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1351322

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Mobile Phones: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will ask Ofcom to (a) make an assessment of the cost orientation of the EU roaming charges introduced by (i) EE and (ii) Vodafone and (b) require that Vodafone informs customers who are upgrading or changing their service with Vodafone that they will lose the right to free roaming in the EU as a result.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	40905
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2021 answer text <p>Since the end of the Transition Period on 31 December 2020, the UK has no longer been part of the EU Roaming Regulation known as ‘Roam Like at Home’. This means it is a commercial decision for mobile operators as to whether they impose a surcharge on their consumers travelling abroad to the EU for their mobile phone usage.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As per Ofcom regulations, providers must make sure their contract terms are fair and transparent. They must also tell customers about changes to their contracts. Where those changes will particularly disadvantage customers, providers must give them at least a month’s notice and the right to exit their contracts without being penalised.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Further requirements to prevent roaming bill-shock include providers publishing roaming charges on their website and sending alerts with pricing information when customers start roaming. They must also apply a default £45-a-month (exc VAT) cut-off limit on data roaming unless customers choose to extend this. Our advice is that consumers check with their operators before travelling abroad.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 08/09/2021 12:17:02 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1349594

registered interest
date	22/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Cybersecurity: Small Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2021 to Question 28185, for what reason the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021 did not publish data on micro and small businesses for questions relating to the Cyber Essentials Scheme as it had in previous years.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	38258
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2021 answer text <p>When we published the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2021" target="_blank">Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021</a> we purposely focused on the impact of additional guidance issued by NCSC in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: guidance on <a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/home-working" target="_blank">home working</a> and <a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/video-conferencing-services-security-guidance-organisations" target="_blank">video conferencing services</a>; and guidance on <a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/moving-business-from-physical-to-digital" target="_blank">moving business online</a>, as we considered these to be the priority topics of interest at that time. As a result, we did not publish the data on awareness of Cyber Essentials for micro and small businesses.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Overall for businesses in 2021, 14% of businesses were aware of Cyber Essentials, in line with 2020 (13%). The figures on micro and small businesses from the 2021 Survey followed the same trend as previous years. As in previous years, awareness of Cyber Essentials was lower for micro (12%) and small (22%) businesses than medium (45%) and large businesses (50%).</p><p><strong><p><p></strong></p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman question first answered 09/09/2021 11:13:38 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1349294

registered interest
date	21/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Radio Frequencies: Carbon Emissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in the context the decision of regulators in (a) Germany and (b) the Republic of Ireland to enable radio spectrum allocation to facilitate the transition to net zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the viability of the allocation of radio spectrum to the energy network operators to accelerate decarbonisation of the UK economy.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	37467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>This Government is committed to reaching our net zero targets. Our Nationally Determined Contribution to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 is the most ambitious in the world. Harnessing the potential of spectrum will be crucial to helping us do this.</p><p>Ofcom is responsible for managing and authorising spectrum use and DCMS will continue to work with Ofcom on the potential allocation of spectrum to energy networks and other users so as to help us reach our net zero targets.</p><p>As outlined in its <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/216640/statement-plan-of-work-202122.pdf" target="_blank">Plan of Work 21/22</a>, Ofcom is reviewing the role of spectrum in supporting energy distribution networks to meet Government targets on carbon neutrality and manage new distribution models. Ofcom is working with energy operators and other stakeholders in the sector to understand future spectrum requirements, and closely follows the progress of other international spectrum regulators in enabling smart grids.</p><p /> <p>DCMS Officials have attended industry-led events regarding the allocation of radio spectrum to the energy network operators and have met with representatives from the Strategic Telecoms Group of the Energy Networks Association (ENA) and the Joint Radio Company (JRC), a joint venture between the ENA and National Grid, to discuss the radio spectrum needs of the UK gas and electricity network operators. DCMS is also in close contact with BEIS on this issue.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with Ofcom and other key stakeholders to help find a suitable, sustainable spectrum solution for energy networks.</p><p /> <p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 37468 question first answered 10/09/2021 10:13:37 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1349296

registered interest
date	21/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Radio Frequencies: Carbon Emissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the role of Ofcom in incentivising decarbonisation through the award of radio spectrum to energy network operators; and whether officials in his Department have (a) met and (b) plan to meet representatives of UK energy network operators to discuss the allocation of radio spectrum to accelerate decarbonisation of the UK energy system.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	37468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>This Government is committed to reaching our net zero targets. Our Nationally Determined Contribution to cut emissions by 78% by 2035 is the most ambitious in the world. Harnessing the potential of spectrum will be crucial to helping us do this.</p><p>Ofcom is responsible for managing and authorising spectrum use and DCMS will continue to work with Ofcom on the potential allocation of spectrum to energy networks and other users so as to help us reach our net zero targets.</p><p>As outlined in its <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/216640/statement-plan-of-work-202122.pdf" target="_blank">Plan of Work 21/22</a>, Ofcom is reviewing the role of spectrum in supporting energy distribution networks to meet Government targets on carbon neutrality and manage new distribution models. Ofcom is working with energy operators and other stakeholders in the sector to understand future spectrum requirements, and closely follows the progress of other international spectrum regulators in enabling smart grids.</p><p /> <p>DCMS Officials have attended industry-led events regarding the allocation of radio spectrum to the energy network operators and have met with representatives from the Strategic Telecoms Group of the Energy Networks Association (ENA) and the Joint Radio Company (JRC), a joint venture between the ENA and National Grid, to discuss the radio spectrum needs of the UK gas and electricity network operators. DCMS is also in close contact with BEIS on this issue.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with Ofcom and other key stakeholders to help find a suitable, sustainable spectrum solution for energy networks.</p><p /> <p> </p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Matt Warman grouped question UIN 37467 question first answered 10/09/2021 10:13:37 answering member 4361 label Biography information for Matt Warman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1347773

registered interest
date	19/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	OnlyFans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if Ofcom will assess whether OnlyFans online platform and app is in breach of the Audio-Visual Media regulations.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	34488
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2021 answer text <p>Ofcom has been the national regulator for the video-sharing platform (VSP) regime since the Audiovisual Media Services Regulations came into force on 1 November 2020. For the first time, these regulations require UK-established VSPs, such as OnlyFans, to comply with new rules around protecting users from harmful content. Throughout the implementation of this novel regulation, Ofcom has been actively engaging with OnlyFans and other VSPs to ensure they understand their regulatory obligations and the steps they may need to take to ensure compliance.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>However, if Ofcom were to find a VSP provider in breach of the VSP requirements, it has the ability to investigate using its information gathering powers. Ofcom is also able to take robust enforcement action which can include imposing significant financial penalties and, in the most serious instances, issuing a direction to suspend or restrict a platform provider from providing a service.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 23/07/2021 12:03:08 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1348283

registered interest
date	19/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Internet: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to minimise the risk of fraud facilitated through online advertisements in the period before the online advertising regulation consultation launches later in 2021.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	35636
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government is deeply concerned about the growth and scale of online fraud. We know that the best way to tackle these scams is to ensure that the public have all the advice and support they need to detect these frauds and avoid them. That is why we have published guidance on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> containing easy-to-follow steps and useful resources. This can currently be accessed here: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-fraud-and-cyber-crime" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-fraud-and-cyber-crime</a></p><p> </p><p>As well as this, Action Fraud, the national reporting service for all victims of fraud and cybercrime, also regularly provide fraud alerts via their website including on common and newly seen fraud schemes. This can currently be accessed here: <a href="http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news" target="_blank">www.actionfraud.police.uk/news</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Online Safety Bill, published on the 12th May, will require companies in scope of regulation to take action to tackle fraud, where it is facilitated through user-generated content (for example by social media posts) or via search results. We expect the regulatory framework to have a particular impact on specific types of fraud, such as romance scams, which are estimated to cost over £60 million a year and cause significant psychological harm to victims.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As you are aware, DCMS will be considering how online advertising is regulated through its Online Advertising Programme. This work will look at ensuring that standards about the placement and content of advertising are effectively applied and enforced online to reduce consumers’ exposure to harmful or misleading advertising. This work will look at the role advertising can play in enabling online fraud and help inform our future efforts to tackle it. We will be consulting on this issue later this year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 27/07/2021 10:56:50 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1347661

registered interest
date	16/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Research: ICT
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for the UK's research community of a Government-backed national research cloud which would enable academics to analyse, share and retain large and complex data sets.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	34482
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2021 answer text <p>We recognise that there are significant opportunities for the UK’s research community through sharing and accessing large datasets.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The National Data Strategy (NDS), published in September 2020, set out our vision to harness the power of responsible data use to boost productivity, create new businesses and jobs, improve public services, support a fairer society, and drive scientific discovery, positioning the UK as the forerunner of the next wave of innovation. As part of Mission One of the NDS - unlocking the value of data across the economy - DCMS is thinking about how we can support the development of infrastructure that promotes the availability of data for research and development purposes. We will engage key experts, academics and other stakeholders to develop our thinking.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 26/07/2021 11:40:18 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1347662

registered interest
date	16/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Artificial Intelligence: EU Action
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the principles set out in the EU proposals for regulations on artificial intelligence.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	34483
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2021 answer text <p>The UK notes the European Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation on a European approach for Artificial Intelligence (AI) with interest. The future of EU regulation on AI is a matter for the Commission, the Member States and European Parliament.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The UK is playing a leading role in international discussions on AI ethics and potential regulations, such as work at the Council of Europe, the OECD, UNESCO and the Global Partnership on AI.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We will publish a new National AI Strategy later this year. Under this strategy we will continue to work with international partners including the EU to support the development of the rules around the use of AI for the benefit of our societies and economies.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We are monitoring developments across the world, including in the EU, to assess whether and how those developments can inform our own laws and practices. The independent Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) has also been appointed to scan the horizon for new technological innovations and provide the government with impartial, expert advice on the regulatory reform required to support AI’s rapid and safe introduction, while protecting citizens and the environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 26/07/2021 10:42:03 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1347775

registered interest
date	16/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Internet: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to protect (a) children and (b) vulnerable users online before the Online Safety Bill is enacted.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	34489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>Ahead of Online Safety legislation, the government is taking robust action to ensure that children and vulnerable users are safe online.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Our new regulatory regime for UK-established video sharing platforms requires them to take appropriate measures to protect under-18s from harmful material. Ofcom will be able to take enforcement action against platforms that do not comply.</p><p>The Age Appropriate Design Code, which will come into force in September 2021, will provide stronger protections for children’s personal data and guidance to companies on the privacy standards they must adopt on services that children are likely to access and which process their personal data.</p><p>On 14th July we published the government’s Media Literacy Strategy, which will educate and empower users with the skills and knowledge they need to keep themselves safe online, with an amplified focus on vulnerable and disabled users.</p><p>In June 2021, we published Safety by Design guidance and a One Stop Shop on child online safety. This guidance will ensure that companies are equipped with the knowledge that they need to embed safety into platform design to protect users.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 21/07/2021 13:27:00 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1347776

registered interest
date	16/07/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Information Commissioner's Office: Complaints
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Information Commissioner on resolving the delay caused by the covid-19 outbreak in responding to complaints about the use of personal data particularly in regard to fraud.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	34490
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2021 answer text <p>The Independent Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is aware that criminal organisations and individuals have used the Covid-19 outbreak for fraudulent activity, for example by taking advantage of the economic downturn to encourage innocent victims to apply for financial relief funds in exchange for their personal details.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The ICO remains ready to investigate any complaints about organisations taking advantage of the current pandemic, providing they fall within their remit on the mis-use of personal data. If the complaint falls outside of their remit, the ICO will refer them to their partners in law enforcement, Action Fraud, Trading Standards or other relevant bodies.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The ICO acknowledges that it began the last financial year carrying vacancies in its operational areas, but this has now been addressed and should allow them to deal with cases quicker. The ICO was still able to deal with around 84% of cases within six months of receipt and expects to improve that significantly during the financial year 2021/ 2022. The ICO have also implemented a new casework management system, which they expect to provide efficiencies as they develop its functionality in the coming year.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>A full analysis of how the ICO responded to the challenges of Covid-19 will be covered in a separate report to Parliament, which will be published over the summer. The report will include details of the lessons learned that will inform the ICO's future approach.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 26/07/2021 11:44:03 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah