§ 2. Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the clubs and facilities on the Isle of Wight which have received grants from the Sports Council since 1987.
§ Mr. SproatThe Sports Council has awarded grants and loans totalling £260,557 to 23 clubs, facilities and organisations on the Isle of Wight since 1987–88. I will arrange for a list of recipients to be placed in the Official Report.
§ Mr. FieldDoes my hon. Friend agree that the Isle of Wight, the first unitary authority in England, provides an ideal opportunity to enhance all the sporting facilities throughout the island for the benefit of young and old alike? Will he take this opportunity to join me in congratulating the Foundation for Sport and the Arts on its extraordinary generosity to sports clubs on the island and to sportsmen and sportswomen?
§ Mr. SproatYes, I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, which has given more than £500,000 to the island. That is extremely welcome. I also agree with my hon. Friend's other remarks.
§ Mr. BarnesFuture grants for the Isle of Wight will come from the new Sports Council. On Friday, the Minister said that the six independent members of that council would be appointed by the Government, but would be independent of them. How will he work that trick?
§ Mr. SproatIt is not a trick; it is a simple, straightforward matter. The independent members of the council will be independent of the Government in any tactical decisions that they may make. They will also, and importantly, be independent of other vested sports interests which legitimately put their views—for instance, the Central Council of Physical Recreation and the British Olympic Association. That is the sense of the term "independent" in that context.
§ The following is the information:
| Sports Council grants and loans awarded to clubs, facilities and organisations on the Isle of Wight for financial years 1987–88 to 1994–95 | ||
| Organisation | Capital £ | Revenue £ |
| 1987–88 | ||
| Isle of Wight Cricket Association | 1,000 | |
| East Cowes Victoria Athletic Club | 5,000 | |
| Body Tech | — | 200 |
| Isle of Wight Sports Centre | — | 355 |
| Isle of Wight Cricket Association | — | 2,500 |
| 1988–89 | ||
| Isle of Wight Sport and Recreation Council | — | 199 |
| Isle of Wight Youth and Community Service | — | 100 |
| 1989–90 | ||
| Nil | ||
| 1990–91 | ||
| West Wight Swimming Pool Trust Ltd. | 110,000 | |
| Medina borough council | — | 18,000 |
| Isle of Wight Sports Council | — | 3,000 |
| Organisation | Capital £ | Revenue £ |
| 1991–92 | ||
| Cowes Sports Football Club | 110,000 | |
| Freshwater Bay Golf Club | 14,000 | |
| Medina borough council | — | 2,167 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight LTA | — | 1,700 |
| 1992–93 | ||
| Isle of Wight county council | — | 1,686 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight LTA | — | 5,500 |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Football Association | — | 4,150 |
| 1993–94 | ||
| Isle of Wight county council | — | 6,000 |
| Isle of Wight County Cricket Association | — | 3,000 |
| 1994–95 | ||
| Ryde Sports Club | 100,000 | |
| Isle of Wight Table Tennis Centre | 75,000 | |
| Isle of Wight county council | — | 5,000 |
| Isle of Wight County Cricket Association | — | 2,000 |
| £ | ||
| Capital total | = | 205,000 |
| Revenue total | = | 55,557 |
| Grand total | = | 260,557 |
| 1Loan. |