§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which specific sporting events the Sports Council is campaigning to bring to the United Kingdom. [24788]
§ Mr. BanksLike the Government, the UK Sports Council fully supports England's campaign for the 2006 World Cup and all top quality UK bids to host major international sports events. It has been supportive of a number of successful bids for events to be held in the UK later this year, which include:
- the World Disabled Athletics Championships (England, August);
- the European Showjumping Championships (England, August);
- the World Orienteering Championships (Scotland, August); and
- the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (Northern Ireland, March).
The UK Sports Council is also in the final stages of developing a national strategy to ensure that there is a coherent and co-ordinated UK policy in the bidding for and staging of major international events in this country.
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§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the events included in the World Class Events Programme. [24787]
§ Mr. BanksThe Lottery Sports Fund World Class Events Programme has so far awarded grants totalling £4,361,981 to assist with the bidding for, and staging of, nine international events. The events are:
- Junior Hockey World Cup (1997);
- European Disabled Sailing Championships (1997);
- Sports Acrobatics World Championships (1997);
- Soccer World Cup (2006);
- European Short Course Swimming Championships (1998);
- World Disability Athletics Championships (1998);
- European Show Jumping Championships (1999);
- World Cup in Orienteering—Events 3 and 4 (1998);
- Soccer World Cup for Players with Learning Disabilities (1998).