Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23517 on Crime: Westminster Bridge, what steps her Department is taking to tackle unlawful gambling on Westminster Bridge; and if she will initiate discussions with the relevant responsible authority.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Localised incidents of unlawful gambling such as those on Westminster Bridge are the responsibility of the relevant licensing authority and police force. In the case of Westminster Bridge, this is Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police. The Gambling Commission also provides guidance for licensing authorities about illegal gambling on its website.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) her Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies; what the policy of the Government Art Collection is on decolonisation of government art; and what guidance she has issued to (A) museums and (B) National Archives on decolonisation of their collections.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No, we have no such plans and have issued no such guidance.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Welsh Government’s guidance entitled Public commemoration in Wales: guidance, updated on 15 November 2024.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No, because it is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) their Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to their Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There are currently no ongoing industrial disputes within DCMS. Our arm’s length bodies are independent employers and are responsible for their own industrial relations.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact on the freedom of the press of the recent IPSO ruling in relation to a complaint made by Juno Dawson against the Spectator newspaper.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to protecting press freedom, which is essential to a strong and functioning democracy. In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press, which is crucial to maintain press freedom. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment on a specific ruling by IPSO, as an independent press regulator.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Charity Commission on the (a) conflicts of interest and (b) reputational risks of the non-charitable arms of charities engaging in party political campaigning.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Commission to discuss matters of mutual interest. Charities are permitted to establish or maintain close connections with non-charitable campaigning organisations to support their charitable purposes, provided this is in the charity’s best interests.
The Charity Commission has published guidance for charities with a connection to a non-charity to help charity trustees carefully manage any risks related to conflicts of interest and protect the charity's reputation. Trustees have a legal duty to protect the charity’s assets, reputation, and beneficiaries. Any link with a non-charity should not compromise the charity’s independence or public image. Trustees must also be mindful of the potential risks to the charity’s reputation, particularly regarding political partisanship.
If concerns arise that a charity may be acting in a politically partisan manner or outside its charitable objectives, the Charity Commission can investigate and take regulatory action as necessary.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has provided funding to Hope Not Hate since the general election.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for the Culture, Media and Sport has not provided any funding to Hope Not Hate since the general election.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8925 on Charities: Political Activities, whether the Charity Commission plans to investigate political campaigning by HOPE not Hate (a) Limited and (b) Charitable Trust.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Charities can undertake campaigning, awareness-raising and non-party political activities that support them in delivering their charitable purpose. Charities are not permitted to undertake any party-political activity.
HOPE not Hate Limited is not a charity; it is therefore not subject to the restrictions on political activity that apply to charities and does not come under the Charity Commission’s jurisdiction.
HOPE not Hate Charitable Trust is a charity and therefore does come under the Charity Commission’s jurisdiction and cannot engage in partisan political activity. The Charity Commission does not have an open regulatory case on HOPE Not Hate Charitable Trust.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has held discussions with the Charity Commission on the adequacy of its guidance entitled Campaigning and political activity guidance for charities, published on 7 November 2022.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Charity law sets limits on what campaigning and non-party political activities charities can undertake. This is reflected in the guidance for charities on campaigning and political activity, published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (“the Commission”).
On 14 August 2024 the Commission published a report summarising casework on campaigning and political activity in the run up to the 2024 General Election. It found a rise in proactive efforts by charities to seek advice and guidance from the Commission and a 60% decline in high-risk cases compared to the 2019 election.
Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Commission to discuss matters of mutual interest.