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1523393

registered interest
date	18/10/2022
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	Television Licences: Non-payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many people were convicted for not paying their TV license under the provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 since 1992.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	65608
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>The requirement to hold, and pay for, a TV Licence is set out in the Communications Act 2003 and the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004.</p><p>Parliament approved the BBC assuming the role of the TV Licensing Authority in 1991, and under the Communications Act 2003, the BBC is authorised to collect and enforce the Licence Fee by law on the government's behalf.</p><p>The TV licence fee was administered under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 until the passage of the 2003 Act.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice currently publishes the number of prosecutions, convictions and sentencing outcomes for the non-payment of TV licence fees annually as part of their criminal justice statistics quarterly publications, which can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly</a></p><p>Figures for each year since 2005 up to 2021 are available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, and can be found in the following tables:</p><p>2017-2021: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1076459/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2021-v2.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1076459/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2021-v2.xlsx<br /></a>2016: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1063880/outcomes-by-offence-2020-revised.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1063880/outcomes-by-offence-2020-revised.xlsx<br /></a>2005-2015: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524326/cjs-outcomes-by-offence.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524326/cjs-outcomes-by-offence.xlsx</a></p><p>To view the relevant figures in these tables, select ‘191A Television licence evasion’ in the Offence filter.</p><p>The number of people convicted for TV licence evasion in the years between 1992 and 2004 can be found in the attached tables. Table 1 sets out the number of convictions for television licence evasion in this period under the Communications Act 2003. Table 2 sets out convictions for offences against the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, 1949 to 1967 in the same period. While television licence evasion was an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, the figures in Table 2 may include other offences under the specified Acts.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 24/10/2022 16:37:09 question first ministerially corrected 25/10/2022 16:09:44 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez attachment 1 file name PQ 65608 table final.pdf title Table outlining information sources previous answer version 26685 answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1522893

registered interest
date	17/10/2022
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	BT Group: Staff
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 requirements if any are placed on BT-operated call centres for emergency services in relation to pastoral support for call centre workers exposed to traumatic situations through their work.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
uin	64295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>His Majesty’s Government appreciates the vital role that BT call handlers provide in taking emergency calls from the public and connecting them to the emergency authorities. BT acts as the Call Handling Agent on behalf of communication providers. The Government cannot comment on internal arrangements of a private company such as BT Group, but that BT may be able to assist with the enquiry.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 24/10/2022 16:47:12 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1522430

registered interest
date	14/10/2022
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	Museums and Galleries: Restitution
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 she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the implementation of sections 15 and 16 of the Charities Act 2022 on the ability of trustees of national museums to seek authorisation from the (a) Charity Commission, (b) Attorney general or (c) in the courts to return collection items if they are motivated by a moral obligation.
tabling member constituency	Hertsmere
tabling member printed	Oliver Dowden
uin	63260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government is deferring the commencement of sections 15 and 16 of the Charities Act 2022 until we fully understand the implications for National Museums and other charities. When Parliament debated the Charities Bill, enabling national museums to restitute items from their collections based on moral grounds was neither considered, nor agreed on.</p><p>Deferring the commencement of these sections of the Act, which were initially planned to be in the first tranche of commencements in autumn 2022, will have no impact on the implementation of the other sections in the Charities Act 2022.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew grouped question UIN 64175 64176 question first answered 25/10/2022 08:58:34 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4441 label Biography information for Oliver Dowden

1522435

registered interest
date	14/10/2022
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	ICT: 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, if his Department will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the level of IT skills possessed by the workforce in (a) the UK and (b) other members of the G7.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	63247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>The latest economic statistics show that there are now 1.81 million people working in the Digital Sector in the UK. The number of people working in digital occupations, which require advanced digital (i.e. IT) skills such as computer programming, has increased by 54% since September 2020.</p><p>Digital skills covers a broad range of competencies, knowledge and skills. DCMS commissioned research found that over 83% of job adverts require digital skills, which includes baseline digital skills such as using productivity software tools, as well as specialist digital skills such as programming and data science.</p><p>Countries adopt different approaches to evaluating the level of digital skills possessed by their workforces. Comparative data from the World Economic Forum indicates that digital skills among the active population in the UK is 58%, placing the UK 4th relative to other members of the G7.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Folkestone and Hythe answering member printed Damian Collins question first answered 24/10/2022 09:47:18 answering member 3986 label Biography information for Damian Collins
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1522494

registered interest
date	14/10/2022
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: Households
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 estimate her Department has made of the number of households unable to afford broadband.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	63304
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>In September, Ofcom published their latest <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/244513/2022-september-affordability-of-communications-services.pdf" target="_blank">Affordability Report </a>which found that 5% of UK households faced an affordability issue with their fixed broadband in the month of August. While this figure has remained static since Ofcom’s previous report in March, we know that many households are struggling with their monthly broadband bills during this difficult time.</p><p>In June, we secured a set of public commitments from the UK’s major broadband and mobile providers to support families through the global rise in the cost of living. These commitments include more manageable payment plans, switching to a cheaper package free-of-charge, or taking a more affordable broadband social tariff if the customer is eligible. We encourage people to contact their provider to see what support is available.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez question first answered 24/10/2022 14:32:52 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1521308

registered interest
date	12/10/2022
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	Telecommunications: Infrastructure
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 she has made of the impact of the valuation regime in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill on (a) smallholders and (b) landholders.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	61959
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2022 answer text <p>The 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code were intended to make it easier for digital communications operators to deploy and maintain their networks. Those changes include the introduction of a statutory valuation regime, which reflected the government’s view that the cost of acquiring rights to install digital infrastructure on private land prior to 2017 was too high and needed to be addressed. The valuation regime introduced in 2017 is more closely aligned to those for utilities such as water and electricity and reflects the fact that access to good quality digital services is an increasingly critical part of daily life for residents across the UK.</p><p>The Government continues to believe that the framework strikes a fair balance between ensuring individual landowners are not left out of pocket and encouraging the industry investment needed for consumers across the UK to have access to fast, reliable digital services.</p><p>Since the introduction of the reforms in 2017 we have engaged with and listened to stakeholders to understand the impact of the reforms in practice. This has included a formal consultation on further changes to the Code, which led to the provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, as well as ongoing (and continuing) engagement with stakeholders throughout the passage of the Bill.</p><p>In parallel, DCMS officials have convened monthly Access to Land Workshops over the last 12-18 months, which cover a number of workstreams and attract attendance from stakeholders across the telecommunications industry, including site provider representatives. I am pleased to say that these workshops have made excellent progress and one of the outputs of this work is the creation of a new industry body, the National Connectivity Alliance, which in time will continue this work independently of DCMS.</p><p>A de minimis assessment was carried out on the reforms to the Code contained in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill. This review was general in nature and did not focus on specific stakeholder groups. Once the measures in the Bill have commenced, officials will continue to engage with stakeholders to gain their feedback on how the new provisions are working in practice.</p> answering member constituency Hornchurch and Upminster answering member printed Julia Lopez grouped question UIN 61957 question first answered 19/10/2022 10:10:53 answering member 4647 label Biography information for Julia Lopez
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1520858

registered interest
date	11/10/2022
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	Leisure: Facilities
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the cost to local authorities for providing indoor leisure facilities during the winter of 2022–23.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL2461
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor leisure facilities. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support indoor and outdoor facilities.</p><p>The Government also recognises the impact rising energy prices will have on organisations of all sizes, including on providers of indoor leisure facilities. In September the government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, under which businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including leisure facilities) will be offered support.</p><p>After an initial 6 months of the scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months' time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p><p>The Government invested £100 million in the National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority leisure centres and facilities throughout the country after the pandemic.</p> answering member printed Lord Kamall question first answered 24/10/2022 11:27:24 answering member 4909 label Biography information for Lord Kamall
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1520904

registered interest
date	11/10/2022
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	Swimming Pools: Energy
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the energy crisis on public swimming facilities.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL2507
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools and that swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.</p><p>We recognise the impact rising energy prices will have on organisations of all sizes, including on providers of indoor leisure facilities. In September the government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, under which businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including leisure centres and swimming pools) will be offered support.</p><p>After an initial 6 months of the scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months' time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p><p>Sport England has invested £9,619,264 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £6,260,502 to Swim England. This is in addition to the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country after the pandemic.</p> answering member printed Lord Kamall grouped question UIN HL2508 question first answered 24/10/2022 11:14:09 answering member 4909 label Biography information for Lord Kamall
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1520905

registered interest
date	11/10/2022
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	Swimming Pools: Closures
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to prevent closures of swimming pools, given that 60 that have closed over the past three years.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL2508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2022 answer text <p>We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools and that swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.</p><p>We recognise the impact rising energy prices will have on organisations of all sizes, including on providers of indoor leisure facilities. In September the government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, under which businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including leisure centres and swimming pools) will be offered support.</p><p>After an initial 6 months of the scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months' time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p><p>Sport England has invested £9,619,264 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £6,260,502 to Swim England. This is in addition to the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund, which supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country after the pandemic.</p> answering member printed Lord Kamall grouped question UIN HL2507 question first answered 24/10/2022 11:14:09 answering member 4909 label Biography information for Lord Kamall
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1518902

registered interest
date	10/10/2022
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	Economic Growth
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 her Department is taking to support (a) community based businesses, (b) social enterprises and (c) trading charities in contributing to growth in the local economy.
tabling member constituency	Montgomeryshire
tabling member printed	Craig Williams
uin	58991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government strongly supports the social enterprise sector’s contribution to society and the economy.</p><p>Social enterprises create jobs for those excluded from the labour market, directly address social challenges and build social capital within communities.</p><p>Policy relating to social enterprise is devolved. In England the government will continue to support the sector through access to finance including social investment, growing participation in public services and effective regulation.</p><p>Work is also underway to meet the commitments made in the Levelling Up White Paper around:</p><ul><li><p>encouraging social organisations and entrepreneurship to flourish in left-behind places and generating evidence on what works;</p></li><li><p>building on and augmenting existing support for the sector;</p></li><li><p>encouraging the next generation of social entrepreneurs.</p></li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 18/10/2022 12:23:03 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	4438 label Biography information for Craig Williams