Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the calls by UNESCO to either amend or not proceed with plans for a road tunnel by Stonehenge.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have been engaging closely with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre regarding the proposed A303 scheme, and I attended the World Heritage Committee meeting earlier this month where it was considered.
The A303 scheme aims to improve the experience for visitors to Stonehenge and to preserve this important historic site for future generations. The proposed tunnel – which is supported by Historic England, English Heritage and the National Trust, in addition to Wiltshire Council’s Archaeology Service – will reunite and restore tranquillity to this world-renowned landscape by removing the vast majority of the modern road from view. This will significantly improve the area around the World Heritage Site and ensure that it continues to fulfil UNESCO's Outstanding Universal Value criteria.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic benefits, if any, of astro-tourism in places awarded International Dark Sky Reserve status.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government has not made any specific assessment of the economic benefits of astro-tourism in places awarded International Dark Sky Reserve status.
Across the UK's 15 National Parks there are a number of locations that have been awarded International Dark Sky Reserve or Dark Sky Discovery Site status. In 2017, VisitEngland published a Discover England Fund Research Summary Report titled ‘Making Great memories in England’s National Parks and countryside’. While it did not specifically mention dark sky reserves, this report highlighted some of the key trends in visitor trips to National Parks in England.
Across the UK's 15 National Parks there are a number of locations that have been awarded International Dark Sky Reserve or Dark Sky Discovery Site status. The Government has no formal role in the Dark Sky designation process as it is non-governmental and non-statutory.
The Independent Review of Landscapes recommended, ‘A night under the stars in a national landscape for every child.’ The Government has welcomed the Review and will respond in due course. We are committed to increasing opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of spending meaningful time in our national landscapes in England.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the work of the Heritage Lottery Fund in administering grants under the Culture Recovery Fund, and (2) whether that organisation has sufficient staffing capacity to ensure timely decisions for grant applicants.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage is being administered by both the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.
Leaders from these arms-length-bodies are in constant communication with DCMS and we work collaboratively to ensure that deadlines and workload are appropriate for the resource in each team. We are confident that decisions will be communicated to grant applicants in a timely way.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many listed historic houses and gardens have been supported with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund for recovery and business continuity purposes.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage has been jointly coordinated by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Heritage England. In the first round of funding, 277 awards were made to historic areas, buildings and monuments, totalling £49,486,500.
At least 15% of these awards were made directly to historic houses and gardens, including Blenheim Palace, which received £1,896,000.
The second round of funding is now live. Listed historic houses and gardens can apply for grants that will support reopening to the public in the late spring.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution to national health and wellbeing of the re-opening to the public in May of gardens owned by (1) members of Historic Houses, and (2) other private individuals.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Although no specific assessment has been made, the government recognised that increasing the green amenity space available to the public was important for both physical health and mental wellbeing, especially as one in eight households in Britain has no garden.
The Government was keen that sites and organisations could freely reopen to the public, once it was safe to do so. These included the likes of National Trust gardens and parkland (not houses), the grounds and gardens of privately owned historic houses, Kew Gardens and the outdoor spaces of Royal Horticultural Society properties. Only those outdoor spaces that could be opened safely and in compliance with wider social distancing guidelines reopened. Opening these sites provided a wider range of safe opportunities for the public to engage in outdoor recreation, helping to reduce pressure on pinch points and hotspots such as urban public parks, beaches and areas of natural beauty.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last met representatives of the National Trust; and what was discussed at that meeting.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Representatives of the National Trust last met with the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage on 21st October 2020 as part of the Heritage Working Group. The meeting focussed on covid-19 impacts on the heritage sector.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to sign the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government fully recognises the contribution that the UK’s crafts, oral traditions and wider intangible cultural heritage make to the country’s cultural life. We encourage communities and cultural practitioners to celebrate these practices and to continue them for future generations. However, we have not seen any compelling business case for ratifying the UNESCO Convention, nor is it clear that the benefits of doing so would outweigh the costs. It is essential that we carefully prioritise resources towards those UNESCO conventions which will have the most impact on the safeguarding of heritage, such as the 1972 World Heritage Convention and 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. We therefore have no intention at present of ratifying the Intangible Heritage Convention, but will continue to keep the matter under review.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which three local authority areas in England have the (1) fastest, and (2) slowest, current rates of broadband connectivity.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
According to Thinkbroadband as of 1 June, the three local authority areas with the fastest median download speed are as follows:
The London Borough of Southwark - 52.2Mbps
City of Kingston-upon-Hull - 49.6Mbps
Stevenage Borough Council - 42.7Mbps
The three local authority areas with the slowest median download speed are as follows:
West Devon Borough Council - 16Mbps
Forest of Dean District Council - 16.5Mbps
Braintree District Council - 17.6Mbps
In regard to superfast broadband coverage, the highest performing local authority areas are as follows:
Watford Borough Council - 99.9% superfast coverage
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council - 99.8% superfast coverage
Worthing Borough Council - 99.7% superfast coverage
The lowest performing local authority areas in terms of superfast broadband coverage are as follows:
City of London Corporation - 57.2% superfast coverage
Eden District Council - 82.9% superfast coverage
Richmondshire District Council - 84.1% superfast coverage
Further details of speed and coverage statistics for local authorities across the UK can be found here: http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/councils.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the practical outcomes of the maintenance of the at risk register of listed buildings in England.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Historic England’s Heritage at Risk programme identifies designated heritage assets – including Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments and Protected Wreck Sites – that are deemed to be at risk of damage or destruction (whether by human interventions or natural processes). It also helps to focus efforts to find creative solutions, and provides opportunities to celebrate successful outcomes.
The last five years have seen a steady net decline in the number of entries in the Heritage at Risk Register, from 5,478 in 2015 to 5,073 in 2019. Notable successes from the last 12 months include the Grade II* listed former School of Art (Moseley Road, Birmingham), now a community hub and studio space; and the Grade II* listed Holy Trinity Church (Bristol), now a thriving arts centre.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery following the decision to close that gallery to public access to allow a private commercial event on 19 February.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Government has not had discussions with the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery about its closure on 19 February but it was informed in advance. The National Portrait Gallery is an arm’s length body of government and determines its own operational matters in accordance with its management agreement with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Sponsored museums must protect public access to their permanent collections which is why closures are extremely rare and exceptional.