Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on access for HM Revenue and Customs to the proposed registration scheme for short-term lets in England.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Following last year's Call for Evidence, in December 2022 the Government introduced a registration scheme for short-term lets in England in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. On 12 April 2023, a consultation was published which sought views on details about how the scheme will operate. The consultation closed on 7 June 2023 and the Government is working to analyse responses.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work with the relevant Government departments, including HMRC and HM Treasury, on the design of the registration scheme and to ensure that different measures which apply to short-term lets are proportionate, complementary and easy to understand.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) removing an owners' properties from and (b) preventing an owner from registering their properties on any future registration scheme for short-term lets if they do not pay taxes on income received through those properties.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Following last year's Call for Evidence, in December 2022 the Government introduced a registration scheme for short-term lets in England in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. On 12 April 2023, a consultation was published which seeks views on details about how the scheme will operate. The consultation closes on 7 June 2023 and the Government will then analyse the responses.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work with the relevant Government departments, including HMRC and HM Treasury, on the design of the registration scheme and to ensure that different measures which apply to short-term lets are proportionate, complementary and easy to understand.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to require short-term letting providers to demonstrate that they have up to date tax arrangements with HMRC.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Following last year's Call for Evidence, in December 2022 the Government introduced a registration scheme for short-term lets in England in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. On 12 April 2023, a consultation was published which seeks views on details about how the scheme will operate. The consultation closes on 7 June 2023 and the Government will then analyse the responses.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work with the relevant Government departments, including HMRC and HM Treasury, on the design of the registration scheme and to ensure that different measures which apply to short-term lets are proportionate, complementary and easy to understand.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that short term holiday lets cannot be let under more than one name.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Following last year's Call for Evidence, in December 2022 the Government introduced a registration scheme for short-term lets in England in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. On 12 April 2023, a consultation was published which seeks views on details about how the scheme will operate. The consultation closes on 7 June 2023 and the Government will then analyse the responses.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work with the relevant Government departments, including HMRC and HM Treasury, on the design of the registration scheme and to ensure that different measures which apply to short-term lets are proportionate, complementary and easy to understand.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that a register of short term holiday lets is available to HMRC.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Following last year's Call for Evidence, in December 2022 the Government introduced a registration scheme for short-term lets in England in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. On 12 April 2023, a consultation was published which seeks views on details about how the scheme will operate. The consultation closes on 7 June 2023 and the Government will then analyse the responses.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work with the relevant Government departments, including HMRC and HM Treasury, on the design of the registration scheme and to ensure that different measures which apply to short-term lets are proportionate, complementary and easy to understand.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the BBC Board on the cost of BBC Local Radio afternoon and evening programming; and if she will make it her policy to provide financial support to BBC Local Radio to assist with the financing of that programming.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government remains disappointed that the BBC is planning to reduce parts of its local output. Ministers have met with the BBC on several occasions since the announcement where they have expressed the concerns shared across the House about the BBC’s plans.
While it is up to the BBC to decide how it delivers its services, the Government is clear that the BBC must make sure it continues to provide distinctive and genuinely local radio services, with content that reflects and represents people and communities from all corners of the UK.
The BBC is still required to deliver its remit as set out in the Charter and Agreement. It should prioritise using its £3.8 billion annual licence fee income as necessary to deliver that remit.
The Government also expects Ofcom, as regulator of the BBC, to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account in delivering its public service duties. Ofcom recently published a new BBC Operating Licence, which sets out that it will hold the BBC to its commitments on local radio in England. The BBC will be required to monitor the impact of changes on audiences and publish more information about how it delivers high quality, distinctive content and services for audiences across the UK. Ofcom will be monitoring the BBC’s performance in this area closely and will step in if they are concerned the BBC is not delivering for audiences.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the provision of youth services in (a) York and (b) the UK.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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, the majority of which is un-ringfenced, allowing local authorities to spend on services according to local priorities, including on youth services. The settlement is anticipated to be almost £60 billion this year (FY 23/24) for councils in England - a 9% increase on the previous year.
In England the government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people.The government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This is supported by a three-year investment of over £500 million in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending with a firm focus on levelling up.
Young people in York will benefit from elements of the National Youth Guarantee, for example, a year-round National Citizen Service programme; increased access to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; expanded uniformed youth groups and volunteering opportunities through the #iwill Fund.
The devolved administrations of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are responsible for their own youth services.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the importance of (a) local and (b) regional television and radio broadcasts for local communities.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the role that both regional and local broadcasting can play in delivering types of public service content highly valued by local communities.
On a local level, the BBC, local TV providers and commercial and community radio stations all play a crucial role in disseminating accurate news and local information, strengthening pride of place, reflecting the unique interests of the audiences that they serve, connecting communities, and helping to address social issues like loneliness and mental health.
These local services are supplemented by further services delivered at a regional level by broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, STV, and commercial radio providers. Regional services continue to be highly valued by audiences, particularly in relation to their news and current affairs programming, though the Government recognises that they are unable to offer the same type and range of targeted content as genuinely local services.
Ofcom is required to undertake regular analysis of key trends in the media sector, particularly how audiences are served across, and in different parts of, the UK. That data is used by Ofcom to inform their ongoing regulation of public service media providers, and also informs DCMS’s policy around the ongoing provision of local and regional media.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will carry out a survey (a) in North Yorkshire and (b) nationally of preferences for receiving (i) radio and (ii) TV broadcasts (A) terrestrially and (B) digitally.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom produces its Media Nations report which reviews key trends in the media sector and sets out how audiences are served across, and in different parts of, the UK. It considers trends from a cross-platform perspective, including broadcast TV and radio, as well as digital delivery including online video and audio streaming. The most recent report was published in August 2022 and can be found here.
Ofcom also publishes the results of a number of annual surveys addressing these issues, as well as an interactive dataset in the form of its annual Communications Market Report. Many of these publications include relevant analysis broken down by age group and/or geographic area. Ofcom’s interest covers all audiences and they are committed to ensuring variations, whether by geographic area, economic circumstance or digital skill set, are captured in their research programme and regulatory activity.
My Department also commissions and publishes its own research on a range of topics, including in relation to radio and TV. For example, in February 2020, the Government commissioned the Digital Radio and Audio Review, which looked at the landscape for radio over the coming years, including research on future trends in radio and audio listening. The Review found, for example, that “smart speakers, which emerged only five years ago, are owned or accessed by a third of all adults, and account for 6% of all audio consumption”. It estimated that analogue radio listening estimates would account for just 12%-14% of listening by 2030, but that traditional radio, including FM services, was valued by many listeners – particularly those who were older or vulnerable. Current trends in listening are also available via RAJAR, the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the UK.
In this context, the Department does not currently intend to commission any further surveys specifically in relation to audience preferences, but keeps its research programme under regular review.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of people have access to digital media in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire who are aged (i) between 60-69, (ii) between 70-79 and (iii) 80 and over.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ofcom produces its Media Nations report which reviews key trends in the media sector and sets out how audiences are served across, and in different parts of, the UK. It considers trends from a cross-platform perspective, including broadcast TV and radio, as well as digital delivery including online video and audio streaming. The most recent report was published in August 2022 and can be found here.
Ofcom also publishes the results of a number of annual surveys addressing these issues, as well as an interactive dataset in the form of its annual Communications Market Report. Many of these publications include relevant analysis broken down by age group and/or geographic area. Ofcom’s interest covers all audiences and they are committed to ensuring variations, whether by geographic area, economic circumstance or digital skill set, are captured in their research programme and regulatory activity.
My Department also commissions and publishes its own research on a range of topics, including in relation to radio and TV. For example, in February 2020, the Government commissioned the Digital Radio and Audio Review, which looked at the landscape for radio over the coming years, including research on future trends in radio and audio listening. The Review found, for example, that “smart speakers, which emerged only five years ago, are owned or accessed by a third of all adults, and account for 6% of all audio consumption”. It estimated that analogue radio listening estimates would account for just 12%-14% of listening by 2030, but that traditional radio, including FM services, was valued by many listeners – particularly those who were older or vulnerable. Current trends in listening are also available via RAJAR, the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the UK.
In this context, the Department does not currently intend to commission any further surveys specifically in relation to audience preferences, but keeps its research programme under regular review.