House of Commons
Monday 1 February 1999
The House met at half-past Two o'clock
PRAYERS
[Madam Speaker in the Chair]
Oral Answers to Questions
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
The Secretary of State was asked--
Concessionary Television Licences
1. Mr. Martin Salter (Reading, West): If the BBC funding review panel will consider the range of concessionary arrangements. [66758]
The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Janet Anderson): The terms of reference for the review panel currently considering the future of the BBC licence fee after 2002 include consideration of the current structure of the concessionary licence scheme and whether a suitable alternative structure could be available.
Mr. Salter: Is my hon. Friend aware of the growing support, especially in my constituency, for our campaign to secure a fairer system of concessionary television licence fees for pensioners and others in need? Is she further aware that there is a powerful case for free television licences to be provided to the housebound--as is the case in Ireland, Austria and Germany--because for many people stuck at home the television is their only source of entertainment and contact with the outside world?
Janet Anderson: I congratulate my hon. Friend on the campaign in his constituency. The pensioners of Reading, West are very lucky to have a Member of Parliament who takes their concerns so seriously. I assure him that the Government accept that the current structure of the concessionary licence scheme is imperfect and unsatisfactory. The current review will include a detailed consideration of the arrangements and possible alternatives, but we cannot make any promises that the review will lead to a general concession for all pensioners or other groups, because that could lead to substantial increases for all other licence fee payers.
Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East): As BBC funding is under review, may I draw the Minister's attention to an important article in The Times today by Roger Boyes about the possible decision by the BBC next week to close down the German service? May I urge her to make her best representations to the BBC not to take that step,
given that the German service still has a following and an important role to play, especially in the former east Germany?
Janet Anderson: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that that is a matter for the Foreign Office, but we will see that his views are made known to those concerned.
National Stadium
2. Mr. Ivor Caplin (Hove): What progress has been made on the development of the new national stadium. [66759]
The Minister for Sport (Mr. Tony Banks): I am pleased to confirm that Wembley plc and the English National Stadium Development Company have exchanged contracts for the sale of Wembley stadium. That is good news. I hope that things can progress quickly, so that we can start building what will be one of the world's finest stadiums. A new Wembley is at the centre of our plans to host major international sporting events such as the world cup in 2006, the Olympics and the world athletics championships. The Government are determined to place Britain right at the heart of international sport, and a new national stadium will help us to do just that.
Mr. Caplin: I thank my hon. Friend for those encouraging remarks, especially about the rebuilding of Wembley stadium and its importance for 2006. Does he agree that today is a black day for football, because of the ridiculous and outrageous comments by the England team manager, which I hope will be heartily condemned on both sides of the House? Will my hon. Friend comment on the importance of regulation in football, because in the past few months we have had many instances that suggest that if we are not careful the bubble will burst? If so, we will not be able to bring the world cup here, because football will have had its time in this country. As a football supporter, I hope that I am wrong and I trust that my hon. Friend can reassure me on the issue of regulation.
Mr. Banks: My hon. Friend demonstrates by the scale of his supplementary question the feeling that sport has become one damn thing after another. On the point about Mr. Glenn Hoddle, there have been times this week when I have wondered what dreadful things I must have done in a previous life to end up as the Sports Minister in this one. I can only conclude that I was probably Vlad the Impaler and I have certainly felt all my impaling instincts coming back to me when I have surveyed the sporting scene. The words of the Prime Minister on television this morning are clear. He said that if Glenn Hoddle did make the comments as reported, it would be very difficult for him to stay. That is a matter, of course, for the Football Association and meetings are taking place. I suspect that we will get an announcement tomorrow, if not today.
Football is on a roll at the moment and many people feel that the good days will never end. However, football must bear in mind that it must build new supporters in generations to come, and taking money out of football as if there were no tomorrow is a foolish thing to do. The final report of the football task force will consider commercialisation and merchandising and, of course, the idea of a football regulator. My Department has set up a
new independent body, the quality, efficiency and standards team--or Quest--to consider the rules of governing bodies that receive public support, and we hope that that will be one of the new mechanisms that will modernise British sport and take it into the next century.
Mr. Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath):
First, the Minister will know that all hon. Members who have worked with disabled sportsmen and women over the years will understand and share the views that he has just expressed. However, to return to the matter of the national stadium: does he agree that there is one item in his "one damn thing after another" list that might help the campaigns--supported by hon. Members of all parties--to bring major international sporting events to this country and to stage them in the national stadium, when it is completed? That item is the current scandal in the International Olympic Committee. Is it not likely that our reputation for being one of the incorruptible nations in world sport will make it easier for British bids to be accepted by a new, cleaned-up IOC, and that, as a result, the national stadium will host major world sporting events in the future?
Mr. Banks:
I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's comments and for the support that he gives to sport in this country, especially to disabled sports. He is right to say that it is important that we present a united front in making bids for international sporting events.
This week, I shall attend the anti-doping conference in Lausanne, at which we shall discuss the question of cleaning up the IOC. I am sure that, when that clean-up is complete, cities in this country will be in a much stronger position to bid for future Olympic games.
3. Mr. Clive Efford (Eltham):
What action he has taken to widen the opportunities for children to participate in making music. [66760]
The Minister for Arts (Mr. Alan Howarth):
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced last summer the creation of a new Youth Music Trust with £10 million of Arts Council lottery funding a year. From April, the trust will work to promote greater access to music making for young people. Together with the standards fund initiative announced last week by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport and for Education and Employment, the trust could increase by at least £180 million over the next three years the resources available for improving music-making opportunities for young people.
Mr. Efford:
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the emphasis that his Department places on community and school music and I draw attention to the excellent work in my constituency of the Greenwich Youth Band and Greenwich Music Makers, which provide opportunities for young people to participate in music. Will my hon. Friend assure me that the resources being made available will take due account of community arts funding to ensure that music tuition will be available to everyone, and that no one is excluded from such tuition for reasons of cost?
Mr. Howarth:
I readily underline that point, and I take this opportunity to pay my tribute to the Greenwich
Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham):
Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Secretary of State should now regret saying that Musicworks personifies everything that new Labour is trying to achieve in music, given that that project has had to close with debts of more than £50,000? Was not the Secretary of State merely displaying his normal, cack-handed misjudgment when he said what he did?
Mr. Howarth:
It seems a shame that the hon. Gentleman should simply resort to abuse. We hope to be able to double the amount of funding for music in schools: surely that should be a matter for welcome? Does the hon. Gentleman have to crab and to dwell on the negative, especially when the negative is imaginary?
Mr. Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside):
I thank my hon. Friend for the infusion by the Government of new moneys into music. Would it be his wish that the children involved should one day graduate to playing in our national and regional orchestras? If so, will he kindly consider the difficulties faced by the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which, through no fault of its own, has massive financial problems? It is underfunded and has received only a very small increase in funds. If he were able to do something about the orchestra's difficulties, schools' music in the region would benefit greatly.
Mr. Howarth:
My hon. Friend is a steady and strong champion of the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which is in difficulties. What is needed is a partnership between the Arts Council, North-West Arts, the relevant local authorities and other bodies. I believe that we shall be able to achieve that partnership.
I certainly join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to the very remarkable achievements of our professional musicians, and to our musicians in schools. I was extraordinarily impressed when I visited the Music for Youth 1998 schools prom, as many hon. Members would have been, by the quality of the music making. However, music has been under threat in our schools, which is why our policies are so important to ensuring the continuation of what is a great national tradition.
Mr. Robert Maclennan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross):
In view of the alarming evidence produced last year by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, which showed that the imposition of charges for tuition had already had a devastating effect on the presentation of pupils for music examinations, will the Government monitor closely the effect of their proposals on the level of participation to ensure that that extremely unhealthy trend is reversed?
Mr. Howarth:
The findings of the Associated Board were both dismaying and important, and they form part of the background to the substantial increase in funding for schools music introduced by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport and
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