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IT Equipment
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy regarding the recycling of information technology equipment within his Department and relevant agencies and to other Government departments or agencies; and what arrangements have been made in this respect. [23278]
Mr. Fatchett: This Department and its one agency aim to recycle as much material as is cost justified. Classified elements of surplus information technology equipment which cannot be redeployed within the Department are destroyed. Unclassified elements are sold either in working condition or for scrap.
Antarctica
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Governments of (a) South Africa, (b) Spain and (c) Panama concerning illegal fishing around Antarctica; and if he will make a statement. [24131]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: The question of illegal fishing was discussed extensively at the annual meeting in November 1997 of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), of which both South Africa and Spain are Members. Through the Chairman of the Commission, and on a bilateral level, approaches have been made to the authorities in Panama.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the siting of the Antarctic Secretariat. [24132]
Mr. Tony Lloyd: Antarctic Treaty Parties have made no further progress since the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in New Zealand in May last year when issues relating to the Secretariat were discussed.
Official London Residence
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who has stayed in his official London residence since 1 May 1997. [24135]
Mr. Robin Cook: The public rooms at 1 Carlton Gardens are used for a variety of official business. I have a private flat at the top of the building in which no official guests have stayed since 2 May.
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what improvement works are planned for his official London residence; and what is the estimated cost of each item. [24136]
Mr. Robin Cook: The exterior paintwork of 1 Carlton Gardens was refurbished over the summer at a cost of £45,000. The decision to undertake this work was made in early 1997 under the previous Government.
The FCO are obliged under the terms of the lease from the Crown Estate to maintain the building according to a set timetable and strict standards and to comply with statutory requirements in respect of its Grade I listing status.
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The budget inherited from the previous Government included provision for £70,000 for internal redecoration. None of this has been spent and there are no current plans for internal redecoration.
Preliminary work is currently in hand to bring the ventilation of the gas fires in the building into line with recent statutory safety legislation. Costs are not yet available for this work. There are no other plans for improvement works.
Mr. Leslie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of all the Lottery Capital Scheme awards value has been granted to (a) the London region and (b) the Yorkshire and Humber region. [23378]
Mr. Banks:
To date £3.18 billion has been awarded to Lottery capital projects. Of these, awards to the London region account for 17 per cent. (£543.8 million). Capital awards to the Yorkshire and Humber region (£214.7 million) account for 6.7 per cent. of the total.
Information on successful Lottery applicants can be found on the Department's website www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his assessment of the effect on amateur and junior rugby league of the recent changes to the management of the Super League. [23499]
Mr. Banks:
The structure and management of rugby league is a matter for the rugby league authorities. The English Sports Council are working closely with the rugby league authorities, through a Joint Policy Board, which has overseen the establishment of a Youth Commission to develop and promote opportunities for young people to play the game at all levels.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of participation levels in rugby league at all levels of the sport. [23500]
Mr. Banks:
According to the governing bodies for rugby league, there are around 1,000 professional rugby league players at 34 professional clubs, and approximately 35,000 amateur rugby league players at 400 amateur clubs in this country. The Government, through the English Sports Council, actively encourage all governing bodies of sport to have programmes in place which promote our policy of "sport for all" and increase participation levels in all sports, from grass roots through to elite competitors.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the current state of rugby league in the light of the recent changes to the senior management of the Super League; and if he will make a statement. [23498]
Mr. Banks:
The structure and management of rugby league is primarily a matter for the rugby league authorities, who establish and implement rules and
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regulations which they consider to be in the best interests of the game as a whole. I am certain my hon. Friend will make his views known and I am always ready to listen to them.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the financial and participative future of First and Second division rugby league clubs. [23501]
Mr. Banks:
I have not yet made an assessment and believe it is primarily a matter for the rugby league authorities although I would be interested in discussing the matter at an appropriate All Party Group meeting.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the number and location of sites in Wales that will provide digital television services; and if he will indicate how many television viewers in Wales will not be covered by digital service transmitters. [23825]
Mr. Fisher:
The BBC and the Independent Television Commission's plans for the launch of digital terrestrial television services are based on 81 transmission sites in the UK. In Wales, the following sites are included in the launch plan: Wenvoe, Blaen Plwyf, Llanddona, Moel y Parc, Aberdate, Kilvey Hill, and Pontypool. It is not possible to provide a precise number of television viewers in Wales who will not be able to receive an adequate digital service from these transmitters until the transmissions begin. However, the ITC estimates that approximately 766,000 people in Wales (26 per cent. of the total population of Wales) may be unserved from the 81 site plan.
Following the completion of the launch phase of digital terrestrial television, the BBC and ITC, in consultation with my Department, will determine how best to extend digital television services to those remaining unserved, whether by additional terrestrial transmitters or by other means.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the Government will subsidise the provision of set-top boxes to allow (a) the elderly and (b) the disabled to continue receiving television signals after the cessation of analogue broadcasts. [23686]
Mr. Fisher:
Digital terrestrial broadcasting has yet to begin and the Government have no plans to subsidise the provision of set top boxes. However, multiplex licences granted to British Digital Broadcasting plc by the Independent Television Commission contain conditions relating to the promotion of the acquisition of digital receivers and this may include direct subsidy. Analogue terrestrial transmissions will not be discontinued until the spread of digital receivers throughout the population is as universal as that of analogue terrestrial services now.
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with satellite television broadcasters on the inclusion of terrestrial television channels in their services. [23941]
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Mr. Fisher:
Government have no authority to determine which services are carried by satellite broadcasters. It is for the broadcasters, including those currently broadcasting their signals terrestrially, to discuss carriage of their services direct with satellite operators. I understand, however, that the BBC and Channel 5 intend that their terrestrial services should be available on digital satellite once transmissions begin.
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