Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure that creators and performers receive a fair return from the income made from streaming music.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
A key priority for this Government is ensuring the music streaming market functions well and that creators and performers are properly remunerated. In response to the DCMS Select Committee’s inquiry into the Economics of Music Streaming, the Government launched a comprehensive programme of work focusing on the key issues identified.
This includes the establishment of expert working groups, chaired by the Intellectual Property Office, to develop industry-led solutions on metadata and transparency. These aim to bring improvements for creators and performers, including quicker and more accurate payments for songwriters and enhanced confidence in creators’ dealings with labels and publishers.
The Government encouraged the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) to conduct a market study into music and streaming services, which concluded in November 2022. The CMA found no suggestion that publishing revenues are being suppressed by distorted or restricted competition and that the overall share of streaming revenues enjoyed by publishers and songwriters has increased from 8% in 2008 to 15% in 2021.
We have also commissioned independent research into the impacts on creators, performers, and the wider industry of potential changes to copyright law in the areas of equitable remuneration, contract adjustment, and rights reversion. And the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has completed research into playlisting algorithms used by streaming services, which will be published shortly.
The Government also notes action taken by industry to improve remuneration for creators. The major record labels have committed to disregarding unrecouped advances in older contracts, meaning many artists are being paid from streaming for the first time. Many independent labels have gone further, leading the way by setting minimum digital royalty rates across new and existing contracts.
The work of the expert working groups is advanced, as is the research. Based on this, and the action taken by industry, the Government will be taking decisions on this work in the coming months.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
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 EU member states that enable touring UK musicians to work visa free in cultural touring in their territories for the full Schengen Area allowance of 90 in 180 days.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government has engaged bilaterally with all EU Member States about the importance of touring. From these discussions, 21 out of 27 Member States have confirmed they offer visa and work permit free routes for performers for some short-term touring. More recently, following further discussions, and having sought evidence from industry, Bulgaria and Croatia have also confirmed that they offer visa and work permit free routes for some touring activity. Most of these Member States have confirmed that they offer visa and work permit free routes of at least 30 days, and many for up to 90 days, including important touring markets such as France, Germany and, following close work between our governments and industry, Spain.
Discussions are ongoing with the remaining Member States to encourage them to make touring easier, including through ministerial discussions between the Minister of State for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure and the Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Greek Ambassador in December 2021.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with which EU member states the Government has conducted formal negotiations on reducing barriers to cultural touring since January 2021.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government has engaged bilaterally with all EU Member States about the importance of touring. From these discussions, 21 out of 27 Member States have confirmed they offer visa and work permit free routes for performers for some short-term touring. More recently, following further discussions, and having sought evidence from industry, Bulgaria and Croatia have also confirmed that they offer visa and work permit free routes for some touring activity. Most of these Member States have confirmed that they offer visa and work permit free routes of at least 30 days, and many for up to 90 days, including important touring markets such as France, Germany and, following close work between our governments and industry, Spain.
Discussions are ongoing with the remaining Member States to encourage them to make touring easier, including through ministerial discussions between the Minister of State for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure and the Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Greek Ambassador in December 2021.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has undertaken (a) assessments, (b) projections, (c) estimates and (d) modelling of the effect of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement on the ability of working class musicians to tour EU member states.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government understands that the cultural and creative sectors rely on the ability to move people across borders quickly, simply, and with minimal cost and administration. Touring is a vital part of musicians and performers’ careers, providing not only an important income stream, but also enriching opportunities for cultural exchange across the world. We recognise that there are changes in the way creative workers can work in the EU, and the sector will need to adapt to new requirements now the UK is no longer an EU Member State.
This government engaged extensively with the sectors throughout negotiations and since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, including through the DCMS-led touring working group, to hear views, understand the impact of new requirements, and to support working and touring in the EU. We know that British creatives want to tour in the EU, and venues and audiences in the EU want to host them. That is why we continue to work across government, in collaboration with the sector, and directly with Member States to support the creative and cultural industries to adapt to new arrangements and resume touring with confidence.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has undertaken (a) assessments, (b) projections, (c) estimates and (d) modelling of the effect of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement on the (i) number and (ii) value of UK live cultural tours in EU member states.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government understands that the cultural and creative sectors rely on the ability to move people across borders quickly, simply, and with minimal cost and administration. Touring is a vital part of musicians and performers’ careers, providing not only an important income stream, but also enriching opportunities for cultural exchange across the world. We recognise that there are changes in the way creative workers can work in the EU, and the sector will need to adapt to new requirements now the UK is no longer an EU Member State.
This government engaged extensively with the sectors throughout negotiations and since the announcement of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, including through the DCMS-led touring working group, to hear views, understand the impact of new requirements, and to support working and touring in the EU. We know that British creatives want to tour in the EU, and venues and audiences in the EU want to host them. That is why we continue to work across government, in collaboration with the sector, and directly with Member States to support the creative and cultural industries to adapt to new arrangements and resume touring with confidence.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to accelerate the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband across Somerton and Frome.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
We are backing Project Gigabit with £5 billion so hard to reach communities are not left out. The constituency of Somerton and Frome falls within Phase 3 (Lot 6) of Project Gigabit. Somerton and Frome’s designation as a ‘Future Phase’ reflects the extensive gigabit delivery now contracted to take place across Devon and Somerset, including the extensive additional delivery now confirmed by Openreach following their announcement of their target to reach 25 million premises by 2026.
The last of Project Gigabit’s Phase 2 procurements start in late 2022 and we expect Phase 3 procurements to follow directly, with all areas under contract as soon as possible. Due to the dynamic nature of the UK telecoms market we will regularly review and respond to opportunities for future procurement wherever possible.
The Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme is delivering new gigabit-capable connections in Somerton and Frome via contracts with Wessex Internet and Truespeed which were awarded in December 2020.
Somerton and Frome is covered by Wessex Internet’s full fibre network for North and South Barrow, Babcary, Woolston, Queen Camel and Marston Magna. This particular project is nearing completion, with Wessex Internet being ready to connect customers in these areas from October 2021.
If it becomes clear that any premises will miss out from the UK’s broadband upgrade, Project Gigabit will make sure that they are included in its plans.
To accelerate delivery, premises in rural areas may also be in line for funding through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, with up to £210m allocated to the scheme over the next four years to support hard to reach communities. The voucher scheme offers up to £1,500 for homes and £3,500 for businesses to help to cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband to people’s doorsteps when used as part of a group scheme. Home and business owners can check the eligibility of their address and then look up suppliers in their area by going to https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/.
Somerton and Frome has made good use of the scheme so far, seeing 698 voucher connections worth £1.1m, with a further 699 vouchers to be connected, totalling over £2.3m.