Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many freedom of information requests the Government Art Collection has received asking for details of the works currently displayed in departments since 4 July 2024; and whether the information was (1) refused, or (2) disclosed, in each of those cases.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All Freedom of Information requests are considered on their individual merits in accordance with the relevant legislation.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of staff were promoted (a) in-grade and (b) to a higher grade in the last year by (i) performance marking in the previous year and (ii) grade.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This information is not held centrally. This data is difficult to present due to there being no definition of an “in-grade promotion” and limited data on staff who go on promotion to another department. Collation and presentation of this data could potentially require significant manual work and data linking across departments.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps are being taken to support heritage assets in South Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This government takes our responsibility to the built historic environment seriously. For this year alone, my Department has committed nearly £60 million of funding for heritage, including £15m for Heritage at Risk.
Funding is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arms-Length-Bodies. Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £20,766,738 to 241 projects in South Shropshire constituency, such as the 2024/25 grant of £592,109 to the Parochial Church Council of Nash and Boraston for St John the Baptist Church, Nash, to enable the repair of the tower spire and roof of St John the Baptist Church, and to celebrate the history of the church, creating a timeline for the building’s history.
Over the last 10 years, Historic England has administered £1,283,643 of funding in South Shropshire. Historic England is also actively engaged in discussion with the owners and managers of assets on the Heritage at Risk Register in South Shropshire as well as other assets within the constituency.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of gambling harms at racecourse bookmakers compared to other forms of gambling; and if she will make it her policy to change the rate charged under the statutory gambling levy in line with this.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS officials engage regularly with the United Council of Racecourse Bookmakers to discuss a range of matters which affect them.
In-person betting on racing - both at racecourses and betting shops more broadly - is associated with one of the lowest risks of scoring 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) (representing ‘problem gambling’) of all gambling products. According to the latest official statistics that publish specific PGSI data for in-person betting on horse racing, only in-person bingo, scratchcards and lotteries had a lower PGSI 8+ rate. This is reflected in levy rates, with on-course bookmakers charged one of the lowest figures, at 0.2% of Gross Gambling Yield. Levy rates will be reviewed as part of the Government’s formal review of the statutory levy system, which will take place by 2030.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support racecourse bookmakers.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS officials engage regularly with the United Council of Racecourse Bookmakers to discuss a range of matters which affect them.
In-person betting on racing - both at racecourses and betting shops more broadly - is associated with one of the lowest risks of scoring 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) (representing ‘problem gambling’) of all gambling products. According to the latest official statistics that publish specific PGSI data for in-person betting on horse racing, only in-person bingo, scratchcards and lotteries had a lower PGSI 8+ rate. This is reflected in levy rates, with on-course bookmakers charged one of the lowest figures, at 0.2% of Gross Gambling Yield. Levy rates will be reviewed as part of the Government’s formal review of the statutory levy system, which will take place by 2030.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per full-time equivalent member of staff was in (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies in the last year; and how many formal performance warnings were issued to staff whose absence exceeded departmental triggers.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.
The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor and regulate the use of personalised algorithms and targeted advertising by online gambling platforms.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All gambling operators in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) independently of Government. These codes apply across all advertising platforms, including online and social media. The codes are regularly reviewed and updated and DCMS regularly engages with the ASA to discuss these changes and the impact of the regulations.
All operators in the UK are also required to comply with the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, which includes new provisions relating to direct marketing and socially responsible promotions. The impact of these measures will be assessed in due course.
We engage with a range of stakeholders and other regulators, such as the ICO, to understand whether more can be done to further raise standards in this area, particularly on online platforms.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to protect children from gambling advertisements online.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
All gambling operators who advertise in the UK must comply with advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. These codes apply across all advertising platforms, and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children from harm. In addition to rules on content and audience, operators must ensure that gambling advertising is not targeted at children. Earlier this year the Department for Education announced new statutory guidance for relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, which includes more in depth education about the risks of gambling related harms. We will continue to monitor this area closely and take action where there is evidence to do so.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 21 May (HL7312), when the Betting and Gaming Council will publish its report on advertising.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has provided the Government with their report on gambling advertising. It is for the BGC to decide whether to publish it. We have reviewed the report and are considering this alongside a range of other evidence to determine next steps in this area.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount the gambling industry spends on advertisements each year.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DCMS has not made its own estimate of the amount spent on gambling advertising. However, we monitor a wide range of evidence to aid our assessment of the impact of gambling advertising at a national level, including spend data provided by industry and independent sources.