Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 potential merits of amending planning legislation to facilitate the roll out of 5G; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing planning legislation in respect of that roll out.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government’s ambition is for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027 and we also want to ensure that UK businesses reap the full benefits of 5G.
It is essential that the planning system continues to effectively support the deployment of new mobile infrastructure. On 7 March 2022, we published our response to the second of two consultations on necessary reforms to the planning system, setting out the changes we intend to make.
These changes will provide operators with the flexibility they require to upgrade existing sites in England for 5G deployment, enhance coverage and meet the growing demands for network capacity. They will also help improve coverage in rural areas by supporting the deployment of the Shared Rural Network, where sites will need to be installed and upgraded for sharing by the four national mobile network operators.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the sustainability of professional football clubs.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government recognises the importance of the long-term sustainability of professional football clubs, particularly those in the lower leagues. That is why we have welcomed the Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance and have endorsed in principle the headline recommendation of the review to set up an independent regulator for English football.
The Government is working at pace to consider the report’s full suite of recommendations in detail, including on improving financial stability and the governance of football clubs.
The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders as we work towards issuing a full response to the report and its recommendations in the Spring.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to implement the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government recognises the importance of the long-term sustainability of professional football clubs, particularly those in the lower leagues. That is why we have welcomed the Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance and have endorsed in principle the headline recommendation of the review to set up an independent regulator for English football.
The Government is working at pace to consider the report’s full suite of recommendations in detail, including on improving financial stability and the governance of football clubs.
The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders as we work towards issuing a full response to the report and its recommendations in the Spring.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the sustainability of Government funding for youth services.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
I would like to refer the honourable member to Parliamentary Question 88971, regarding adequacy of the current funding levels for youth services:
To kickstart the Youth Investment Fund, £10 million will be spent this year in key levelling up areas. This will enable local youth providers to invest in capital projects that expand the reach, number and range of services they currently offer. Further details including investment areas and eligibility criteria, alongside plans regarding the remainder of the fund, will be announced in due course.
The Government recognises that local youth provision relies on a mix of statutory and voluntary sector provision. The Youth Investment Fund will seek to build on locally available provision and will encourage bids that show all partners working together to maximise the impact of investment to help create sustainable funding for the new facilities.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current funding levels for youth services; and what steps is she taking to release the Youth Investment Fund in full.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
I would like to refer the honourable member to Parliamentary Question 88971, regarding adequacy of the current funding levels for youth services:
To kickstart the Youth Investment Fund, £10 million will be spent this year in key levelling up areas. This will enable local youth providers to invest in capital projects that expand the reach, number and range of services they currently offer. Further details including investment areas and eligibility criteria, alongside plans regarding the remainder of the fund, will be announced in due course.
The Government recognises that local youth provision relies on a mix of statutory and voluntary sector provision. The Youth Investment Fund will seek to build on locally available provision and will encourage bids that show all partners working together to maximise the impact of investment to help create sustainable funding for the new facilities.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to provide accessible youth services which are open every day of the week.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government recognises the vital role that accessible youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. This is why DCMS is investing £560 million in youth services in England over the next 3 years, including the Youth Investment Fund (YIF) and our ongoing support for the National Citizen Service. This will transform the government’s offer for young people and level up opportunities right across the country. This funding builds on more than £12 billion given to Local Authorities this year who have a statutory duty to allocate funding to youth services in line with local need.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to offer redress for those affected by the Football Index collapse.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The government appreciates the significant impact that the collapse of the novel gambling product Football Index had on former customers. Administration proceedings for BetIndex, the company which operated Football Index, are continuing, and are looking at the assets and liabilities of the operator and what is owed to customers. It is likely that this process will result in some amounts being reimbursed to creditors. There is no compensation scheme for losses caused by a gambling firm ceasing to operate and the government does not think it would be appropriate to use public funds for these purposes.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress has been made between the Government and the EU Commission on visa restrictions for touring musicians, artists and support staff.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
In negotiations with the EU, the UK proposed expanding a list of activities for Short Term Business Visitors to cover musicians, artists and their accompanying staff. This would have enabled musicians, artists and support staff to tour and perform in the EU without needing work-permits. I deeply regret that the EU rejected our proposals.There is scope to return to this issue in the future should the EU change its mind.
UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, they will be required to check domestic immigration rules for each Member State in which they intend to tour. This is because, while some Member States may allow paid performances without a visa or work permit, others will require musicians, artists and other creative professionals to obtain a visa or work permit, in the same way that they are required for other international artists.
The Government is looking at how we can work with our partners in EU Member States to find ways to make life easier for the creative industries touring in the EU.
We understand the concerns of the sector regarding the new arrangements and we are committed to supporting them as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. The DCMS-led working group on creative and cultural touring, which involves sector representatives and other key government departments, is looking at the issues and options to help the sectors resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 effectiveness of his Department in ensuring equity in the opening up of sport (a) venues and (b) events following changing covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government’s approach to reopening venues and events has been based on safety and wider public health concerns. All stakeholders are subject to the same regulations and covid secure guidance whilst the relevant governing bodies and local authorities have the power to make appropriate decisions.
The £300m Sports Winter Survival Package, announced by the Secretary of State in November, is providing emergency funding to protect the immediate future of major spectator sports in England that have been the most severely impacted by covid restrictions over the winter.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications for funding from the Culture Recovery Fund were made from the culture and heritage sector in (a) Cheshire West and Chester, (b) Halton and (c) Weaver Vale constituency, and how many of applications were successful.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The following table includes details of the number of applications received and how many were successful, as well as the total amount of funding requested and how much was allocated for each of the three areas requested. Note this only refers to heritage and arts recovery grants and was correct as of 11 November.
Constituency / Local Authority | No applications | No awards | Total applied for | Total awarded |
Cheshire West and Chester (LA) | 17 | 11 | £1,980,809 | £1,492,15 |
Halton (constituency) | 2 | 2 | £392,660 | £392,660 |
Weaver Vale (constituency) | 3 | 3 | £146,000 | £146,000 |