Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met representatives from (i) ViaGoGo and (ii) StubHub in the last 12 months.
Answered by John Whittingdale
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour in this market.
We engage with a range of key organisations and individuals operating in the ticketing sector to ensure a fair and transparent system. This includes STAR (the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, the self-regulatory body for the entertainment ticketing industry in the UK), the Competition and Markets Authority, Fanfair Alliance (the campaigning body against industrial scale online ticket touting), and, where appropriate, primary and secondary ticketing businesses.
We are in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry to understand the opportunities for growth and challenges facing the sector, including ticketing.
Ministers and officials have had no meetings with either Viagogo or Stubhub in the last twelve months. It should be noted that officials have met with Stubhub International, a separate company to Stubhub, in the last twelve months to discuss general ticketing issues.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the protection available to consumers buying tickets in the UK with those available to consumers in the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by John Whittingdale
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour in this market.
We have strengthened the law in relation to ticketing information requirements and have introduced a criminal offence of using automated software to buy more tickets online than is allowed. We also support the work of enforcement agencies in this area, such as the Competition and Markets Authority, National Trading Standards, and the advertising industry's own regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority.
We are aware that other countries, including Ireland, have their own legislative measures relating to consumer protection, including for the sale and resale of tickets for live events. We carry out ongoing monitoring of the legislative landscape in the ticketing market and in the light of technological, enforcement and other market developments, but agree with the recommendation in the Competition and Markets Authority’s 2021 report on secondary ticketing that there should not be a ban on the uncapped secondary ticket market.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the construction of buildings operated under its remit.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Survey work is underway. For now, the focus is on bringing together the information we hold about the Government estate into one place. This work is being coordinated by the Office for Government Property.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government response to the consultation on the English portion of dormant assets funding, published on 7 March 2023, when she plans to bring forward secondary legislation to name community wealth funds as a cause that can be supported by the Dormant Assets Scheme in England.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has recently announced that community wealth funds will become the fourth cause for dormant assets funding in England. Secondary legislation to enable dormant assets funding to flow to community wealth funds will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
A community wealth fund will provide pots of funding to hyper-local communities, with spending decisions made by local residents on how to improve their communities and lives. The Government will soon launch a technical consultation on the design of this important new initiative and welcome views on how best to ensure its long-term impact.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2023 to Question 188843 on Culture: Children and Young People, whether her Department is continuing to collect data on access to arts and culture for children and young people with a disability.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not hold data for the years requested. For the year 2020/21, this is due to DCMS's Taking Part Survey (which previously collected engagement data for children and young people) being disrupted by the pandemic and the ability to carry out face-to-face fieldwork.
In 2021, the Taking Part Survey was replaced by DCMS’s Participation Survey. This captures participation data for people aged 16 and over in England, and also asks respondents if they have a long-standing illness or disability.
The individual data set for 2021/22 does not allow us to investigate arts participation by age and disability; only by age or disability. Participation Survey data for 2022/23 have not yet been published. Publication is scheduled for 9.30 a.m. on 20 July.
DCMS is currently undertaking a pilot survey for young people aged between 10 and 19, which should allow us to look at access to some cultural activities for children and young people with a disability. We will publish data on this pilot survey later this year, and will review the utility and impact of the survey before a decision is made on whether and how to continue it following that pilot phase.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2023 to Question 188843, how many (a) children and (b) young people with a disability engaged with the arts in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not hold data for the years requested. For the year 2020/21, this is due to DCMS's Taking Part Survey (which previously collected engagement data for children and young people) being disrupted by the pandemic and the ability to carry out face-to-face fieldwork.
In 2021, the Taking Part Survey was replaced by DCMS’s Participation Survey. This captures participation data for people aged 16 and over in England, and also asks respondents if they have a long-standing illness or disability.
The individual data set for 2021/22 does not allow us to investigate arts participation by age and disability; only by age or disability. Participation Survey data for 2022/23 have not yet been published. Publication is scheduled for 9.30 a.m. on 20 July.
DCMS is currently undertaking a pilot survey for young people aged between 10 and 19, which should allow us to look at access to some cultural activities for children and young people with a disability. We will publish data on this pilot survey later this year, and will review the utility and impact of the survey before a decision is made on whether and how to continue it following that pilot phase.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Taken on Trust The awareness and effectiveness of charity trustees in England and Wales, published on November 2017, what discussions she has had with the Charity Commission on the potential merits of requiring charities with an annual income in excess of £500,000 to report on board diversity in their annual return.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Having a diverse range of skills, backgrounds and experiences helps ensure the good governance of charities, and the Government is committed to ensuring that opportunities such as trusteeship are available to all.
The Charity Commission is engaging with stakeholders to further understand the barriers to trusteeship and taking targeted action to broaden its appeal through its guidance, campaigns and events.
The use of the Annual Return to collect diversity data was explored in a recent consultation. In its response, the Commission noted this was not an appropriate mechanism, and is engaging with partners to explore alternative options.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what data his Department holds on access to arts and culture for children and young people with a disability.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have access to arts and culture across the UK, regardless of their background or circumstances.
The Taking Part Survey was the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s key evidence source for the level of engagement with the arts, heritage, museums and libraries. In 2019/20 this survey identified that 91.3% of children (aged 5–15) with a long-standing illness or disability had engaged with the arts in the 12 months preceding their response to the survey. The publication can be found here.
In 2021, the Taking Part Survey was replaced by DCMS’s Participation Survey. This captures participation data for people aged 16 and over in England, and also asks respondents if they have a long-standing illness or disability. The most recent annual publication can be found here.
The Department is working closely with the Government-appointed Arts & Culture Disability & Access Ambassador, David Stanley BEM, to improve accessibility to the sector for people with disabilities, including children and young people.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
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 potential merits of turning the Big Help Out initiative on 8 May 2023 into an annual occurrence.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Volunteering is vital for society and the Government recognises this. It benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on beneficiaries and their communities. Government aims to remove barriers to getting people involved.
The Big Help Out was a day of community volunteering to mark the Coronation of King Charles III, held on 8 May 2023, and was led by the Together coalition and the Shaping the Future with Volunteering group to encourage people to help out in their communities.
The Government provided £450,000 to support the campaign, which saw millions of people volunteering in their community. I have since met with the organisers, who are currently considering proposals to build on the legacy of the Big Help Out campaign.
Asked by: Baroness Keeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has taken steps to retain the volunteers engaged in the Big Help Out during the 2023 Coronation.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Volunteering is vital for society and the Government recognises this. It benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on beneficiaries and their communities. Government aims to remove barriers to getting people involved.
The Big Help Out was a day of community volunteering to mark the Coronation of King Charles III, held on 8 May 2023, and was led by the Together coalition and the Shaping the Future with Volunteering group to encourage people to help out in their communities.
The Government provided £450,000 to support the campaign, which saw millions of people volunteering in their community. I have since met with the organisers, who are currently considering proposals to build on the legacy of the Big Help Out campaign.