Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of businesses which need to arrange standard contractual clauses.
Answered by Matt Warman
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will become a ‘third country’ under EU data protection law. Subsequently, personal data transfers from the EU/EEA to the UK will become restricted and require additional legal safeguards. Any organisation that receives personal data from the EU/EEA should review their contracts and, where absent, include appropriate legal safeguards to ensure they can continue to receive personal data from the EU/EEA. Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are the most common legal safeguard and will be the relevant mitigation for most organisations
All businesses and organisations that receive personal data from the EU will need to take action, in conjunction with their EU/EEA partner. Receipt of personal data from the EU/EEA is not specific to any one sector or type of business - every organisation should review their data flows to determine whether they are affected
The implementation cost for SCCs will vary between different organisation depending on a range of factors, notably the number of existing contracts that require SCCs to be added. Many businesses will already have contracts including SCCs with non-EU/EEA countries. For most organisations - including SMEs - taking the required action should not be excessively costly and does not always require specialist advice. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has built a handy online tool to help businesses and organisations through every step of the process
DCMS, with Whitehall partners, is undertaking an intensive engagement and communication effort with businesses and organisations across the UK and in the EU to highlight the need for action. The Department has worked with the Information Commissioner's Office to ensure that all available guidance is simple, straightforward and actionable and that businesses can produce the required SCCs online. There has been an increase in awareness of the changes that need to be made to prepare businesses and organisations for the possibility of a no-deal exit and this campaign will continue as a Government priority.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to businesses of standard contractual clauses to ensure data flows are legal after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Matt Warman
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will become a ‘third country’ under EU data protection law. Subsequently, personal data transfers from the EU/EEA to the UK will become restricted and require additional legal safeguards. Any organisation that receives personal data from the EU/EEA should review their contracts and, where absent, include appropriate legal safeguards to ensure they can continue to receive personal data from the EU/EEA. Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are the most common legal safeguard and will be the relevant mitigation for most organisations
All businesses and organisations that receive personal data from the EU will need to take action, in conjunction with their EU/EEA partner. Receipt of personal data from the EU/EEA is not specific to any one sector or type of business - every organisation should review their data flows to determine whether they are affected
The implementation cost for SCCs will vary between different organisation depending on a range of factors, notably the number of existing contracts that require SCCs to be added. Many businesses will already have contracts including SCCs with non-EU/EEA countries. For most organisations - including SMEs - taking the required action should not be excessively costly and does not always require specialist advice. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has built a handy online tool to help businesses and organisations through every step of the process
DCMS, with Whitehall partners, is undertaking an intensive engagement and communication effort with businesses and organisations across the UK and in the EU to highlight the need for action. The Department has worked with the Information Commissioner's Office to ensure that all available guidance is simple, straightforward and actionable and that businesses can produce the required SCCs online. There has been an increase in awareness of the changes that need to be made to prepare businesses and organisations for the possibility of a no-deal exit and this campaign will continue as a Government priority.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of contractual clauses arranged by businesses to permit data flows after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Matt Warman
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will become a ‘third country’ under EU data protection law. Subsequently, personal data transfers from the EU/EEA to the UK will become restricted and require additional legal safeguards. Any organisation that receives personal data from the EU/EEA should review their contracts and, where absent, include appropriate legal safeguards to ensure they can continue to receive personal data from the EU/EEA. Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are the most common legal safeguard and will be the relevant mitigation for most organisations
All businesses and organisations that receive personal data from the EU will need to take action, in conjunction with their EU/EEA partner. Receipt of personal data from the EU/EEA is not specific to any one sector or type of business - every organisation should review their data flows to determine whether they are affected
The implementation cost for SCCs will vary between different organisation depending on a range of factors, notably the number of existing contracts that require SCCs to be added. Many businesses will already have contracts including SCCs with non-EU/EEA countries. For most organisations - including SMEs - taking the required action should not be excessively costly and does not always require specialist advice. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has built a handy online tool to help businesses and organisations through every step of the process
DCMS, with Whitehall partners, is undertaking an intensive engagement and communication effort with businesses and organisations across the UK and in the EU to highlight the need for action. The Department has worked with the Information Commissioner's Office to ensure that all available guidance is simple, straightforward and actionable and that businesses can produce the required SCCs online. There has been an increase in awareness of the changes that need to be made to prepare businesses and organisations for the possibility of a no-deal exit and this campaign will continue as a Government priority.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the video games industry.
Answered by Margot James
The video games industry is a great success story and we are committed to promoting its growth. Companies in the sector have received some £119 million from the UK’s video games tax relief since its introduction in 2014. Additionally our UK Games Fund has supported more than 60 games projects and our funding for the programme has recently been extended to 2020. The games sector will also benefit from the Government’s new transformative £33 million “Audience of the Future” strand of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
We are continuing to work with other Government Departments, public organisations and representatives from industry to consider what else we can do to drive growth in the games sector and the wider creative industries, including as part of the planned sector deal.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of the creation of a British Games Institute and its potential effect on the video games industry.
Answered by Margot James
The video games industry is a great success story and we are committed to promoting its growth. Companies in the sector have received some £119 million from the UK’s video games tax relief since its introduction in 2014. Additionally our UK Games Fund has supported more than 60 games projects and our funding for the programme has recently been extended to 2020. The games sector will also benefit from the Government’s new transformative £33 million “Audience of the Future” strand of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
We are continuing to work with other Government Departments, public organisations and representatives from industry to consider what else we can do to drive growth in the games sector and the wider creative industries, including as part of the planned sector deal.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will meet with hon. Members to discuss the potential merits of the creation of a British Games Institute.
Answered by Margot James
The video games industry is a great success story and we are committed to promoting its growth. Companies in the sector have received some £119 million from the UK’s video games tax relief since its introduction in 2014. Additionally our UK Games Fund has supported more than 60 games projects and our funding for the programme has recently been extended to 2020. The games sector will also benefit from the Government’s new transformative £33 million “Audience of the Future” strand of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
We are continuing to work with other Government Departments, public organisations and representatives from industry to consider what else we can do to drive growth in the games sector and the wider creative industries, including as part of the planned sector deal.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the readiness of organisations and businesses to implement the General Data Protection Regulation.
Answered by Margot James
The Government and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) recognise the challenges facing organisations across the UK economy in their preparations for the Data Protection Bill and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The ICO is leading on providing guidance and support to UK organisations and have already published a number of resources on the Commissioner's website (ico.org.uk) to help organisations prepare. The ICO has: launched a dedicated helpline service for smaller organisations; updated its 'SME toolkit' to reflect the requirements of the GDPR; simplified its "12-step" GDPR preparation guidance; and published tailored guidance for charities. There is still more to do in this space and the Government will continue to support the ICO to ensure the UK is prepared.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2017 to Question 106042, what discussions she has had with her Cabinet colleagues on adopting protections against illegal and in-game gambling and loot boxes.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
There are strong protections in place against operators of illegal gambling facilities, including within video games. All operators providing gambling services to consumers in Britain require a licence from the Gambling Commission and must adhere to strict requirements for the protection of children and the vulnerable. The Gambling Commission has also commissioned the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board to examine the wider relationship between children and gambling.
In addition, consumers are protected by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. This includes a requirement on businesses not to subject anyone to misleading or aggressive marketing practices, or, for example, direct exhortation to buy products, such as games content, including in-game purchases such as loot boxes. The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited by aggressive commercial practices.
The government’s Internet Safety Strategy sets out how the government will work with online platforms, game publishers and game developers, and with agencies such as the VSC Rating Board, to continue to improve online safety in games.
The government recognises the risks that come from increasing convergence between gambling and video games. The Gambling Commission is keeping this matter under review and will continue to monitor developments in the market.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to help protect vulnerable adults and children from illegal gambling, in-game gambling and loot boxes within computer games.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Gambling Commission released a position paper in March 2017 detailing existing protections in place for in-game gambling, virtual currencies and loot boxes. The paper can be found on the Commission’s website at the following link: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Virtual-currencies-eSports-and-social-casino-gaming.pdf
Where items obtained in a computer game can be traded or exchanged outside the game platform they acquire a monetary value, and where facilities for gambling with such items are offered to consumers located in Britain a Gambling Commission licence is required. If no licence is held, the Commission uses a wide range of regulatory powers to take action.
Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is one of the core objectives of the regulation of gambling in Great Britain and a priority for the government. The Gambling Commission have a range of regulatory powers to take action where illegal gambling is taking place. Earlier this year the Gambling Commission successfully prosecuted the operators of a website providing illegal gambling facilities for in-game items which was accessible to children - the first regulator in the world to bring such an action.
The government recognise the risks that come from increasing convergence between gambling and computer games. The Gambling Commission is keeping this matter under review and will continue to monitor developments in the market.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the Isle of Man's enhanced protections against illegal and in-game gambling and loot boxes; and what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on adopting such protections in the UK.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Gambling Commission released a position paper in March 2017 detailing existing protections in place for in-game gambling, virtual currencies and loot boxes. The paper can be found on the Commission’s website at the following link: http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Virtual-currencies-eSports-and-social-casino-gaming.pdf
Where items obtained in a computer game can be traded or exchanged outside the game platform they acquire a monetary value, and where facilities for gambling with such items are offered to consumers located in Britain a Gambling Commission licence is required. If no licence is held, the Commission uses a wide range of regulatory powers to take action.
Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is one of the core objectives of the regulation of gambling in Great Britain and a priority for the government. The Gambling Commission have a range of regulatory powers to take action where illegal gambling is taking place. Earlier this year the Gambling Commission successfully prosecuted the operators of a website providing illegal gambling facilities for in-game items which was accessible to children - the first regulator in the world to bring such an action.
The government recognise the risks that come from increasing convergence between gambling and computer games. The Gambling Commission is keeping this matter under review and will continue to monitor developments in the market.