§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make a statement on(a) the British Academy of Sport and (b) other proposed sporting centres of excellence. [12464]
§ Mr. SproatThe closing date for receipt of bids to set up and run the BAS was 31 October 1996 and the Department of National Heritage and the United Kingdom Sports Council received 26 bids. The first stage of the evaluation process was completed in December and 13 of the 26 bids were placed on the first list of bids which are currently the subject of detailed technical evaluation. A decision on the successful bidder will be made in early spring.
Details of the Government's proposals for regional centres of sporting excellence will also be published in early spring.