Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
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 help tackle loneliness.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
We recently published our strategy for tackling loneliness. This set out a raft of cross-government measures to take the first steps in tackling loneliness and takes forward recommendations from the Jo Cox Commission.
DCMS specifically is providing up to £1.8million to increase the number of community spaces available. This follows the announcement this summer of more than £20million of new funding for projects that bring people and communities together.
With the Office of National Statistics, the department has developed the ‘loneliness measure’ (to enable consistent analysis and build the evidence base), and will be piloting better use of open data around facilities and accessibility with local government. The department is launching an awareness campaign and including loneliness in internet safety.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made in reducing the maximum stakes of fixed-odds betting terminals; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Government issued a call for evidence to inform the Review of Gaming Machine Stakes and Prizes and Social Responsibility Measures last year. Following on from the call for evidence the Government published on 31 October a consultation which includes options on reducing the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals. The consultation, and its accompanying impact assessment, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on digital infrastructure investment to support the next generation of mobile and broadband communications; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We have provided £1.1 billion of new funding to support the next generation of digital infrastructure in the UK, including investment in full fibre networks and 5G testbeds and trials.
The Government’s policy ambitions in this area are outlined in the Digital and 5G strategies, which set out an ambitious set of actions that we will take.
DCMS has been engaging widely with industry, academic institutions and local areas as it progresses work in this area. The first waves of projects under both programmes have been announced.
We will keep our approach under review to ensure that we have the right market and policy framework to maximise future investment in full fibre and 5G technologies.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the level of broadband coverage in (a) the UK and (b) other major European nations.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Ofcom's European Broadband Scorecard (http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/other/telecoms-research/bbresearch/scorecard-14) stated in figure 8 that the percentages of households in areas served by broadband were:
| Standard broadband | Mobile broadband | Superfast broadband |
United Kingdom | 95-100% | 95-100% | 70-75% |
France | 95-100% | 95-100% | 20-25% |
Germany | 95-100% | 90-95% | 65-70% |
Spain | 95-100% | 95-100% | 60-65% |
Italy | 95-100% | 95-100% | 10-15% |
Ofcom also publishes comparative information in its International Communications Market Report (http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr13/international/)
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a suitable commemoration of the First World War; and if he will support the Royal Sussex Regiment Association's efforts for a memorial to be erected in Priez, France.
Answered by Helen Grant - Shadow Solicitor General
The Government will mark the centenary of the First World War with an appropriate programme of national events, cultural activities, educational initiatives and community projects across 2014-18. It is fitting that organisations such as the Royal Sussex Regiment Association are seeking to commemorate the centenary in ways which are meaningful for them.