Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 proportion of the Civil Service workforce in her Department dedicated to planning for (a) the UK leaving the EU and (b) projects relating to the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Staff within the DCMS EU Team lead on providing advice to Ministers on EU Exit and related issues. Members of staff across the Department also provide advice and analyses on EU Exit issues as required. Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department's other priorities, it would not be possible to give an accurate figure.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 total number of people in receipt of benefits who regularly use fixed-odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
On 24 August the Gambling Commission published a report that draws together evidence on gambling behaviour, including that on fixed odds betting terminals, in England, Scotland and Wales.
The report can be found here:
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-behaviour-in-Great-Britain-2015.pdf
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 proportion of funds staked on fixed-odds betting terminals that is staked by (a) problem gamblers and (b) people who are in receipt of benefits.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
On 24 August the Gambling Commission published a report that draws together evidence on gambling behaviour, including that on fixed odds betting terminals, in England, Scotland and Wales.
The report can be found here:
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-behaviour-in-Great-Britain-2015.pdf
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings she and Ministers of her Department have held with gambling companies, campaigners and charities on her Department's review of fixed-odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
In October 2016 the government launched a call for evidence on stakes and prizes of gaming machines, their numbers and locations, and social responsibility measures to protect players and communities from gambling-related harm. The Gambling Minister held several meetings to help inform the analysis of evidence and responses.
These included meetings with the National Casino Forum (NCF) in November 2016, and the British Amusement and Gaming Machine industry trade body BACTA, the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), independent bookmakers, the Bingo Association, the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, the Local Government Association and Newham Council in January 2017.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what research her Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned on the social and economic effects of fixed-odds betting terminals in the last 12 months.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
In 2016 the Government announced a review of Gaming Machines and Social responsibility, which includes fixed odds betting terminals, and launched a call for evidence. As part of the ongoing work on the review the Department has considered research and evidence from a variety of external sources, as well as the responses received to the call for evidence.
The RGSB was set up by the Gambling Commission to advise on priorities for research relating to responsible gambling. GambleAware, an independent charity, leads on commissioning and funding research into gambling-related harm and supporting education and treatment programmes, taking into account the priorities set out by the RGSB. All gambling licence holders are required to make an annual financial contribution to one or more organisations that perform research, education or treatment for gambling-related harm, and most chose to support GambleAware.
GambleAware has published a number of research reports into fixed odds betting terminals since 2010. These are available on its website: https://about.gambleaware.org/research/research-publications/
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the BBC gives equal weight to on-screen and off-screen diversity in fulfilling its public purpose to represent the diverse communities of the UK.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We believe that the BBC should be at the forefront of representing diversity both on and off screen. This is why the Government has enshrined diversity in the new Charter’s public purposes which, along with a commitment to serve all audiences enshrined in the BBC mission, will help hold the BBC to account for delivering for everyone in the UK.
Ensuring that the BBC complies with its duties under the new Royal Charter and Framework Agreement is a matter for the BBC Board in the first instance. Ofcom, as the BBC's first external regulator, will be setting measures by which the BBC’s performance in meeting its mission and public purposes can be assessed. Ofcom is currently consulting on the BBC's draft operating licence and performance framework and I would encourage all interested parties to make their views known to Ofcom before these are finalised.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what vetting procedures were (a) carried out and (b) considered by her Department in relation to the candidates recommended by Ofcom for appointment to the Board of Channel 4; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Secretary of State can ask a minister to meet with candidates deemed appointable at interview, before making a final decision, or indeed meet them herself.
There were no meetings or conversations between ministers and any of the candidates in relation to the Channel 4 board appointments.
DCMS received the panel's assessment of each candidate and a copy of the CV of each candidate put forward by Ofcom.
There were four vacancies and four appointments were made on merit.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings (a) she, (b) Ministers of her Department and (c) officials of her Department have had with each of the candidates recommended by Ofcom for appointment to the Channel 4 Board; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Secretary of State can ask a minister to meet with candidates deemed appointable at interview, before making a final decision, or indeed meet them herself.
There were no meetings or conversations between ministers and any of the candidates in relation to the Channel 4 board appointments.
DCMS received the panel's assessment of each candidate and a copy of the CV of each candidate put forward by Ofcom.
There were four vacancies and four appointments were made on merit.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what Tech North's (a) operational and (b) communications budget was for (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016; and what Tech North's total expenditure on third party communications consultancy and public relations agencies was in each of those two years.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Tech City UK (including Tech North) total operations budget was £2,500,000 in 2014-15; £4,223,000 in 2015-16; and £4,100,000 in 2016-17. Tech City UK (including Tech North) communications costs were £173,091 in 2014-15; £279,355 in 2015-16; and £5,000 in 2016-17 (YTD). These costs were all expenditure on third party communications, consultancy and public relations agencies
Tech North's communication costs were nil in 2014-15 and 2016-17 (YTD), and £74,500 in 2015-16. These costs were all expenditure on third party communications, consultancy and public relations agencies.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what Tech City UK's (a) total operations budget, (b) communications budget and (c) expenditure on third party communications consultancy and public relations agencies was for (i) 2014, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2016.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Tech City UK (including Tech North) total operations budget was £2,500,000 in 2014-15; £4,223,000 in 2015-16; and £4,100,000 in 2016-17. Tech City UK (including Tech North) communications costs were £173,091 in 2014-15; £279,355 in 2015-16; and £5,000 in 2016-17 (YTD). These costs were all expenditure on third party communications, consultancy and public relations agencies Tech North's communication costs were nil in 2014-15 and 2016-17 (YTD), and £74,500 in 2015-16. These costs were all expenditure on third party communications, consultancy and public relations agencies.