Preparation costs of the Cultural Strategy and associated costs for consultants and advisors

1240/5(2612)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE EDUCATION, SPORT AND CULTURE COMMITTEE BY DEPUTY M.F. DUBRAS OF ST. LAWRENCE

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 13th SEPTEMBER 2005

Question

"(a) How much has the preparation of the Cultural Strategy (P.154/2005 and P.172/2004) cost taxpayers to-date in

each of the last five years?

2. Which consultants/advisors to the Committee and its predecessor(s), including reports to the Financeand Economics Committee, were theprimarycontributorstogether with their remuneration over five yearsand what has been the estimated cost andmanpower allocation ofdepartmentalemployees to this end during the same period?
3. What percentage ofCommitteecash limits is allocated ineachof the next three years to activities related to culture', as opposedtosportand leisure, asopposed to education services and how does this compare with the equivalentpercentages for 2004 actual and 2005 estimated?
4. In Appendix 1 (item) of the States Business Plan 2006-2010(P.151/2005) no specific objective(s) related to sport and leisure are listed. Are they incorporated within Objective 9? If not, whatstrategy and/or strategic plan covers that facet of Island culture and whenwas it last published?"

Answer

"(a) The  Cultural  Strategy,  (P.172/2004),  and  the  subsequent  redraft,  (P.154/2005),  were  produced  by  the

Education, Sport and Culture Committee following a period of research and consultation undertaken by a U.K. firm of consultants, (Leisure Futures plc.), specialists in advising government departments and local authorities on cultural development.

T h e research undertaken by Leisure Futures plc. took account of an earlier report on Cultural Development,

(the Burns Owen Report), commissioned by the Finance and Economics Committee in May 2000. For details as to the cost of that report I would refer Deputy Dubras to the President of the Finance and Economics Committee.

T h e costs incurred by the Education, Sport and Culture Committee in producing its Cultural Strategy were

incurred over a two year period 2003 and 2004. Including fees and expenses, they amounted to £17,360.71. A further £2,100.00 cost was incurred in 2004 in fees to a local accountant to provide more detail with regard to  some  aspects  of the  Leisure Futures plc.  report. A further report  on the  costs  of  the  Strategy  was commissioned recently, it is expected that the cost of this report will be in the region of £2,000.

2. The primary advisersto the Committeeasdescribedabove were Leisure Futures plc. Theirfees and expenses amounted to £17,360.71.

T h e Education, Sport and Culture Committee's Strategy was prepared by myself, Deputy Carolyn Labey and

Deputy Julian Bernstein along with officers of the Department using existing staff resources. No additional resources were utilised in this process and no record of staff time on this particular project was recorded. In total,  therefore  the  cost  incurred  by  the  Committee  in  developing  its  strategy  to  date  is £19,460.71 comprising the fees and expenses to Leisure Futures plc. and the local accountant as described above.

3. With regard to the proportion of the Education, Sport and Culture Committeebudget allocated to activities within its sphere of responsibilities, for 2006 3.4 per cent of the Committee's net cash limit has been allocated to culture' and 4.2percent to sportand leisure.

T h e equivalent percentages for 2004 (actual) are 3.9% and 4.5 per cent and for 2005 (budgeted) 3.4 per cent

and 4 per cent respectively.

I t will be for the new Ministry to agree the allocation of its 2007 and 2008 cash limits across all service areas

within its remit.

W ith regard to the split in the Committee's budget between Culture' and Education', the explanation is

somewhat more complicated as there are overlaps. A significant amount of the general spend' on education could also be described as an investment in culture. The Instrumental Music Service would be a good example of educational investment which has cultural outcomes, likewise the proportion of investment in Higher Education through student grants allocated to artistic or cultural study. It could also be argued that the teaching of history, art, music, citizenship, craft and design and religious education has a cultural impact. Given this caveat, however, the proportion of the Committee's spending on education as opposed to sport or culture will amount to the balance of 92.4 per cent in 2006 compared to 91.6 per cent of the 2004 actual spend and 92.6 per cent of the 2005 net budget.

4. The Sport and Leisure division objectives arenot incorporated in objective 9 of the States Business Plan 2006-2010. In December2001 the former Sport, Leisure and Recreation Committee adopted a Five Year Strategic Plan 2002 -2006 whichwaspresentedto the Statesas a ReportandCorrespondence(R.C) in 2002. This strategy hasinformed the subsequent Business Plansof the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Department and alsotheEducation, Sport and Culture Department."