Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the planned timescale is for implementation of the voluntary ban on advertising on television by betting companies during sporting events.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In December the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG) announced changes to its advertising code. These include a ‘whistle to whistle’ ban on all TV betting adverts during pre-watershed live sport, including for 5 minutes before and after play, an end to betting adverts around highlight shows and re-runs, and an end to pre-watershed bookmaker sponsorship of sports programmes. The IGRG announced that the changes are expected to come into effect in summer.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what protections there are to ensure that a personal CCTV system located in a residence or business does no film people on public property; and what recourse there is in the event that an owner of such a CCTV system does not provide film material of people on public property taken with that system when requested to do so.
Answered by Margot James
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) regulates and enforces the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) which covers images recorded by CCTV cameras. The DPA places obligations on individuals and organisations to process personal data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner.
The ICO has a number of tools available to ensure compliance with data protection rules which include criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement and audits. For those who commit serious breaches there are significant financial penalties including fines up to £18 million or 4% of global turnover that can be applied as well as the backstop of criminal prosecution.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many current contracts his Department has with Serco; and what the (a) value, (b) start date and (c) end date of each of those contracts is.
Answered by Margot James
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive
Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
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 (a) Premier and (b) Football Leagues on improving the gender balance among its Chief Executives; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
No such discussions have taken place. The Premier League and English Football League are private companies, wholly owned by their member clubs. It is entirely up to the boards of those organisations whom they appoint to the role of Chief Executive. Sports organisations are aware of the importance of good governance and more diversity into leadership positions can only be good for the sport.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
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 both terrestrial and satellite television companies on the number of betting adverts shown during major sporting events; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with broadcasters on a range of issues. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on gov.uk
The Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility consultation, published on 31st October, looked at issues around advertising and outlined a package of measures to further strengthen protections, including a major responsible gambling advertising campaign, funded by broadcasters and industry. In addition, the Committees of Advertising Practice intend to publish new guidance to protect those at risk of problem gambling as well as children and young people, and the Gambling Commission are consulting on increasing sanctions available where operators breach the codes.
The consultation closed on 23 January and the Department will consider all responses and publish its response and next steps in due course.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to prioritise access to broadband in rural areas to enable the advancement of telecare .
Answered by Margot James
We have long supported improved rural broadband connectivity through a range of actions, ensuring innovations such as telecare can be deployed to those that need it.
The Government is currently investing £1.7 billion of public money in superfast broadband coverage across the UK, offering speeds of over 24Mbps. The BDUK Superfast Programme reached its target of 95% coverage of the UK by the end of 2017, and is continuing to support delivery with at least a further 2% coverage likely to be achieved.
These actions have made a substantial contribution to connectivity improvements in rural areas. My department is working with Defra to continue to look for new ways to ensure people in rural areas get the connectivity they need. This includes looking at how DEFRA's Rural Development Programme funding can bolster BDUK's superfast rollout programme. We have also launched a £190 million Challenge Fund to support Local Full Fibre Networks across the UK.
Thinking further ahead, we are assessing what market models can best support broadband infrastructure investment in different areas of the UK, including hard-to-reach rural areas. The Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review will report back in the summer on the options available to government to ensure digital connectivity is seamless, reliable, and widely available.
However, to ensure no one is left behind, we are also introducing a broadband Universal Service Obligation so that by 2020 everyone across the UK will have a clear, enforceable right to request high speed broadband. Connectivity at these speeds allows for future demands of improved telemedicine services, including accessing GPs through video-conferencing.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
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 ensure that providers respond to demands from consumers for access to superfast broadband.
Answered by Margot James
In addition to coverage by commercial broadband providers, the Government’s Superfast Broadband Programme has extended superfast broadband coverage with speeds of at least 24Mbps to approximately 4.75 million additional homes and businesses. A further 600,000 premises are contracted to gain coverage, and additional procurements undertaken by local authorities and the devolved administrations will extend coverage further beyond that. For all premises that do not have access to superfast broadband the government will ensure universal broadband of at least 10Mbps by 2020.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to facilitate access to superfast broadband for people who live in remote rural areas and cannot afford that service; and how those people can apply for support to access superfast broadband.
Answered by Margot James
The Government's Superfast Broadband Programme has provided access to superfast broadband (speeds of more than 24Mbps) to over 4.65 million premises that would otherwise not have got it. Coverage will continue to be extended further both through the Government's programme and further roll-out by the private sector.
For the remaining premises that do not have access to superfast broadband, the Government will ensure universal broadband of at least 10Mbps by introducing a regulatory broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) to give everyone access to high speed broadband by 2020.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
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 9 October 2017 to Question 105258, on football: commercial agents, if she will make it her policy that any proposals from the Football Association on the future regulation of football agents are discussed with her Department.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
I meet regularly with the football authorities and discuss a range of issues affecting the sport, include aspects of regulation. The FA’s Regulations of Intermediaries are kept under regular review. Changes are made on the basis of operational experiences and ongoing discussions with relevant stakeholders.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
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 the Football Association on catalysing grass roots football.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Sport England is working with the Football Association on a new programme of support for grassroots football. Details of the new funding award for the period 2017-2021 and how this will align with the objectives set out in the government's sport strategy Sporting Future and Sport England's strategy Towards an Active Nation will be announced shortly.