Trident operating posture, including the number of warheads deployed, is based on a rigorous assessment of the minimum necessary to provide credible deterrence. Should changes in strategic circumstances lead to a change in that assessment, we would make corresponding adjustments to our deployed posture. The Strategic Defence Review decisions on missile numbers and the stockpile of operationally available warheads are based on an assessment of the worst circumstances which might arise during Trident's life, however remote they may seem today, and thus provide potential to deploy additional weapons should that
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ever become necessary. In addition, total stockpile numbers also take account of processing margins and, in the case of missiles, anticipated test firings.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the number of nuclear weapons held as a necessary processing margin or for technical surveillance purposes will increase as a result of the Strategic Defence Review. [55870]
Mr. George Robertson
[holding answer 28 October 1998]: There will be no increase in the number of nuclear weapons held as a processing margin or for technical surveillance purposes as a result of the Strategic Defence Review. However, there will be an increase in the number of nuclear warheads awaiting dismantlement.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any UK Trident missiles are deployed without nuclear warheads. [58151]
Mr. George Robertson:
Disclosing the information requested would assist a potential adversary to calculate our capabilities and would therefore be harmful to deterrence. Consequently I am withholding the information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Defence, Security and International Relations).
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the United Kingdom's sub-strategic nuclear capability deployed on Trident missiles has been reduced as a result of the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review compared with the previous Government's deployments. [58152]
Mr. George Robertson:
We stated in the Strategic Defence Review White Paper that each Trident submarine will carry the reduced load of 48 warheads when on deterrent patrol. This compares with the previous Government's announced ceiling of 96. The reduced load of 48 warheads will meet both our strategic and sub- strategic requirements in current Strategic circumstances. Details on the breakdown of this number is classified as this information could be used to provide insights into the precise capability of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. I am therefore witholding this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the cost implications of reducing the number of warheads deployed on UK Trident submarines; [58143]
Mr. George Robertson:
The decision in the Strategic Defence Review that the operationally available stockpile will consist of less than 200 warheads is expected to result in financial savings of some £22 million in the cost of the nuclear warhead programme over the next ten years. There will also be savings of some £50 million from the associated decision to limit to 58 the purchase of Trident missile bodies.
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a) BAe Dynamics, Stevenage.
b) Hughes Aircraft Co., Tuscon, USA.
c) Daimler-Benz, Germany.
d) Alenia, Italy.
e) Matra-Defence, France.
f) GEC-Marconi, Stanmore.
g) Aerospatiale, France.
h) Saab Dynamics, Sweden.
i) Raytheon Electronic Systems, Bedford.
(2) if the total holding of operational nuclear warheads, as revised by the Strategic Defence Review, provides the potential to deploy more than 48 warheads per Trident submarine; [58149]
(2) what financial savings will arise from the Government's revised total holdings of operational nuclear warheads. [58147]
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