§ 13. Kevin Brennan (Cardiff, West)What progress she has made towards appointing the advisory group on choosing the European City of Culture 2008; and if she will make a statement. [16997]
§ The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell)We are giving careful consideration to nominations and applications received for membership of the advisory panel, together with names identified from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Cabinet Office public appointments databases. We expect to make an announcement about the membership of the panel early next year.
§ Kevin BrennanI thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Will she acknowledge the growing recognition of Cardiff in Europe and beyond as a capital city capable of hosting major sporting events such as the rugby world cup, the Network Q UK rally, even the English FA cup final, and political events such as the European intergovernmental conference and the next Labour party spring conference? Will she acknowledge that Cardiff is capable of holding those major events and now could be the right time to give it a chance to host a major cultural event and be the European City of Culture?
§ Tessa JowellI certainly recognise my hon. Friend's passionate advocacy of Cardiff.