§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to set lower partnership funding requirements under lottery rules of those arts institutions that are bound by charitable rules to provide access for people at low prices. [22012]
§ Mr. SproatThere are no plans to change the current required levels of partnership funding. The arts, sports and heritage distributors are required to take into account the need for significant levels of partnership funding in applications. It is a matter for the distributing bodies themselves to determine the precise levels required for different types of awards.
§ Mr. TippingTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many applications to each distributing body from organisations in Nottinghamshire have been received for lottery funding. [20379]
§ Mr. Sproat[holding answer 14 March 1996]: The National Heritage Memorial Fund has received 19 applications from organisations in Nottinghamshire, the Sports Council has received 65 applications; the Arts Council of England has received 35 applications; the Millennium Commission has received 25 applications; and the National Lottery Charities Board has received 1,558 applications from the east midlands region—this includes Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) in how many cases lottery funds have been paid to an organisation that had not at the time received planning permission for the building on which the funds were to be spent; [20492]
(2) in what circumstances lottery funds are made available to organisations which have not received planning permission on a relevant building; and what conditions are placed on the use of the funds. [20493]
§ Mr. Sproat[holding answer 18 March 1996]: There have been four cases in which lottery funds have been paid out to organisations which at the time had not received planning permission.
The planning statutes of the four projects, funded by the Millennium Commission, are as follows:
the Earth center—outline planning permission for an ecological park and detailed planning permission is being sought;the Millennium forests in Scotland—planning permission is not required;Sustrans, the nationwide cycle network—a rolling programme for which councils apply and then give details to Sustrans, and Rights of Way and public access in perpetuity are sought for cycle paths once the route has been agreed;the Groundwork projects—another rolling programme, comprising 21 sites. All have outline planning permission. Detailed planning permission is awaited on 10 sites and no problems are foreseen by Groundwork.The Millennium Commission has not made any grants to projects which have not had outline planning consent where that consent was required. The commission, along with its professional advisers makes contact with local planning authorities to verify the status of planning applications and obtains assurance that detailed planning 520W permission will be granted. The commission's stance is to avoid funding projects where full planning permission may not be granted, looks problematic or could result in or necessitate a public inquiry, and or compulsory purchase orders in view of the limited life of the commission.