Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department plans to provide to develop the UK's flexible semiconductor market; and whether that support will be outlined in the forthcoming semiconductor strategy.
Answered by Paul Scully
On behalf of the government, DCMS has been reviewing its approach to the UK’s global semiconductor sector and intends to set out its support for the sector in the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy. This has been developed by engaging with industry experts, representative bodies and the wider global community.
The Government recognises that the UK’s approach to the semiconductor sector should look to support and build on our existing strengths domestically, and ensure that our industry can complement the UK’s ambitions as a science and technology superpower. We recognise the UK has strengths in the growing flexible semiconductor industry, and this will form a part of our strategy going forward.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the attractiveness of the UK for investment in semiconductor fabrication facilities compared to overseas markets.
Answered by Paul Scully
On behalf of HM Government, DCMS has been reviewing the UK semiconductor sector, and intends to set out more detail in the forthcoming UK Semiconductor Strategy. The Government recognises that the UK’s approach to the semiconductor sector should look to support and build on our existing strengths domestically, and is considering efficient interventions that will encourage investment.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to provide a further Government response to the Online Harms white paper.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We will publish a full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation later this year. This will be followed by legislation, which will be ready early next year.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on implementing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
As we announced on 16 October last year, we will not be commencing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017 and its provisions on age verification for online pornography as originally intended. Instead we will repeal Part 3 of the DEA and the online harms regime will include provisions to protect children from age-inappropriate content, including online pornography. Our Online Harms proposals will go further than the DEA’s focus on online pornography on commercial adult sites and provide a higher level of protection for children.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on implementing the relevant age-verification sections of the Digital Economy Act 2017.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
As we announced on 16 October last year, we will not be commencing Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017 and its provisions on age verification for online pornography as originally intended. Instead we will repeal Part 3 of the DEA and the online harms regime will include provisions to protect children from age-inappropriate content, including online pornography. Our Online Harms proposals will go further than the DEA’s focus on online pornography on commercial adult sites and provide a higher level of protection for children.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the situation relating to covid-19, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing emergency financial support for the tourism sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are aware that the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting businesses across many sectors and that the tourism sector has been significantly impacted.
I regularly engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector and across Government on this developing issue. My Department and VisitBritain have organised two meetings between the industry and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer and VisitBritain are organising weekly meetings with industry. I will continue to monitor its impact on the sector and would urge tourism businesses to share information with VisitBritain.
The Government announced a range of measures in the Budget to provide economic support for affected businesses, including SMEs in the tourism and hospitality sector. I also discussed this matter in detail with my counterparts from the Devolved Administrations last week.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
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) support the Special Olympics and (b) ensure that Special Olympics GB receives adequate funding over the next five years.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government recognises the importance of sport and physical activity for disabled people who take part at both the grassroots and the elite level, as set out in the government’s sport and physical activity strategy 'Sporting Future'.
Special Olympics GB (SOGB) received a three year grant from Sport England, the government arm’s length body for grassroots sport in England, totalling £204,363 for its core activities from October 2017 to September 2020. This grant is part of Sport England’s £1.6m grant funding to National Disability Sports Organisations.
SOGB was also granted £43,344 of Commercial Consultancy Support (2018/19) by Sport England. Through this support they are working with Sport Collective, a sports rights and marketing agency, to identify their brand assets and value, identify and target potential partners and develop their sponsorship material.
In addition, Sport England also gave SOGB a further £152,000 of Exchequer investment in December 2018/January 2019. This was to help SOGB engage more volunteers and sponsors, to increase the numbers in their volunteer recruitment programme, and to deliver partnership competitions.
Sport England will be meeting SOGB and other National Disability Sport Organisations later this year to discuss the potential and process for further investment post-October 2020.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of funding in relation to programming for the nations of the UK.
Answered by Margot James
The government is committed to the future of minority language broadcasting.
The BBC Charter, agreed with government, sets out a clear commitment to Welsh and Gaelic language broadcasting.
The BBC must also support the creative economies of each nation and this hugely positive impact can be seen in the world class creative hubs of Glasgow and Cardiff
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle companies who operate premium rate telephone numbers which forward calls to Government Departments.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) regulates premium rate services in the UK. In order to operate a premium rate service, providers must register with the PSA and abide by their Code of Practice, which is approved by the Office of Communications. Providers of information, communication and signposting services, which connect consumers to specific organisations via premium rate numbers on the 087 and 090 number ranges must also comply with a set of additional requirements (Special Conditions) designed to provide additional protections for consumers.
Where the PSA has reason to believe that providers of such services may be in breach of the Code of Practice or the Special Conditions, they may investigate and in serious cases will refer them to its Code Adjudication Tribunal, which has the power to impose sanctions and orders, including fines, refunds to consumers and suspending the service in question.