HC Deb 27 November 2002 vol 395 cc20-2WS
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell)

The provision for the Government Indemnity Scheme is made by the National Heritage Act 1980. The scheme facilitates public access to loans of works of art and other objects for public display made to museums, galleries and other such institutions by private owners and non-national institutions. It does this by indemnifying lenders against loss or damage to their loan. Loans covered by the scheme must be for public benefit. The scheme also covers loans of such objects for study purposes within borrowing institutions, where this would contribute materially to the public's understanding or appreciation of the loan. Examples of this are: enhancing interpretation or explanation to the public of objects, or bringing into the public domain the conclusions of any study.

In the six month period ended 30 September, the following undertakings to indemnify were given under section 16 by the relevant Departments for objects on loan to national and non-national institutions:

Numbers
Department for Culture, Media and Sport 608
Scottish Executive Education Department 253
The National Assembly for Wales 184

The value of contingent liabilities in respect of undertakings given at any time under section 16 and which remained outstanding as at 30 September is:

Department for Culture, Media and Sport £2,571,225,058
Scottish Executive Education Department £493,725,877
The National Assembly for Wales £57,572,660

The value of non-statutory Government indemnities to cover loans handled by the Government Art Collection and which remained outstanding as at 30 September is:

Value: £5,000,000
Resource Capital
Change New DEL Of which: Voted Non-voted Change New DEL Of which: voted Non-voted
£'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000
7,240 1,167,397 163,929 1,003,468 59,627 163,376 116,495 46,881

The £7,240,000 increase in the voted element of the resource DEL for RfRl arises from the transfer of £1,000,000 from the Home Office for the Spend for Sport initiative and £134,000 match funding of the Public Library Volunteer Scheme; the take up of £3,622,000 of discretionary end year flexibility provision for administrative costs; the transfer of £652,000 administration costs expenditure to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister toward the expenses of running the regional Government Offices; and the take up of £3,136,000 of discretionary end year flexibility provision for the further development of Culture Online.

The £4,000,000 reduction in the non-voted element of the resource DEL for RfRl arises from a transfer £4,000,000 from the Department's unallocated provision into administration costs.

The £6,970,000 increase in the Department's Administration Costs Limit arises from a transfer of £4,000,000 from the Department's unallocated provision into administration costs; the take up of £3,622,000 of discretionary end year flexibility provision for administrative costs; and the transfer of £652,000 administration costs expenditure to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister toward the expenses of running the regional Government Offices.

The £59,627,000 increase in the voted element of the capital DEL for RfRl arises from the take up of £50,460,000 of discretionary capital DEL end year flexibility provision under the Space for Sport and Art initiative; the draw down of £5,000,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the further development of Culture Online; the take up of £3,534,000 of discretionary capital DEL end year flexibility for the Royal Parks; and the take up £633,000 of discretionary capital DEL end year flexibility for Administration and Research.

The increases will be offset by inter-departmental transfers or charged to the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the Planned total of Public Expenditure.

The value of non-statutory Undertakings given to Her Majesty in respect of loans from the Royal Collection and which remained outstanding as at 30 September is: Value: £216,852,270