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Non-League Football
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met representatives from the (a) Nationwide Conference, (b) Doctor Martens' league, (c) Unibond league and (d) Ryman league. [34102]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met with representatives from the Doctor Martens' league, Unibond league or Ryman league.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport met the chairman and chief executive of the Nationwide Conference on 16 July 2001 to discuss a range of non-league football issues.
Archives
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to improve access to archives. [34561]
Dr. Howells: In January last year my Department published social inclusion policy guidance for archives in the document "Libraries, Museums, Galleries and Archives for All" in January 2001. We are now working with Resource, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, and the National Council on Archives to ensure local authority archives recognise their role in achieving greater access and inclusion. With our encouragement, the National Council on Archives has set up a network of Regional Archive Councils which published Archives Strategies for each region in 2001. We have also been working with the Inter-Departmental Archives Committee (IDAC) to create an Action Plan for Archives which will help to encourage greater awareness of and better access to archives. This will be published later in the year.
Royal Parks
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what rights and conditions of public access to the Royal parks are observed by those bodies responsible for their upkeep and administration; [34363]
- (2) what the area of each Royal park is; and what the conditions are on what trading in the Royal parks is permitted; [34362]
(3) which buildings in the Royal parks are not the responsibility of the Royal Parks Agency; [34364]
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(4) what grants are paid to (a) the Royal Parks Agency and (b) other bodies for their work in administering and maintaining the Royal parks; [34366]
Dr. Howells: Responsibility or the subject of these questions has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency and I have asked its chief executive, William Weston, to reply.
Letter from William Weston to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 7 February 2002:
- I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about public access and other matters relating to the Royal Parks.
- The Royal Parks are part of the hereditary possessions of the Crown. The public do not have any legal right to use the Parks, public access depends on the grace and favour of the Crown, although there may be public rights of way across the land. The Royal Parks Agency manages the Royal Parks under powers derived from s22 Crown Lands Act 1851. As part of its statutory management function the Agency permits the public to use the Parks for recreational purposes, subject to regulations issued under the Parks Regulation Acts 1872–1926 which are considered necessary to secure proper management, preserve order and prevent abuse within the Parks. The current regulations are the Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997.
- The Royal Parks Agency receive grant-in-aid under a funding agreement with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for carrying out the Secretary of State's management responsibilities under the Crown Lands Act.
- The area covered by each of the Royal parks is as follows
| Hectares | |
|---|---|
| Hyde Park | 140 |
| Kensington Gardens | 111 |
| Regent's Park (incl. Primrose Hill) | 197 |
| St. James's Park | 34 |
| Green Park | 16 |
| Greenwich Park | 73 |
| Richmond Park | 955 |
| Bushy Park | 450 |
The Parks are intended to provide a respite from the surrounding urban landscape and commercial activities are therefore generally not allowed in the Royal Parks. Where it is necessary or desirable to provide amenities for park visitors, for example refreshments, boating or deckchairs they are provided under licence from the Secretary of State by private contractors following competitive tender.
The following buildings in the Royal Parks are not the responsibility of the Royal Parks Agency.
Bushy Park
Upper Lodge
Bushy House
Hawthorne Cottage
Barton's Cottage
Richmond Park
Thatched House Lodge
White Lodge
Pembroke Cottage
Greenwich Park
Royal Observatory
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Palace
The Orangery
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Regent's Park
Winfield House
St John's Lodge
The Holm
Regent's Lodge
London Zoo
Restoration Studio.
Osborne Estate Act
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to (a) implement and (b) amend the Osborne Estate Act 1902; and when the premises of the former King Edward VII Convalescent Home for Officers will be returned to use in accordance with the provisions of that Act. [34365]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering how she should meet her responsibilities under the Osborne Estate Act 1902 to devote part of Osborne House for the benefit of members of the armed forces and civil service until such time as she is able to secure legislation to repeal the statutory requirement.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Child Support Agency
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total amount of money collected by the Child Support Agency was in each of the last seven years. [25017]
Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 6 February 2002:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by me.
- You asked what the total amount of money collected by the Child Support Agency was in each of the last seven years.
- The table on Annex 1 shows those amounts collected and arranged for the last seven years.
- Amounts shown as collected are amounts which are paid via the Agency, while amounts shown as arranged are paid directly between the non-resident parent and the parent or person with care following a CSA assessment.
- I hope this is helpful.
| Year | Collected | Arranged |
|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | 79.422 | 133.233 |
| 1995–96 | 133.508 | 136.913 |
| 1996–97 | 214.911 | 153.291 |
| 1997–98 | 317.576 | 202.987 |
| 1998–99 | 409.819 | 225.854 |
| 1999–2000 | 473.609 | 238.633 |
| 2000–01 | 516.979 | 240.551 |
Source:
Child Support Agency Annual Reports and Accounts
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Pensions Education Campaign
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many television advertisements were paid for by expenditure on the revised Pensions Education Campaign. [18981]
Mr. McCartney: The Pensions Education campaign promotes the Government's aim to combat poverty and promote security and independence in retirement for future pensioners. The campaign encourages future pensioners to save for their retirement where they can afford to, and provides impartial information on their pension options to help them make informed decisions. The television advertisements are part of this wider activity.
Five different television advertisements (two 40-second advertisements, two 20-second advertisements and a 10-second advertisement) were paid for out of expenditure on the Pensions Education (Working Dogs) campaign.
Television advertising started again on 19 January 2002 as part of wider campaign activity and will run until the end of March.
Regulations
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many regulations his Department has proposed to Parliament since June; what regulatory impact assessments have been made for those regulations his Department has implemented; and what plans his Department has to reduce the number of regulations affecting small businesses. [21972]
Mr. McCartney: The Department has introduced 37 statutory instruments, including 15 commencement orders, between 1 June and 31 December 2001. A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) has been published in respect of provisions in one of these—the Disability Discrimination (Providers of Services)(Adjustment of Premises) Regulations 2001 which comes into force on 1 October 2004. A copy of the RIA is available in the Library. No other instruments introduced in this period impact on business.
The Department's policy is to eliminate unnecessary regulation and to minimise the burdens imposed by necessary regulation. We aim to ensure that regulations are necessary; give effective protection; balance benefit, cost and risk; are fair and command public confidence.
The Department is also committed to reducing, wherever possible, existing regulatory burdens, and is contributing to the Government's regulatory reform action plan, that includes delivering reforms which are beneficial to small businesses and the citizen.
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