Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings she has with the FA on progress on its ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
I regularly meet with the FA and discuss a number of issues, including matters relating to integrity in football. The integrity of sport is absolutely paramount and we expect the highest standards of governance and transparency from our sports governing bodies.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what types of assistance her Department has provided the FA to aid its investigation into allegations of corruption.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
It is a matter for the FA to investigate and charge participants when there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing in the game. If this is of a criminal nature then they must present all evidence to the police for further investigation.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
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 improve mobile telephone coverage in Pendle.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Improving mobile connectivity across the whole of the UK is a priority for the Government. The Ofcom licence obligations arising from the December 2014 agreement mean that the four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have a legally binding obligation for each of them to provide voice/SMS text coverage to at least 90% of the UK’s landmass by end-2017. Additionally Telefonica (O2) has a licence obligation to deliver indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises. The Digital Economy Bill, currently going through Parliament, will give the regulator Ofcom the power to issue large fines to mobile phone companies who fail to meet their licence obligations.
The Government's agreement with the MNOs locked in investment of £5 billion and is delivering improved coverage across the UK. Data from Ofcom's 2016 Connected Nations Report shows that over 97% of premises in Lancashire now have indoor voice coverage from at least one MNO, while 96% have indoor 4G data coverage from at least one MNO (73% from all four). Our recent mobile planning reforms for England (November 2016) and proposed reforms of the Electronic Communications Code, will support further investment and improvements in connectivity across the UK and reduce not spots.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he plans to take to encourage the growth of the digital economy as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government’s long-term economic plan seeks to rebalance growth across the UK, and build a Northern Powerhouse. Investing in digital and innovation, science, technology, transport, culture and tourism, alongside devolving power gives the North a powerful new voice, investment and decision-making powers.
Better, faster fixed and mobile broadband drives economic growth, innovation and excellence, enhances national competitiveness, and underpins the government’s long-term economic plan.
The Government has committed over £131 million to provide superfast broadband for nearly 1 million premises in the North of England broadband project areas.
The Government is supporting Tech North, which will help develop and champion the digital economy. This month Tech North launched Northern Stars to showcase and support digital start-ups. The Department of Culture Media and Sport is providing £2 million per year funding for Tech North. Capital spending is also planned on tech business incubators in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.
The Government is supporting new opportunities that digital technologies are unlocking, such as the sharing economy. There will be pilots in Leeds and Manchester to trial local sharing initiatives, for example in transport, public space, and health and social care.
Companies in the North have also benefited from the availability of connection vouchers of up to £3,000 to upgrade their broadband connectivity.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of fibre-optic broadband to businesses in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Current superfast broadband coverage is over 80% of UK premises and the Government remains committed to providing 95% coverage to homes and businesses by 2017.
Commercial broadband delivery is expected to cover 62% of premises in the Pendle constituency. By the end of the Superfast Lancashire project, coverage is expected to have increased to 98% of premises.
This data is included in the table in the House of Commons Library:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/?house=1&search_term=Department+for+Culture%2c+Media+and+Sport&itemId=122028#toggle-163
As of June 2014, Lancashire had 74% superfast broadband coverage (speeds of more than 30Mbps+) as stated in the Ofcom Infrastructure Report 2014. By the end of 2017 the Government expects there will be 97.5% superfast coverage to homes and businesses in Lancashire.
The Government does not have data of superfast broadband at regional level.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much arts funding (a) in total and (b) per head of population was allocated in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Pendle constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
In the last 12 months, Arts Council England has invested the following in Lancashire and Pendle:
2014/15 (YTD) |
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Population (mid 2013): | 1,180,076 |
| 90,131 |
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| Lancashire | Pendle | ||
| Total £ | spend per head | Total £ | spend per head |
Grants for the arts | £1,238,356 | £1.05 | £187,866 | £2.08 |
Strategic funding | £348,866 | £0.30 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
NPO/MPM | £2,111,107 | £1.79 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
Music Education Hubs* | £1,297,347 | £1.10 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
Total | £4,995,677 | £4.23 | £187,866 | £2.08 |
*Pendle is also covered by Lancashire Music Education Hub and will receive some benefit from this grant, however, there is no way of accurately apportioning a share from the data currently available.
Projects in Pendle that have recently benefited from funding include the 'In-situ' initiative which includes the Recorded Soul project, Young People in Pendle and Momentum.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average (a) download and (b) upload speed in East Lancashire was on the latest date for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Ofcom published broadband speeds for counties and unitary authorities with its 2014 infrastructure report at http://infrastructure.ofcom.org.uk/ saying that average download speeds in Lancashire were 20.7 Mbit/s and average upload speeds were 2.8 Mbit/s. Ofcom also published data for individual postcodes at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/research/ir/Fixed_postcode.zip
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of how many adults in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) East Lancashire and (c) the North West have taken part in at least one sporting activity each week in each of the last five years.
Answered by Helen Grant - Shadow Solicitor General
| 2009 (APS3) | 2010 (APS4) | 2011 (APS5) | 2012 (APS6) | 2013 (APS7) |
Pendle (LA) | 20,600 | 23,100 | 21,400 | 22,600 | 24,200 |
Lancashire | 410,000 | 405,300 | 409,500 | 415,000 | 420,600 |
North West | 2,007,800 | 1,996,700 | 1,986,000 | 2,066,500 | 2,055,800 |
Participation data is from the Active People Survey which measures the number of people aged 16 and above taking part in sport in England.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department has spent on grassroots sport in (a) Pendle, (b) East Lancashire and (c) the North West in each of the last five years.
Answered by Helen Grant - Shadow Solicitor General
Figures in the table show Sport England direct investment only. The figures do not include additional money being spent on grassroots sports by national governing bodies and other national partners in which Sport England has invested £493 million to get more people playing sport across England.
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | Total |
Pendle | £1500 | £16,506 | £19,560 | £306,404 | £167,996 | £511,966 |
Lancashire | £1,430,187 | £1,160,438 | £2,105,677 | £3,239,373 | £4,212,095 | £12,147,770 |
North West | £8,220,417 | £14,081,270 | £11,875,216 | £12,653,474 | £18,754,769 | £65,585,146 |
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many complaints of (a) unsolicited marketing calls and (b) silent or abandoned calls were made by people in Pendle in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The data recording these figures is not broken down by individual constituencies.