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Written Question
Park Homes: Coronavirus
Wednesday 24th June 2020

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 the Government's timeline is for the opening of sites for static caravans owned as a second home.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

People will be allowed to travel to second homes - including static caravans - for overnight stays in England from 4 July, in Phase 3 of the government’s recovery strategy

My Department has been working closely with the holiday accommodation sector, including the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA), through the Visitor Economy Working Group to produce guidance on the reopening of the tourism sector. This will include guidance on reopening hotels, caravans and other guest accommodation. The guidance will be published shortly.


VisitEngland are working on a common industry standard quality mark. While work is ongoing, it will be designed to complement COVID-19 Secure Guidelines produced by the Government.


Written Question
Gambling: Coronavirus
Tuesday 23rd June 2020

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, for what reason Adult Gaming Centres were not allowed to reopen on Monday 15 June 2020.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

While arcades are mentioned in the BEIS guidance on shops and branches published on 11 May, the government made it clear that a final decision on which premises would reopen on 15 June would be made nearer the time and would be based on the current situation and scientific advice.

The government’s decision was that adult gaming centres, like other amusement arcades and leisure and entertainment venues, should remain closed at this time. These businesses differ from retailers in several ways, including the contact with hard surfaces which is a necessary part of playing their games. As detailed in the government's roadmap “Our Plan to Rebuild” the next phase of easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions will begin no earlier than 4 July, subject to public health advice. My department is working through the next steps with the arcades sector in line with further announcements on the roadmap.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 17 Mar 2020
Football Attendances: VAR

"Order. As I just said to Mr Perkins, given the number of people here, you will all have longer than it takes for the video assistant referee to make a decision...."
Clive Betts - View Speech

View all Clive Betts (Lab - Sheffield South East) contributions to the debate on: Football Attendances: VAR

Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 17 Mar 2020
Football Attendances: VAR

"I call Toby Perkins to wind up. I will just say that as Chair I have to remain neutral, and I think I have been more than restrained in not rising to the bait of his comments about football rivalries in Sheffield. We will leave it there, and I will …..."
Clive Betts - View Speech

View all Clive Betts (Lab - Sheffield South East) contributions to the debate on: Football Attendances: VAR

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 09 Jan 2020
Football Association and Bet365

"Does the Minister accept that this is just another example, but a serious one, of the FA’s dumbing down of the wonderful competition that is the FA cup? I do not know whether the Minister is old enough to remember, but I am sure you are, Mr Speaker, when most …..."
Clive Betts - View Speech

View all Clive Betts (Lab - Sheffield South East) contributions to the debate on: Football Association and Bet365

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 11 Jun 2019
Free TV Licences: Over-75s

"More than 4,000 of my constituents will lose their free TV licences. Will the Secretary of State explain to them simply and clearly how he expected to keep the promise made to them in the 2017 manifesto about their free TV licences? What mechanism did he intend to use?..."
Clive Betts - View Speech

View all Clive Betts (Lab - Sheffield South East) contributions to the debate on: Free TV Licences: Over-75s

Written Question
Citizens' Juries
Wednesday 20th March 2019

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 progress he has made on the implementation of the Innovation in Democracy Programme; and what the timeframe is for the announcement of the successful local authorities.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)

The Innovation in Democracy Programme is an important part of the Civil Society Strategy announced last year. The successful pilot locations will be announced in due course.


Written Question
Citizens' Juries
Wednesday 20th March 2019

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 progress has been made on the Innovation in Democracy Programme; and what the timescale is for announcing the successful local authorities.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)

The Innovation in Democracy Programme is an important part of the Civil Society Strategy announced last year. The successful pilot locations will be announced in due course.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 01 Nov 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"As thought is now being given to planning for a potential bid for the 2030 World cup, I hope we all really get behind that. Will the Secretary of State assure us that we will look at not only the sporting impact of that but its economic and regeneration impact, …..."
Clive Betts - View Speech

View all Clive Betts (Lab - Sheffield South East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Written Question
Citizens' Juries
Thursday 13th September 2018

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 the role of local authorities will be in the establishment of innovation in democracy pilots.

Answered by Tracey Crouch

The Innovation in Democracy Programme (IiDP) will involve citizens in decision making at local government level through innovative models of participatory democracy.

Local authorities will be invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to take part in the programme later in 2018/19. The selected local authorities will be piloting Citizens’ Juries to open up a decision they have to make to citizen deliberation and will be fully supported in this by a Democracy Support Contractor (to be appointed) who will assist them in designing and implementing a process that works for their context, as well as funding to cover costs.

Several local authorities were involved in the scoping for the programme and their feedback informed the design of the Innovation in Democracy Programme.