§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Millennium sporting competitions his Department is assisting. [51625]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 21 July 1998]: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport worked closely with the Millennium Commission, the other National Lottery distributors and the New Millennium Experience Company to develop the £100 million Millennium Festival Fund. The Fund will support events and activities to mark the Millennium in the United Kingdom throughout the year 2000.
The English Sports Council is responsible in England for sport's share of the National Lottery. The Council has agreed to support two major initiatives as part of the Millennium Festival. The Millennium Youth Games, launched by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 25 February, will celebrate and promote the role of sport in the personal development of young people by establishing a nationwide series of Youth Games culminating in a National Games in the year 2000. "Awards for All" will operate as a cross-distributor initiative involving three related minor grant programmes providing resources to schools, clubs and non-sporting organisations to promote and widen access to sport. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Sports Councils are developing their own Festival programmes.
The Millennium Commission will support sports activities from its own contribution to the Festival Fund, where these form part of cross-sectoral Millennium projects or are endorsed by the respective sports councils.