Asked by: Jason McCartney (Conservative - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to promote and support brass bands.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
This Government continues to recognise the important place that brass bands have in British culture and their local communities. Before the end of the last Parliament, the Treasury confirmed that the new orchestra tax relief will be available to the full range of orchestras, including large brass bands. Orchestra tax relief will be available from April 2016.Asked by: Jason McCartney (Conservative - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what oversight he has of the allocation of the Arts Council England's funding to other organisations.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Funding decisions are made by Arts Council England, without Government input. Ministers establish the strategic priorities for ACE’s spending in each Spending Round and regularly meet with Arts Council England.
Asked by: Jason McCartney (Conservative - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to increase the penalties available for repeat offenders against the law relating to nuisance calls.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Further legislation is not necessary, as both the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) can issue substantive monetary penalties of up to £500,000 and £2 million respectively to any organisation that deliberately continues to contravene the regulations.
Asked by: Jason McCartney (Conservative - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many companies were fined more than once for making nuisance calls by (a) the Information Commissioner's Office and (b) Ofcom in each of the last three years.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have issued monetary penalties totalling more than £1.9 million since January 2012 for nuisance calls, however no company has been issued with a monetary penalty more than once by either ICO or Ofcom for making nuisance calls.