Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many funds are allocated to local authorities by his Department through a process of competitive bidding; and if he will publish the names of those funds.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
As part of its broader decentralisation agenda, the government has been intentionally reducing ring fenced funding streams. We believe that providing councils with the freedom to use funding in a way that responds to local needs and priorities is key to supporting financial sustainability and sound financial management.
DCMS currently administers five funds which are competitively allocated and which include local authorities as recipients. These are:
Cultural Investment Fund
Invests in cultural infrastructure, local museums and neighbourhood libraries to benefit communities across the country.
UK City of Culture
Invites places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years. Awards were made to local authorities to enable them to strengthen their final applications.
5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “Urban Connected Communities Project”
Trials new 5G services and applications to individuals and businesses.
5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “5G Create” scheme
Aims to explore and develop new use-cases and 5G technical capabilities.
Rural Connected Communities competition
Funds 5G research and development projects.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent reports he has received from the football authorities on the steps they were taking to eradicate racial abuse from the game.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government continues to liaise closely and regularly with all the football authorities about their work to tackle discrimination. This includes actions targeted at and around football grounds, such as improving reporting systems, providing better training and support for referees and stewards, and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia.
We also welcomed the launch of The FA’s ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ last year which is a step in the right direction to ensure English football better represents our modern and diverse society, on and off the pitch.
In January, the Government convened a roundtable with footballers, alongside the Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and the Professional Footballers’ Association, to discuss social media abuse and the upcoming Online Safety Bill.
However, there is still progress to be made and the Government will continue to press the football authorities to build on their work to date to tackle discrimination.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he last requested a report from the football authorities on the steps they are taking to eradicate racism from the game.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government continues to liaise closely and regularly with all the football authorities about their work to tackle discrimination. This includes actions targeted at and around football grounds, such as improving reporting systems, providing better training and support for referees and stewards, and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia.
We also welcomed the launch of The FA’s ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ last year which is a step in the right direction to ensure English football better represents our modern and diverse society, on and off the pitch.
In January, the Government convened a roundtable with footballers, alongside the Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and the Professional Footballers’ Association, to discuss social media abuse and the upcoming Online Safety Bill.
However, there is still progress to be made and the Government will continue to press the football authorities to build on their work to date to tackle discrimination.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he was made aware that Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts wrote in January 2021 to the (a) Premier League and (b) English Football League requesting that they work together to tackle racist abuse against players; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The department is in regular contact with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Lead, and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) across a range of issues including tackling discrimination.
I understand the Premier League and English Football League also meet frequently with the UKFPU, including recently with social media companies to focus on tackling online abuse, and hope they will continue to do so as we work together to rid this abhorrent behaviour from the game and society.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he last had discussions with Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts on football matters.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The department is in regular contact with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Lead, and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) across a range of issues including tackling discrimination.
I understand the Premier League and English Football League also meet frequently with the UKFPU, including recently with social media companies to focus on tackling online abuse, and hope they will continue to do so as we work together to rid this abhorrent behaviour from the game and society.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will list all the Football Banning Orders that are in operation by (a) football club, (b) time served and (c) offence committed.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Home Office is the lead department for Football Banning Orders and has published football-related arrests and banning orders statistics, in England and Wales, for the 2019/20 season on gov.uk.