Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the capacity of broadcasters to meet their access service obligations of their being permitted to spend only a maximum of one per cent of their turnover on doing so.
Answered by Margot James
The capacity of broadcasters to meet their access service obligations is for Ofcom to assess. Ofcom’s Code requires broadcasters to achieve the highest level of provision that they can afford. Broadcasters are free to over deliver on access services, and Ofcom research shows that many do. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky voluntarily commit to providing at least 20% of their programming with audio description, which is double their statutory obligation.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have taken out a mobile telephone contract in an area in which signal availability has been inadequate.
Answered by Matt Hancock
An estimate of this kind has not been made by the Department. However, for contracts taken out at distance people can cancel within the statutory 14 day cooling off period. For purchases made within a company’s shop many offer a 'check your coverage' cooling off period for the first two weeks after sign up and some offer extended periods to ensure coverage meets their needs.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
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 improve mobile telephone coverage in Lanarkshire.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Improving mobile connectivity across the whole of the UK is a priority for the Government. The Ofcom licence obligations arising from the December 2014 agreement mean that the four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have a legally binding obligation to provide voice/SMS text coverage to at least 90% of the UK’s landmass by end-2017. Additionally Telefonica (O2) has a licence obligation to deliver indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises (95% in Scotland and the other Devolved Administrations.) The Digital Economy Bill, currently going through Parliament, will give the regulator Ofcom the power to issue large fines to mobile phone companies who fail to meet their licence obligations.
The Government's agreement with the MNOs locked in investment of £5 billion and is delivering improved coverage across the UK. Ofcom's 2016 Connected Nations Report shows that 98% of Scottish premises now have indoor voice coverage and 62% have indoor 4G data coverage from all four MNOs (up from 22% in 2015). Our proposed reforms of the Electronic Communications Code, will support further investment and improvements in connectivity across the UK and reduce not spots.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the International Olympic Committee and the British Olympic Association on ensuring that British athletes who placed behind athletes found guilty of doping in competitions have their medals and awards upgraded.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Government is supportive of the International Olympic Committee's Agenda approach that honours clean athletes by awarding an Olympic medal following a positive doping case. Formal medal ceremonies are arranged for medal-winners who receive their Olympic medal following the disqualification of a competitor. There is absolutely no place for drug cheats in sport and it is completely right that clean athletes receive medals when tests have proven doping violations.
Asked by: Marion Fellows (Scottish National Party - Motherwell and Wishaw)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make representations to the International Olympic Committee on upgrading the medals of British athletes who were placed behind athletes found guilty of doping in competitions.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Recommendation 17 of the International Olympic Committee's Agenda 2020 seeks to honour clean athletes by awarding an Olympic medal following a positive doping case. This involves organising formal medal ceremonies for medal-winners who receive their Olympic medal following the disqualification of a competitor.
Last month Australian athlete Jared Tallent was presented with an Olympic gold medal for the 50km walk at the London 2012 Games following the disqualification of a Russian athlete for a doping offence. We expect the same treatment for British athletes.