Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the contribution made by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to the (a) repair and (b) conservation of such buildings for the use by (i) current communities and (ii) future generations; and if she will make it her policy to extend the Scheme beyond 31 March 2025.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since 2010, the grant scheme has returned nearly £350 million to listed places of worship across the UK. This has helped protect our listed places of worship and enabled them to continue their work as centres of worship and community assets.
The scheme will now run until the end of March 2026. As was the case with previous Governments, further spending commitments are a matter for the Spending Review.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2022 to Question 110225 on BBC Monitoring and BBC World Service: Finance, for what reason the BBC Monitoring Service (BBCM) was not referred to in that Answer; what changes there have been in the size of the overall budget allocated to BBCM since the closure of Caversham Park; and what undertakings have been sought and received from the BBC by the Government on future levels of funding to be allocated to BBCM.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The BBC is responsible for the funding, staffing and administration of Monitoring, which is provided under a specific “BBC Monitoring Agreement” between the BBC and government. The agreement provides assurances that core services will be funded by the BBC from Licence Fee Revenue.
The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government, and is independently responsible for approving the high-level strategy for BBC Monitoring and the budget for the core services.
The Government is satisfied with BBC Monitoring's ability to deliver the service based on agreed performance targets under the current funding model. Additional BBC Monitoring Services are subject to further contractual agreement and require funding directly from the recipient.
The BBC’s Annual Reports and Accounts show it spent £5.8 million on BBC Monitoring in 2015/16 and £4 million on BBC Monitoring on 2020/21.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what safeguards are in place to protect the budgets of BBC (a) World and (b) Monitoring Services in light of the (i) freezing of the Licence Fee and (ii) intensifying military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The BBC will continue to receive billions in public funding every year.
The Government recognises the vital role that the BBC World Service plays across the globe.
The Secretary of State has made it clear to the BBC that it should continue to make a substantive investment from the licence fee into the World Service to ensure that it continues to effectively reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world - in English and through its language services.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
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 encourage community participation in celebrations marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee; and whether she plans to provide advice to organisers of community events on how to achieve live screenings, in community halls, of BBC coverage of the national celebrations without incurring costs required by the BBC for such screenings.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
My department is delighted to be working with Buckingham Palace, and a range of partners, to develop UK-wide opportunities to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
DCMS’s Platinum Jubilee website includes guidance on how Local Authorities, communities and individuals can get involved in the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
TV licensing is a matter for the BBC, though I am aware it has applied dispensation for public community screenings of events of national importance in the past. I am assured the BBC will be looking into arrangements around the Platinum Jubilee in due course.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the contribution to public service broadcasting made by the BBC’s Regional Political Unit in (a) scrutinising parliamentary (i) debates and (ii) committees and (b) providing regionally-tailored input to (A) 13 television regions and (B) 39 local radio stations in England; and if he will make representations to the BBC that the proposal to reduce the size of that seven person Unit by more than half of its personnel should not proceed.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government has been clear that the BBC needs to be closer to, and understand the perspectives of, the whole of the United Kingdom and avoid providing a narrow urban outlook.
However, the BBC is editorially and operationally independent of the government and the government has no say over its decision making, including any proposed changes to its Regional Political Unit.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will (a) review current covid-19 restrictions on the activities of amateur choirs in respect of (i) necessity and (ii) consistency with with those on other groups and (b) issue new guidance accordingly.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Non-professional groups of up to six people can now sing indoors, and can perform or rehearse in groups of up to 30 outdoors. In addition, multiple groups of 30 can now sing outdoors, provided the groups are kept separate throughout the activity. This is an important step forward in the return of non-professional performing arts activity from Step 2.
It is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.