Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to ensure that the Information Commissioner's office has sufficient resources to enable it to enforce the General Data Protection Regulations when those Regulations come into force.
Answered by Margot James
Government is committed to ensuring that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is able to continue to function as a world class regulator, working effectively across the UK to safeguard the rights of individuals in relation to their data. To this end, we have granted the ICO pay flexibility up to 2020/21 so it can review and update its pay and grading structure, to ensure that the organisation is in the best position to develop and retain effectively its existing resources and expertise.
We have also recently introduced new data protection charges, which will provide an increase of over £10 million per annum to the ICO’s income. These increased funds will also enable the ICO to continue to develop the level of expertise available to it and, pivotally, to recruit an additional 30% of their current headcount to support its ongoing data protection work, including its regulatory obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The Commissioner has said of our actions that she is “confident that this will allow me to prepare the ICO for its critical role under the new dat"a protection regime ensuring that the UK has a strong and expert regulator in an area recognised for its importance to the digital economy and society as a whole."
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the criteria are for accessing his Department’s Nationwide Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
Answered by Margot James
The scheme is mainly aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as defined by EU competition rules. Residents may also benefit from the scheme but only as part of a pre-registered project. This is a shared solution in which the majority of the value of vouchers is expected to go to SMEs.
The scheme is supplier-led which means that beneficiaries should approach a registered supplier in order to utilise the scheme. Supplier registration is open, so if a business or resident wishes to take advantage of the scheme and their chosen supplier is not currently taking part then they should be encouraged to do so.
The full details of the scheme criteria are listed on our website at https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of problem gambling (a) in betting shops, (b) in casinos, (c) in pubs, (d) in clubs, (e) in bingo halls, (f) on the National Lottery (g) at racecourses and dog tracks (h) on line and (i) at other venues.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
In August 2017 NatCen, commissioned by the Gambling Commission, published a report using 2015 Health Survey data into gambling behaviour in Great Britain, including problem gambling prevalence rates. The report identified 0.8% of the adult population as problem gamblers, which is a similar rate to that found in the British Gambling Prevalence Survey published in 2012. The NatCen report does not provide a breakdown by venue, but problem gambling rates by activity are available in table 4.5. The report can be found here:http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/survey-data/Gambling-behaviour-in-Great-Britain-2015.pdf
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
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 large companies on ensuring that people who do not have computers are not disadvantaged when accessing services or products; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The private sector plays an important role in helping people who do not have computers to access products and services. DCMS is working with industry to ensure consumers have this access, as set out in the UK Digital Strategy.
Many large corporates pledged practical support in the Strategy, which was launched by the Secretary of State in March this year. This includes more than 4 million digital skills training opportunities, which will be delivered through the newly established Digital Skills Partnership.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to extend mobile phone coverage.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Each mobile network operator has a legal obligation to provide voice coverage to 90% of the UK landmass by the end of 2017. O2 has an additional legal obligation to provide indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises by the same date. Ofcom will enforce these obligations and, through the Digital Economy Bill, will have the power to fine any network operator who is in breach.
Ofcom's 2016 Connected Nations Report shows that 99% of UK premises now have indoor voice coverage and 96% have indoor 4G data coverage.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle recent trends in physical activity rates.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
In December 2015 Government published Sporting Future, which set out a new vision for a successful and active sporting nation, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the benefits that sport and physical activity can provide, at every stage in their lives.
The strategy places a clear emphasis on targeting those who are hardest to reach including those from lower socio-economic groups, women and girls, those with a disability, certain BAME groups and older people.
60.7% of adults do the amount of physical activity recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of 150 Minutes a week. While this is encouraging, Sport England will triple its current investment in tackling inactivity to around £250 million, to help drive a more active and healthier nation.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will estimate the number of betting shops likely to close as a result of a potential future reduction in the maximum stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures began with a 6 week call for evidence on 24 October 2016, closing on 4 December. We are now looking in depth at the evidence and aim to publish our findings and any proposals in spring 2017, including an economic assessment of these proposals.