House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Oct 2001 (pt 5)

Jackpot Machines

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement about proposals by the Gaming Board to remove jackpot machines from members' social clubs; [7147]

Mr. Caborn: The independent Gambling Review Body, whose report we published on 17 July, recommended that gaming machines in private clubs which were not casinos or bingo clubs should have a maximum prize of £25 instead of £250 as at present. All the Review Body's recommendations are now subject to public consultation, which will run until 31 October. Until the consultation process has been completed we are not in a position to make an informed assessment of the financial and other consequences for clubs; and we do not propose to take decisions on the report before then.

Concessionary TV Licences

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timetable is for granting concessionary television licences to sheltered and community accommodation. [7350]

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Dr. Howells: Under the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence scheme, a £5 concessionary fee is already available for disabled people and retired people aged 60 or over living in residential or nursing homes or in sheltered housing which meets specific qualifying criteria. As announced on 9 April this year, we propose to introduce preserved rights to this concession for existing beneficiaries, in cases where changes to the social mix or the level of warden cover mean that the accommodation no longer meets the full qualifying criteria. Consultations between officials and the BBC about the necessary amendments to the television licence fee regulations are currently underway. We intend to bring forward these amendments as soon as we can but it is important that in doing so we do not create any new anomalies or unnecessary administrative burdens.

London Weighting

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the total value of London weighting and London living allowances for her Department; and if she will make a statement. [6776]

Dr. Howells: My Department consolidated London weighting into basic pay in November 1996. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the total value of this weighting.

Correspondence

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was, for each year since 1995, (1) the total number of (a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) parliamentary questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords dealt with by his Department; what percentage took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if she will make a statement; [7038]

(a)

(b)

(c)

Tessa Jowell: The effective handling of correspondence and PQs is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance.

General information on the volumes of correspondence received across Whitehall and on overall performance is published by the Cabinet Office. Figures for 2000 were published on 6 April 2001 Official Report, columns 324–28W and on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.

Since 1 May 1997 my Department has answered 1,735 written questions tabled by hon. Members and noble Lords. In the House of Commons, 35 per cent. of named day questions were answered on the day specified and 53 per cent. of ordinary written questions were answered within one week of being tabled. In another place, 57 per cent. questions tabled by noble Lords were answered within two weeks of being tabled.

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Departmental Spending

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the total annual running costs for buildings used, owned or rented by her Department for each nation and region of the UK, and estimate the average cost per square metre for properties used by her Department as a whole, and by region and nation of the UK. [6777]

Dr. Howells: My Department consists of less than 500 persons located in four Central London buildings. The total space occupied is 11,096 square metres. Occupation cost for the buildings in 2000–01 was £5,266,550 providing an average cost per square metre of £474.62. This cost will vary year on year dependent upon rates, utility costs and building maintenance.

OFCOM

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in the establishment of OFCOM. [7563]

Dr. Howells: The Government have introduced the Office of Communications Bill to set up OFCOM, who will then prepare themselves to receive regulatory functions under the subsequent Communications Bill. My Department, the Department of Trade and Industry and the five existing regulators are planning the practical steps that will be necessary and a report on how this should be done was published last week.

World Athletics Championships

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what spectator capacity a stadium requires in order to meet the IAAF's specifications for a standard capable of hosting the World Athletics Championship. [7929]

Tessa Jowell: The IAAF had previously advised UK Athletics that the stadium for the World Athletics Championships would need to be able to seat at least 43,000 spectators.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the accommodation requirements are for (a) athletes and (b) officials in a city in order to meet the IAAF's specifications for a standard capable of hosting the World Athletics Championship. [7944]

Tessa Jowell: These are set out Appendix I of the IAAF guidelines for the IAAF World Athletics Championships. I have sent the hon. Gentleman a copy and placed copies in the Libraries of both Houses.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what analysis her Department has made of Sheffield's transport facilities. [7927]

Tessa Jowell: My Department has discussed transport issues relating to the 2005 World Championships with Sport England, Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield City Trust. Sheffield City Council has advised that the infrastructure surrounding the Don Valley Stadium already enables up to 50,000 people to attend concerts at the Stadium. If the IAAF accepts our proposal for Sheffield to stage the 2005 World Athletics Championships, detailed

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work will be needed to assess what, if any, further transport improvements need to be made to facilitate the staging of the event.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when it became Government policy to support the staging of the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Sheffield. [7925]

Tessa Jowell: The decision to support the staging of the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Sheffield was made on 4 October, after discussions with UK Athletics and Sport England.

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions (a) ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with the IAAF on the prospect of staging the 2005 World Athletics Championships. [7923]

Tessa Jowell: It has been my priority to keep the IAAF fully informed at every stage about the review of the UK's arrangements for the 2005 World Athletics Championships. My Department has had the following contact with the IAAF since 7 June:

2 July. I spoke to Istvan Gyulai, General Secretary of the IAAF by telephone to inform him that Sport England had commissioned Patrick Carter to review the Lee Valley project and to advise him that the Government were committed to staging the 2005 World Athletics Championships.

6 August. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport met Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF, and Istvan Gyulai at the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton.

25 September. At my request, a senior DCMS official spoke to Istvan Gyulai to inform him that the Government were considering Patrick Carter's report and that we would advise him of the position as soon as the Government, Sport England and UK Athletics had reached a conclusion on staging the World Athletics Championships.

4 October. Dave Moorcroft, Chief Executive of UK Athletics and I spoke to Lamine Diack and Istvan Gyulai by telephone to tell him of our decision that Lee Valley was not viable and to say that we wanted to suggest to the IAAF that the Championships be switched to Sheffield.

5 October. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and I met Lamine Diack, President of the IAAF, Istvan Gyulai and Robert Stimpson, IAAF Treasurer. This meeting was also attended by David Hemrey and Dave Moorcroft from UK Athletics, Patrick Carter and by officials from DCMS and Sport England.

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