Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
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 impact of privatising Channel 4 on Yorkshire’s economy.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government has recently consulted on whether an alternative ownership model for Channel 4 (but one where it retains a public service remit) may be better for the broadcaster, and better for the country.
Consulting on the broadcaster’s future is about ensuring that Channel 4 can continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting for years to come, and how we ensure its ownership model best supports this aim.
Channel 4’s economic contributions to the nations and regions of the UK is an issue we have consulted on. We value Channel 4’s contribution to levelling up, and we consider a continued and renewed commitment to it may be appropriate to any change of ownership.
The consultation opened on 6 July, running for 10 weeks, before closing on 14 September. We are currently analysing responses to our consultation, and evidence received through it, to inform our policy-making decisions. Once we have answered the questions set out in the consultation, we will know what specific impacts to assess and will therefore be in a position to carry out an impact assessment.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to use Event Research Programmes (ERP) to avoid complete closures of (a) venues and (b) events in the future.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Events Research Programme (ERP) pilot events ran across a range of settings, venues, and activities, with findings informing the return of events in a structured, scientifically and ethically robust manner.
The pilot events gathered evidence associated with different settings, including approaches to managing and mitigating transmission risk. They explored how different approaches to social distancing, ventilation, and test-on-entry protocols could ease opening, and maximise participation.
The ERP has provided important evidence on the variety of settings and differences within venues such as ventilation systems, the organisation of events, venue design, and attendee behaviour.
This has provided an understanding of how different settings and mitigations impact specific risk factors. It also provided significant evidence of the operational, logistical and commercial implications for events of differing types and the heterogeneity found in events settings.
The findings from the Events Research Programme continue to inform government policy-making.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on providing additional financial support to touring (a) artists and (b) music organisations travelling to the European Union.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
This government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people. We want musicians and performers to be able to tour abroad easily.
We recognise that challenges remain around touring, and we are continuing to work closely with the industry. In order to support this we have published guidance on GOV.UK, including updated travel advice for travelling to the EU, and business traveller summaries for individual Member States, and developed sector specific ‘landing pages’ for GOV.UK, aimed at the creative sectors, which will allow cultural and creative professionals to easily locate and access guidance that is relevant to them.
Member States are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in each Member State. This is why we have spoken to every EU Member State about the importance of touring. From these discussions, 19 out of 27 Member States have confirmed that UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for some short-term tours.
We are now actively engaging with Member States, and in particular those that do not allow any visa or permit free touring, to encourage them to more closely align requirements with the UK’s generous rules, which allow creative professionals to tour easily here. DCMS ministers are speaking with their counterparts as part of these discussions, and we are working with the sector to amplify each other’s lobbying efforts.
We are looking at options to support individuals and businesses to resume touring with ease. This includes looking carefully at proposals for a new Creative Export Office that could provide further practical help.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support venue and music organisations in booking international artists to perform in the UK.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government recognises the world-leading position of the UK music sector and the rich breadth of musical talent across the UK. We also appreciate venues and music organisations’ desire to book international artists to further contribute to the diversity and richness of the UK’s cultural offering.
Creative and cultural professionals from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, can come to the UK for up to one month without requiring a visa if they are paid by a UK source, or for up to three months without requiring a visa if they are sponsored by a registered tour sponsor. They will not require a visa if they are performing at a “Permit Free Festival”, which includes a range of events from Glastonbury to the London Jazz Festival. If they are not receiving payment from a UK source, EU artists can come to the UK and undertake a range of activities related to their profession, including performances, for up to 6 months visa-free. The UK does not have work permits.
We are looking at further options to help support touring, including proposals for a Cultural Export Office that could provide practical help for those looking to tour and export worldwide.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with ministers in the Cabinet Office on the steps being taken by them to include the level of funding on culture in the North as part of the Levelling Up White Paper.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government recognises the crucial role that cultural investment can play in Levelling Up. We are committed to ensuring that areas across England benefit fully from our funding programmes and experience the potential of culture to boost local growth, increase visitor numbers, bolster talent and attract investment. DCMS is engaging closely with other parts of government in the preparation for the Levelling Up White Paper.
DCMS has already provided a significant amount of funding for the North. In particular, the Culture Recovery Fund has provided £287,931,077 across the North of England, including £104,944,697 for the Yorkshire and Humber region. In addition, there are 223 ACE National Portfolio Organisations in the North West, Yorkshire and the Northeast regions combined.
Looking beyond the pandemic, culture is prioritized as a target for investment in the government’s £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund, and I am confident that the North will benefit significantly from the cultural projects supported by this Fund.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on introducing rules for broadband providers on the same model as its rules from May 2022 for insurers on offering existing customers new customer prices.
Answered by Matt Warman
The Secretary of State has not met with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to discuss its new measures on offering existing customers the same prices as new customers. It should be noted however that Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has a statutory duty to further and protect the interests of telecoms consumers and end-users, and as Minister for Digital Infrastructure I have regular engagement with Ofcom on these matters.
In December 2020, the Government strengthened Ofcom’s telecoms consumer protection powers. As a result, Ofcom introduced new rules, in February 2021, so that a customer near the end of their contract will receive a notice from their current provider informing of the date their contract will end; the notice period to leave; the service they receive and price they pay as well as any changes to the service and price should they take no action to renew or move their service. These notices must also include information on the prices available to other customers, including new customers. We consider this approach encourages operators to offer competitive pricing to their loyal customers and equally empowers consumers to switch to better deals if those offers do not meet their needs.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the qualifying criteria are for the Platinum Jubilee medal; and what plans the Government has to award the medal to former members of the armed forces.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Recipients of the Platinum Jubilee Medal will include members of the Armed Forces, frontline members of the Prison Service that are publicly employed,frontline emergency services and members of the Royal Household. Recipients must also have completed the relevant period of qualifying service.
It is for the relevant Government Department, Devolved Administration or Crown Dependency to apply these broad criteria, and any additional sub-criteria they deem relevant. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that recipients must be serving members of the armed forces on 6th February 2022 to be eligible to receive the Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support girls and women pursue careers in football.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We are absolutely committed to supporting diversity in sport at every opportunity including through employment.
We support the Football Association’s work in encouraging more women and girls into football. On 19 October 2020, the Football Association published its new women’s and girls’ football strategy ‘Inspiring Positive Change: FA Women’s Football Strategy 2020-24’. The strategy includes a commitment to developing a diverse, well supported and highly skilled workforce including coaches, referees, sports development officers and administrators at every level of the game. An example of how they plan to achieve this by 2024 is by encouraging more coaches in the women and girls’ game, with a greater proportion being female and from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
In addition to this, in October 2020 the FA launched their Football Leadership Diversity Code to increase diversity and inclusion across English football. This included the target of 30% of new hires being female in senior leadership and team operation roles.
UK Sport and Sport England’s Code for Sports Governance (published in 2016) seeks to improve the diversity of governance structures in sport and applies to any organisation seeking public funding for sport. Latest figures show that women now account for 40% of board members across bodies funded by either Sport England or UK Sport.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the data used to inform the policy that amateur choirs cannot rehearse indoors in a group of more than six people.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across the Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.
However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
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 allow amateur choirs to return to indoor rehearsals in groups of more than six.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across the Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.
However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.