To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2006, Official Report, column 483-84W, on activity levels, when the new national Taking Part survey first expects to report; and what criteria it will use to make an assessment of participation levels. (78234)

First results from the Taking Part survey were published on the Department’s website on 15 December 2005.

To date, three reports have been released on the survey results. These can be accessed at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/research/taking_part_survey/survey_ouputs. htm.

Two of the reports released so far have provided provisional baselines on the Department’s public service agreement target 3 (PSA3). The third report looked more generally at participation and attendance across activities within the Department’s remit.

For the two PSA3 reports participation levels are assessed against the definitions of the PSA3 target agreed with HM Treasury. These differ by type of activity and frequency for each sector. Full details are given in the technical note which is available at http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_dcms/publicservice agreements.htm.

In the third more general report the same criteria have been used except for arts and sports sectors. Full details of this difference are included in the report which was published on 24 March 2006 showing provisional results from the first six months of the 2005-06 survey.