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Written Question
Orchestras
Tuesday 9th May 2023

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to support orchestras.

Answered by John Whittingdale

HM Government is proud to champion our world-class orchestras and musicians, and help them to thrive. Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 Investment Programme, more money is going to more orchestral organisations in more parts of the country than ever before.

The Arts Council’s new national portfolio is supporting 139 organisations classed as ‘music’ by investing c.£65 million of public funding. The Arts Council’s investment in classical music remains high, in particular in orchestral music organisations, with 23 such organisations being funded – an increase from 19 in the last round; and at around £21 million per annum, which is around £2 million more than previously. Moreover, these numbers are likely to underestimate the level of music activity being funded as some organisations will fall into combined arts or non-discipline-specific categories. The Arts Council’s investment in orchestras, opera, and other classical organisations through the new portfolio constitutes nearly 80% of all its investment in music.

Organisations such as the Multi-Story Orchestra, Orchestras for All, ParaOrchestra, The People’s Orchestra, and Pegasus Opera are joining the National Portfolio for the first time – bringing down barriers to classical music, celebrating the power it can have in people’s lives, and inspiring the next generation of performers – while long-established organisations such as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, and the Hallé Orchestra continue to receive funding.

Furthermore, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at Spring Budget 2023 that the Government will extend the current headline rates of relief for the Theatre and Orchestra Tax Relief for two years. The rates for Orchestra Tax Relief will remain at 50% for expenditure taking place from 1 April 2023, reducing to 35% from 1 April 2025 and returning to 25% from 1 April 2026.


Written Question
Cricket
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help (a) support village cricket clubs and (b) increase the number of people playing cricket in England.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Supporting grassroots sport is a key government priority. DCMS is working alongside Sport England in order to support their ten year strategy to drive up participation rates across all sports, including cricket.

Sport England has invested more than £23 million into cricket over the last five years, including more than £3.9 million to support grassroots clubs through the immediate challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. In North East Hampshire, Stratfield Turgis & Hartley Wespall Cricket Club received £20,000 in 2018 as part of the Community Asset Fund and £3,600 through the ‘Return to Play Fund’ last summer, to support adaptations for the return of cricket post-pandemic.

Sport England funding to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) focuses on tackling the inequalities which exist within the game, such as expanding the talent pathway for the women’s and girls game, increasing opportunities for disabled children and supporting governance reform and inclusive leadership support across the County Network.


Written Question
Broadband: Hampshire
Wednesday 14th December 2022

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that sure homes in Hampshire that are not included in the gigabit broadband tendering process by suppliers can still get superfast broadband.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

In Hampshire, just over 97% of premises can access superfast broadband (>=30Mbps), which is in line with the UK national average.

As part of Project Gigabit, we have launched a regional procurement in Hampshire, to bring gigabit-capable broadband to up to 88,000 hard-to-reach premises that are not included in suppliers’ commercial build plans. We have also launched a local procurement in the New Forest area, which will connect an estimated further 10,000 premises. The two contracts have a combined indicative value of almost £120 million and we aim to award contracts between April and June 2023.

Eligible premises in Hampshire can also receive a gigabit-capable connection through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. We recently announced an increase in the value of these vouchers so that new projects can receive as much as £4,500 towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband in rural and particularly hard-to-reach areas.

For the very hardest to reach premises which are unlikely to receive gigabit-capable connectivity via either a commercial or government funded delivery mechanism, the Government is determined to explore all possible options to improve their broadband connectivity, including solutions such as satellite and fixed wireless access technologies.


Written Question
Gambling: Regulation
Thursday 12th March 2020

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to respond to the findings of the National Audit Office report entitled Gambling regulation: problem gambling and protecting vulnerable people, published 28 February 2020.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to reducing gambling-related harm and works closely with the Gambling Commission. We have committed to review the Gambling Act 2005 and will announce further details in due course. We welcome the National Audit Office’s report on Gambling Regulation: Problem Gambling and Protecting Vulnerable People and are considering its recommendations carefully.


Written Question
Broadband
Monday 17th February 2020

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to roll out gigabit broadband (a) in Hampshire and (b) throughout the UK.

Answered by Matt Warman

The Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit capable connectivity as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made, with full fibre coverage doubling in the past year to reach 10% of UK premises.

This Government will continue to take action to remove barriers to network rollout and to ensure that those in the hardest to reach areas are not left behind. We have introduced legislation to make it easier for operators to deploy broadband in blocks of flats, will be legislating to mandate gigabit connectivity in new builds and will provide £5 billion of funding to support rollout in hard to reach areas.

Specifically in Hampshire, the government has invested heavily in this county, with over £15million of government funding allocated. Full fibre coverage stands at 9%, marginally below the UK figure of c.10%.

Virgin Media switched on full gigabit capability to Southampton in September 2019, whilst CityFibre, Toob and Trooli have all announced plans to invest in full fibre networks. Toob is aiming to cover 100,000 premises in Southampton with full fibre by the end of 2021, while Trooli has been undertaking work in the villages of Ropley and Bramdean.

The Government is also supporting deployment in Hampshire with projects in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight through the Local Full Fibre Networks programme.


Written Question
Amusement Arcades: Children
Monday 3rd February 2020

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make (a) an assessment of the implications for her policies of the fact that over half of child gamblers last gambled at a family arcade or amusement centre and (b) it her policy to review category D provisions that exempt family arcades from needing a licence to operate machines with money prizes.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core objective of the regulation of gambling in Great Britain, and a priority for the government. The Government has committed to review the Gambling Act 2005 and will announce further details in due course.

Depending on the category of machines they offer, Family Entertainment Centres (FECs) may require either a licence from the Gambling Commission or a permit from the local authority. FECs which are not licensed by the Commission may offer only category D machines and fall under the control of the local authority. Category D machines include crane grabs and penny falls; slot machines with a money prize are permitted a maximum stake of 10p and maximum prize of £5.

In considering applications for FEC permits, the local authority must have regard to the licensing objectives in the Gambling Act 2005, which include preventing children from being harmed and exploited by gambling. The machine supplier must also be licensed by the Gambling Commission.

Voluntary action is being taken by the sector to improve safer gambling standards in all FECs and the government will continue to challenge operators to build on this. For example, in November the arcades trade association BACTA announced a new rule in its Code of Conduct preventing young people under the age of 16 playing on category D slot machines with a money prize unless accompanied by an adult.

The evidence suggests that the number of children and young people participating in gambling is reducing. The Gambling Commission’s annual survey of young people in 2019 found that 11% had spent their own money on a gambling activity in the 7 days prior to taking part in the study, compared to 14% in 2018 and 23% in 2011.


Written Question
Gambling: Advertising
Thursday 30th January 2020

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential effect of targeted advertisements for online gambling sites on gambling addiction rates; and if he will take steps to ban such advertisements.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers and officials of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport work closely with their counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care on the issue of problem gambling. The Health Secretary has announced that a cross-government addiction strategy, which will include gambling, is to be published in 2020 and the two departments are collaborating on this.

Gambling operators who advertise to a UK audience have to comply with the advertising codes of practice issued by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The codes apply across all advertising platforms, including broadcast, online and social media. A wide range of provisions in the codes are designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm. For example, gambling adverts must not target children or portray, condone or encourage gambling behaviour that is socially irresponsible.

Last year the government announced its intention to review how online advertising is regulated in the UK, looking at how well the current regime is equipped to tackle the challenges posed by developments in online advertising. The announcement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/jeremy-wrights-statement-on-the-cairncross-review. Further details of the review will be published shortly.


Written Question
Gambling: Advertising
Thursday 30th January 2020

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the voluntary ban on gambling adverts during live, pre-watershed sport on TV that was introduced in 2019 on trends in the level of gambling addiction; and if she will make it her policy to encourage an extension of that ban to (a) family television shows and (b) on-demand services.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising prohibits gambling advertising on television before 9pm, except in a limited number of circumstances, those being for bingo, lotteries, and until last year, sports betting around televised sport. In August 2019 the Industry group for Responsible Gambling extended its voluntary commitment to include advertising during sporting events. This includes a ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban on all TV betting adverts during pre-watershed live sport, starting five minutes before the event begins, and ending five minutes after it finishes. This also applies to live streaming of events online. Additional measures include an end to betting adverts around highlight shows and re-runs, and an end to pre-watershed bookmaker sponsorship of sports programmes. The code also bans free sign-up offers being targeted at new customers before 9pm and requires all TV adverts to feature a responsible gambling message for the duration of the advert.

Gambling operators who advertise to a UK audience have to comply with the advertising codes of practice issued by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The codes apply across all advertising platforms, including broadcast, online and social media. A wide range of provisions in the codes are designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm. For example, gambling adverts must not appear during programming commissioned for or principally directed at children, or during programmes likely to appeal directly to children. Gambling adverts also must not portray, condone or encourage gambling behaviour that is socially irresponsible. These rules also apply to on demand services.

We will continue to monitor issues around gambling advertising and consider any new evidence carefully, including the ASA’s forthcoming report looking at children’s exposure to age restricted advertising in 2019.


Written Question
Broadband
Monday 30th September 2019

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to meet the Prime Minister's pledge for full-fibre broadband for all by 2025, including in Hampshire.

Answered by Matt Warman

The government is committing to delivering nationwide gigabit capable connectivity as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made, and this government will continue to take action to remove barriers to network rollout and to ensure that those in the hardest to reach areas are not left behind.

The government set out a clear policy direction for the UK’s digital infrastructure in last year’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review. Since then the government has:


- Issued the first Statement of Strategic Priorities for Ofcom, which provides the regulator with context and guidance about Government’s policy priorities and desired outcomes in the communications markets, including the need for stable and long term regulation that incentivises investment and ensure competition for gigabit capable networks.

- Consulted on improving access for network builders to tenanted properties and new builds.

- Invested public funding in the deployment of gigabit capable broadband in the less commercial areas of the country. For example, the Government has launched the £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme as the first stage in our outside-in programme to rollout gigabit broadband to the most rural and remote areas of the country, and the existing superfast broadband programme has pivoted towards full fibre provision.

The government has plans to build further on this work, including plans to introduce legislation on easier access to tenanted properties and ensuring new builds have gigabit connectivity.

Specifically in Hampshire, CityFibre and Toob have both announced plans to invest in full fibre networks whilst Virgin Media have announced that Southampton will be the first city they will upgrade to gigabit capable connectivity. Government is also supporting deployment in Hampshire with projects in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight through the Local Full Fibre Networks programme, having already passed over 7,000 premises in Hampshire with full fibre through the Superfast Programme.


Written Question
Cricket: Registration
Thursday 4th July 2019

Asked by: Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative - North East Hampshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to (a) support village cricket clubs and (b) help reverse the decline in the number of registered cricket players in England.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Government is working with Sport England and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to support grassroots cricket and help improve the prospects for the game at all levels.

Since 2015, Sport England has invested over £9.2m in cricket clubs, facilities and projects focused specifically on cricket, to encourage more people to play the game. Sport England is separately investing £9m in the ECB between 2017 and 2021 to support the grassroots game and talented young cricketers, including projects designed to encourage players to stay in the game.

Sport England is also investing over £3m in the cricket charity Chance to Shine over 2018-21 to deliver projects supporting children and young people, with a particular focus on those from lower socioeconomic and BAME groups.

Sport England also provides support to all sports clubs through its Club Matters online tool which provides free guidance, support and learning on all aspects of running a club.