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1678191

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Culture: Lincolnshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding provided by Arts Council England for cultural activities in Lincolnshire.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	6965
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>His Majesty’s Government is deeply committed to supporting access to high-quality arts and culture across the country, including through public funding to organisations in Lincolnshire via Arts Council England.</p><p>Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 National Portfolio, public funding is being provided to 11 organisations in Lincolnshire (an increase from 6 in the previous, 2018–22 portfolio) encompassing theatre, dance, museums, visual arts, and literature and libraries. The total investment in Lincolnshire through the national portfolio is £2.4 million per year – an increase of over £1 million per year from the last portfolio.</p><p>Funding offered or administered by the Arts Council in the previous financial year and the current financial year to date totals £14.2 million. This includes £5 million through the third round of the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, administered by Arts Council England, for East Lindsey District Council to support partners in transforming the Embassy Theatre and regenerating Skegness Pier and the surrounding public space. Arts and cultural organisations in Lincolnshire also benefited from over £15 million through the Culture Recovery Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>There are three Arts Council England ‘Priority Places’ in Lincolnshire: Boston, East Lindsey, and North East Lincolnshire. There are six DCMS ‘Levelling Up for Culture Places’ in Lincolnshire: Boston, East Lindsey, South Holland, North Kesteven, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire. Levelling Up for Culture Places were agreed between DCMS and Arts Council England, and will be the focus for additional Arts Council England engagement and investment to strengthen cultural and creative opportunities in the areas and for the people who live there.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 19/12/2023 16:36:30 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1678257

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Broadband: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve rural connectivity.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Dr Kieran Mullan
uin	7150
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to improve digital connectivity in rural areas. Project Gigabit is the Government’s £5 billion programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to rural and hard-to-reach communities across the UK. Alongside suppliers’ commercial rollout plans, our target is to achieve 85% gigabit coverage of the UK by 2025, and then nationwide coverage by 2030. Over 79% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, which represents significant progress since January 2019, when coverage was just 6%.</p><p> </p><p>We now have 16 contracts in place, and combined with our procurements running across the country, we have made over £2 billion of funding available to support the deployment of gigabit-capable broadband to over 1.1 million premises in hard-to-reach areas across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Support is also available for homes and businesses in some rural areas through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Over 108,00 vouchers have been used to connect rural homes and businesses with fast, reliable broadband.</p><p> </p><p>For very hard to reach premises, in April 2023, the Government announced a capital grants scheme to provide up to 35,000 premises with help to access Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite equipment to improve their connectivity. More information on this scheme will be announced in the new year.</p><p> </p><p>To improve 4G coverage in rural areas, the government is working with the UK’s four mobile network operators (EE, Three, VMO2 and Vodafone) to deliver the Shared Rural Network. This agreement will see the Government and industry jointly invest over £1 billion to increase outdoor 4G mobile coverage across the UK to 95% by the end of 2025. The programme targets areas of the country with partial or no 4G coverage, and will significantly improve mobile coverage for an extra 280,000 premises and 16,000km of roads. 4G coverage across the UK is approaching 93%, which is up from 91% when the Shared Rural Network deal was signed in March 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the Shared Rural Network, the Government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April 2023, set out further steps to improve connectivity across the UK, including a new ambition for nationwide coverage of standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, Simon Fell MP has been appointed as the Government’s Rural Connectivity Champion. His role will be to ensure that rural communities and businesses can access and adopt the connectivity that they need.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 19/12/2023 11:46:45 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4860 label Biography information for Dr Kieran Mullan

1677813

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	BBC: Community Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the BBC on the potential impact of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas War on community cohesion in the UK.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	6713
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The BBC has a duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information. That is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive events that could impact community cohesion in the UK.</p><p>The events in Israel since 7 October are terrorist acts committed by a terrorist organisation, proscribed in the United Kingdom since 2021 and designated as such by many other governments and international organisations.</p><p>The BBC is editorially and operationally independent and decisions around its editorial policies and guidelines are therefore a matter for the BBC.</p><p>However, calling these acts what they are, and accurately labelling the perpetrators, helps audiences to understand what has happened, is happening and its context.</p><p>That is why the Secretary of State has communicated with the BBC, and with the public, her disappointment that the BBC has refused to describe Hamas as terrorists, or the atrocities it has carried out as terrorism. The Secretary of State made that point to the BBC on multiple occasions since the terrorist attacks on 7 October.</p><p>And on the misattribution of responsibility for the strike on the Al-Alhi hospital, as the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House of Commons on 23 October, “the misreporting of this incident had a negative effect in the region – including on a vital US diplomatic effort – and on tensions here at home. We need to learn the lessons and ensure that in future there is no rush to judgement.”</p><p>As the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 18/12/2023 10:52:06 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1677908

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Telephone Systems: Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of the withdrawal of copper wire telecommunications to local authorities.
tabling member constituency	Orkney and Shetland
tabling member printed	Mr Alistair Carmichael
uin	6770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The change to digital landlines will affect many sectors of the economy, including services delivered by local authorities. We cannot definitively comment on the estimated cost of the upgrade on local authorities, since the services and devices vary from one local authority to another.</p><p> </p><p>The Government engages regularly with local authorities to raise awareness of the PSTN migration. As part of that engagement, we have encouraged local authorities to collate and share cost data related to the migration with DSIT and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). We have also made clear that local authorities should plan ahead for how they may be impacted by the migration, including by considering the budgetary implications of upgrading outdated devices.</p><p> </p><p>With regards to communicating the migration, industry is best placed to inform their respective customers. Communications Providers have varying strategies and timelines for the migration, as well as a better understanding of the needs of their individual customers. By contrast, there is a significant risk that a nationwide campaign would be misleading and counterproductive, for example by not giving appropriate advice to vulnerable customers.</p><p> </p><p>That said, DSIT has published a webpage on <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgov.uk%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cparliamentary-questions%40dsit.gov.uk%7C6af6c33b10804d32fc3308dbfee89cf4%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C638384047254636560%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=aYKyAemefaLR1W4Y1rtDRmQ81bEliFpSQnG9CrOwbRE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> about the PSTN migration as a way to increase public awareness. This resource provides guidance about how consumers can prepare for the switchover and where they can find additional information. The webpage can be found here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Fuk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cparliamentary-questions%40dsit.gov.uk%7C6af6c33b10804d32fc3308dbfee89cf4%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C638384047254792789%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Uv%2B2L%2FFoB%2BxsHFecqCgdULRQ%2B0a9JAs0kw0iL0YCtJM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines</a>. We also regularly engage with Ofcom and Communication Providers to discuss how best to communicate with end users, particularly vulnerable customers.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 18/12/2023 14:28:51 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	1442 label Biography information for Mr Alistair Carmichael

1677909

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Telephone Systems: Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance she has issued with the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities to local authorities on the costs of moving to digital telecare.
tabling member constituency	Orkney and Shetland
tabling member printed	Mr Alistair Carmichael
uin	6771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) both regularly provide information to local authorities about the PSTN migration. Officials from both departments also attend a Digital Switchover Working Group, hosted by the Local Government Authority.</p><p>DSIT is shortly looking to publish further guidance to local authorities about how the switch-off of analogue landlines may impact them. Among several other issues, this guidance will cover aspects of the provision of adult social care.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 19/12/2023 16:48:34 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	1442 label Biography information for Mr Alistair Carmichael

1677910

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Telecommunications Cables: Copper
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to launch a nation-wide public awareness campaign on the withdrawal of copper wire telecommunications.
tabling member constituency	Orkney and Shetland
tabling member printed	Mr Alistair Carmichael
uin	6772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18th December to Question 6770</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 19/12/2023 11:22:15 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	1442 label Biography information for Mr Alistair Carmichael

1677457

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Radio: Local Broadcasting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the draft Media Bill, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposals to remove requirements on local analogue radio services to feature local music on (a) up and coming artists, and (b) the music industry.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	6583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>Provisions in the Media Bill will update the regulatory framework for commercial radio, to reflect the significant evolution in the radio sector over recent years. In particular, the changes will make it easier for local commercial stations holding analogue licences to adapt their services in response to listener preferences, while ensuring that protections for local news and information remain, recognising that these services are fundamental to the public value of radio.</p><p>The provisions also reflect the huge growth in the radio sector over the last twenty years. In that time, the Government has put in place funding and legislation to support the development of digital radio, including enabling the rollout of small-scale DAB across the UK, and this has provided opportunities for a number of new local services to broadcast - many of which regularly feature local music. Community radio has also grown significantly since its inception in 2005, with more than 300 stations providing hyperlocal services to communities throughout the UK.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 18/12/2023 17:10:49 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1677458

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Local Broadcasting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent conversations her Department has had with platforms on the technological feasibility of offering regional prominence.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	6584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The Department engages regularly with stakeholders – including TV platforms – on all aspects of the Media Bill, including matters relating to prominence.</p><p>In particular, the Bill was published in draft on 29 March 2023 and the Department subsequently engaged with key stakeholders to ensure that it would deliver the desired outcomes for industry and audiences. The Bill also underwent pre-legislative scrutiny conducted by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.</p><p>Following this engagement, we are confident that the measures set out in the Bill, including in relation to regional prominence, are technologically feasible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 18/12/2023 10:48:24 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1677461

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	BBC and Ofcom: Gaza
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet Office colleagues on issuing guidance to Ministers on upholding the operational independence of (a) the BBC and (b) Ofcom in respect of the conflict in Gaza.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	6586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The BBC is editorially and operationally independent and decisions around its editorial policies and guidelines are therefore a matter for the BBC.</p><p>The BBC has a duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information. That is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive events. The BBC’s accuracy and impartiality is critical to viewer trust. And as the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.</p><p>The events in Israel since 7 October are terrorist acts committed by a terrorist organisation, proscribed in the United Kingdom since 2021 and designated as such by many other governments and international organisations.</p><p>However, calling these acts what they are, and accurately labelling the perpetrators, helps audiences to understand what has happened, is happening and its context.</p><p>That is why the Secretary of State has communicated with the BBC, and with the public, her disappointment that the BBC has refused to describe Hamas as terrorists, or the atrocities it has carried out as terrorism. The Secretary of State made that point to the BBC on multiple occasions since the terrorist attacks on 7 October.</p><p>Ofcom has been clear that responsibility lies with the BBC to decide the vocabulary it uses to describe unfolding events. The Broadcasting Code does not prevent broadcasters referring to terrorist organisations, nor does it prevent them referring to Hamas as terrorists.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 18/12/2023 10:46:16 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1677669

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Culture: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support disabled access to venues.
tabling member constituency	Bosworth
tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
uin	900702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is committed to improving the accessibility of cultural and heritage venues across the UK for everyone.</p><p>In June 2021, the Government Disability Unit launched an enhanced programme of Disability and Access Ambassadors. As part of this, David Stanley BEM was appointed as the Arts and Culture Disability and Access Ambassador. The Department is working closely with him to improve accessibility to the sector and its venues for people with disabilities.</p><p>DCMS investment is enabling important accessibility upgrades in cultural venues across the country, including via infrastructure grants to DCMS-sponsored cultural bodies. The joint DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund also has improvements to access and/or interpretation for visitors with disabilities as a core criterion, with recent awards including new accessible doors, lifts, ramps, and signage at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, amongst other projects.</p><p>Arts Councils across the UK are also working together with the British Film Institute to launch a free, UK-wide arts access scheme, called ‘All-In’. The pilot of this scheme is set to launch in Spring 2024. This scheme will operate across the UK in arts and cultural venues, for seamless, barrier-free booking which is responsive to individual circumstances and needs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Sir John Whittingdale question first answered 19/12/2023 08:43:23 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans