Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings his Department has had with football supporters' groups or organisations since July 2011; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Grant
I meet regularly with a wide range of football organisations, including Supporters Direct and the Football Supporters Foundation. DCMS Ministers’ external meetings are published quarterly on the Departmental website
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/313639/Transparency_Declarations_Oct-Dec_2013_csv.csv/preview
I continue to press the football authorities to better engage with their fans, but have been encouraged by the introduction of a designated Supporter Liaison Officer into each Premier League and Football League club.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings his Department has had with the Football Association since July 2011; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Grant
I meet regularly with a wide range of football organisations including the Football Association to discuss a range of issues, including their governance of the sport. DCMS Ministers’ external meetings are published quarterly on the Departmental website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/313639/Transparency_Declarations_Oct-Dec_2013_csv.csv/preview
I continue to press for improvements in football governance; they have made welcome progress, but I expect them to maintain this momentum. If football fails to demonstrate that they can reform their own governance of the game, I will not hesitate to use all the powers at our disposal, including legislation if necessary, to support our national game.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with the Football Association on football governance since July 2011; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Grant
I meet regularly with a wide range of football organisations including the Football Association to discuss a range of issues, including their governance of the sport. DCMS Ministers’ external meetings are published quarterly on the Departmental website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/313639/Transparency_Declarations_Oct-Dec_2013_csv.csv/preview
I continue to press for improvements in football governance; they have made welcome progress, but I expect them to maintain this momentum. If football fails to demonstrate that they can reform their own governance of the game, I will not hesitate to use all the powers at our disposal, including legislation if necessary, to support our national game.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to consult local residents on decisions on the construction of mobile telephone masts under the mobile infrastructure project where plans for construction have been through pre-planning and published.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Arqiva will be consulting with communities in line with the Mobile Operators Code of Best Practice.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 15W, on mobile telephones: Herefordshire, whether officials of his Department commissioned or carried out drive testing to check the level of coverage in Fownhope.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
No drive testing has been carried out in Fownhope but Government is currently looking at what can be done to extend mobile coverage across the country.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the decision not to proceed with a mast at Fownhope, if he will include the lack of mobile network coverage in that area in any future discussion he has with network operators.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Mobile coverage in the UK as a whole is amongst the best in Europe but we aspire to better. The Secretary of State has been discussing with Ofcom and the mobile network operators what more can be done improve coverage. No firm decisions have been taken yet on the most effective methods of extending coverage.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, column 125W, on mobile phones: Herefordshire, what tests Ofcom carried out and on what dates to establish whether there is mobile reception in Fownhope.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The not spot data was updated by Ofcom with information from the mobile network operators. The operators submitted updated information on where they have coverage, as predicted by desktop planning tools, in March 2014. Ofcom did not carry out on the ground tests for all 34,000 not spots across the UK containing premises, as to do so would be prohibitively expensive. In areas where coverage is thought to be marginal, or there is uncertainty over coverage, DCMS officials have commissioned drive testing to check the level of coverage.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, column 124W, on mobile phones, whether any other proposed masts in Herefordshire will be withdrawn following changes in notspot data.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
DCMS officials and Arqiva, delivery partner for the Mobile Infrastructure Project, are incorporating changes in the notspot data into the project's planning. Once this planning is finalised any changes will be communicated to planning authorities.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy that no mobile infrastructure projects will be undertaken without first fully investigating the notspot data for the relevant area.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The planning for the Mobile Infrastructure Project was based on data originally provided by the mobile network operators and compiled by Ofcom in 2010. The operators have since made changes to their networks, going through a process of consolidating and sharing sites, and this has had an impact on the locations of not spots. Ofcom updated the not spot data for 2014 with information from the mobile network operators.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, column 125W, on mobile phones: Herefordshire, what the strength is of the mobile reception that is provided in Fownhope.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The nature of mobile reception means that the strength of signal received by a handset varies over a set area, and is affected by local geography, and even by buildings or trees. It is also affected by the handset used, as not all mobile phones are equal in their ability to pick up a signal.
The Mobile Infrastructure Project's planning assesses signal at a level of Neg 86dBm. The Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage, at this level, from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage provides value for money.