§ Mr. Bruce GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been made available to the borough of Walsall by his Department since June 1997. [160998]
§ Mr. Chris SmithMost of the Department's funding is allocated through its non-departmental public bodies such as the Arts Council of England, Sport England and English Heritage. Information about what they fund can be obtained from those bodies.
My Department has given more support to the cultural and sporting infrastructure, doubling the budget for sport and the largest ever increase for arts. This includes the following schemes:
Space for Sport and Arts Scheme
Under the Space for Sport and Arts (SSA) scheme, a £130 million capital programme made up of £75 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund and £55 million from Sport England, the Arts Council of England and the third round of the New Opportunities Fund, Walsall local education authority has been allocated up to £1.25 million towards providing improved facilities for sport and arts 445W in primary schools which can also be used by the wider community. Of the three schemes proposed in Walsall, one is in Walsall, South and the other two in Walsall, North.
Creative Partnerships
In taking forward our aim to develop the educational potential of culture and sport, £40 million has been allocated to developing creative partnerships. On 21 February, I announced the 16 areas in which it is hoped creative partnership pilots will be developed. The Black Country is one of these areas, including Walsall. The Arts Council of England, which is delivering the initiative, will be consulting schools and creative organisations in each location over the next few months to establish which bodies and schools will be involved. Details on how schools and cultural organisations can take part in creative partnerships will be available from the Arts Council shortly. Funding for the initiative will come on stream in April 2002.
School Sports Co-ordinators
School Sport Co-ordinators will be based in families of schools, in areas of greatest need linked wherever possible through local education authorities to specialist sports colleges. They will provide opportunities for young people to compete regularly for their school and take part in a wide range of sports. By 2004, there will be about 250 families established with 1,000 secondary schools and up to 6,000 primary schools benefiting directly from this programme. Walsall has been awarded £407,542 in the second round of awards. There are six school sport co-ordinators in Aldridge-Brownhills, 30 primary teachers and one partnership development manager.
DCMS/Wolfson Public Libraries Challenge Fund
The borough of Walsall received awards of £82,000 in 1997–98, £2,000 in 1999–2000 and £149,645 in 2000–01.