Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much the National Lottery received from the sale of lottery tickets in each constituency in Wales in each of the last three years.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
National Lottery good cause money is allocated by expert bodies at arm's length from Government, taking account of their own priorities and the need for equitable distribution. It is not linked to sales distribution and Government does not collate this information.
Data on ticket sales is a matter for Camelot, the National Lottery operator. Camelot releases detailed national sales information which can be found online at: http://www.camelotgroup.co.uk/about-us/reporting. Camelot does not release more granular sales data due to its commercially sensitive nature.
Information on projects in receipt of a Lottery award can be found on the National Lottery Grants Database at the following link; http://www.lottery.culture.gov.uk and from Lottery Distributors' own websites.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral evidence by the Chair of Ofcom to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 22 November 2016, on the outstanding range of recommendations made for appointment to the board of Channel 4, for what reason she rejected one of those recommendations.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Non-executive members of the Channel 4 Corporation board are appointed by Ofcom with the approval of the Secretary of State. Ofcom advertised for four vacancies for candidates with specific sector skills and experience. The Secretary of State approved the four candidates on the basis that they met the skills and experience set out in the advertised job descriptions.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria she applies when making a decision on recommendations by Ofcom for appointments to public bodies.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Secretary of State uses the criteria set out in the advertised job descriptions.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what account she takes of diversity when deciding on recommendations from Ofcom on individual appointments to the board of Channel 4.
Answered by Matt Hancock
As with all public appointments, the Secretary of State focused on the criteria set out in the advertised job description when making her decision on appointments to the board of Channel 4, to ensure that the candidates had the specific skills and experiences required.
We are strongly committed to ensuring diversity in all public appointments. For example in the first half of 2016/17, 50% of new DCMS appointments went to women and 18% to BAME candidates.
Diversity in all its forms is an important factor taken into account when all public appointments are made.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he met the Minister for the Cabinet Office to examine the options for extracting greater public value from Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport did not meet with the Minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss Channel 4 between 4 September 2015 and 24 September 2015.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will ensure that he consults with S4C before any future agreement is reached with any third party affecting that company's budget.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government is committed to supporting S4C and values its service to Welsh speaking audiences. In order for S4C to continue to provide a first-class service and have a sustainable future, the Government announced (on Wednesday 3rd February) an extra £400,000 funding for 2016/17 and the intention to carry out a comprehensive review in 2017.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 12762, on broadband, whether the sum to be paid to local authorities and devolved administrations from the funding returned by BT will be linked to the take-up of broadband within that authority or administration's area.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The £129m funding returned by BT to each project is based on an assumption by BT that take-up will reach 30% of premises passed to date in each respective project area.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 12762, on broadband, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of repaying a proportion of the returned funds to the BBC which made an initial contribution to the project.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The clawback funding identified by BT remains available for investment by the local authorities and devolved administrations in further broadband coverage within their respective project areas. This funding has not been returned to DCMS.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 12762, on broadband, how the £129 million to be repaid to local authorities and the devolved administrations will be divided between those bodies; and how the allocation of that funding will be calculated.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The clawback funding identified by BT remains available for investment by the local authorities and devolved administrations in further broadband coverage within their respective project areas. The funding amounts are based on an assumption by BT that take-up will reach 30% of the premises covered to date.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the withdrawal of Government funding of free TV licenses from the over 75 on future availability of such free licences.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government is committed to protecting pensioner benefits for the entire period of this Parliament, and the agreement to transfer responsibility for over-75s TV licences to the BBC makes no change to that commitment. People who are over 75 will still receive a free TV licence under the terms of this.