HC Deb 11 June 1993 vol 226 cc366-7W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list details of(a) orchestral concerts, (b) rock concerts, (c) opera, (d) theatre, (e) films, (f) ballet and (g) other dance performances he attended in his official capacity, since his appointment.

Mr. Brooke

I attended:

  1. (a) a concert by the Guildhall Chamber Orchestra at St. James's, Piccadilly (14 October)
    • a memorial concert for Sir Andrzej Panufnik at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (18 October)
    • a concert in honour of Sir Georg Solti at Buckingham Palace (22 October)
    • a concert for the Scandinavian Festival of the Arts at the Barbican (10 November)
    • the reopening of the Wigmore Hall (12 November)
    • a Schools Prom at the Royal Albert Hall (23 November)
    • the Soiree d'Or at the Royal College of Music (11 December)
    • a concert by the London Philharmonic at the Royal Festival Hall (26 January)
    • a concert for Australia Gala day at the Royal Opera House (31 January)
    • a concert for the "Festival of Britten" at the Barbican (16 March)
    • a concert at the Wigmore Hall (2 April)
  2. (c) The Duenna, performed by Opera North at the Grand Theatre, Leeds (2 October)
    • Turandot, at the Royal Opera House (20 February)
    • L'Assedio di Calais, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (3 March)
  3. (d) Three Birds Alighting on a Field, at the Royal Court (6 November)
    • Carousel, at the Royal National Theatre (8 December)
    • Hamlet, at the Barbican (18 December)
    • Poor Beast in the Rain, at the Gate Theatre (22 December)
  4. (e) Chaplin (16 December)
  5. (f) Mayerling, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (13 November)
    • the Bolshoi ballet at the Royal Albert Hall (9 January)
  6. (g) A Royal Gala for the Chicken Shed Theatre Company (14 December).

Parliamentary business precluded my attendance at a number of events to which I had planned to go: for instance, on 4 March, a concert of the Halle orchestra; on 25 March, a concert of the Philharmonia orchestra;"Arcadia", at the Royal National Theatre on 15 April; and "Tristan and Isolde", on 19 April, at the Royal Opera House.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the occasions he has visited the royal pa laces in his official capacity since his appointment.

Mr. Brooke

I attended a concert in honour of Sir Georg Solti's birthday at Buckingham palace on 22 October; a dinner for editors of regional newspapers at the Tower of London on 15 December; and opened the medieval palace at the Tower of London on 30 March. I have held several receptions at the Banqueting House on behalf of the business sponsorship incentive scheme and attended one given there by the GB Sports Council.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the visits he has made in his official capacity, since his appointment, to schools or colleges in connection with instruction and training in(a) drama, (b) dance, (c) music, (d) art and design, (e) architecture, (f) athletics and (g) other sports.

Mr. Brooke

I visited the Architecture Foundation on 8 December; the Royal College of Music on 11 December and the Guildhall school of music and drama on 3 March. I opened an exhibition on the art of the design process at the Royal Institute of British Architects on 17 M arch. Invitations to most institutions in this area are more likely to go to Ministers in the Department for Education.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will list details of minority sports events that he has attended in his official capacity since his appointment;

(2) if he will list details of (a) equestrian, (h) association football, (c) rugby league, (d) rugby union, (e) athletics, (f) swimming, (g) tennis, (h) golf, (i) cricket, (j) basketball, (k) rowing and (l) other water sports events he has attended in his official capacity, since his appointment.

Mr. Brooke

I attended:

  1. (a) the Badminton Horse Trials on 9 May
  2. (b) England versus Turkey on 18 November Bolton Wanderers versus Leyton Orient on 6 March
    • the FA Cup Final on 15 May
  3. (c) the World Cup Final on 24 October
  4. (d) England versus South Africa on 14 November
    • Barbarians versus Australia on 28 November
  5. (h) the amateur golf championships at Royal Portrush on 28 May

I also attended the ice hockey championships final at the Wembley arena on 25 April and the European hockey club championships at Havant on 31 May. On 6 March, my Parliamentary Private Secretary attended a fencing championship on my behalf. I look forward to attending events in others of the categories listed as opportunities arise.

Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when, in his official capacity, he last went to a soccer match held between clubs at a senior level of the game in leagues in the pyramid below those of the Football League.

Mr. Brooke

None.