§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the expenditure by her Department in each of the years(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000, (e) 2000–01, (f) 2001–02 and (g) 2002–03 (estimated) was allocated with reference to the Index of Multiple Deprivation; which expenditure 867W programmes are allocated with respect to this Index and other measures of relative geographic deprivation; and if she will make a statement. [8937]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 25 October 2001]: There are two major schemes for which my Department has made expenditure allocations during the period with reference to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
The Department allocated £75 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund for Space for Sport and Arts. Expenditure will start this year and extend into 2003–04. This scheme, sponsored with the Department for Education and Skills, seeks to provide in the areas of greatest need around 300 new sports and arts facilities in primary schools for use by both pupils and the wider community. This funding is being supplemented by Lottery funding of £25 million from Sport England, £25 million from the New Opportunities Fund and £5 million from the Arts Council of England. The Department invited 65 local education authorities to participate in the scheme. These were selected using a number of indices of educational, socio-economic, sporting and cultural deprivation—including the DTLR's indices of deprivation 2000; meeting the criteria for other programmes such as Education Action Zones, Excellence in Cities, Sports Action Zones and Health Action Zones; nomination by Regional Arts Boards; and being within the Arts Council of England's priority regions.
The Department has also allocated £40 million (£15 million in 2002–03 and £25 million in 2003–04) to the Arts Council of England for the establishment of 16 pilot Creative Partnerships in deprived areas to provide exciting and challenging opportunities for young people to experience, learn from and enjoy artistic and creative activities. The partnerships, which will be run by the Arts Council, will focus on bringing together schools, arts and other creative organisations and commercial creative industries to provide enhanced opportunities for every school child in the chosen areas of deprivation. DTLR's Index of Multiple Deprivation, was used in determining these areas. Other measures of economic and educational deprivation and an assessment of cultural deprivation were also taken into account. The Department also considered the capacity of the areas selected to deliver Creative Partnerships, the need for balanced geographical spread and the inclusion of rural and coastal areas as well as urban ones.
In addition, many programmes and initiatives run by Lottery distributors are targeted at deprived areas, using the Index of Multiple Deprivation and a variety of other indicators.