§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budget for the UK Sports Institute is in the current financial year. [44728]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]A budget has not been set. Consistent with the competition set in motion by the previous Government, Lottery funding will be a key element and is dependent on the achievement of project milestones in order to draw down lottery funds, agreed by the Lottery Distributing Bodies, the United Kingdom Sports Council and Sheffield.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the relationship will be between the UK Sports Institute and (i) the English Sports Council and (ii) the Sports Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [44737]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]: The Home Country Sports Councils are represented on the United Kingdom Sports Council which will provide strategic direction to the United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI).
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the budget for UK Sports Institute is planned to be distributed between the central site and the network of regional sites. [44729]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]Public funding will come mainly from the Lottery and the decisions will be taken by the Lottery distributors. However, they have indicated that between £40 million 667W and £60 million of capital Lottery Sports Fund may be made available for the United Kingdom Sports Institute Headquarters development by the home Countries' Sports Councils out of £160 million which may be available for the whole network.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he has identified sites for the network of regional centres for the UK Sports Institute. [44733]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]The Home Country Sports Councils have been asked to identify prospective regional centres, and details of the United Kingdom Sports Institute network will be announced in due course.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he will take to ensure the participation of sports men and women from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK Sports Institute. [44736]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]The intention is that sportsmen and women from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have the same opportunity to use the services and facilities of the United Kingdom Sports Institute Network as those from England.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regional centres there are planned to be in the UK Sports Institute network. [44735]
§ Mr. Banks [holding answer 10 June 1998]There are likely to be about eight regional centres planned for England, and other separate centres planned for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which body will have responsibility for the UK Sports Institute. [44738]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]The United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI) will be subject to the strategic direction of the United Kingdom Sports Council. A separate corporate body will be agreed and set up to run the UKSI Headquarters.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when construction is planned to begin on the UK Sports Institute central site. [44730]
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]Construction of the Headquarters building is planned to commence in May 1999.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for the funding of the UK Sports Institute following the initial National Lottery grant. [44739]
§ Mr. Banks [holding answer 10 June 1998]In addition to capital Lottery funding, the Lottery distributors have indicated that up to £9 million of revenue funding per. annum may be made available to help operate the United Kingdom Sports Institute Headquarters, provided a suitable application is made to the Lottery Distributing Bodies.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the programme of activities at the UK Sports Institute is planned to be structured. [44731]
668W
§ Mr. Banks[holding answer 10 June 1998]The UK Sports Council will determine the overall strategy, which will reflect the Government's key policy aims. The UK Sports Institute will deliver that national strategy and the arrangements will be decentralised with many services provided in the regional centres to standards accredited by the Headquarters in Sheffield.
Technical and support services in particular will be developed in close consultation with the governing bodies of the sports concerned, and the athletes and coaches who will use them.
There will be three main phases of development, each going forward as Lottery funding is made available. The first phase (1998–2000) will see the UK Sports Institute drawing together the threads of the World Class Performance Programme. The second phase (1999–2002) will be marked by better co-ordination nationally of these services. In phase three (2000–2004) new buildings and related facilities will be used to provide significantly more support than is possible at present.
§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what the criteria will be for the involvement of individual sports in the UK Sports Institute; [44732]
(2) if he will list the sports that (a) have agreed to participate in and (b) have been invited to participate in the UK Sports Institute. [44726]
§ Mr. BanksAll sports will be encouraged to participate. The United Kingdom Sports Institute (UKSI) will provide first class facilities for a range of Olympic and other non-commercial sports for our very best sportsmen and women.
Discussions have been taking place with eight sports—athletics, swimming, cycling (road), judo, triathlon, netball, squash and table tennis—about the development of their national training facilities at the UKSI HQ in Sheffield. Major spectator sports like football, cricket and rugby league which have plans for their own sports specific academics will also be able to tap into the top quality sports science, medicine and coaching expertise offered across the Institute's HQ facilities.
§ Mr. ReedTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress he has made in the allocation of the regional centres of excellence for the Institute of Sport. [44944]
§ Mr. BanksThere are likely to be about eight regional centres planned for England, and other centres planned for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Home Country Sports Councils have been asked to identify prospective regional centres with a view to siting the centres where they are needed most. Details of the United Kingdom Sports Institute network will be announced in due course.