Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance her Department provides to Arts Council England regarding the political neutrality of National Portfolio Organisations.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to freedom of speech, including in the cultural sector, and the Secretary of State has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over. The government is clear that whilst it is right that protections from discrimination exist, this does not prohibit people from expressing their views, opinions or beliefs which are also protected. However, it is important to protect people from illegal discrimination, harassment, and hate speech.
Arts Council England (ACE) makes decisions about which organisations and projects to fund independently of government and Ministers, which means there is no question of any political involvement in arts funding decisions. ACE supports freedom of speech within the limits of the law and recognises the expression of different beliefs as protected under the Equality Act 2010. ACE staff receive training on these matters and are guided by their Dignity at Work policy.
DCMS expects all ACE staff to uphold the Nolan principles, which includes objectivity. That principle notes that holders of public office must act and make decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. ACE also supports the rights of artists and cultural organisations to express themselves freely, including through work that is challenging, provocative, or political. They have also published guidance aimed at supporting cultural organisations in managing complex situations that might arise from presenting challenging work, which is available on their website.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that arts organisations receiving public funding do not discriminate against events based on the political or philosophical viewpoints of the speakers.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to freedom of speech, including in the cultural sector, and the Secretary of State has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over. The government is clear that whilst it is right that protections from discrimination exist, this does not prohibit people from expressing their views, opinions or beliefs which are also protected. However, it is important to protect people from illegal discrimination, harassment, and hate speech.
Arts Council England (ACE) makes decisions about which organisations and projects to fund independently of government and Ministers, which means there is no question of any political involvement in arts funding decisions. ACE supports freedom of speech within the limits of the law and recognises the expression of different beliefs as protected under the Equality Act 2010. ACE staff receive training on these matters and are guided by their Dignity at Work policy.
DCMS expects all ACE staff to uphold the Nolan principles, which includes objectivity. That principle notes that holders of public office must act and make decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. ACE also supports the rights of artists and cultural organisations to express themselves freely, including through work that is challenging, provocative, or political. They have also published guidance aimed at supporting cultural organisations in managing complex situations that might arise from presenting challenging work, which is available on their website.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with local councils to tackle the anti-social use of fireworks in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Local authorities and the police have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by misuse of fireworks. New Respect Orders will empower police and local councils, via court mandates, to impose stringent behavioural restrictions on individuals who repeatedly engage in antisocial behaviour. I recently met with the Scottish Government and was interested to hear about the initiatives they are deploying to tackle anti-social use of fireworks. Engagement with devolved governments and local authorities are a key part of the evidence gathering process as we consider future decisions in relation to the regulation of fireworks.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 on tackling the purchase of fireworks for anti-social use.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no assessment on the impact of the fireworks regulations 2004 on tackling purchase of fireworks for anti-social use.
I recognise that people hold a range of views on this issue. On 19th January, MPs debated two e-petitions relating to the sale and noise of fireworks respectively. As the Minister responsible, I will ensure that all evidence gathered, including views from the debate, and experiences shared by members of the public, are fully considered. I can assure you that public safety, the impact on people, animals and property, will remain central to this work.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will prohibit bottom-towed fishing gear in all 41 Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The consultation on the latest round of proposed fisheries byelaws, which proposes further restrictions on bottom trawling in 41 of England’s offshore Marine Protected Areas, closed on 29 September. The Marine Management Organisation is now carefully considering all responses received, and decisions will be made in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the BBC on the adequacy of the political impartiality in its news and current affairs output.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chair of the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.
For any public service broadcaster, accountability and trust are key. It is important that the BBC continues to demonstrate how it is working diligently to maintain the highest standards. The BBC is editorially and operationally independent of Government, and this is a crucial component of why people trust it.
The Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. The Charter Review Green Paper published in December sets out the Government's ambition to ensure the BBC remains a trusted, independent source of news and consults on options to ensure it maintains the highest editorial standards.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote NHS innovation in genomics.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan, together with the 10-Year Health Plan, will enable the United Kingdom to remain firmly at the forefront of the genomics revolution by driving large-scale preventative care and enabling world-class research. A thriving life sciences sector reinforces the UK’s unique position as the place to discover, test, and roll out genomic innovations that drive better health for all. The Government has committed to investing more than £650 million over five years in Genomics England, up to £354 million in Our Future Health, and up to £20 million in UK BioBank, to ensure that, by 2030, the UK will lead globally in health data and genomics research.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote NHS innovation in liquid biopsies.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to funding innovative technologies, including multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests such as liquid biopsies, to improve early cancer diagnosis rates for cancer patients in the National Health Service. The Office for Life Sciences’ Cancer Healthcare Goals programme is providing funding for a National Institute for Health and Care Research led trial to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of MCD tests in primary care for patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms. The programme has also provided £2.35 million of funding to support the research and development of the miONCO-Dx multi-cancer early detection test, which can identify 12 of the most lethal and common cancers at even the earliest stages of the disease course.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote NHS innovation in robotics.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Robotics is one of the Department’s 10-Year Health Plan’s five "big bets” and by supporting the innovation pipeline from research through to adoption we aim to stimulate greater innovation and more rapid delivery of these technologies for improved patient outcomes and an improved health system.
To support adoption, our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expand surgical robot adoption over the next decade, support National Health Service trusts to increase robotic process automation, and scale the use of robots in pharmacy. We have also committed to establishing national registries for robotic surgery data from 2029 and to developing telesurgery networks. Earlier this year, NHS England published the first national guidance for the implementation of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in the NHS, offering guidance on procurement, commissioning, implementation, training, and evaluation. A national steering committee is already in place to support the adoption of RAS, ensure safe implementation, and to oversee the training requirements for surgeons and surgical teams. The NHS aims to increase the number of robotic-assisted procedures to 500,000 by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24.
The Department supports innovation in NHS robotics research by funding the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and its NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Devices, Digital and Robotics, which is one of fourteen HRCs. This centre supports safe, effective, and efficient translation of new healthcare technologies, such as robotics, into routine care for NHS patients and follow-on social care.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote NHS innovation in nano surgery.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Department encourages innovation in the health sector that helps to support the three big shifts in healthcare: moving care from hospitals to communities; transitioning from analogue to digital; and focusing on prevention over treatment.
The Department is actively supporting the development and evaluation of game-changing innovations as well as the adoption of technologies to give our world leading clinicians the technology and skills to improve outcomes for patients.
Improving innovation, adoption, and procurement of game-changing technology, including nano surgery, will help the National Health Service secure the best possible outcomes for patients whilst also delivering greater value-for-money and unlocking further economic growth. In addition, the National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As well as funding research directly through NIHR programmes, the Department also funds NIHR infrastructure which are centres of excellence and collaborations, services, and facilities to support health and care research.
The NIHR research infrastructure drives innovation through research across a range of health and care areas, including nano surgery. For example, the Surgical and Perioperative Care Translational Research Collaboration brings together NIHR infrastructure to develop new surgical interventions, improving patient safety and patient care before and after surgery.
The NIHR HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) work with industry to develop medical devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies. The NIHR Accelerated Surgical Care HRC’s focus is on minimally invasive therapies which enable surgical care to be delivered with greater precision, minimal trauma, and improved outcomes.