Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

582447

registered interest
date	13/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Dormant Assets Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she expects the Dormant Assets Commission to report.
tabling member constituency	Inverclyde
tabling member printed	Ronnie Cowan
uin	46220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>The Commission on Dormant Assets is expected to report its findings and recommendations to Government in December 2016.</p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 20/09/2016 15:45:55 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson
tabling member	4465 label Biography information for Ronnie Cowan

581957

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Mobile Phones
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 effect on consumers of the practice by certain mobile phone companies of enforcing a two-week wait before customers can receive their unlock codes in order to change provider.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Withington
tabling member printed	Jeff Smith
uin	45884
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2016 answer text <p>At Autumn Statement 2015, we challenged the mobile phone industry to improve their handset unlocking practices; since then operators have committed to unlocking many more of their customers’ handsets for free, and as of this autumn, no major mobile provider will charge a customer to unlock their phone outside of an initial contract period.</p><p> </p><p>During the Government assessment of handset unlocking practices in early 2016, the major mobile providers were challenged on their turnaround times for issuing unlock codes. Although many providers state that it can take up to 10 working days to issue an unlock code, this is only in the instance that the provider has to contact the handset manufacturer to obtain the unlocking code. In the majority of cases, providers are able to issue unlock codes within 1-3 working days.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matt Hancock question first answered 15/09/2016 17:12:35 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4456 label Biography information for Jeff Smith

581958

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	BT Group
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 the Government is taking to encourage BT to increase its commercial investments.
tabling member constituency	Torridge and West Devon
tabling member printed	Mr Geoffrey Cox
uin	45886
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>Nine out of ten homes and businesses now have access to superfast broadband, but our goal is to make sure the UK builds the right infrastructure to maintain our position as a world-leading digital nation. BT has a big part to play in this.</p><p>The government supports Ofcom in the changes that it wants to see in relation to Openreach. A more independent Openreach is needed to benefit consumers and boost investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure.</p><p>We are encouraging BT to invest in high-quality broadband infrastructure and have brokered a deal between Openreach and the Home Builders Federation that will see fibre-based broadband offered to all new developments either for free or as part of a co-funded initiative. Additionally, Virgin and GTC have recently signed new deals in this area.</p><p>We are creating a favourable regulatory environment to incentivise commercial investment for BT and all Communications Providers. For example: we will reform the Electronic Communications Code, to support faster and more efficient infrastructure rollout and to encourage investment and growth in the UK digital industry; and we are making permanent a relaxation of the rules for deploying fixed broadband infrastructure originally introduced in 2013.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matt Hancock question first answered 20/09/2016 15:13:23 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox

581959

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Tourism: Battles
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to promote battlefield tourism in (a) England and (b) Northam in Torridge and West Devon constituency.
tabling member constituency	Torridge and West Devon
tabling member printed	Mr Geoffrey Cox
uin	45887
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2016 answer text <p>There are 46 ​Registered Battlefields in England, 22% of ​these are located in the South West. Through the recently published Tourism Action Plan and Discover England Fund this Government is encouraging visitors, both domestic and international, to venture beyond London, so that the benefits of growth can be felt across the whole of the UK.</p> answering member constituency Chatham and Aylesford answering member printed Tracey Crouch question first answered 16/09/2016 13:28:53 answering member 3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch
tabling member	1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox

581960

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts and Sports: 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 recent steps she has taken to increase the participation of people living with disabilities in (a) sports and (c) the arts.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	Natalie McGarry
uin	45888
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>Government recognises the importance of sport and physical activity to disabled people who take part at both grassroots and the elite level. Our new sport strategy, 'Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation', published in December 2015, emphasises the importance of getting people active, particularly those groups currently under-represented, including disabled people.</p><p>Between 2011 and 2017 Sport England is investing over £170 million to get more disabled people playing sport. It published its own strategy for England,Towards an Active Nation on 19 May, which sets out how it intends to deliver against the government’s sport strategy. This includes a specific focus on disabled people who are less likely to regularly take part in physical activity.</p><p>We believe that everyone should have access to arts and culture - having a disability should not be a barrier to enjoying Britain’s awe-inspiring cultural treasures. That is why we are working with venues and organisations representing disabled people to identify barriers to access. Arts Council England has also made a significant change in its approach to diversity by launching The Creative Case for Diversity, which asks the organisations it funds to make themselves and their work more reflective of the communities they serve. As part of Arts Council's investment in diversity and The Creative Case, four new strategic funds for diversity were announced in December 2015, totaling £8.6 million. This included a new £2.6 million Change Makers fund to build long-term relationships between National Portfolio Organisations and aspiring arts leaders from the BME and deaf and disabled communities, and Unlimited, which will support the development of a range of new work by deaf and disabled artists.</p> answering member constituency Chatham and Aylesford answering member printed Tracey Crouch question first answered 20/09/2016 15:05:01 answering member 3950 label Biography information for Dame Tracey Crouch
tabling member	4428 label Biography information for Natalie McGarry

581961

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Research
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which reports commissioned by her Department from external bodies between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2016 have not yet been published; when each report was commissioned for research; what the nature of the research commissioned was; from which external body or individual person the research was commissioned; what the value was of each such piece of research commissioned; on what date each report was received by her Department; for what reasons the research has not yet been published; and when she plans to publish each report.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	Natalie McGarry
uin	45905
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>We do not hold this information centrally, and the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matt Hancock question first answered 20/09/2016 15:11:57 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4428 label Biography information for Natalie McGarry

581962

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts: EU Grants and Loans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether UK citizens remain eligible to apply for grants from the Creative Europe scheme for grants that potentially last beyond the time when the UK plans to leave the EU; and how the Government plans to replace that scheme when the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	45946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2016 answer text <p>Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months, we will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matt Hancock question first answered 15/09/2016 15:22:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

581963

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to support the library service in England.
tabling member constituency	North Swindon
tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
uin	45952
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>I am responding as Minister with responsibility for Libraries policy.</p><p>The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires the Secretary of State to superintend, and promote the improvement of, the public library service provided by local authorities in England, and to secure the proper discharge by local authorities of the functions in relation to libraries as conferred on them as library authorities.</p><p>The Government invested £2.6m in 2015/16 to install and upgrade WiFi in over 1,000 libraries in England. This means that WiFi is now available in over 99% of public libraries in England.</p><p>In addition, the Government and the Local Government Association established the Libraries Taskforce in 2015. The Taskforce has already published Toolkits and case studies to assist local authorities and consulted on “Ambition”, a draft vision for public libraries. This will provide a range of practical and innovative options local authorities can deploy to maintain and transform our library services. I expect to see local authorities working with Government and their local communities to consider these options, and to ensure library services are sustainable for the long term.</p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 20/09/2016 15:39:12 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson
tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

581964

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Public Libraries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries were open in England in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	North Swindon
tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
uin	46019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>I am responding as Minister with responsibility for Libraries policy.</p><p>Data relating to public libraries is collected and published annually in December by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. The following table indicates the number of library service points within the statutory public library services of local authorities that are open ten or more hours per week, as at 31 March for each year.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Total number of public libraries in England open 10+ hours per week</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p>3,428</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p>3,393</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p>3,243</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p>3,181</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p>3,142</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p>3,076</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Libraries Taskforce recently commissioned from local authorities in England basic data regarding the numbers and types of public libraries available within each local authority. The data will assist the library sector and users to monitor the delivery of library services.</p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 20/09/2016 15:42:46 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson
tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

581965

registered interest
date	12/09/2016
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Arts: Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, against what criteria she measures the compliance of local authorities with the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.
tabling member constituency	North Swindon
tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
uin	46020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2016 answer text <p>The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires local authorities in England to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for their local communities. The 1964 Act requires the Secretary of State to superintend, and promote the improvement of, the public library service provided by local authorities in England, and to secure the proper discharge by local authorities of the duties conferred on local authorities under the Act.</p><p>The Secretary of State has the power to intervene by directing a local inquiry following a complaint that a local authority has failed to carry out its duties under the Act, or of her own motion. In taking that decision, the Secretary of State gives consideration to a number of factors, including:</p><ul><li>Whether there is any serious doubt or uncertainty as to whether the local authority is (or may cease to be) complying with its legal obligation to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.</li><li>Whether the local authority appears to be acting in a careless or unreasonable way.</li><li>Whether the decision is or may be outside the proper bounds of the local authority’s discretion, such as a capricious decision to stop serving a particularly vulnerable group in the local community.</li><li>Whether the local authority appears to have failed to consult affected individuals or to carry out significant research into the effects of its proposals.</li><li>Whether the local authority has failed to explain, analyse or properly justify its proposals.</li><li>Whether the local proposals are likely to lead to a breach of national library policy.</li><li>The advantages of local decision making by expert and democratically accountable local representatives.</li><li>Whether there is any further good reason why a local inquiry should be ordered.</li></ul><p>Where a complaint is raised we will consider the available evidence in light of the above factors. If there is serious doubt that the library service provided by the local authority offers a comprehensive and efficient service, I will not hesitate to open an inquiry.</p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 20/09/2016 15:40:49 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson
tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson