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Ministry of Defence: Right to Roam
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What right to roam exists for members of the public on military training land at Bovington[HL1638]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The new right of access will apply to all MoD land which has been mapped as open country or registered common land by the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales, except where the use of such land is regulated by the byelaws under Section 14 of the Military Lands Act 1982 or Section 2 of the Military Lands Act 1900. Bovington and Lulworth ranges are both subject to byelaws for reasons of public safety and security.
Bovington has 6.1 kilometres of public rights of way and 2.6 kilometres of well marked permissive paths. The MoD has developed a network of 24 kilometres of permissive paths, including 4 kilometres designed and maintained for disabled access at Lulworth. These paths provide a link within the Dorset coast path and a route into the world heritage coast.
Support Vehicle Project
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 23 February (WA 6), what is their response to the inclusion by the National Audit Office in paragraph 142 of its major projects report, that "the delayed in-service date [of the support vehicle] will affect the deployable operational capability of the Royal Air Force".[HL1656]
Lord Bach: The National Audit Office major project report anticipates a possible alteration in the concept of operations for using the support vehicle. However, this is still under consideration, and no final decision has been made over its implementation.
Law Officers: Advice to Ministers
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the publication under the 30 year rule of the advice given by the Attorney-General about the compatibility of the Commonwealth Immigrants Bill 1968 with international law was in accordance with constitutional convention.[HL1689]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin): Yes. The longstanding convention, observed by successive governments, that the fact and substance of the law officers' advice is not disclosed outside government does not automatically prevent the transfer of their advice to the national archives after 30 years. The Attorney-General's advice on the Commonwealth Immigrants Bill 1968 was released at the national archives after 30 years in 1999 as part of Cabinet Office document CAB 129/135. However, the law officers' advice may remain closed, as may any other public record, if actual damage would be caused by release.
Sports Clubs
Lord Pendry asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many sports clubs are registered with the Inland Revenue for financial benefits as community amateur sports clubs; and what proportion of the total number of sports clubs this represents; and[HL1601]
What steps they have taken to encourage the take-up of the tax relief available to community amateur sports clubs since the 80 per cent relief came in with the Local Government Act 2003.[HL1602]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): At the end of February 2004, 2,475 sports clubs had applied to the Inland Revenue for registration as community amateur sports clubs (CASCs), 702 of which had been registered. A list of registered clubs is published on the Inland Revenue website, and is updated on a monthly basis. Precise figures for the total number of sports clubs in the UK are not available, although there are over 110,000 but not all will be eligible for CASC status.
The Inland Revenue, in partnership with the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR), Bates, Wells & Braithwaite, Deloitte & Touche and others, has held a series of regional seminars to promote the CASC scheme. The Inland Revenue continues to work closely with representative bodies to encourage awareness of the scheme among their members.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has written to local authorities informing them of forthcoming changes to the rating system resulting from the Local Government Act 2003, which include the introduction of mandatory 80 per cent rates relief for CASCs. Local authorities have been asked to reinforce to sports clubs that registered CASCs in England and Wales will receive mandatory rates relief.
In addition, the ODPM is issuing publicity leaflets through local authorities about the changes to their business rates bills in April 2005 following the Revaluation and Local Government Act 2003. These leaflets include information on CASC eligibility and registration and are being issued to business ratepayers with their 2004–05 bills.
Both the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Minister for Sport and Tourism have regular meetings with many of the national governing bodies for sport, and frequently discuss the promotion of the CASC initiative.
In addition, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport also wrote to all Members of Parliament in December, encouraging them to promote the scheme to amateur sports clubs in their constituencies.
Winter Olympics
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What funding is currently available for Winter Olympic sports; and whether guarantees are in place to ensure that funding will not be cut in the run-up to the Winter Olympics in Turin 2006.[HL1646]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: UK Sport currently makes funding available to winter sports from the lottery and Exchequer.
Lottery funding is currently being provided through the World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) to support those winter sports with athletes with genuine medal potential. Currently UK Sport is making lottery funds available to alpine skiing, speed skating, bob skeleton and snowboarding of approximately £490,000. In addition, UK Sport is also providing total Exchequer funding of approximately £580,000 to seven winter sports to support their national governing body (NGB) broader work and associated programmes, as well as modernisation funding for broader NGB development.
It is not appropriate to guarantee levels of lottery funding in support of world class winter sport athletes as this is reviewed annually and future funding is dependent upon performances and the athletes maintaining their position as genuine medal prospects for Turin. Lottery funding could actually increase if winter sport athletes currently not in receipt of funding improve significantly and demonstrate that they can clearly bridge the performance gap to podium in Turin.
In addition, UK Sport will be carrying out a winter sport mid-Olympic cycle review in the summer of 2004 of those winter sports supported by their WCPP, before agreeing levels of lottery and Exchequer investment for the second half of the four-year period through from October 2004 to September 2006. Alongside this review will be a reassessment of continued Exchequer funding of all those winter sports NGB's currently supported by UK Sport.
Space for Sport and the Arts
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the budgets allocated to, the amounts awarded to and the money spent on, the Space for Sport and the Arts programme.[HL1720]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Space for Sports and Arts is a partnership between Exchequer funding of £79 million from the capital modernisation fund and £55 million from three lottery distributors: New Opportunities Fund (£25 million), Sport England (£25 million ) and Arts Council England (£5 million).
Of the £134 million total fund, £128,389,332 has so far been awarded and £48,332,107 spent. Rebo
Sport: Lottery Expenditure
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the National Lottery expenditure on sport in Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council for each financial year since 1993–94.[HL1800]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The National Lottery expenditure on sport in Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council was:
| Financial Year | Amount (£) |
| Sport Distributors | |
| 1994–95 | 0 |
| 1995–96 | 77,212 |
| 1996–97 | 521,262 |
| 1997–98 | 41,516 |
| 1998–99 | 276,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 13,140 |
| 2000–01 | 1,189,207 |
| 2001–02 | 137,797 |
| 2002–03 | 1,428,334 |
| 2003–04 | 0 |
| Awards for All Grant | |
| 2002–03 | 34,458 |
| 2003–04 | 26,832 |
| New Opportunities Fund Grants | |
| 2001–02 | 462,500 |
| 2002–03 | 110,000 |
| 2003–04 | 45,000 |
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the National Lottery expenditure on sport in Colchester Borough Council for each financial year since 1993–94.[HL1801]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The National Lottery expenditure on sport in Colchester Borough Council was:
| Financial Year | Amount (£) |
| Sport Distributors | |
| 1994–95 | 0 |
| 1995–96 | 249,404 |
| 1996–97 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | 96,975 |
| 1998–99 | 276,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 486,439 |
| 2000–01 | 114,113 |
| 2001–02 | 130,456 |
| 2002–03 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 0 |
| Awards for All Grant | |
| 2002–03 | 23,458 |
| 2003–04 | 8,339 |
| New Opportunities Fund Grants | |
| 2001–02 | 12,375 |
| 2002–03 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 1,045,323 |
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