§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the basis used to calculate the current funding for British film screen finance.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 11 February 1991]: The current Government grant for British Screen Finance Limited—BSF—was set after discussions with the company about the level of funding required to administer its support schemes for feature film production, short films and script development. The £2 million annual grant announced in July 1989 by the then Secretary of State for three years from 1991 also took account for the loans received from BSF's private sector shareholders.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the name and date of appointment of each Minister within his Department who has had responsibility for the British film industry since 1979.
§ Mr. Leigh[holding answer 12 February 1991]: The names of the Ministers who have had responsibility for film policy since 1979 and the dates on which they were first appointed to the Department are as follows:
Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes (4 May 1979), right hon. Norman Tebbit (7 May 1979), right hon. Kenneth Baker (5 January 1981), Lord Trefgarne (5 August 1981), Iain Sproat (30 September 1981), right hon. Norman Lamont (30 September 1981), John Butcher (6 April 1982), right hon. Sir Geoffrey Pattie (10 September 1984), Robert Atkins (15 August 1987), Eric Forth (25 July 1988) and Lord Hesketh (23 July 1990).Responsibility for film policy does not necessarily coincide with the date of appointment to the Department.