Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase awareness among staff at heritage sites of invisible disabilities such as autism.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The heritage sector is working to increase awareness among staff at heritage sites of invisible disabilities such as autism. English Heritage is committed to enabling everyone to experience the historic places in its care. Their ‘welcome all’ approach highlights to staff and volunteers that disability is not always obvious and that a best practice approach to access must look at a wide range of special needs. For example, English Heritage is part of the dementia-friendly heritage network, has held touch-tours for partially sighted visitors, and is currently considering ways to introduce quiet times and spaces at some of its properties.
In the museums part of the heritage sector, there is increasing activity supporting children and adults with autism to access culture. A number of DCMS-sponsored museums run ‘quiet openings’ where families with children with autism can explore the museum in a relaxed and quiet environment. Kids in Museums, an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation, has partnered with Autism in Museums to deliver training days for museums around the country.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that children with special needs are able to enjoy and access all parts of heritage sites.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Historic England, Government’s adviser on the historic environment, has published guidance on improving access to historic buildings for people with disabilities. The guidelines explain how to make a range of positive changes to historic places, while at the same time working within the wider principles of conservation.
Similarly, English Heritage is committed to enabling everyone to experience the historic places in its care. English Heritage offers free education visits at sites to a wide range of learners, including groups of children, young people or adults with special learning needs or disabilities. English Heritage operates a “carer gets in free” policy at all its properties.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to prevent young people spending excessively on loot boxes in computer games.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are aware of concerns about the potential for excessive spending in games, particularly by young people. These concerns, and particularly those regarding the availability of loot boxes, are discussed in the recent DCMS Select Committee report on Immersive and Addictive Technologies. We are currently considering the Report and its recommendations and will respond in due course.
We do not currently have an estimate of the amount spent by people under 18 on in-app or in-game purchases over the last 5 years. However, we note that the Gambling Commission’s new research on Children and Young People found that of the 11-16 year olds taking part in their survey, 52% had heard of the availability of in-game items and of these 44% had paid money to open loot boxes.
We encourage parents concerned about in-game spending by their children to consider using the parental controls available on devices to disable this function.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the amount spent by people under 18 on in-app or in-game purchases over the last five years.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are aware of concerns about the potential for excessive spending in games, particularly by young people. These concerns, and particularly those regarding the availability of loot boxes, are discussed in the recent DCMS Select Committee report on Immersive and Addictive Technologies. We are currently considering the Report and its recommendations and will respond in due course.
We do not currently have an estimate of the amount spent by people under 18 on in-app or in-game purchases over the last 5 years. However, we note that the Gambling Commission’s new research on Children and Young People found that of the 11-16 year olds taking part in their survey, 52% had heard of the availability of in-game items and of these 44% had paid money to open loot boxes.
We encourage parents concerned about in-game spending by their children to consider using the parental controls available on devices to disable this function.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture Media and Sport, what recent representations she has made to social media companies on the dissemination of misinformation from fraudulent accounts during elections.
Answered by Matt Warman
The Government is working closely with industry, civil society and international partners to do what is necessary to prevent the use of online disinformation to undermine our democratic values and processes. Ministers and officials have regular meetings with social media companies on countering disinformation, including during elections. We welcome the measures taken by these companies to tackle the spread of disinformation and harmful content on their platforms but recognise that more needs to be done.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to protect English heritage sites from decay and neglect.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Historic England, government’s statutory advisor on historic environment, compiles an annual Heritage at Risk Register. This indicates what steps the Government is taking to protect sites from decay and neglect, including those in the guardianship of English Heritage.
The 2019 Register, which was published on 17th October 2019, gives an annual snapshot of the critical condition of some of the country’s most important historic buildings, sites, monuments and places. In total there are 5,073 entries on the 2019 Register, 87 fewer than in 2018.
Throughout England, 310 sites have been removed from the Register because their future has been secured, often by community intervention and a partnership approach. Over the past year, Historic England has spent nearly £8.5m in grants on helping some of the country’s best loved and most important historic sites. This work continues, and we see many examples where bringing endangered historic sites and structures back to beneficial use has demonstrable economic and community benefits, and thus public value.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support volunteers in the third sector.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
The Government is committed to enabling people of all backgrounds to contribute their time and talents to their communities through volunteering and social action. The Government supports a number of programmes which enable volunteering opportunities. Examples include:
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to reduce gambling related harm.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Millions of people gamble as a leisure pursuit without suffering harm but in recognition of the risk that gambling can carry, the sector is strongly regulated. The Gambling Commission has broad and flexible powers to set licence conditions and take action where there is evidence of harm.
In May 2018 the government published the response to the consultation on Proposals for Changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures and as a result the maximum stake on B2 machines was cut from £100 to £2 in April this year. In addition, the Gambling Commission has tightened identity and age verification controls online and introduced tougher sanctions for breaches of advertising codes, and is currently consulting on whether gambling with credit cards online should be restricted or banned. A multi-million pound safer gambling advertising campaign, Bet Regret, was launched in February this year, aimed at reducing risky and impulsive gambling.