§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for monitoring and accountability of decision making by the proposed new foundation for sport and the arts.
§ Mr. MellorSuitable arrangements for monitoring and audit are among the conditions that will need to be satisfied before I could agree to a cut in pool betting duty. The most appropriate form for these arrangements will be determined in future discussions with the proposers of the new foundation.
§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to meet the pools companies to discuss the proposed foundation for sport and the arts.
§ Mr. MellorI have no immediate plans to meet the pools companies to discuss a proposed foundation for sport and the arts, but officials in the Treasury plan shortly to meet representatives of the companies.
§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings, and over what time scale, Ministers and officials from his Department held with representatives of the pools companies to discuss the establishing of a new foundation for sport and the arts.
§ Mr. MellorBefore the Budget my right hon. Friend the Chancellor and I met representatives of one of the pools companies on 8 March to discuss their proposals to establish a new foundation for sport and the arts. My officials have also held meetings with representatives of the same company.
§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the time scale involved in establishing the foundation for sport and the arts.
§ Mr. MellorProviding that a foundation can be established with satisfactory terms and conditions, I would expect it to start operating from the beginning of the 1991–92 football season in August.
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§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what method and criteria will be adopted in deciding the membership of the proposed foundation for sport and the arts;
(2) how many individuals from each of (a) the Sports Council, (b) the Scottish Sports Council, (c) the Sports Council for Wales, (d) the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, (e) the British Olympic Association, (f) the Central Council for Physical Recreation, (g) the Department of Education and Science, (h) the Arts Council, (i) the Pools Promoters Association, (j) the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, (k) the Association of District Councils, (l) the Association of County Councils, (m) the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and (n) the Association of Local Authorities in Northern Ireland will be included in the membership of the proposed foundation for sport and the arts; and what other organisations will be represented;
(3) what is his estimate of the ratio of funding between sport and the arts by the new foundation for sport and the arts;
(4) how many staff will be employed by the proposed foundation for sport and the arts.
§ Mr. MellorIn his Budget statement on 19 March my right hon. Friend announced that he had received a proposal from one of the pools promoters for a new foundation for sport and the arts. The matters raised in the hon. Member's questions, together with a number of others, will need to be determined in future discussions with the proposers of the new foundation.
§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the pools scheme to benefit the arts and sports will also contribute to museums.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 26 March 1991]: It will be for the trustees to determine, once the foundation for sport and the arts is established, whether museums will benefit from the funds to be allocated.