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Written Question
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Ministers
Thursday 28th October 2021

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many of her Department's ministers have been exempted from quarantine in a hotel after returning to the UK from a covid-19 red list country to which they have travelled for the purposes of conducting official business.

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

No DCMS Ministers have received exemptions from undertaking Managed Quarantine Service in a quarantine hotel after returning from a Covid-19 red list country for the purposes of conducting official business for DCMS.


Written Question
Technology: Nature Conservation
Friday 11th June 2021

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that technology companies support efforts to tackle wildlife crime and the illegal wildlife trade.

Answered by Matt Warman

In March, the Government hosted a roundtable with a group of conservation charities, tech companies and experts to discuss and better understand the challenges and opportunities facing the conservation sector, and the nexus with digital technologies.

This is an important year for the world and this government. At COP26 we will unite parties to help accelerate action toward tackling climate change, which includes how we take forward action to protect and restore critical ecosystems. https://ukcop26.org/cop26-goals/

This work is ongoing, and my Department is committed to further understanding the opportunities and links between our collective goals for COP26 and conservation efforts. We will continue to engage with colleagues across government, Non-Government Organisations, conservation experts and tech companies in this regard.


Written Question
Gaming: Coronavirus
Thursday 25th February 2021

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential economic effect of delaying the re-opening of adult gaming centres in line with (a) licensed betting offices and (b) other elements of the non-essential retail sector.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Prime Minister announced on Monday 22 February that indoor entertainment venues, which will include Adult Gaming Centres, will open at Step 3 of the roadmap, not before 17 May. The design of the roadmap has been informed by the latest scientific evidence and seeks a balance between our key social and economic priorities, while preserving the health and safety of the country.

At next week’s Budget the Chancellor will set out the next phase in our economic support package to reflect the steps set out in the Prime Minister’s roadmap to easing restrictions, tailoring support for individuals and businesses to reflect the changing public health restrictions.

Further details will be announced in due course.


Written Question
Electronic Surveillance: Public Places
Tuesday 12th May 2020

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to increase protections for members of the public from bugs and other covert listening devices bought online that may intrude on their privacy in public settings.

Answered by John Whittingdale

Private organisations using surveillance equipment will need to ensure that their use of this equipment complies with the UK’s data protection laws.

Our data protection laws impose strict obligations on both individuals and organisations to process people’s data fairly and lawfully and to ensure that any data collected is held securely. There must also be a legal basis for processing data. The way in which personal data is collected and handled must be fair and transparent, and the data should be processed in a way which individuals would expect.

The UK’s data protection laws are enforced independently of Government by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Organisations that fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Whilst a breach of these laws is not generally a criminal offence, the Information Commissioner can impose significant financial penalties for non-compliance.

Where this equipment is used by individuals for private purposes, data protection rules will not normally apply, but criminal offences, such as stalking and harassment, might be relevant depending on the circumstances of the case.

Whilst the Government remains open to considering any gaps identified in the law, it currently considers that the range of existing legal provisions provides a robust framework.


Written Question
Electronic Surveillance
Tuesday 12th May 2020

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) regulate, (b) supervise and (c) control the sale of covert listening and filming devices.

Answered by John Whittingdale

Private organisations using surveillance equipment will need to ensure that their use of this equipment complies with the UK’s data protection laws.

Our data protection laws impose strict obligations on both individuals and organisations to process people’s data fairly and lawfully and to ensure that any data collected is held securely. There must also be a legal basis for processing data. The way in which personal data is collected and handled must be fair and transparent, and the data should be processed in a way which individuals would expect.

The UK’s data protection laws are enforced independently of Government by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Organisations that fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Whilst a breach of these laws is not generally a criminal offence, the Information Commissioner can impose significant financial penalties for non-compliance.

Where this equipment is used by individuals for private purposes, data protection rules will not normally apply, but criminal offences, such as stalking and harassment, might be relevant depending on the circumstances of the case.

Whilst the Government remains open to considering any gaps identified in the law, it currently considers that the range of existing legal provisions provides a robust framework.


Written Question
Electronic Surveillance
Tuesday 12th May 2020

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to limit the ability of (a) private companies and (b) the general public to spy, stalk and harass people with covert devices.

Answered by John Whittingdale

Private organisations using surveillance equipment will need to ensure that their use of this equipment complies with the UK’s data protection laws.

Our data protection laws impose strict obligations on both individuals and organisations to process people’s data fairly and lawfully and to ensure that any data collected is held securely. There must also be a legal basis for processing data. The way in which personal data is collected and handled must be fair and transparent, and the data should be processed in a way which individuals would expect.

The UK’s data protection laws are enforced independently of Government by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Organisations that fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Whilst a breach of these laws is not generally a criminal offence, the Information Commissioner can impose significant financial penalties for non-compliance.

Where this equipment is used by individuals for private purposes, data protection rules will not normally apply, but criminal offences, such as stalking and harassment, might be relevant depending on the circumstances of the case.

Whilst the Government remains open to considering any gaps identified in the law, it currently considers that the range of existing legal provisions provides a robust framework.


Written Question
Broadband: Exeter
Monday 27th February 2017

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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 ensure that Exeter has access to high-speed broadband.

Answered by Matt Hancock

Exeter has a strong competitive superfast broadband market from suppliers including BT/Openreach, Virgin Media, and Torbay Telecoms. Third party verification from Think Broadband puts superfast coverage above 97.5%.

Phase 1 of the Devon and Somerset superfast project (Connecting Devon and Somerset) has now covered over 300,000 premises with superfast broadband and further procurements are in train to extend coverage further.

The Universal Service Obligation, which we have enabling powers for in the Digital Economy Bill, will help ensure that everyone can access high speed broadband.


Written Question
Broadband
Thursday 12th May 2016

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the £1.7 billion funding for the Superfast Broadband Programme is from (a) central government (b) local government and (c) the EU.

Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot

From the £1.7 billion funding for the Superfast Broadband programme around £780 million is from central government, £740 million is from local government and £200 million is from the EU.


Written Question
Schools: Sports
Tuesday 10th March 2015

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will work with the Department for Education to take further steps to open schools sports facilities to the wider community.

Answered by Helen Grant

We are very keen that we get the most out of Government investment in school sports facilities and will continue to seek to increase opportunities. Sport England works with schools, local authorities and the Education Funding Agency to improve community access to such facilities. It has made available £400,000 per year to provide focused support for a number of schools in strategically important areas. It is investing £1 million in the Priority School Building Programme in 2015 to safeguard school sports facilities at schools that have been identified as being in urgent need of repair. Sport England will also shortly be launching an online resource to help more schools open up their facilities for community use.


Written Question
Sports: Females
Monday 9th March 2015

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of which of his Department's policies has been most successful in achieving greater (a) sporting and (b) physical activity amongst women and girls since May 2010.

Answered by Helen Grant

This Government has prioritised increasing women's participation in sport and Sport England has invested in a number of initiatives to this end. Each of these are evaluated both during and on completion of the project, in order to build knowledge and insight of behaviour change in this area. According to Sport England’s Active People Survey the number of women playing sport has increased by 423,600 since 2010.