Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of publishing advice for parents and carers on the potential dangers of young people playing online games that encourage them to gamble.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The government's Internet Safety Strategy considers options for working with the online video games industry to improve video gaming safety. The government is committed to working with industry and others to promote awareness and understanding of parental controls and advice on safe video gaming.
We are committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited in commercial practices related to in-app purchases. We welcomed the Competition and Market Authority’s investigation and subsequent guidance for games publishers setting out what they need to do to comply with the relevant consumer protection regulations. Additionally, in June 2015 the Authority published advice for parents and carers on children’s use of online and app-based games, setting out what steps to take to control the additional features a child can purchase in online and app-based games.
The Gambling Commission issued a discussion paper in 2015 regarding regulation of social video games which received a number of responses from industry, academia and other interested parties. The Commission concluded, in March 2017, that there is no compelling reason to impose additional regulation on social video games given that it is subject to extensive consumer protection legislation. The Commission continue to monitor developments within the social casino sector gathering evidence from a variety of sources, and working in partnership with the industry and other regulators.
The Gambling Commission’s expert advisers, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, are also examining the wider relationship between children and gambling.
The VSC Rating Board is our designated body for classifying video games and applies the Europe-wide PEGI ratings to video games supplied in the UK. The PEGI criteria currently makes provision for games depicting simulations of traditional gambling and such games would generally attract a minimum PEGI 12. However, the VSC Rating Board is discussing these issues with the PEGI Council and its Experts Group to determine whether any changes to the PEGI criteria need to be made.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making gaming applications with in-app purchase facilities only accessible to adults requiring age verification.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The government's Internet Safety Strategy considers options for working with the online video games industry to improve video gaming safety. The government is committed to working with industry and others to promote awareness and understanding of parental controls and advice on safe video gaming.
We are committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited in commercial practices related to in-app purchases. We welcomed the Competition and Market Authority’s investigation and subsequent guidance for games publishers setting out what they need to do to comply with the relevant consumer protection regulations. Additionally, in June 2015 the Authority published advice for parents and carers on children’s use of online and app-based games, setting out what steps to take to control the additional features a child can purchase in online and app-based games.
The Gambling Commission issued a discussion paper in 2015 regarding regulation of social video games which received a number of responses from industry, academia and other interested parties. The Commission concluded, in March 2017, that there is no compelling reason to impose additional regulation on social video games given that it is subject to extensive consumer protection legislation. The Commission continue to monitor developments within the social casino sector gathering evidence from a variety of sources, and working in partnership with the industry and other regulators.
The Gambling Commission’s expert advisers, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, are also examining the wider relationship between children and gambling.
The VSC Rating Board is our designated body for classifying video games and applies the Europe-wide PEGI ratings to video games supplied in the UK. The PEGI criteria currently makes provision for games depicting simulations of traditional gambling and such games would generally attract a minimum PEGI 12. However, the VSC Rating Board is discussing these issues with the PEGI Council and its Experts Group to determine whether any changes to the PEGI criteria need to be made.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on teaching children about the dangers of playing online games that encourage them to gamble.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The government's Internet Safety Strategy considers options for working with the online video games industry to improve video gaming safety. The government is committed to working with industry and others to promote awareness and understanding of parental controls and advice on safe video gaming.
We are committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited in commercial practices related to in-app purchases. We welcomed the Competition and Market Authority’s investigation and subsequent guidance for games publishers setting out what they need to do to comply with the relevant consumer protection regulations. Additionally, in June 2015 the Authority published advice for parents and carers on children’s use of online and app-based games, setting out what steps to take to control the additional features a child can purchase in online and app-based games.
The Gambling Commission issued a discussion paper in 2015 regarding regulation of social video games which received a number of responses from industry, academia and other interested parties. The Commission concluded, in March 2017, that there is no compelling reason to impose additional regulation on social video games given that it is subject to extensive consumer protection legislation. The Commission continue to monitor developments within the social casino sector gathering evidence from a variety of sources, and working in partnership with the industry and other regulators.
The Gambling Commission’s expert advisers, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, are also examining the wider relationship between children and gambling.
The VSC Rating Board is our designated body for classifying video games and applies the Europe-wide PEGI ratings to video games supplied in the UK. The PEGI criteria currently makes provision for games depicting simulations of traditional gambling and such games would generally attract a minimum PEGI 12. However, the VSC Rating Board is discussing these issues with the PEGI Council and its Experts Group to determine whether any changes to the PEGI criteria need to be made.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with children's organisations on the effect of games that replicate gambling activities.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The government's Internet Safety Strategy considers options for working with the online video games industry to improve video gaming safety. The government is committed to working with industry and others to promote awareness and understanding of parental controls and advice on safe video gaming.
We are committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited in commercial practices related to in-app purchases. We welcomed the Competition and Market Authority’s investigation and subsequent guidance for games publishers setting out what they need to do to comply with the relevant consumer protection regulations. Additionally, in June 2015 the Authority published advice for parents and carers on children’s use of online and app-based games, setting out what steps to take to control the additional features a child can purchase in online and app-based games.
The Gambling Commission issued a discussion paper in 2015 regarding regulation of social video games which received a number of responses from industry, academia and other interested parties. The Commission concluded, in March 2017, that there is no compelling reason to impose additional regulation on social video games given that it is subject to extensive consumer protection legislation. The Commission continue to monitor developments within the social casino sector gathering evidence from a variety of sources, and working in partnership with the industry and other regulators.
The Gambling Commission’s expert advisers, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, are also examining the wider relationship between children and gambling.
The VSC Rating Board is our designated body for classifying video games and applies the Europe-wide PEGI ratings to video games supplied in the UK. The PEGI criteria currently makes provision for games depicting simulations of traditional gambling and such games would generally attract a minimum PEGI 12. However, the VSC Rating Board is discussing these issues with the PEGI Council and its Experts Group to determine whether any changes to the PEGI criteria need to be made.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with organisations in the gaming industry on games replicating gambling activities being available to children.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The government's Internet Safety Strategy considers options for working with the online video games industry to improve video gaming safety. The government is committed to working with industry and others to promote awareness and understanding of parental controls and advice on safe video gaming.
We are committed to ensuring that consumers are properly protected and that children’s vulnerability and inexperience is not exploited in commercial practices related to in-app purchases. We welcomed the Competition and Market Authority’s investigation and subsequent guidance for games publishers setting out what they need to do to comply with the relevant consumer protection regulations. Additionally, in June 2015 the Authority published advice for parents and carers on children’s use of online and app-based games, setting out what steps to take to control the additional features a child can purchase in online and app-based games.
The Gambling Commission issued a discussion paper in 2015 regarding regulation of social video games which received a number of responses from industry, academia and other interested parties. The Commission concluded, in March 2017, that there is no compelling reason to impose additional regulation on social video games given that it is subject to extensive consumer protection legislation. The Commission continue to monitor developments within the social casino sector gathering evidence from a variety of sources, and working in partnership with the industry and other regulators.
The Gambling Commission’s expert advisers, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, are also examining the wider relationship between children and gambling.
The VSC Rating Board is our designated body for classifying video games and applies the Europe-wide PEGI ratings to video games supplied in the UK. The PEGI criteria currently makes provision for games depicting simulations of traditional gambling and such games would generally attract a minimum PEGI 12. However, the VSC Rating Board is discussing these issues with the PEGI Council and its Experts Group to determine whether any changes to the PEGI criteria need to be made.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how she plans to ensure that the Independent Review into S4C's recommendations are published in time to be incorporated into the final BBC charter documentation.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The S4C review is not due to commence until 2017, once the BBC Charter Review has concluded.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will suspend the planned budget reductions to S4C until the review of that channel has been published.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Government has agreed that S4C's funding would be protected in 2016/17 at its current level of £6.8m. The settlement for exchequer funding in following years was set out at the 2015 Spending Review. In September 2016 the BBC confirmed that they will protect licence fee funding for S4C at £74.5m until 2022.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on devolving responsibility for (a) S4C and (b) all aspects of broadcasting to the National Assembly for Wales.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Following cross-party talks on the recommendations in Silk II there was (a) consensus to reject plans to devolve responsibility for funding public expenditure element of S4C to Assembly and (b) consensus to agree that the regulation of broadcasting should remain responsibility of the UK Government.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
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 15 January 2016 to Question 21973, on mass media: finance, how much was paid to each recipient.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
For the year to 31st March 2016, broadcasting and media bodies will receive the following funding from DCMS:
Ofcom £91,409,000;
BFI £22,225,000;
S4C £6,762,000 (this is 9% of total funding for S4C, the remainder is from the BBC licence fee);
and National Film and Television School £7,078,000.
This is the cash payable to each organisation (as published on www.gov.uk) which totals £127m. The estimated £134m expenditure on page 53 of the Statement of Funding Policy 2015 is based on Government Accounting including depreciation, accruals and other accounting adjustments.