Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to allow soft play centres to reopen as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 13 August, the Government announced that indoor play and indoor soft play venues can open from 15 August. We have also been working with BALPPA, the trade body that represents the industry to develop guidance that lays out detailed measures that should be taken by indoor play and indoor soft play operators to make venues COVID-secure. These include closing ball pits and sensory areas, reducing capacity of venues and soft play frames, regular deep cleaning, pre-bookable timed sessions, increased sanitation, and a rigorous process to support track and trace. Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so. Since 4 July other indoor facilities, including some indoor games, recreation and entertainment venues have reopened.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to COVID-19, we continue to be guided by public health considerations to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.
Answered by John Whittingdale
DCMS is committed to achieving the public sector apprenticeship target. We offer apprenticeships to both existing staff and as part of the hiring process for suitable roles. We offer a range of apprenticeship standards to existing staff which align with the types of role in the department. We promote apprenticeships as a key pillar of our learning and development strategy, building professional and functional capability and using a variety of means to engage staff and encourage participation. We work closely with recruitment teams both in DCMS and across the Civil Service and with learning providers to recruit diverse and high quality apprentices.
There have been a number of challenges to meeting the public sector apprenticeship target, including planning for and resourcing EU Exit and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both of these have impacted our apprenticeship recruitment over the past 12 months.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) telecommunication companies on reducing the cost of mobile data for families and children accessing online education resources, such as the Oak Academy.
Answered by Matt Warman
It is essential that all children, regardless of their family circumstances, have the opportunity to continue to access high quality education throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Let me reassure you that the Government recognises the importance of both ensuring broadband connectivity and supporting children’s access to online learning during this time. My Department is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure vulnerable children have access to online educational resources. Furthermore my Department has previously agreed measures with telecoms providers to support vulnerable consumers more generally. These measures will also indirectly benefit children’s education. For example, as part of the voluntary commitments, the major telecoms providers committed to remove all data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services.
The Department for Education has worked with major telecoms companies to zero rate (otherwise known as whitelisting) the Hungry Little Minds and EdenRed school meal voucher website. Zero-rating is a helpful way to provide families with support to access critical resources where the majority of content is held on one website. Most educational resources including Oak Academy, however, use content that is hosted elsewhere (such as on Youtube or Vimeo) meaning that they will still incur data charges.
The Department for Education is therefore working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families more widely than selected websites. For families who rely on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide access to free additional data offering them more flexibility to access the resources that they need the most. The Department for Education has also delivered or dispatched over 200,000 laptops and tablets and over 47,000 4G wireless routers to local authorities and academy trusts who are best placed to prioritise children and young people who need devices.
The Department for Education has also launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT wifi hotspots. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. The Department for Education is currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT wifi hotspots.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) telecommunication companies on improving digital access to online education resources, such as the Oak Academy, for children from low income households.
Answered by Matt Warman
It is essential that all children, regardless of their family circumstances, have the opportunity to continue to access high quality education throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Let me reassure you that the Government recognises the importance of both ensuring broadband connectivity and supporting children’s access to online learning during this time. My Department is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure vulnerable children have access to online educational resources. Furthermore my Department has previously agreed measures with telecoms providers to support vulnerable consumers more generally. These measures will also indirectly benefit children’s education. For example, as part of the voluntary commitments, the major telecoms providers committed to remove all data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services.
The Department for Education has worked with major telecoms companies to zero rate (otherwise known as whitelisting) the Hungry Little Minds and EdenRed school meal voucher website. Zero-rating is a helpful way to provide families with support to access critical resources where the majority of content is held on one website. Most educational resources including Oak Academy, however, use content that is hosted elsewhere (such as on Youtube or Vimeo) meaning that they will still incur data charges.
The Department for Education is therefore working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families more widely than selected websites. For families who rely on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide access to free additional data offering them more flexibility to access the resources that they need the most. The Department for Education has also delivered or dispatched over 200,000 laptops and tablets and over 47,000 4G wireless routers to local authorities and academy trusts who are best placed to prioritise children and young people who need devices.
The Department for Education has also launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT wifi hotspots. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. The Department for Education is currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT wifi hotspots.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) representatives from telecommunication companies on whitelisting educational websites for children from lower income households.
Answered by Matt Warman
It is essential that all children, regardless of their family circumstances, have the opportunity to continue to access high quality education throughout the COVID19 pandemic. Let me reassure you that the Government recognises the importance of both ensuring broadband connectivity and supporting children’s access to online learning during this time. My Department is working closely with the Department for Education to ensure vulnerable children have access to online educational resources. Furthermore my Department has previously agreed measures with telecoms providers to support vulnerable consumers more generally. These measures will also indirectly benefit children’s education. For example, as part of the voluntary commitments, the major telecoms providers committed to remove all data allowance caps on all current fixed broadband services.
The Department for Education has worked with major telecoms companies to zero rate (otherwise known as whitelisting) the Hungry Little Minds and EdenRed school meal voucher website. Zero-rating is a helpful way to provide families with support to access critical resources where the majority of content is held on one website. Most educational resources including Oak Academy, however, use content that is hosted elsewhere (such as on Youtube or Vimeo) meaning that they will still incur data charges.
The Department for Education is therefore working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families more widely than selected websites. For families who rely on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide access to free additional data offering them more flexibility to access the resources that they need the most. The Department for Education has also delivered or dispatched over 200,000 laptops and tablets and over 47,000 4G wireless routers to local authorities and academy trusts who are best placed to prioritise children and young people who need devices.
The Department for Education has also launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT wifi hotspots. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. The Department for Education is currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT wifi hotspots.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what his timescale is for the reopening of snooker clubs as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. Snooker clubs have been allowed to open since 4 July, as long as they can follow the COVID-secure guidelines.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the Government's plans are for the safe reopening of ice rinks as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health. The Government is in discussions with representatives from the sport and physical activity sector about the steps required to reopen indoor sports venues and facilities, including ice rinks, as soon as it is safe to do so and will update the public when possible.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons indoor (a) sports halls and (b) gyms are not allowed to re-open as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The consideration of different venues and activities are underpinned by understanding the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 associated with particular activities.
We recognise the importance of re-opening our indoor and outdoor facilities. However, there are concerns about transmission around points of contact within such facilities, like changing rooms due to the high volume of contacts. As such, we need to provide reassurance that these facilities will be safe, and are working hard to achieve this in the coming weeks.
The Government is actively working towards a safe way to re-open these facilities, with supporting guidance.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the Government's plans are for the reopening of swimming pools as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.The Government has made it clear that it will adopt a phased approach based on scientific and medical advice, and that the primary goal is to protect public health. The Government is in discussions with representatives from the sport and physical activity sector about the steps required to reopen sports venues and facilities, including swimming pools, as soon as it is safe to do so and will update the public when possible.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance his Department has issued on the (a) reopening and (b) operation of (i) indoor sports halls and (ii) sports clubs and activities as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Indoor sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting people to be active and the Government is committed to reopening facilities, including sports halls, as soon as it is safe to do so.
We are holding regular discussions with representatives from the leisure sector and national sports organisations to develop guidance that will support them to open their facilities in a timely and safe manner once lockdown measures are eased.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.