Public Bodies (Funding) (Hansard, 20 May 2004)

§ Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant in aid funding was given to the(a) Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites, (b) Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection, (c) Advisory Council on Libraries, (d) Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, (e) Spoliation Advisory Panel, (f), Treasure Valuation Committee, (g) Working Group on Human Remains, (h) Advisory Group on Illicit Trade, (i) Live Music Forum, (j) Review of BBC's Digital Television Services and (k) Review of BBC's Digital Radio Services in 2002–03; what the administration costs of each were in that year; and what the projected grant in aid (i) is for each in 2003–04 and (ii) will be for each in (A) 2004–05 and (B) 2005–06. [173705]

§ Mr. Caborn

English Heritage administers the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites out of its core grant in aid. The role of the secretariat passed from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with the successful passage of the National Heritage Act 2002 and has not formed part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's administration costs since then.

The actual and forecast cost of support to the Committee, which includes travel and subsistence and expenses for board members, is as follows:

(a) Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
	£000
2002–03	<1
2003–04	5
2004–05	1
2005–06	1

The other Advisory Committees, Groups and Reviews (b-k) form part of the Administration and Research budget of DCMS; they are not recipients of grant in aid. Their administration costs are borne by the DCMS whose staff provide secretariat support, accommodation and legal advice. These costs are centrally budgeted and could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost. Details of the Department's administration costs are published in the DCMS Annual Report 2004, Vol. 1 (CM 6220). Copies may be obtained from the Library of the House.

1113W

Other support to the committees (b-i), which includes travel and subsistence, expenses for board members and publications, did not exceed £100,000 in total in both years 2002–03 and 2003–04. Forecast total budgets for 2004–05 and 2005–06 are not expected to exceed £100,000 in either year.

There was no expenditure relating the Review of the BBC's Digital Television and Radio services (j-k) in 2002–03 and 2003–04. The combined budget for these reviews in 2004–05 will not exceed £200,000.