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An estimate of the annual cost to businesses due to inconsistent broadband coverage would quickly be out of date given the rate at which superfast broadband coverage is being extended.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.