To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on net administration costs in each year since 1997; and what percentage of departmental net operating costs this represented in each year. (225680)

The Department's actual net administration costs, and these expressed as a percentage of the net operating costs, in each year since 1997 are shown the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on the (a) Sporting and (b) Cultural Champions initiatives in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the performance of each scheme against its objectives. (225682)

Information from Sport England is that it has spent £300,000 on the Sporting Champions programme in each of the last three years (2005-08). In total this has supported 1,350 visits and more than 97 per cent. of visit organisers have rated the work of the Sporting Champion as either excellent or good. The programme has helped to inspire and motivate more than 100,000 children and young people each year.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not fund a Cultural Champions programme, but it does fund a mentoring programme, which uses mentors from sport, music and the media to help young people at risk of social exclusion to engage in positive activities and make positive life choices. The DCMS has allocated £1 million per year to this programme since it was established in 2006-07.