Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing or removing VAT on social tariffs to support low income families to be able to afford broadband.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Department continues to work alongside Ofcom to review the affordability of telecoms services.
Support currently exists in the market for low-income households to access broadband services. There are a range of fixed broadband social tariff products available to over 5 million low-income households in receipt of Universal Credit, and other means-tested benefits. These tariffs are available to eligible households in 99% of the country. We will monitor the effectiveness of these products in supporting low-income households' access to broadband.
The Government currently has no plans to expand subsidies for low-income households accessing broadband beyond DWP’s existing partnership with TalkTalk to provide job-seekers a free 6 month broadband connection.
In relation to reducing VAT on social tariff products, it is never guaranteed that any reduction in tax on a service would be passed on by the businesses to the consumer, and this request should be viewed in the context of over £50 billion of requests for relief from VAT received since the EU referendum. We also recognise that any cut would need to be balanced elsewhere, either through increased taxes, more borrowing or reductions in Government spending.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the total value was of the cover provided to theatre events insured under the UK Live Events Reinsurance Scheme.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
As set out in its response of 8 December, the Government is unable to share commercially sensitive data related to the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of theatre events that have been successfully insured under the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government recognises the important contribution the theatre sector makes to the UK’s culture and economy and the significant challenges the sector has faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Live Events Reinsurance Scheme provides live events across the country with the confidence to plan for future events, and as such will support the UK’s post-Covid economic recovery.
We are unable to share commercially sensitive data about the events that have purchased eligible policies.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
My department’s response to the consultation on the potential reform of the Electronic Communications Code was published on 24 November 2021.
The proposed reforms set out in the response were brought forward in the Product Security and Telecommunication Infrastructure Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 24 November 2021.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will commit to publishing her Department’s response to the consultation on potential reform of the Electronic Communications Code by the end of 2021.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
My department’s response to the consultation on the potential reform of the Electronic Communications Code was published on 24 November 2021.
The proposed reforms set out in the response were brought forward in the Product Security and Telecommunication Infrastructure Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 24 November 2021.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) telegraph poles and (b) ducts situated on private land in (i) England and (ii) Scotland.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Department does not have access to the number of telegraph poles or ducts situated on private land across the UK, as this is a matter for each individual operator.
The Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) programme, led by DCMS, is exploring the challenges of using publicly owned infrastructure assets to support roll out of advanced wireless networks, reducing the demand for additional telegraph poles and other new structures. The Digital Asset Management workstream within this programme, is looking to help local authorities improve knowledge of existing public sector assets, for use by mobile network operators.
In addition, the Geospatial Commission is developing the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to drive efficiencies in infrastructure delivery across the UK and help improve worker safety, which may capture some of this data in the future.
The Electronic Communications Code (the Code) is the statutory framework for the installation of digital infrastructure, which applies equally to both public and private land. The full list of operators that have powers under the Code to install, maintain and upgrade digital infrastructure can be found on Ofcom’s website.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of whether the rollout of full fibre infrastructure is (a) faster, (b) less disruptive and (c) cheaper when using existing duct and pole infrastructure.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government believes that reusing existing infrastructure, including but not limited to existing ducts and poles, can significantly reduce the time, cost and environmental impact of rolling out new broadband networks. Civil works, in particular installing new ducts and poles (or passive infrastructure), comprise the majority of costs of deploying gigabit broadband networks. In its Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021, Ofcom estimated that the reuse of Openreach’s duct and pole network cut the costs of deployment by around half.
Since 2019, Ofcom has mandated open access to Openreach’s ducts and poles, making it easier and quicker to deploy digital infrastructure networks. Furthermore, the government has consulted on making changes to the Access to Infrastructure regulations which support deployment using non-telecoms infrastructure.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of telegraph poles situated on private land in Scotland were installed after 2017.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Department does not have access to the number of telegraph poles or ducts situated on private land across the UK, as this is a matter for each individual operator.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will make an assessment of the impact of privatising Channel 4 on the availability of distinctive British content.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government has recently consulted on whether an alternative ownership model for Channel 4 (but one where it retains a public service remit) may be better for the broadcaster, and better for the country.
We want Channel 4 to continue to be a public service broadcaster, and we want it to continue to contribute socially, economically and culturally to life across the UK. But there is a wealth of evidence - including Ofcom’s recent report - on the future challenges facing our traditional linear TV broadcasters. Channel 4 is uniquely constrained in its ability to meet these challenges while it remains under public ownership - particularly because its access to capital and ability to pursue strategic partnership opportunities is limited.
Channel 4’s remit, and its wider social and cultural contributions to life in the UK, are issues we have consulted on. The consultation opened on 6 July, running for 10 weeks, before closing on 14 September. We are currently analysing responses to inform our policy-making decisions. Once we have answered the questions set out in the consultation, we will know what specific impacts to assess and will therefore be in a position to carry out an impact assessment.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) method, (b) calculations and (c) evidential basis his Department used to agree with the Chancellor of the Exchequer a five per cent premium for the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme; and what assessment was made of the potential merits of similar models that have a zero per cent premium.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
DCMS has worked closely with representatives from both the events and insurance industries over recent months to develop the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme. Details of the scheme - announced on 5 August with supplementary information released on 6 September - were designed to both provide the necessary confidence and reassurance to allow event organisers to plan and invest in live events over the coming year, whilst managing exposure and suitably protecting the taxpayer.
Where possible we sought to work in partnership with insurers and align with market practice. Through engaging with the sector throughout the design of the scheme we have been able to create a scheme which will play a vital role in helping the live events industry to rebuild with confidence. Numerous organisations - including UK Music and Live Nation - recognised the important contribution the scheme will make in enabling activity to go ahead when it was launched last month.