Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the findings of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry report, published on 31 January 2017.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016. The 31 January report by the APPG on FOBTs will be taken into consideration as part of the review.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Review of Stakes and Prizes will be published.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October 2016. Due to the cross government process required prior to publication, we do not anticipate any further announcements before October.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch the consultation on making company directors and those in similar positions accountable for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 in relation to direct marketing; and what the period of that consultation will be.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We intend to issue a consultation on making company directors accountable for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 in in due course.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what date she plans to publish her consultation on legislative proposals on the accountability of named directors of firms responsible for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and the related imposition of fines for such breaches by the Information Commissioner's Office.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We intend to issue a consultation during this session of Parliament on making company directors and those in similar positions, accountable for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, in relation to direct marketing. The proposed measure would give the Information Commissioner a power to impose Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) of up to £500,000 on those in positions of responsibility in all forms of corporate entity.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his plans are for the £3.5 million funding announced for tackling nuisance calls in paragraph 2.289 of the March 2015 Budget, HC 1093 of Session 2014-15; how much of this funding has been allocated to which local authorities; what information his Department holds on the number of call blockers that this funding has paid for the installation of in domestic properties; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of that funding in the volumes of nuisance calls received and reports of such calls made.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle the problem of nuisance calls, including strengthening the regulators’ ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law and increasing consumer choice by consulting on making it a requirement for direct marketing callers to display their calling line identification. As part of the £3.5m package announced in budget, Government launched a competition for innovative solutions to tackle the scourge of nuisance calls - and contracts have been awarded to successful applicants, to help develop their products to launch on the open market and benefit customers right across the country. In addition, £0.5 million funding is going to the National Trading Standards Scams Team - via East Sussex County Council - to provide call blocking devices to vulnerable people nationwide and report its effects.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when responses from members of the public to the recent BBC Charter review consultation will be published.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government's BBC Charter Review Public Consultation closed in October. Over 190,000 people responded to the consultation - the second largest response to any Government consultation. We are in the process of reading and analysing all the responses, and will publish the results once this exercise is completed.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to publish the Government's response to the BBC Charter renewal consultation.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government's BBC Charter Review Public Consultation closed in October. Over 190,000 people responded to the consultation - the second largest response to any Government consultation. We are in the process of reading and analysing all the responses, and will publish the results once this exercise is completed.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the annual cost to businesses of inconsistent broadband coverage.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
An estimate of the annual cost to businesses due to inconsistent broadband coverage would quickly be out of date given the rate at which superfast broadband coverage is being extended. Under the government-funded broadband programmes each week we continue to see a further 40,000 premises able to access superfast broadband speeds. Through government investment of over £780 million, superfast broadband is available to over 80% of homes and businesses in the UK compared to 45% in 2010 and by the end of 2017 it will be available to 95% of homes and businesses.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on the Nuisance Call Action Plan.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Substantial progress has been made by the Department on measures that were outlined in our Nuisance Calls Action Plan of 30 March 2014. Measures already implemented include, for example, ensuring improved information and signposting are available for consumers wishing to report nuisance calls and empowering Ofcom to share relevant information about companies breaching the regulations with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Additionally, we have changed the law so that the ICO no longer needs demonstrate, before taking enforcement action, that a company has caused ‘substantial damage or distress’ to consumers through nuisance calls. These measures have made it easier for the ICO and Ofcom to take enforcement action, including issuing monetary penalties. Ofcom has agreed with industry a new standardised approach to call tracing, which has been implemented and is in routine use by the ICO and Ofcom. In the longer term, Ofcom and other bodies are working in order to make it more difficult for callers to use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to facilitate misleading caller line identification.
We are progressing other measures from the Nuisance Calls Action Plan on an ongoing basis.