Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on the roll-out of superfast broadband.
Answered by Matt Hancock
I refer the hon member to my response to the question from the member from Orkney and Shetland during DCMS questions today in the chamber.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of a 30 per cent cap on mobile spectrum on (a) competition and (b) prices for consumers.
Answered by Matt Hancock
This is a matter for Ofcom. DCMS has noted Ofcom's competition and consumer assessment, as set out in its successive consultations on the forthcoming auction of 2.3 and 3.4 GHz spectrum.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the UK's distribution of spectrum ensures (a) coverage and (b) competition across the UK.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We are funding the clearance of 700 MHz spectrum for additional coverage from around 2020 and we have negotiated new coverage obligations in spectrum licences which will further extend mobile coverage in 2017.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits to Scotland of increasing the equality of spectrum holdings among mobile networks.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Ofcom have addresses the subject here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/93545/award-of-the-spectrum-bands-consultation.pdf
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that mobile networks use all of the spectrum holdings available.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Efficient use of spectrum is both the Government's aim and a statutory objective for Ofcom in carrying out its spectrum duties. Long term non- or under- use of assigned spectrum by a licensee could be inefficient, depending on the likely alternative use.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of UK's distribution of spectrum on competition in the mobile industry.
Answered by Matt Hancock
This assessment forms part of Ofcom's competition assessment, which can be found here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/93545/award-of-the-spectrum-bands-consultation.pdf
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the future of Gaelic broadcasting.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We reconginse MG Alba's contribution to Gaelic language broadcasting.
We have enshrined, for the first time, a new commitment for the BBC in the Framework Agreement to continue their partnership with MG Alba for the next 11 years, continuing to deliver output in Gaelic.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department has provided to public service broadcasting of UK minority languages; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The BBC Charter Review has recently considered the BBC’s contribution to minority language broadcasting. A clearer commitment to each minority language has been included in the draft BBC Framework Agreement, setting out the need for the BBC to continue to deliver output in Welsh, Gaelic, the Irish language and Ulster-Scots.
There is also a new commitment for the BBC to continue their partnership with MG Alba for the next 11 years and arrangements for continued partnership with S4C are also in place.
The Government provides Exchequer funding to S4C - in 2015-16 this was £6.782 million. The Government also provides £3 million p.a. to the Irish Language Broadcasting Fund and £1 million p.a. to the Ulster-Scots Broadcasting Fund which are administered via Northern Ireland Screen.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings (a) she and (b) her officials have had with (i) MG ALBA and (ii) the BBC to discuss BBC ALBA.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Department has engaged in an active discussion with a number of stakeholders on MG ABLA throughout the Charter Review Process.
There is a new commitment for the BBC in the Framework agreement to continue their partnership with MG Alba for the next 11 years - something that has been enshrined in the Agreement for the first time. In addition, the BBC can be held to account for delivering on this commitment to the Scottish Parliament.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the funding provided by the Government to the BBC or to bodies co-funded by the BBC for Gaelic language television programming was in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16; and what her Department's forecast is for the future level of such funding.
Answered by Matt Hancock
There is a successful partnership between the BBC and MG Alba for the funding and delivery of Gaelic language broadcasting through the BBC Alba television channel. Decisions about the levels of licence fee funding and number of hours for individual nation’s services are editorial matters for the BBC.