Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much local content television channels established under the Local Digital Television Programme Services Order 2012 have broadcast since their inception.
Answered by Margot James
Since the launch of the first local television service in Grimsby in November 2013, a total of 34 local TV stations have launched across the UK. Ofcom collects information annually on the performance of local television services and has included analysis of the sector's performance in its annual Communication Market Report published since 2016. The Communications Market Reports for 2016 and 2017 are available from the Ofcom website.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the annual operating (a) profits and (b) losses of local television stations established under the Local Digital Television Programme Services Order 2012.
Answered by Margot James
Since the launch of the first local television service in Grimsby in November 2013, a total of 34 local TV stations have launched across the UK. Ofcom collects information annually on the performance of local television services and has included analysis of the sector's performance in its annual Communication Market Report published since 2016. The Communications Market Reports for 2016 and 2017 are available from the Ofcom website.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the number of books that are stolen each year from local authority-run libraries and illegally sold.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Department does not collect information about the number of books from local authority run libraries that are stolen and sold each year. Local library authorities are responsible for providing public library services including managing book stock available for library lending.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to make an announcement on its review of fixed odds betting terminals.
Answered by Matt Hancock
A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016, which included a look at the Fix Odds Betting terminals. Purdah interrupted the final stages of our consideration of the evidence received and the subsequent internal, cross government process of approval and sign off. I'm afraid, therefore, that we are back at the start of the process and that as a consequence of it taking at least 12 weeks I would not expect any further announcement until October at the earliest.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many libraries have closed in the last six years.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not commission specific information relating to the closure of public libraries, but does monitor closely proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. Based on desk research undertaken by the Department, we estimate that from January 2010 to January 2016 approximately 110 static public libraries in England closed completely.
Annual statistics on public libraries are collected and published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and this includes details of the net number of libraries open as at 31 March of each year, but specific details of library closures since 2010 are not available from these statistics. Changes in these net figures will reflect a combination of library closures, new libraries opening, as well as libraries that are no longer part of the local authority statutory library service but remain open as community-run libraries.