Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of resilience of an internet-only distribution model for television for public service broadcasting and emergency broadcasting; and what contingency arrangements are in place to guarantee universal access to emergency broadcast information in the event of major cyber incidents, prolonged power outages and mobile or broadband network failure.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government understands how important it is that everyone can access information in times of national emergency. Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios. DCMS works closely with broadcast CNI operators and technical authorities to maintain security and resilience against a wide range of scenarios where communications may be disrupted, including power outages.
The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its networks are able to support emergency communications.
The Government’s project looking into the future of TV distribution is considering a range of relevant factors, including the future resilience requirements for broadcast networks.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on viewers in Northern Ireland of switching off digital terrestrial television, in particular the impact on (1) access to UK and Irish public service broadcasting, and (2) cross-border licensing arrangements; and what discussions they have had with the government of Ireland and Irish regulators about that issue.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what modelling they have done of the impact of changes to digital terrestrial television on older people, disabled people and low income households in Northern Ireland, and what steps they will take to mitigate additional costs to those households.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the remit of the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum includes an assessment of (1) affordability and social exclusion risks, and (2) regional impacts, including impacts on the Northern Ireland multiplex.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue to support creative industries, including through the Music and Dance Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The creative industries are one of this government’s priority sectors for growth, as set out in our Industrial Strategy. The Creative Industries Sector Plan aims to make the UK the top destination for creativity and innovation by 2035. The Plan includes targeted packages for high-growth subsectors, including film, TV, video games, advertising, music, visual and performing arts. The Plan focuses on helping creative businesses access finance, export and innovate, and to develop a high quality workforce.
As part of this, the Government fully supports the arts and the skills pipeline into the creative industries, with the Department for Education providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of self-rating partnerships between British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and streaming services, and whether they plan to take steps to encourage wider adoption of BBFC age ratings on streaming services.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has not made an assessment of self-rating partnerships between the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and video-on-demand (VoD) services. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, now has a new duty introduced through the Media Act 2024 to assess audience protection measures used by VoD services, such as age ratings, to ensure they are adequate to protect audiences from harm. The Government will in due course be designating mainstream VoD services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consult on a new standards Code for these services, similar to the Broadcasting Code. This could include the use of age ratings, if Ofcom considers it appropriate.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of big technology digital companies on the online news media market.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
As the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism identified, more and more aspects of society are played out online, and local news publishers are facing significant challenges in transitioning to sustainable digital business models. The Cairncross Review further concluded that some of the biggest technology companies are able to impose unfair terms on publishers, which limits publishers’ ability to monetise their content and threatens the sustainability of the press. We have introduced legislation to address the far-reaching power of the biggest technology firms. Among many other things, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill will help to rebalance the relationship between publishers and the online platforms on which they increasingly rely.
We have also supported news publishers through the delivery of a £2 million Future News Fund, the zero-rating of VAT on e-newspapers, and the publication of the Online Media Literacy Strategy. The BBC also continues to support the sector directly, through the £8 million it spends each year on the Local News Partnership, including the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme, which was expanded in 2020 to fund the placement of 165 journalists in newsrooms across the UK.
Separately, Ofcom is exploring the possible impacts of the growth of online news, and the role of online intermediaries in particular, on media plurality, and what, if any, regulatory changes may be necessary to maintain and secure it. We will consider Ofcom’s recommendations when its findings are published.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when companies in scope of the Online Safety Bill will be provided with a draft list of priority categories for “legal but harmful” content for (1) adults, and (2) children.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
Priority harmful content to children and adults will be set out in secondary legislation once the Secretary of State has been granted the relevant powers to make regulations for priority harmful content under the Bill.
Her Majesty’s Government has a duty to consult Ofcom on the proposed priority categories of harmful content before designating them in secondary legislation.
Setting out the priority harms in secondary legislation will allow Her Majesty’s Government to respond to changing risks to children and adults online, ensuring that new, currently unforeseen harms can be dealt with as they emerge.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have prepared a draft list of priority categories for “legal but harmful” content for (1) adults, and (2) children, which is due to be set out in secondary legislation under the proposed Online Safety Bill.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
Priority harmful content to children and adults will be set out in secondary legislation once the Secretary of State has been granted the relevant powers to make regulations for priority harmful content under the Bill.
Her Majesty’s Government has a duty to consult Ofcom on the proposed priority categories of harmful content before designating them in secondary legislation.
Setting out the priority harms in secondary legislation will allow Her Majesty’s Government to respond to changing risks to children and adults online, ensuring that new, currently unforeseen harms can be dealt with as they emerge.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what technical feasibility assessment they have undertaken regarding the (1) journalistic, (2) news publisher, and (3) content of democratic importance, exemptions set out in the Online Safety Bill.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
Her Majesty’s Government is confident that the protections for recognised news publishers, journalistic content, and content of democratic importance are technically feasible and that the Bill’s definition of the relevant terms is appropriate.
Recognised news publishers’ content will be exempted from platforms’ new online safety duties. This means tech companies will be under no legal obligation to apply their new safety duties to that content. The criteria under which an organisation qualifies as a publisher are set in the Bill. When drafting these criteria, Her Majesty’s Government has taken significant care to ensure established news publishers are captured, while limiting the opportunity for others to benefit.
Category 1 service providers will also need to have clear policies relating to their treatment of journalistic content and content of democratic importance, and to ensure these are enforced consistently. Ofcom will set out further details in codes of practice about how companies can comply with these duties.