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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Minister of State (Home Office)
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.
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 recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on research by historians of the reduction in (a) opening hours, (b) visit appointments and (c) numbers of documents which can be accessed per visit at the National Archives; and whether such reductions are planned to be reversed in entirety after the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The National Archives suspended its reading room service as of 5 November 2020, in line with the new national restrictions in England and in alignment with other national cultural institutions, however access to its collections and services remains available online.
The pandemic has impacted The National Archives’ ability to meet demand from researchers and throughout the pandemic I have received regular updates from officials at The National Archives on the provision and expansion of its public services and the measures adopted to ensure a COVID safe environment.
With the benefit of user feedback, The National Archives continues to review all elements of its public service offer and will restore and then seek to increase services when it is safe to do so and in line with national regulations and guidance.
I and The National Archives remain committed to the provision of public services that maximise access to the public record for users of all kinds, whilst ensuring the safety both of users and staff.
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 adequacy of provision of support for the proprietors of (a) bed and breakfast and (b) other establishments offering overnight accommodation that are deterred from reopening by the potential for residents with covid-19 symptoms being required to self-isolate on their premises as a result of the absence of guidance on who is liable for the costs of the (i) food, (ii) other supplies and (iii) round-the-clock accommodation of those residents.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
From 4 July, people will be allowed to travel to holiday accommodation - including bed and breakfasts - for overnight stays in England. Guidance has been published on how to open guest accommodation businesses safely whilst minimising the risks of COVID-19.
If a guest is displaying signs of the COVID-19 virus while staying in overnight accommodation, they should inform the accommodation provider, immediately self-isolate where they are to minimise any risk of transmission, and request a test. If they are confirmed to have COVID-19, they should return home if they reasonably can. If a guest cannot reasonably return home, their circumstances should be discussed with an appropriate health care professional and, if necessary, the local authority.
We regularly assess the nature of the tourism sectors’ engagement with the Government’s comprehensive economic support package. Tourism businesses - including those that do not plan to reopen on 4 July - can continue to access schemes such as the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounce Back Loans scheme.
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, whether he has received representations from representatives of (a) dancing schools, (b) the Royal Shakespeare Company and (c) other stage-based entertainment bodies on how those bodies can reopen and operate in conformity with social distancing rules; whether he has made an assessment of the practicability of those proposals; and what support his Department provides to those bodies to ensure that they will not cease to exist before their reopening is permitted by the Government.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
In order to ensure appropriate support and guidance is given to the cultural sector, DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and Events working group which include extensive membership from across the artistic and creative industries sectors. The focus of these groups’ work is on ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input. These groups specifically include representatives for dance and stage based entertainment, all of whom are being consulted extensively on how the sector can reopen and operate under social distancing. Full details of the Taskforce can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.
The Secretary of State, my fellow Ministers and DCMS officials continue to consult the creative and cultural sectors extensively to ensure they understand fully the potential impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector. DCMS officials and ministers have also held regular calls with representatives from across the arts and cultural sector and these have included representatives from the Royal Shakespeare Company and a number of dance schools and representatives including Sadler’s Wells and Northern Ballet.
The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector through this pandemic and getting the curtain up at venues across the country as soon as it is safe to do so. In addition to the unprecedented financial measures the Government has announced DCMS has also worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England, made possible by Government funding.
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, for what reason (a) leisure parks have been provisionally scheduled for reopening only in step 3 of the covid-19 recovery strategy and (b) open-air facilities have been grouped for reopening with (i) cinemas and (ii) other indoor leisure venues; and if he will make it his policy to reallocate leisure parks to an earlier reopening phase of the recovery strategy.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government will look at reopening sites such as leisure parks and outdoor recreation facilities no earlier than 4 July, in line with the wider hospitality sector. Any decisions will be subject to further scientific advice and the risk assessment at the time.
As part of the Government’s leisure and recreation taskforce, my Department has set up a Visitor Economy Working Group to specifically focus on the practicalities and guidelines for opening up the sector during the recovery period. We will issue further guidance shortly on our phased reopening approach, including which businesses could be covered in each phase and the timeframes involved.
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 assessment his Department has made of the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) Age-concern, (b) other county-based charities and (c) large charities; what assessment he has made of the contribution of such charities to the delivery of front-line services to vulnerable elderly people; and if he will urgently make it his policy to allow larger charities that are continuing to deliver front-line services to benefit from support from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Answered by John Whittingdale
We recognise the huge value that charities like Age-UK are providing to the Covid-19 response as they provide advice and support to over 8.5 million older people who have been told to self-isolate.
My department is continuing to monitor the health of the sector, its contribution to the nation’s Covid-19 response and the financial impacts on charities, including Age-UK and other county-based charities, and is establishing mechanisms to collate robust and ongoing insights. The £750 million VCSE support package is available to support all charities - large or small - at risk of financial hardship that are providing key frontline services to vulnerable people affected by the pandemic.
Government remains committed to ongoing data collation and in depth engagement with the voluntary sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work closely to assess how we can support charities in doing their important work.
We are working at pace to finalise the grant agreement, processes and criteria for the fund this week, with a view to launch as soon as possible.