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1020213

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Gambling: Marketing
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 bring forward legislative proposals to prevent gambling companies from using user data to target marketing to (a) underage and (b) problem gamblers.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	199330
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>Strict rules already ensure gambling adverts are not targeted at, or appeal to, children, or exploit the vulnerable, and these apply across all media, including online and on social media.</p><p> </p><p>Gambling operators are required to comply with the advertising codes of practice issued by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP). These are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). In addition to rules covering children, the advertising codes have specific provisions to protect vulnerable people, and CAP’s new guidance in February further restricted adverts that create an inappropriate sense of urgency or give an irresponsible perception of risk or control.</p><p> </p><p>Gambling adverts must not feature content that risks appealing to children, for example cartoon animals. Last year the Gambling Commission and ASA acted quickly to make clear that operators using such images were in breach of advertising rules and must remove the material or face enforcement action. In addition to rules on content, the ASA has made clear that operators advertising online must use data on customers’ interests to target marketing campaigns away from children.</p><p> </p><p>The government considered gambling advertising as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures and set out a package of initiatives to strengthen protections further, including further CAP guidance on protecting children and young people, and tougher Gambling Commission sanctions for breaches of the advertising codes, including fines.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 199337 question first answered 13/12/2018 16:59:04 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

1020214

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Public Libraries: Children
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 ensure the safeguarding of children in unstaffed libraries.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	199331
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department encourages local authorities to consider a range of approaches to support and enhance the delivery of their library services, such as making appropriate use of available technology. A number of library services are using technology to enable access for library users to library buildings outside staffed hours on a self service basis. The systems often include controlled access technology involving CCTV and communication systems. Good practice guidance, from the Libraries Taskforce, encourages library services to undertake a risk assessment before implementing such a service and also advises that it is important that staffed hours meet the requirements of children and young adults who wish to visit the library unaccompanied. In managing the safeguarding of children, library services that use these systems do not allow children under a specified age to access the library at unstaffed times unless accompanied by an adult.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 13/12/2018 13:03:48 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

1020300

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Broadband and Mobile Phones: Rural Areas
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 improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.
tabling member constituency	Banff and Buchan
tabling member printed	David Duguid
uin	199468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2018 answer text <p>The Government’s policy is to ensure world-class broadband connectivity across the UK, including in rural areas, and includes the following steps which have been designed to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.</p><p> </p><p>£1.7 billion of public money is being invested to support vital improvements in superfast broadband coverage across the UK, including in rural areas. In December 2017, we met our target to extend superfast coverage to 95% of UK premises, and we expect to reach at least 97%. .</p><p> </p><p>We have also put in place legislation to create a new Universal Service Obligation giving every household and business the right to request a broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps by 2020, to ensure no-one is left behind. In addition, the Better Broadband Scheme provides additional voucher funding to UK premises that do not have access to an affordable broadband service delivering at least 2Mbps. This will provide a safety net until the USO is in place by 2020</p><p> </p><p>We want to provide world class digital connectivity that is gigabit-capable, reliable, long-lasting and widely available across the UK. We have set ambitious targets - for 15 million premises to be connected to full fibre by 2025, with nationwide coverage by 2033. In the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, we set out our long term national strategy to meet these targets, and to ensure that rural and remote areas are not left behind. Critical to delivering this ambition, is the “outside-in” approach set out in the review, which seeks to ensure that the harder to reach, mostly rural areas which are not viable for commercial investment - are addressed at the same pace as the rest of the country.</p><p> </p><p>The £200m Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) programme announced in the Budget on 29 October 2018 marks the first step in this “outside-in” process and will prioritise the delivery full fibre to premises in rural and remote areas. The RGC builds on the Local Full Fibre Networks programme which includes a £190 million Challenge Fund designed to stimulate commercial investment in full fibre networks in both rural and urban locations across the UK. In addition, Defra has also allocated £30 million of grant funding from the Rural Development Programme for England, targeted at helping to connect businesses with superfast broadband in hard to reach rural areas.</p><p> </p><p>On Mobile services, the Government is committed to ensuring that the UK has good quality, consistent mobile connectivity where people live, work and travel. Mobile coverage has significantly improved over recent years, with 87% of UK landmass having a 4G signal from at least one operator (compared to 78% in 2017). My Department is also working across Government, and with others, to ensure delivery of our manifesto commitment to secure 95% geographic coverage of the UK by 2022. Alongside this work, we welcome the opportunity that Ofcom's proposed 700MHz auction presents to improve mobile coverage across the UK, including in rural areas.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 14/12/2018 11:43:04 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	4606 label Biography information for David Duguid

1020334

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Gambling: Christmas
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 additional counselling support is available for people with gambling-related problems during the Christmas period.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	199334
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The most reliable source of problem gambling rates is data collected from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland, and the Problem Gambling Survey Wales. This is collected annually, and we therefore do not hold data on the effect of Christmas on under-age or problem gambling.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The most recent report estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the adult population. Headline rates of problem gambling has remained relatively stable at under 1% for many years.</p><p> </p><p>GambleAware, an independent charity, commissions treatment services, including the GamCare National Gambling Helpline and counselling services and specialist treatment delivered by the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and the Gordon Moody Association.</p><p> </p><p>The National Gambling Helpline and Netline are open all year round from 8 am to midnight, including all bank holidays. GamCare reports that numbers of calls and contacts are generally low during the festive period, with an increase in the first two weeks of January, in line with experience in other types of support services.</p><p> </p><p>The Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May, set out measures to prevent and reduce harm from gambling, including strengthening existing protections across gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. It also set out initiatives to improve for treatment and support for those who experience harm, including expanding access to existing services, strengthening the voluntary system for funding and building evidence of what treatment is most effective.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright grouped question UIN 199335 question first answered 10/12/2018 17:33:11 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

1020335

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Gambling: Christmas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to make an assessment of the effect of the Christmas period on rates of (a) under-age gambling and (b) problem gambling; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	199335
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The most reliable source of problem gambling rates is data collected from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland, and the Problem Gambling Survey Wales. This is collected annually, and we therefore do not hold data on the effect of Christmas on under-age or problem gambling.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The most recent report estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the adult population. Headline rates of problem gambling has remained relatively stable at under 1% for many years.</p><p> </p><p>GambleAware, an independent charity, commissions treatment services, including the GamCare National Gambling Helpline and counselling services and specialist treatment delivered by the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and the Gordon Moody Association.</p><p> </p><p>The National Gambling Helpline and Netline are open all year round from 8 am to midnight, including all bank holidays. GamCare reports that numbers of calls and contacts are generally low during the festive period, with an increase in the first two weeks of January, in line with experience in other types of support services.</p><p> </p><p>The Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May, set out measures to prevent and reduce harm from gambling, including strengthening existing protections across gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. It also set out initiatives to improve for treatment and support for those who experience harm, including expanding access to existing services, strengthening the voluntary system for funding and building evidence of what treatment is most effective.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright grouped question UIN 199334 question first answered 10/12/2018 17:33:11 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

1020337

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Gambling: Children
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 information he holds on the number and proportion of (a) children who gamble by buying scratchcards and (b) problem gamblers among 16 to 18 year olds who buy scratchcards.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	199336
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2018 answer text <p>The legal age for playing National Lottery scratchcards is 16. The Gambling Commission’s Young People &amp; Gambling 2018 report surveyed 2,865 children aged 11-16 years old in schools in England, Scotland and Wales. It reported that 2% of those aged 11-15 years old (45 individuals) had spent money on scratchcards in the past 7 days. Of the 11-15 year olds who have bought National Lottery products (National Lottery tickets or scratchcards) in the past, 62% said a parent or guardian handed over the money at the till.</p><p> </p><p>Data from the Health Survey for England and Scotland 2015 and Problem Gambling Survey Wales 2015 indicates that none of the 16-17 year olds surveyed who played scratchcards were classified as problem gamblers. This is from a sample of 246 16-17 year olds, of whom 53 who had bought scratchcards in the last 12 months. The Gambling Commission also carries out regular telephone surveys, which again found that there were there were no problem gamblers amongst 16-17 and 16-18 year old scratchcard players surveyed. However, in both age groups sample sizes were small, and findings should be treated with caution.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/12/2018 13:20:29 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

1020338

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Gambling: Advertising
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing restrictions on the use of cartoons and animated figures in gambling advertising campaigns to ensure that they are not targeted at young people.
tabling member constituency	West Bromwich East
tabling member printed	Tom Watson
uin	199337
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>Strict rules already ensure gambling adverts are not targeted at, or appeal to, children, or exploit the vulnerable, and these apply across all media, including online and on social media.</p><p> </p><p>Gambling operators are required to comply with the advertising codes of practice issued by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP). These are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). In addition to rules covering children, the advertising codes have specific provisions to protect vulnerable people, and CAP’s new guidance in February further restricted adverts that create an inappropriate sense of urgency or give an irresponsible perception of risk or control.</p><p> </p><p>Gambling adverts must not feature content that risks appealing to children, for example cartoon animals. Last year the Gambling Commission and ASA acted quickly to make clear that operators using such images were in breach of advertising rules and must remove the material or face enforcement action. In addition to rules on content, the ASA has made clear that operators advertising online must use data on customers’ interests to target marketing campaigns away from children.</p><p> </p><p>The government considered gambling advertising as part of our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures and set out a package of initiatives to strengthen protections further, including further CAP guidance on protecting children and young people, and tougher Gambling Commission sanctions for breaches of the advertising codes, including fines.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 199330 question first answered 13/12/2018 16:59:04 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	1463 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

1020390

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Digital Technology: Skilled Workers
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 (a) businesses and (b) organisations he has met to discuss the effect of the fourth industrial revolution on skills needs; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne North
tabling member printed	Catherine McKinnell
uin	199396
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2018 answer text <p>As referenced in the 2017 Digital Strategy, in order “for the UK to be a world-leading digital economy, that works for everyone, it is crucial that everyone has the digital capabilities they need to fully participate in society.” We are working with a wide range of partners across all sectors. This includes working with organisations carrying out research into the skills that are needed by the current and future workforce including Ecorys, Nesta, The Royal Society, the Oxford Internet Institute and Burning Glass amongst many others.</p><p> </p><p>We have also established the Digital Skills Partnership, bringing together organisations from across all sectors to improve digital skills and capability levels across the skills spectrum. Organisations on the DSP’s Board include Google, Microsoft, BT, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, AbilityNet, Good Things Foundation, Tech Nation, the Federation of Small Businesses, Microsoft, and Nominet. A priority for the Digital Skills Partnership is to work with regional stakeholders, including SMEs and charitable organisations, and to incentivise the creation of Local Digital Skills Partnerships so that regional partners can better understand the skills needs of their local economies and communities.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the Government’s National Retraining Scheme is an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult retraining is driven by a key partnership between business (Confederation of British Industry), workers (Trades Union Congress) and Government, to set the strategic direction of the Scheme and oversees its implementation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 14/12/2018 11:45:05 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell

1020425

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Voluntary Work: Young People
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 his Department is taking to protect youth volunteering charities from financial difficulty; when his Department became aware of the financial difficulties facing vInspired; whether his Department is aware of other regional providers of the National Citizen Service who are in similar financial difficulties; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of young people affected by the closure of vInspired.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	199447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>DCMS invests in youth organisations in a number of ways including the National Citizen Service and the Youth Investment and #iwill Funds in partnership with Big Lottery Fund.</p><p> </p><p>Independent charities are responsible for managing their own funding through various mechanisms including donations, trading and investment; and are accountable for their own financial solvency.</p><p> </p><p>vInspired informed DCMS officials that they were in financial difficulties and expected to shortly commence insolvency procedures in November 2018.</p><p> </p><p>vInspired Education are responsible for delivering the NCS programme in the North East, however this is a separate legal entity to vInspired. We are not aware of any regional providers of NCS who are in financial difficulties.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has assessed that there is no impact to young people on the NCS programme in the North East, and we do not currently hold an estimate of the number of young people who may be affected by other services vInspired provided.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 13/12/2018 17:01:02 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith