Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they estimate implementing the General Data Protection Regulation requirements will cost for small clubs, charities, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
HM Government's Impact Assessment for the Data Protection Bill assesses there will be implementation costs for a range of organisations but that the overall effect of the Act is de-regulatory. This Impact Assessment is available on gov.uk.
The European Commission published an Impact Assessment on the regulatory impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This is available on their website.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many small clubs, charities, and small and medium-sized enterprises they estimate were unable to meet the General Data Protection Regulation requirements by 25 May.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for monitoring compliance with the UK's new data protection laws.
The Information Commissioner has publicly stated that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a journey rather than a destination. She will be looking to organisations to demonstrate that they are committed to making progress towards embedding the right processes and procedures.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has published a range of user-friendly material on the GDPR on its website. It has also set up a dedicated phone line for small businesses and charities.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have of partnerships being created between library services and other local and public sector services.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Libraries Taskforce’s Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021 strategy document, good practice toolkits and blogs contain a range of examples of partnerships between library services and other local and public sector services. This includes partnership arrangements between local authorities (such as procurement consortia), as well as service delivery partnerships with other council services (such as One Stop Shops), adult and community education, local colleges, job centres, post offices, Citizens Advice Bureau, tourist information, cultural and health organisations.
A range of partners also work with library services to deliver services and activities in a consistent way across the country through the Society of Chief Librarians’ Universal Offers.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote new approaches to library services; and what evidence they have of examples of innovative practice in this area in England.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Government is committed to providing support for those library services that want to explore new approaches. The Libraries Taskforce’s Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021 strategy document, good practice toolkits and blogs promote a range of examples of innovative practice already underway in libraries in England. These include alternative delivery models, income generation, partnerships and specific projects. The Libraries Taskforce has also run a number of workshops and masterclasses for the sector to build awareness of the options available and to share good practice.
The £4m Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone innovation fund, managed by Arts Council England on behalf of DCMS, was set up to pilot library service projects that provide benefit disadvantaged people and places in England. These pilots will be tracked and evaluated, with a view to encouraging wider adoption and investment in those which prove most successful.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appropriateness of the provision of library services in a digital age.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Local Government Association, published Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021 in December 2016. This strategy sets out 7 strategic Outcomes that libraries support, one of which is increasing digital access and literacy, and it highlights a range of initiatives through which libraries support digital skills, access, skills and related work. This document was produced following extensive consultation with the sector and stakeholders. The UK Digital Strategy also underlined the importance of libraries as a ‘go to provider’ for digital skills training.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
Her Majesty's Government what (1) research they have commissioned, and (2) consultation they have undertaken, in relation to the role of library services in a digital age.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Local Government Association, published Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016-2021 in December 2016. This strategy sets out 7 strategic Outcomes that libraries support, one of which is increasing digital access and literacy, and it highlights a range of initiatives through which libraries support digital skills, access, skills and related work. This document was produced following extensive consultation with the sector and stakeholders. The UK Digital Strategy also underlined the importance of libraries as a ‘go to provider’ for digital skills training.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
Her Majesty's Government what direct investment they made into library services in 2016–17.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport invested £4 million in 2016-17 in the Arts Council managed Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone innovation fund. This supports innovative public library service projects that benefit disadvantaged people and places in England.
DCMS also invested in dedicated support for library services exploring an alternative delivery model (such as a public service mutual). This involved commissioning a consortium of existing library mutuals to produce a toolkit for the Libraries Taskforce on Alternative Delivery Models; running two Masterclasses (one in London and one in York); and providing grants to support library services undertaking detailed options appraisals through access to specialist technical advice.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the date by which every house in the country, including in rural areas, will have access to superfast broadband.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has committed to making superfast broadband available to 95% of UK premises by the end of 2017. The Government is also funding a number of pilot projects looking at alternative approaches to delivering superfast broadband beyond 95%.