Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to commemorate the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The National Museums Liverpool, an Arms Length Body (ALB) of DCMS, through our International Slavery Museum, has run events and activities on this date since 1999. These include the annual Dorothy Kuya Slavery Remembrance Lecture, given in 2018 by Gina Belafonte, civil rights activist and daughter of Harry Belafonte. Additionally the Museums hold an annual walk of remembrance and libation ceremony and a range of educational activities in the International Slavery Museum and around the Royal Albert Dock.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has had discussions with the Football Association to discourage football clubs from accepting betting companies as their shirt sponsor.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
As with gambling advertising, gambling sponsorship arrangements must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children. The gambling industry code for socially responsible advertising requires that gambling logos must not appear on any merchandising designed for children, including replica shirts in children’s sizes. Sports themselves also have a responsibility to ensure their audiences are protected and we encourage all organisations who benefit from gambling advertising or sponsorship, including football clubs, to look at how they can contribute to raising awareness of the potential risks associated with gambling.
Gambling adverts are already banned on under-18 team shirts and last year the Football Association voluntarily decided to end its sponsorship partnerships with betting companies to avoid conflict with its role in enforcing rules on betting.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps were taken by his Department to mark World Poetry Day on 21 March 2018.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government is committed to making sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience and participate in all forms of arts and culture including poetry. We continue to support organisations such as the Poetry School and the Poetry Society who aim to promote the recognition and appreciation of poetry. The Poetry Society will have received over £1 million in funding between 2015 and 2018, to help it continue to represent British poetry both nationally and internationally.
A range of events were held across the country to celebrate World Poetry Day on 21 March. For example, Redbridge Library held an open mic session; Brighton & Hove City Libraries tweeted its staff’s favourite poems on the day and Brighton Dome hosted the Emergency Poet and the Poetry Ambulance in Jubilee Square. To provide ongoing support to poetry, Arts Council England has recently given a substantial grant to The Poetry Business to support poets at every stage of their development. This includes a partnership with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who has selected leading emerging poets for promotion under the ‘Laureates Choice’ banner.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to ban or regulate the use of gambling advertising on players' shirts at sporting events; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Gambling advertising and sponsorship arrangements at sporting events must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children. Depending on the nature of the sponsorship and how it is presented, Ofcom, the Advertising Standards Authority or the Gambling Commission could all take action if a breach was reported.
The gambling industry code for socially responsible advertising requires that operators’ logos must not appear on any commercial merchandising which is designed for children, including replica football shirts in children’s sizes. The Gambling Review consultation, which was published on 31 October, set out a package of initiatives from regulators, industry and broadcasters to strengthen protections around gambling advertising further. Government takes gambling related harm very seriously and is currently in the process of analysing responses from the consultation, which closed on 23 January. The Government response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what commemorations her Department (a) has held and (b) plans to hold to mark the centenary of First World War and the participation of Muslim soldiers from the Indian subcontinent who fought alongside British and French troops on the Western Front.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Our First World War Centenary programme reflects the contribution of all combatant nations. The first events on 4th August 2014 had a clear Commonwealth focus and we continue to invite representatives from participant nations to all our events such as those held this year, on 1 July, to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. This will continue next year when we commemorate the centenary of Passchendaele – The Third Battle of Ypres.
In addition we gave considerable support to events held on 10 March 2015 at the National Memorial Arboretum and Imperial War Museum Manchester to mark the centenary of the Indian Army’s involvement at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. This brought together British Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs to honour their contribution.
Also in March 2015, 45 Victoria Cross commemorative paving stones were laid in the National Memorial Arboretum to commemorate individuals born overseas, several of the men served in the British Indian Army.
Together with partners Government has also funded the restoration of the Memorial Garden at Horsell Common in Woking. This provides a focal point to bring the Muslim and wider community together to commemorate the First World War.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what applications she has received in the last five years in relation to Historic England list entries 1244757 (Building 37), 1244758 (Former Armoury), 1244759 (Former Artillery Barracks), 1244761 (Building 57, Former Cavalry Barracks), 1244762 (Former Hospital Building), 1244763 (Former Infantry Barracks), 1244764 (Former Officers Quarters and Mess), 1244765 (Former Sick Horse Infirmary), 1244766 (Keep), 1244767 (North Perimeter Wall Extending Approximately 150 metres along North End of Fulwood Barracks), 1244768 (Racquet Court), 1244769 (South Gate, Chapel, Offices and Museum), 1244770 (South Perimeter Wall extending approximately 50 metres along South End of Fulwood Barracks), 1244771 (The Canteen) and 1244831 (Building 32) at Fulwood Barracks, Preston.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Department has not received any requests during the last five years to amend or delete the entries for these buildings in the National Heritage List for England. Information concerning requests for planning permission or listed building consent relating to these buildings can be found from the relevant local planning authority.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what toilet facilities her Department provides for transgender people.
Answered by Matt Hancock
DCMS provides toilet facilities for all staff and visitors.
Transgender staff or visitors are free to use whichever facilities they choose based on the gender they most identify with.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which Ministers of his Department attended events to celebrate Chanukah in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
I attended the Reception for Festival of Chanukah - Mr Speaker's annual celebration to mark the Festival of Chanukah, on Wednesday 17th December 2014.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to require newspapers and journals to publish on their websites what the questions asked, sample sizes and composition of people in terms of age, sex and ethnicity were for opinion polls cited in their publications.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Editors' Code of Practice sets out the rules and standards to which the press can be held to account. The Code is administered by the Editors' Code of Practice Committee and is evolving all the time to suit changing circumstances. Amendments to the Code can be suggested via the Committee's website:http://www.editorscode.org.uk/.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has written to congratulate the organisers of the celebrations to commemorate the tercentenary of the Battle of Preston.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The programme of events run by the Harris Museum and Preston City Council to commemorate the last battle on English soil - which received nearly £50,000 of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, alongside funding from other local groups - has been a huge success. I was delighted to write to the organisers to congratulate them on this excellent series of family events.