To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, what consideration has been given to the establishment of (a) a national dance centre and (b) a national skating centre; and if he will make a statement. 128742]

Under the long-standing arm's-length principle for arts funding and development, it is for the Arts Council to formulate strategies for each of the various art forms, including dance. The establishment of a national skating centre is primarily a matter for the sport's governing bodies to consider.

I am grateful to the Minister. I am sure that his mind is on sports other than dance and skating at the moment.

He is on thin ice.

As has been said from the Opposition Front Bench, there may be some thin ice around. As the work of Government has to go on, will the Minister confirm that, given that the proposal for a national skating centre in Derby has fallen through, the Government would have no objection to the proposal being worked up for a combined dance and skating centre, neither of which we have, in the London docklands? [Interruption.]

Order. I think that hon. Members are aware that they should not pass between the hon. Member who is speaking and the Chair. The hon. Member for Warley, East (Mr. Faulds) knows much better than that.

May I apologise immediately, Madam Speaker? Old age and the stick create strange circumstances. Do forgive me.

I have not had a chance to look at the documents to which the hon. Gentleman referred, but I will certainly do so and let him know what I think.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to meet the chair of the Yorkshire and Humberside arts board to discuss the implications of the Arts Council's consultative paper on regional theatre. [28743]

I plan to meet the chairmen of the regional arts boards on 28 June.

Can I tell the Minister that Leeds really is the artistic capital of the north now? We have Opera North and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse, which has achieved national standards and pioneered plays that are put on nationally; its education and community policies are an example for the rest of the country. As I am sure the Minister is aware, however, the funding arrangements mean that, although the West Yorkshire Playhouse is a centre of regional excellence, it does not even get the support that national theatres are getting and as a result might well not be able to continue as such in the future. When will the funding arrangements acknowledge the work that it has done and ensure that it gets due rewards?

I gladly join the hon. Gentleman in paying credit to the work of the various companies in Leeds that he listed, in particular the West Yorkshire Playhouse. It is indeed a regional centre of excellence that is recognised as producing works of a national standard, which often move on from Leeds to other theatres elsewhere in the country. The only element of the success story that the hon. Gentleman neglected to mention is the fact that the West Yorkshire Playhouse is in receipt of just over £840,000 in support from Arts Council funds—a figure that has been increased by £50,000 in the present year.

The hon. Member for Warley, East will be in order if he wants to go to his usual seat now.

Thank you. I am obliged for your consideration, Madam Speaker.

Does the Secretary of State accept the view of the Green Paper that, with the exception of various successful companies such as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, regional theatre is on the whole

"on the brink of an irreversible spiral of decline",

"closing for months on end because they cannot afford to stay open"?

Yes, I have read the Green Paper. I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's assertion that it suggests that there is a uniform picture of decay within regional theatre. It points out that there are some real success stories in regional theatre, of which the West Yorkshire Playhouse is one and the recently revived Birmingham Repertory theatre is another. Of course, some theatres will always do better than others. It would be wrong for the Government to react to the Green Paper at this stage as it was put out by the Arts Council for discussion within the theatre world. Each regional arts board is conducting a discussion within its region and two national discussion meetings have been arranged during the process, which closes on 30 July. Once that process is over, it will be for the Arts Council to draw conclusions from the discussion process that it initiated, and I look forward to reading those conclusions.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his Department's policy on compulsory competitive games at schools. [28744]

I believe that children must take part in competitive sport in schools within and beyond curriculum time. This will be a key element in the Government's sports policy statement, which will be published shortly.

Is the Minister saying that we are to get that long-awaited White Paper? Does he agree that an important element of that statement should be opportunity, not restriction? Will the Government make a genuine commitment to the opportunity to take part in sport in all schools? Does the Minister agree that the facilities available in many schools are less than adequate, especially given what is happening today down the road at Wimbledon and up the road at Lords?

Yes, I can certainly say that it is our prime intention to increase the opportunity for more children to take part in sport at school. I agree that some schools are short of facilities and I am glad to say that the national lottery will help to provide more facilities where those are for both the school and the wider community.

I was delighted to hear my hon. Friend refer to the national lottery. Is he aware that, although games facilities in schools are good, they will be even better if they are used in conjunction with the wider community? Is he aware that Central Lancaster high school in my constituency has applied for funding for a multi-purpose sports facility on its premises in a deprived area of Lancaster, but that it must raise no less than £350,000, which is 35 per cent? Could that figure be more flexible, or could assistance be given to deprived areas?

Yes or no?

The answer to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) is yes. I did not know of the application that the school in my hon. Friend's constituency is making, but I shall draw her remarks to the chairman of the Sports Council. I assure her that the 35 per cent. is only an indicative percentage and that at this very moment the Sports Council is considering whether it could be smaller in certain cases.

We know from the Prime Minister on Saturday that he is about to launch a new policy initiative on sport in schools. Given this morning's news, he may need every new initiative that he can find. Does the Minister recognise that any such announcement will be worthless unless three guarantees can be given: first, that DES circular 909 will be withdrawn, as it has led directly to the sale of 5,000 school playing fields over the past 15 years; secondly, that there will be two hours of sport each week as part of the national curriculum; and, thirdly, that the whole range of physical recreation will be available, not just a small list of competitive team games? Will he now give those basic guarantees to the House?

The hon. Gentleman must wait until the sports policy is published. He will then see what he will see.

Does my hon. Friend agree that it would be pleasant to hear Labour councillors make a commitment to competitive sport in schools, given that their policies have damaged competitive sport over the years? Will my hon. Friend assure the House that he remains fully committed to the restoration and improvement of those sports pitches that remain, notwithstanding the loss of some of them over the years, and that the national lottery will enable their improvement so that competitive sport can be played in good conditions?

Yes, I can certainly give my hon. Friend the important assurance that he seeks. Like him, I look forward to receiving support from the Opposition as well as, I am sure, Conservative Members when we publish that important statement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received on the future use of Greta hall in Keswick. [28745]

None.

Tomorrow, the trustees of the national heritage memorial fund will consider a grant application from the Lake Poets Society for purchase moneys to acquire the site of Greta hall in my constituency, which is a lakeland historic heritage site; it is the former home of Southey and Coleridge, the former haunt of Wordsworth and Shelley. Would the Minister be prepared discreetly to lend his support to that project, because it has major implications as a heritage centre and it would be especially useful to the university of the lakes when finally we get it off the ground?

As the hon. Gentleman knows, the national heritage memorial fund is independent of Government and, as I am sure that he would expect, support—discreet or otherwise—from the Government might not be helpful to any application that the heritage fund might consider.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received in respect of damage caused to historic buildings in the care of the National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland, or otherwise regarding damage caused by the volume of visitors. [28746]

I have received no such representations about damage caused to National Trust properties, nor about the volume of visitors, and I understand that neither has my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland received such representations in respect of historic properties managed by the National Trust for Scotland.

The Minister will recollect from his previous incarnation as Member of Parliament for Aberdeen, South the beautiful mediaeval castle of Craigievar, for which the National Trust had to remove signposts and cease to advertise—rightly, in my opinion—because of the structural problems caused by over-visitation. Is there not a general problem—or at least the danger—of destroying that which people come to see? In those circumstances, is any thought to be given to the financing of such properties and help to those, such as the National Trust for Scotland, who manage them?

Help for the Scottish trust is of course a matter for the Secretary of State for Scotland. Craigievar is a magnificent castle, and I gather that the number of visitors did cause certain of the floors and ceilings to become unsafe. That has now been put right. The National Trust for Scotland no longer promotes Craigievar and, as a result, the number of visitors in the past four years has decreased from about 33,000 to about 15,000. No doubt that experience will be taken into account by all those who manage such properties.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the impact of the national lottery on good causes. [28748]

The national lottery is already having a major impact on sport, arts and heritage activity throughout the country. About £673 million has been raised for good causes by the lottery, and £95 million has been awarded to a total of 486 projects. I am today placing in the Libraries of both Houses a report giving details of the projects supported to date.

As there is no longer a Secretary of State for Wales, may I ask the Minister to look sympathetically at the problems of the Welsh-based cancer charity, Tenovus, which has had to finish its own lottery because it could no longer sustain it? That lottery provided 50 per cent. of its income. May I ask him to consider the possibility of giving Tenovus, and charities like it, some type of compensation for the effect that the national lottery has obviously had on its activities?

The hon. Lady is wrong to say that there is no Secretary of State for Wales. Downing street made it clear this morning that my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt) is conducting the duties of the Secretary of State for Wales.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, if he is looking for examples of good causes that have already benefited from the national lottery, he need look no further than Cavendish school in my constituency, which recently received notification of a grant of well over £200,000 for an activity centre and related activities?

My hon. Friend quotes one example from a list of nearly 500 valuable projects where lottery money is being used to enhance the level of provision for sports, arts and heritage activities in Britain, not to mention the support that will flow from the Charities Board and the imaginative range of projects that were listed, 10 days ago, for further assessment by the Millennium Commission.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that there are a number still of old-fashioned and moral Scots in the House, who vastly disapprove of public gambling and the appalling social consequences of such practices? Will he accept—not much of a hope with the modern Tory party—that heritage and the arts should be a direct responsibility of Government and not of those who are tempted to buy scratch cards during the week?

I have seen lots of unlikely scenes in the House, but that of the hon. Gentleman as an advocate for old-fashioned moral Presbyterianism is a proposition that is entirely new to me. The hon. Gentleman's suggestion that the Government should continue to accept responsibility for funding for the arts and for sport activity in Britain is not controversial, because the Government have made it entirely clear that we intend to continue to observe our obligations in that regard.

Will my right hon. Friend consider reapportioning the proceeds of the national lottery so that more goes to charity, which currently gets only 8p out of every pound spent, and slightly less to some of high-falutin' projects associated with culture, theatre and other minority tastes?

The allocation of the money available from the national lottery for good causes was, of course, the subject of debate when the legislation establishing it went through the House. It is perfectly true that it can be reassessed, but to reassess it within three months of the beginning of the distribution process is a trifle previous.

Although I welcome the Secretary of State's undertaking to examine the position of Tenovus, we are looking for a firmer undertaking than that. Is he aware that Tenovus has now made it clear that its research programmes, including a research programme conducted in my constituency at the university of Wales, Aberystwyth, will have to be discontinued unless it is able to obtain additional funding? Is he aware that Tenovus has prepared a checklist of six possibilities for changing the way in which moneys are distributed? Will he now undertake that at least one or more of those possibilities are implemented to ensure that Tenovus can continue to conduct its important research?

No. I have made it clear that we shall look at the effect of the national lottery on the charitable sector as a whole. We shall not seek to assess the performance of individual charities, because they are influenced by a wide range of factors, not least the individual choice of people who give money to charities.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his assessment of the national lottery's effect on the sporting culture of the United Kingdom. [28749]

The national lottery represents a major boost for sport. So far, 35 different sports have benefited.

Does my hon. Friend agree that the national lottery will give an enormous boost to sport in the United Kingdom because it will mean more new sports centres and sports scholarships and will encourage international athletes?

My hon. Friend makes an extremely important series of points. So far, some 292 different projects around the country have benefited. When the lottery is operating to its fullest extent, we expect about an extra £320 million a year to go to sport.

Is the Minister aware of the increasing worries that a gambling culture is taking hold because of the scale of the national lottery, especially its prizes? Does he agree that that seems to have gone all the way to the top and affected the current incumbent of No. 10, who took an appalling gamble, which he looks set to lose, last Thursday?

I do not agree with the latter part of the hon. Lady's comments. As to the first part, the lottery is benefiting not only sport—to the tune, I hope, of some £320 million pounds a year—but the arts, charities, the built heritage and the millennium fund.

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is most important that this is new money that would not previously have gone towards sporting ventures? In particular, it gives an opportunity for us to provide new facilities for elite sport. We hope that the beginning of the rebuilding of our sporting excellence will be when England beat the West Indies later this afternoon.

I hope that my hon. Friend is right in his latter prediction. As to facilities, sport has benefited so far to the tune of, I think, £45.22 million, most of which has gone to capital facilities. I look forward to seeing even that sum increased.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidelines he is planning to introduce for national lottery funds to be used to enhance disabled people's opportunities in sport. [28750]

My right hon. Friend drew attention to the importance of national lottery funded facilities being widely accessible to people with disabilities in a letter which he sent in June 1994 to the chairman of the distributing bodies covering his directions under section 26 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. No further guidance is planned.

Is the Minister aware that the Secretary of State probably sent that letter to the organiser of the national lottery because I wrote to the right hon. Gentleman asking when action was going to be taken? While the Government are considering funding, will they also consider matching that funding pound for pound to help local authorities assist organisations, because it is going to be an extremely costly and slow process?

As the hon. Gentleman will know, local authorities are usually, or very often, part of a partnership that puts a substantial part of the money towards any project that is partially funded by the lottery. What the hon. Gentleman wants is already happening most of the time.

Has my hon. Friend heard of the apparent distress caused to some people who have won as much as £17 million or £18 million on the lottery? Does he have any plans to limit the top win to £5 million, even if that means changing the rollover programme? Would that not make more money available for disabled sportsmen and everyone else?

My hon. Friend raises an important point to which, I know, many people have directed their minds. However, the Government have no plans to do as he asks, for one simple reason. Experience has shown that the larger the jackpot, the more people buy tickets; the more tickets that are bought, the more money is available for the distributing bodies. The short answer to my hon. Friend's question is no.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his estimate of the number of people who participate in coarse, game and sea angling. [28751]

According to a 1994 survey by the National Rivers Authority, some 2.3 million people participate in coarse angling in England and Wales, 1.1 million in sea angling and 850,000 in game angling.

Is the Minister aware that representatives of millions of those anglers have greatly welcomed Labour's charter for anglers? Will he do the same and consider implementing its proposals? Is he aware that, in south Wales and elsewhere, there is concern about minewater pollution poisoning rivers and affecting angling, and that in Wales that concern will be intensified now that the Welsh Office is rudderless and leaderless?

Problems in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt), who is currently taking over the Secretary of State's duties in Wales.

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the Government are committed to allowing people to follow all country sports and will take the necessary action to block any moves to stop people pursuing legal sports?

What my hon. Friend says is absolutely and completely true. Our party remains a true friend to field sports.

Although the figures given by the Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) are probably an underestimate, they still prove that angling is Britain's most popular participatory sport, yet the Sports Council's current level of grant to the three angling bodies is a mere £45,000. Recognising that the Government's stated aim during the passage of the National Lottery Act etc. 1993 was that they would not determine what the distributing bodies allocated for lottery grants, will the Minister urge the Sports Council to reassess its grants to sports such as angling, which are more in need of revenue money than the current capital money that is available? Angling needs are mainly in the form of education courses, especially for the young, women and the disabled and for the necessary support for our national angling teams.

The Government remain a strong friend of angling, but it is for the Sports Council to decide how to spend its own money. I should be interested to know whether the Labour party proposes to recede from that long-established position.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which museums and art galleries have benefited from grants from national lottery heritage funds. [28755]

I understand that 14 museums and galleries have so far benefited from lottery funds of some £2.34 million from the national heritage memorial fund. I am sure that my hon. Friend will in particular welcome the grant of £254,000 to the Buckinghamshire museum.

Will my right hon. Friend accept the applause of many people from all party backgrounds in Aylesbury and the surrounding area for the generous grant which will help to provide funds for the Roald Dahl children's gallery in the Buckinghamshire county museum and art gallery? Does he agree that such a local cultural project, designed to provide education and entertainment, is exactly what the lottery funds are for?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Roald Dahl has particular connections with my hon. Friend's constituency, as he lived in Great Missenden. The project, which has been backed by the Buckinghamshire museum, involves the imaginative use of his characters to enhance understanding of the exhibits in the museum. Another point worth mentioning is that the grant ensures the continued use and protection of a grade II* listed building, so, from every possible point of view, it is a good illustration of the power of the national lottery.

Now that we have a national coal mining museum for England—as the Secretary of State will know, it is in Yorkshire—will the funds be made available for that museum to acquire collections of art and historical documents associated with the mining industry?

The answer is that the national heritage memorial fund will consider bids that are made to it. I cannot consider the hon. Gentleman's proposition in the abstract; it falls to the national heritage memorial fund and not to me to consider applications when they are submitted. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman should encourage the national coal mining museum, and other institutions in his constituency that may benefit from the national lottery, to submit bids to the relevant distributor body.

Can my right hon. Friend confirm that, of the £9 billion that will be raised for good causes during the first licence period of the lottery, a significant amount of that money will be available to assist museums in the next seven years? Will he confirm also that, if the House had followed the policies of the Labour party, which was divided about the lottery, and the Liberals, who opposed it, that money would be denied to the museums?

My hon. Friend is right to point out the national lottery's power to unlock funds that no Government could have found from other sources. Historically, neither Labour nor Conservative Governments have provided money on that scale to sport, the arts and heritage activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many windmills are listed buildings; and what is their exact location. [28756]

Until the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest is computerised next year, it is not practicable to identify separately those windmills that are listed.

I am somewhat disappointed by that answer, especially as the number of windmills in this country may have decreased in the past four days. I ask the Secretary of State to consider the thesis that national heritage is not only a question of the past, but a question of what we leave for the future. With the accelerating rate of development of new materials and new design techniques, the windmills that are being installed now are every bit as cherishable as those that were built in the past. Perhaps the Secretary of State will be able to convince people that they are not simply a blot on the landscape, as some misguided press representatives out of Downing street try to persuade the electorate.

Individual windmills that are proposed for listing can be considered on a spot-listing basis. If the hon. Gentleman is suggesting that there are windmills being erected now—by which he probably means wind power generators—which merit protection, I am sure that he will understand that they should be guided by the same rules that apply to every other structure: namely, we do not list many structures until they are more than 30 years old.

May I draw my right hon. Friend's attention, in compiling his list, to the working windmill on Meopham green in my constituency? It is not only a working windmill but it is unique in being the location at which the Meopham parish council holds its meetings. Whereas windmills use wind for good works, is that not a case of a windmill using hot air for extremely good works on behalf of the people of the parish of Meopham?

My hon. Friend's question brings Meopham to new prominence in the nation's affairs, and I am sure that that fact will be widely welcomed in Meopham.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what recent representations he has received about the distribution of national lottery funds to voluntary organisations which are concerned with the encouragement of social, cultural and sporting activities involving the active participation of people with disabilities. [28757]

I have received a number of representations about the distribution of national lottery proceeds and disability issues.

Does the Minister agree that far too many theatres, cinemas, galleries, sports halls and swimming pools are utterly inaccessible to disabled people? Should not the question of accessibility loom large whenever grant applications are assessed by those in charge of such funds?

Yes, certainly; the hon. Gentleman makes a good point. The Sports Council has been specifically instructed by my right hon. Friend to take disability issues, including access, very much into consideration when grants are being made.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has to enable the national museums to expand their collections of fine art. [28760]

It is for the trustees of individual museums to decide on acquisitions. The Government have a number of measures that help to develop the national collections. They include the funding of the national heritage memorial fund, Waverley system of export controls and important tax concessions. The national collections may also benefit from the net proceeds of the national lottery.

Now that national lottery money seems to be used, rightly, to save Waverley-quality items being exported, the problem in our national museums is keeping collections balanced. They must obviously include Waverley-quality items but also items of lesser quality, to show the full range of fine arts. Will my hon. Friend review the purchase money available to museums, to ensure that they are able to keep a balanced collection in future?

My hon. Friend is entirely right to stress the importance of balanced collections. He may be sure that the Government keep all such matters under constant review.

To ask the Attorney-General what further approaches he has received from Lord Justice Scott. [28732]

It is the intention of the inquiry that any exchanges with individual witnesses should be confidential. That is to be respected.

Although we are not given fuller information from the Attorney-General, is it not deplorable that that distinguished judge is being rubbished by the Government machinery, by people who accuse him of not understanding the realities of ministerial life? Is not it unfortunate that Lord Justice Scott is being caught up in the Tory civil war?

Neither the hon. Gentleman nor the House is getting any misleading information from me on that topic. If the hon. Gentleman had taken the trouble to read my statement to the inquiry and tried to understand a little more carefully the subject, for example, of public interest immunity certificates, there would be rather less misleading material going around generally.

Did my right hon. and learned Friend hear the comments of Lord Justice Scott following the leaking of the report by the BBC, when Lord Justice Scott said that the BBC had demeaned its status and reputation? Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that, if such a thing were said about members of the Government, Opposition Members would demand resignations? Should we not be looking for resignations from the BBC?

I well understand why Sir Richard Scott said what he did. The purpose of confidentiality is fairness. Deliberately to break a confidence when it is known to be likely to be unfair is demeaning to any aspect of the media.

Will the Attorney-General confirm his intention, when he announced the Scott inquiry nearly 20 months ago, that it should be conducted as speedily as possible? The report's publication is a movable feast. What is the latest publication forecast? Will the Attorney-General confirm that no ministerial considerations, including the calling of a snap election, will inhibit the judge's sole discretion as to the date of publication?

The right hon. and learned Gentleman, uncharacteristically, obviously did not listen to my first answer. If he did, he, as much as anybody else, should respect the confidence requested by Sir Richard Scott. The date and timing of any publication of Sir Richard Scott's report is a matter for Sir Richard.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the time within which the Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to reply substantively to letters from hon. Members. [28733]

The target which my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General has agreed with the Crown Prosecution Service for replies to correspondence from hon. Members is 15 working days. In 1994, that target was met in 77 per cent. of cases.

Why did it take three months for the Director of Public Prosecutions to tell me that she intended to take no action on the evidence of Miss Eileen McAndrew, secretary to Ms Morgan Thomas—one of the so-called noble Lord Archer's insider dealing friends? Is the reality that this man will never be prosecuted for what we all know was criminal activity?

I am very surprised at the hon. Gentleman's petulant tone. In letters which he wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions he was at pains to acknowledge her independence. Indeed, he said expressly that that was why he was writing to her rather than to anyone else. The director has considered the matter extremely carefully, independently, having in mind that the primary responsibility for prosecuting and investigating insider dealing cases lies with the DTI. She has decided, as she told the hon. Gentleman—he knows this full well—not to ask the police to carry out investigations at this stage. The decision is a matter for the director acting independently, and neither Law Officer has been involved in her decision.

To ask the Attorney-General what progress has been made on prosecutions under the War Crimes Act 1991. [28734]

Further to my previous answers to the House, seven cases have been closely examined by leading counsel and junior Treasury counsel, who have recommended certain further urgent inquiries. These are in hand. Decisions will be taken as soon as all relevant matters have been fully considered.

Can the Attorney-General confirm that, as one of the Sunday newspapers alleged, a committee has been set up that will recommend appropriate decisions, and will do so before the summer recess? In any event, will he tell the House how decisions will be announced? Will he confirm that the committee's recommendations will be made before the recess so that the House will be able to make such observations as may be proper, bearing in mind that a majority of the House is in favour of the Act but only, of course, if there is sufficient evidence to warrant prosecution?

The matter is one not for committees of any nature but for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who may or may not seek my consent to any prosecution. If she does, it is a matter for me. I have explained that these matters are being examined extremely carefully. Decisions will be taken as soon as all relevant aspects have been fully considered.

My right hon. and learned Friend said that these matters would be dealt with urgently. May I underline the need to get on with them? It was wrong that the individuals concerned escaped prosecution in the 1940s, and they should not be allowed to escape in the 1990s.

I am happy to make it clear to my hon. Friend again that these matters are being progressed with all proper speed and care. I emphasise care as well as speed. Fairness and care are essential in such matters, as they are in relation to any prosecution.

To ask the Attorney-General what are the latest statistics for the number of cases brought to court by the Crown Prosecution Service. [28735]

During the year ending March 1995, cases in respect of 1,477,617 defendants were finalised by the Crown Prosecution Service. In the magistrates courts 161,429, or 11.7 per cent. of proceedings instituted, were discontinued compared with 12.5 per cent. and 13.5 per cent. for the two previous years.

I am indebted to my hon. and learned Friend for that answer. It confirms that the number of cases discontinued, when compared with the figures for the previous two years, has fallen. Will he welcome that trend and ensure that there is the closest possible liaison between the police and the CPS to encourage it and to build on it in future?

I join my hon. Friend in welcoming that trend. He should be aware that the consultation survey that took place on discontinuance showed that in 74 per cent. of all cases discontinued, the police agreed with that decision in 96 per cent. of those cases. In 29 per cent. of discontinued cases,the CPS had no option but to discontinue because witnesses either did not attend or refused to go to court, or, in motoring offences, defendants produced documents at court. The complaint made by the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) that there is anger in the police service about the level of discontinuance is entirely wrong.

But is the Solicitor-General satisfied with the growing number of cases that have been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service and subsequently taken on successfully as private prosecutions? Could it be argued that in those cases the CPS has let down many victims of crime?

The hon. Gentleman is wrong in speaking of a growing number of cases. I repeat that it is not a growing number of cases. Such cases are few and far between. When the House passed the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 it was astute in leaving with citizens the right to initiate a private prosecution if they so wished. Only very occasionally does the private citizen feel obliged to do that.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid is provided for sport in black South African townships. [28772]

We are currently funding, in conjunction with the British Council, an initiative with the United Kingdom Sports Council to develop sports administration and coaching, and we are about to embark with Voluntary Service Overseas, on a two-year sports development pilot programme. Both projects are aimed specifically at disadvantaged communities in the townships and rural areas.

I welcome the Minister's statement. Does he agree that the Springboks' victory on Saturday was a magnificent advertisement for the new multiracial South Africa? Does he also agree that it is vital that there is investment in black township sports so that standards can be raised? In that context, will he welcome the coming tour by the Soweto cricket club, which will play at Ynysygerwyn in my constituency next Wednesday? Will he fund such tours in future so that people will be given opportunities always denied to them historically?

I do not think that anyone reporting on South Africa 10 years ago would have dreamed that a multiracial South African rugby team would win the world cup. The presence of President Mandela at the Springboks' game on Saturday was a further sign of South Africa coming back into the world. As I said, we are supporting the development of sport in townships. We want to support the development of South Africans who have been disadvantaged as a result of apartheid.

Is my hon. Friend aware that Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, who is a lifelong friend of mine and with whom I had a meal a week ago, is returning to South Africa to spend such days as are left to him? No one has done more for South Africa than Trevor Huddleston. He hopes to do just the sort of work that my hon. Friend describes to bring better sporting, cultural and educational opportunities to black children. Will my hon. Friend's funding be available to Archbishop Huddleston?

We have an aid package to South Africa of £100 million over three years, including some £60 million of bilateral aid. It is clear from my earlier answer that we are supporting worthwhile projects to help those who have been disadvantaged by apartheid fully to come back into the world. Of course, if Archbishop Trevor Huddleston comes forward with a project, we will look at it, as we look at any of the other projects, all of which we hope will be of worthwhile benefit to the people of South Africa.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the criteria for the award of overseas aid. [28773]

We give aid where it will be most effective in promoting sustainable economic and social development, focused on the poorest countries, particularly in the Commonwealth.

As this is the 50th anniversary of the granting of the United Nations charter, does the Minister agree that it is about time that Britain switched its aid focus to countries that really are the poorest and which need basic health care and education? Instead of that, the Minister and the Government consistently give aid to rich countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Bermuda.

The hon. Lady's question contains a number of misconceptions. First, nine out of 10 of the biggest recipients of our bilateral aid are among the poorest countries in Africa and Asia. Secondly, we have just had a question on South Africa, but if one followed the definition of "poorest", one would not give South Africa a penny of aid because it does not qualify as one of the poorest countries. We are about to have a question on renewable energy, but if we followed the hon. Lady's definitions of poverty, health care and education, we would not give a penny of aid to that. One must look at these matters sensibly. Our aid budget is focused on the poorest and on ensuring that they have sustainable economic development.

Anyone who had the good fortune to attend the ceremony in Westminster Hall this morning would know that Britain's convincing commitment to the United Nations has been steady from the moment that it started until now. Equally, my hon. Friend knows that those of us who travel the world and who have seen the working of the British aid programme know that the most substantial part of it goes to the poorest countries and the people within them, and that it wholly supports the Government's policy on aid.

As my hon. Friend will know, a recent Opposition Supply day debate on overseas development was thinly attended by Opposition Members. I think that only about four or five bothered to turn up. I do not think that any hon. Member challenged a single Overseas Development Administration project as not being worth while. As hon. Members travel the world and see the ODA's work, they recognise that the projects bring real value to poor countries, helping them to achieve sustainable economic development.

I should like to follow up the question by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) and the Minister's answer. Last week the Prime Minister received a letter from representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states, who represent 70 of the world's poorest countries. The letter urged Britain to reconsider plans to slash its contribution to the EDF by 30 per cent. As the Foreign Secretary has praised the EDF as an effective and efficient channel for European Union aid, will the Government at the Cannes summit this week, and even as I speak, reverse their policy and respond positively to the ACP request?

We have been over this territory before many times. As the hon. Lady knows, we are seeking to strike an appropriate balance between multilateral and bilateral aid. She may have seen press reports today stating that leading UK aid organisations such as Action Aid are already expressing concern leading up to the Cannes summit that far too much of our budget will be spent on multilateral rather than on bilateral aid. As I have said, we must strike an appropriate balance. We have a substantial aid programme of £2.2 billion, and we will strike that balance with the EDF programme.

Does the Minister welcome the decision of the G7 leaders in Halifax last week that future trends in military and other unproductive spending should be taken into account by international institutions in their granting of aid? Will that become part of the Government's policy?

It always has been. Good government has always been one of the criteria that we look at when determining aid programmes. We also look to see whether countries are engaging in excessive military spending when we are determining bilateral country programmes. That will continue to be the case.

One of the advantages of bilateral aid is that we can properly target it. Other than for emergencies, is not the advantage of bilateral aid the fact that we can target it on projects that help people in third world countries to develop their own way of making a living? Surely British technology, particularly in agriculture, is invaluable for that purpose.

Yes, and our bilateral aid programme has been widely praised. The 1994 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development review of the United Kingdom's aid programme recognised its concessionality and the way in which it focused on the poor. Britain has the fifth largest aid budget in the world and, apart from the four leading aid donors, no other country devotes so much of its budget to the poor and the poorest countries. That is why we need to ensure that we retain a substantial bilateral aid programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the renewable energy projects, other than the Pergau dam, which have received funding from the Overseas Development aid programme. [28774]

Since 1987, the ODA has directly funded 46 renewable energy projects. A list of those projects has been placed in the Library.

I am grateful to the Minister for that information, but with particular attention to the Pergau dam and the likes of that, will he acknowledge that such projects are costly, first, in terms of capital cost incurred and, secondly, in terms of the voltage drop that is incurred as power is transmitted over a wide network? Does he acknowledge that it is much better to use small-scale, renewable schemes that supply power directly at the point of need in any country, whether it be from wind, water or the sun?

In other countries, as here, different energy needs will be met in different ways. There has never been any inherent criticism of the Pergau dam project or of its inherent worth. The criticism has involved the way in which it was funded. The hon. Gentleman must be careful about this. It is not for us to seek to impose on other countries solutions to their energy problems or to other problems that they face. That has a smack of latter-day imperialism. It is for such countries to come forward with what they think are their solutions to their problems and, where we can, we will assist and support. Often that will involve mini or micro hydrowater projects such as he suggests.