Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she will publish the Gambling Review White Paper.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Gambling Act Review is wide-ranging and aims to ensure that the regulation of gambling is fit for the digital age. We will publish a white paper setting out our conclusions and next steps in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will extend eligibility of the £1.57 billion rescue package for the arts and entertainment sector announced on 5 July 2020 to (a) sound system and set build providers and (b) other supply chain businesses in that sector.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government recognises the severe impact the pandemic has had on supply chain businesses for the events sector. Supply chain organisations were eligible for - and many were successful in securing from - the first and second rounds of Culture Recovery Funding. They are recognised as a critical part of the sector.
An announcement on the additional £300 million provided to the Culture Recovery Fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the recent Budget will be made in due course.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will meet with (a) the Football Association and (b) Wembley Stadium to discuss the potential of rescheduling the 2019-20 Non-league Finals Day.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The department continues to meet with the football authorities, including The Football Association (FA), on a range of matters including the return of spectators.
Coronavirus has presented many challenges for sport, and the sector’s success thus far at maintaining their competitive programmes should be commended. The FA is responsible for the scheduling of its competitions, including Non-league Finals Day, as well as preparations for the return of spectators.
Football is clearly not the same without fans, which is why we will look to get spectators back to outdoor stadiums in a safe and manageable way. We will continue to engage with the sector as we progress along the Roadmap, and look forward to welcoming spectators back to stadia across the country from step 3 of the Roadmap.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will hold discussions with the Betting and Gaming Council to encourage gambling firms to cease TV and radio advertising during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021 to protect people who are affected by gambling disorders at a time when they may be more susceptible to out-of-control gambling.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government and the Gambling Commission continue to be clear that gambling operators must act responsibly during the Covid-19 period, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned operators that they must not look to exploit the situation in their adverts or marketing. In June 2020 members of the Betting and Gaming Council committed to ensure at least 20% of broadcast advertising is given over to safer gambling messaging.
The Gambling Commission has monitored gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period and will continue to do so. Survey data published by the Commission this month indicated that 86% of those who gamble did so the same amount or less during the pandemic than they had previously. The Commission recently wrote to operators to remind them of its expectations under guidance issued in May 2020 to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm. That guidance directed operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banned mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8th December with the publication of a Call for Evidence. As part of the wide scope of that Review, we have called for evidence on the benefits or harms of allowing gambling operators to advertise. In addition, the ASA is currently consulting on proposals to further strengthen the advertising codes, including new rules to minimise the potential for gambling adverts to appeal to vulnerable people, or adversely impact them.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Betting and Gaming Council to encourage gambling firms to stop all TV and radio advertising during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown to protect people who are affected by gambling disorders.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Gambling advertising is subject to strict controls on content and placement which dictate that adverts must never be targeted at children or vulnerable people, or seek to appeal particularly to these groups. Operators who breach these rules are subject to sanction by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Gambling Commission. The ASA is currently consulting on proposals to strengthen these controls further, including new rules to minimise the potential for adverts to appeal to vulnerable people, or adversely impact them.
The government and the Gambling Commission have been clear that gambling operators must act responsibly during the Covid-19 period and the ASA has warned operators that they must not look to exploit the situation in their adverts or marketing. In June 2020 members of the Betting and Gaming Council committed to ensure at least 20% of broadcast advertising is given over to safer gambling messaging.
The Gambling Commission has monitored gambling behaviour during the Covid-19 period and will continue to do so. Survey data published by the Commission in October indicated that 84% of gamblers spent the same amount or less on gambling during lockdown (mid-March to mid-June 2020) than they had previously. The Commission updated its guidance for operators in May to increase protections for those who may be at heightened risk of gambling harm, directing operators to monitor customer behaviour more closely to identify signs of potential harm, and banning mechanisms by which customers could cancel requests to withdraw money from their account.
Ministers have regular meetings with stakeholders on a range of issues. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
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 level of risk of spreading covid-19 in socially distant compliant (a) gyms, (b) pubs and (c) restaurants from 4 July 2020.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises the importance of returning all sectors to activity, as soon as it is safe to do so.
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health. The Government is in discussions with representatives from the sport and physical activity sector about the steps required to restart grassroots sport and will update the public when it is deemed safe to reopening indoor sports venues and facilities as soon as it is safe to do so.
Keeping as many people as possible 2 metres apart from those they do not live with is a key way to reduce the spread of the virus. If it is not viable for a business to operate with 2m social distancing and the business has to operate at 1m social distancing additional mitigating measures need to put in place – for instance ensure customers from different household groups or support bubbles sit back-to-back, but if this is not possible, sit side-to-side.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
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 11 June 2020 to Question 49878 on Gyms: Coronavirus, what the evidential basis is for the decision to exclude indoor gyms from the list of premises allowed to reopen on 4 July 2020.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises the importance of returning all sectors to activity, as soon as it is safe to do so.
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health. The Government is in discussions with representatives from the sport and physical activity sector about the steps required to restart grassroots sport and will update the public when it is deemed safe to reopening indoor sports venues and facilities as soon as it is safe to do so.
Keeping as many people as possible 2 metres apart from those they do not live with is a key way to reduce the spread of the virus. If it is not viable for a business to operate with 2m social distancing and the business has to operate at 1m social distancing additional mitigating measures need to put in place – for instance ensure customers from different household groups or support bubbles sit back-to-back, but if this is not possible, sit side-to-side.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department has issued to indoor sports and leisure activity providers on the safe reopening of instructing facilities for (a) snow sports and (b) indoor rock-climbing during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Indoor sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting people to be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities, including snow sports and indoor rock climbing facilities, as soon as it is safe to do so.
We are holding regular discussions with representatives from the leisure sector and national sports organisations to develop guidance that will support them to open their facilities in a timely and safe manner once lockdown measures are eased.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether a foundation providing financial support towards private medical cannabis prescriptions for patients where clinically appropriate would be eligible for charitable status; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England and Wales, an organisation is a charity if it meets a number of legal tests; namely that it is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit and that it falls within the jurisdiction of the High Court regarding charities. Supporting the cost of medical treatment has long been recognised as capable of being a charitable purpose where the benefit and safety of the treatment can be demonstrated
The Charity Commission, as the independent charity regulator in England and Wales, is responsible for determining whether or not an institution is a charity and for registering those that are and which meet the legal threshold for registration
The Commission robustly assesses each application on its merits against these tests, based on the information provided in the application.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has entered into in each year since 2005.
Answered by Margot James
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is not able to provide a response to cover the period from 2005 onwards as this information is generally not held centrally. In 2017, there were five non-disclosure agreements, all relating to recruitment of temporary staff. Non-disclosure agreements are put in place in exceptional circumstances. Non-disclosure agreements in DCMS are only used for temporary staff who will work on sensitive information, where commercially or politically sensitive.