Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of regulations on online sales of age-restricted products.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is not responsible for the general regulation of online sales, or age-restricted products.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to improve the protection of listed buildings.
Answered by John Whittingdale
It is a criminal offence to demolish a listed building, or to alter or extend it in a manner that would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, without obtaining listed building consent from the relevant local planning authority. In addition to this protection, HM Government is taking steps through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to improve the protection that can be afforded to vulnerable buildings while they are being considered for listing by simplifying the process for the service of building preservation notices by local planning authorities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations on follow-on formula milk advertising in the UK.
Answered by Paul Scully
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) through its Broadcast (BCAP) and online advertising through its Non-broadcast (CAP) Codes. Overall responsibility for enforcement of the legislation governing follow-on formula beyond ASA’s advertising remit rests with Local Authorities in England.
In line with statutory restrictions, infant formula advertising is prohibited. Follow-on formula may be legitimately advertised but adverts must comply with the general provisions of the Code, which ensure advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful.
The ASA’s rules on formula advertising are backstopped by Trading Standards. This means that the ASA can refer cases if necessary for Trading Standards to take a view on whether there are breaches of the law and apply tougher sanctions as appropriate.
The Government therefore believes that existing rules related to the advertising of follow-on formula are sufficient.
In addition, through the Online Advertising Programme, the Government is examining the regulatory model for online advertising to ensure it protects consumers and minimises harm. The consultation closed last year, and we will be publishing a Government response in due course.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of resilience plans for emergency services during a (a) widespread internet outage and (b) cyber attack.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Government and Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, work closely with the telecoms sector to assess and promote the resilience of the sector and to identify and prevent the risk of a wide range of compromises. The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 established a new telecoms security framework to improve the security and resilience of public telecoms networks and services. The framework includes New Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regulations 2022 and an accompanying Telecommunications Security Code of Practice. These are intended to address risks to the security of the UK’s public telecoms networks and services, including cyber attacks and outages.
DCMS does not have responsibility for the provision of emergency services themselves. It is for the relevant Emergency Authority (EA) to make an assessment of their resilience plans and ensure they have comprehensive business continuity plans and for the relevant inspectorate and lead government department to review the efficacy of these plans.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the reintroduction of roaming charges on the UK tourism industry.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Whilst the government has not conducted an assessment of the potential impact of the reintroduction of international mobile roaming charges on the UK tourism industry, we work closely with the tourism industry and wider stakeholders to ensure that the UK tourism offer is as competitive as possible. We await the outcome of Ofcom's policy programme into mobile roaming and continue to follow developments in the market closely.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will undertake a review of the provisions of the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 on the eligibility criteria for a concessionary TV licence for people over the age of 60 and living in sheltered accommodation with more than one room.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
TV Licence concessions are available to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old, and people aged 75 and over in receipt of Pension Credit.
The Government has committed to maintain the licence fee model for the remainder of this Charter Period. The Government is not considering making any changes to the current concessions regime at this time. Issues around fairness and people’s ability to pay for the Licence Fee are issues we will consider as part of the upcoming review of the Licence Fee, as well as at Charter Review.Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Government has spent on youth services in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in each of the last 12 years.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We currently do not hold information on the number of youth workers and youth centres in Birmingham, however we are working with the National Youth Agency to conduct the National Youth Sector Census to better understand the spread of services, and number of youth workers in different areas across the country.
As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, Local Authorities have a statutory duty to ‘secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people’. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which was over £12 billion last year.
DCMS is currently reviewing the statutory duty and its associated guidance to assess the effectiveness after a call for responses from key youth stakeholders. Local authorities are required by section 507B(12) to have regard to the statutory guidance when exercising their functions in relation to the statutory duty.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) youth centres and (b) youth workers there were in (i) Birmingham and (ii) the West Midlands in each of the last 12 years.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We currently do not hold information on the number of youth workers and youth centres in Birmingham, however we are working with the National Youth Agency to conduct the National Youth Sector Census to better understand the spread of services, and number of youth workers in different areas across the country.
As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, Local Authorities have a statutory duty to ‘secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people’. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which was over £12 billion last year.
DCMS is currently reviewing the statutory duty and its associated guidance to assess the effectiveness after a call for responses from key youth stakeholders. Local authorities are required by section 507B(12) to have regard to the statutory guidance when exercising their functions in relation to the statutory duty.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps is she taking to prevent the posting of sex for rent advertisements on social media websites.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government is clear that ‘sex for rent’ arrangements are illegal and breach the Sex Offences Act (2003). The Crown Prosecution Service detail that these arrangements can lead to the exploitation of highly vulnerable persons who are struggling to obtain accommodation. The provision of accommodation in return for sex is capable of being caught by the following legislation: Sexual Offences (causing prostitution for gain) and an advertisement would also be unlawful in accordance with section 52 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Advertising in the UK is regulated through the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) and Ofcom. There are two main codes of practice for advertisers to uphold in the UK. These are the Committee of Advertising Practice and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice Codes, CAP and BCAP codes. DCMS will be examining the regulatory model for online advertising through its upcoming Online Advertising Programme (OAP). This government wants to ensure that online advertising is regulated by a robust, well-funded and strong regulatory body who can minimise harms for consumers, businesses and society as a whole, we will consult on the OAP later this year.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the report Levelling Up Our Communities: Proposals for a New Social Covenant commissioned by the Prime Minister, published September 2020, whether he plans to implement the proposal to use the Official Development Assistance budget to attract the world’s super-rich to invest their philanthropic funds in London.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Levelling Up Our Communities report is an independent piece of work requested by the Prime Minister of my hon. Friend, the Member for Devizes (Danny Kruger). DCMS will be considering all of the recommendations mentioned in the report and an update on the government’s work will be provided in due course.
Philanthropy is at the heart of the voluntary and community sector’s funding mix, and the British people continue to give generously to support the sector’s important work. The government is keen to continue supporting the growth of philanthropy, and is looking at a range of options for future work.