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 - Shadow Minister (Women)
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.