Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) prevalence, and (2) cost to the Exchequer, of gambling-related harm in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Public Health England’s (PHE) evidence review of gambling-related harms reported that 0.5% of the adult population reached the threshold to be considered ‘problem gamblers’ (defined as those gambling with negative consequences and a possible loss of control), and that this proportion has remained relatively consistent since 2012. PHE’s review also included estimates on the costs associated with gambling-related harm. On costs to the Exchequer, the report estimated the annual direct costs associated with people who are problem gamblers to be approximately £647 million, but was unable to make a direct assessment of the costs caused by gambling-related harm.
Additional data on problem gambling prevalence comes from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly participation and prevalence survey, the latest results of which were published in February. The survey found that in the year to December 2021, the overall problem gambling rate was statistically stable at 0.3%, compared to the year to December 2020. In the year to December 2019, the rate was 0.6%.
Our Review of the Gambling Act aims to ensure that the protections in place to prevent harm are appropriate and effective for the digital age. It is looking at issues regarding research as part of its broad scope.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of voluntary industry initiatives around responsible gambling.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government welcomes the progress by industry to introduce new safer gambling measures over recent years, but both the Government and the Gambling Commission will continue to mandate further action where it is required. As part of its broad scope, the Gambling Act Review is looking at whether the right controls are in place to protect people who gamble in the digital age. We are considering the evidence carefully and will publish a White Paper outlining conclusions in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the findings of their review of the Gambling Act 2005.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government welcomes the progress by industry to introduce new safer gambling measures over recent years, but both the Government and the Gambling Commission will continue to mandate further action where it is required. As part of its broad scope, the Gambling Act Review is looking at whether the right controls are in place to protect people who gamble in the digital age. We are considering the evidence carefully and will publish a White Paper outlining conclusions in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ministers have accepted hospitality from gambling firms since the launch of the gambling review in December 2020; and what is the cumulative value of such hospitality.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Records of ministerial hospitality are published quarterly and are available on GOV.UK. This link also declares all meetings. There has been a wide-ranging series of meetings with a number of gambling stakeholders to support the ongoing Gambling Act Review. There have also been meetings with the gambling industry on other issues, for instance its relationship with racing and the impacts of the Covid pandemic.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operation of Government-backed COVID-19 insurance schemes for the creative industries.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The UK Live Events Reinsurance Scheme and Film and TV Production Restart Scheme were introduced as part of HM Government's commitment to provide support during the Covid-19 pandemic and address market failure in the insurance sector.
Both schemes have contributed positively to the creative industries.The UK Film and TV Production Restart Scheme has supported a production boom during the pandemic, so far protecting over 95,000 jobs and nearly £3 billion of production spend, ensuring the continued production of content for our screens. Since the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme’s launch in September 2021, around £110 million of cover has been written for a wide variety of events, including business events, concerts and theatre performances. So far, 2.7 million people have attended or are due to attend events covered by the Scheme. In addition to directly supporting events, the scheme also protects the supply chains and local economies that depend on their taking place.
The Film and TV Production Restart Scheme’s operation was assessed by an independent body in a Process Evaluation published in January 2022. The research found that close working with industry on establishing the scheme ensured that those most in need of support were able to benefit. An impact evaluation will be published by the end of the year. Similarly, the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme will be undergoing a review in the Spring to assess its effectiveness, including the extent to which it has benefitted the live events sector while also delivering value for money for UK taxpayers. A full evaluation of the Scheme will follow in early 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they have for foreign bodies (1) owning, and (2) investing in, football teams in England; and what measures they have in place to safeguard the interests of fans.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The ownership of football clubs is, and has historically been, a matter for the football authorities, not for HM Government.
The tests for ownership of clubs were raised in the report of the Fan-Led Review which recommended stronger tests independently administered by a new independent regulator.
HM Government is considering the recommendations of the Review, including those made on enhancing the existing owners’ and directors’ tests, and working swiftly to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator.
We will issue a formal response to the Fan-Led Review in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet the Booksellers Association to discuss ways to support small creative businesses.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Booksellers Association regularly engages at Ministerial level with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
On 15 July, BEIS published the Build Back Better High Streets Strategy, in which the Government committed to continue working with the retail sector, in particular the Retail Sector Council, on its long-term strategic needs to ensure that businesses are profitable, resilient, innovative, and able to support local economies in socially and environmentally responsible ways.
More broadly, DCMS regularly engages with the creative industries, including the publishing sector, through the Creative Industries Council. I have also met individual booksellers, most recently The Bound in Whitley Bay on 29 January, to hear how the Government can best support small creative businesses.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to instruct Ofcom to develop (1) mandatory age assurance technology, and (2) a governance code for age assurance, ahead of the Online Safety Bill being introduced to Parliament.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are considering fully and carefully the recommendations from the Joint Committee and are grateful to its members for their work scrutinising this important Bill. The Bill will not mandate that companies use specific technologies for protecting children online, as it is vital that the Bill is future-proofed. However, Ofcom will set out in its codes of practice the steps companies need to take to comply with their child safety duties. We expect this to include, where appropriate, age assurance technologies. Ofcom will also be able to include in its regulatory codes specific standards relating to age assurance. Companies would need to follow these steps, including putting in place these technologies and following these standards, or demonstrate that the approach they are taking delivers the same level of protection for children. If they do not, they risk facing enforcement action from Ofcom.
In the meantime, DCMS is already working closely with Ofcom to ensure that the implementation period that will be necessary following passage of the legislation is as short as possible. We expect companies to take steps now to improve safety, and not wait for the legislation to come into force before acting.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Online Safety Bill (Session 2021–22, HL Paper 129), what plans they have to adopt recommendations relating to (1) the statutory regulation of, and (2) minimum standards for, age assurance technologies.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are considering fully and carefully the recommendations from the Joint Committee and are grateful to its members for their work scrutinising this important Bill. The Bill will not mandate that companies use specific technologies for protecting children online, as it is vital that the Bill is future-proofed. However, Ofcom will set out in its codes of practice the steps companies need to take to comply with their child safety duties. We expect this to include, where appropriate, age assurance technologies. Ofcom will also be able to include in its regulatory codes specific standards relating to age assurance. Companies would need to follow these steps, including putting in place these technologies and following these standards, or demonstrate that the approach they are taking delivers the same level of protection for children. If they do not, they risk facing enforcement action from Ofcom.
In the meantime, DCMS is already working closely with Ofcom to ensure that the implementation period that will be necessary following passage of the legislation is as short as possible. We expect companies to take steps now to improve safety, and not wait for the legislation to come into force before acting.
Asked by: Baroness Merron (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect children from the harms of online pornography prior to the introduction of the Online Safety Bill.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Online Safety Bill aims to make the UK the safest place in the world to be a child online, but the Government is not waiting for it to become law in order to protect children from online pornography. Ofcom already has responsibility for the regulation of video-sharing platforms and video-on-demand services, which includes requirements to protect children from harmful content such as pornography.
Furthermore, in July 2021, the government published the Online Media Literacy Strategy. The strategy supports the empowerment of users, including young people, with the skills and knowledge they need to make safe and informed decisions online. In June 2021, we also published Safety by Design guidance and a “One Stop Shop” on child online safety. These provide guidance on steps that platforms can take to design safer services and protect children.
In addition, the new Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum is clear that, by the end of secondary school, pupils should be taught about the impact that viewing harmful content, such as pornography, can have on the way people see themselves in relation to others and negatively affect how they behave towards sexual partners.