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 metrics her Department uses to assess the functioning of the rental payments market within the Electronic Communications Code; and if she will undertake a review of the effectiveness of the functioning of this market.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code were intended to make it easier for digital communications operators to deploy and maintain their networks. Those changes included the introduction of a statutory valuation regime, which reflected the government’s view that the cost of acquiring rights to install digital infrastructure on private land prior to 2017 was too high and needed to be addressed. The valuation regime introduced in 2017 is more closely aligned to those for utilities such as water and electricity and reflects the fact that access to good quality digital services is an increasingly critical part of daily life for residents across the UK.
The Government continues to believe that the framework strikes the correct balance between ensuring individual landowners receive fair payments for allowing their land to be used and encouraging the industry investment needed for consumers across the UK to have access to fast, reliable digital services. Data provided to DCMS shows that so far this year agreements have been reached on 107 new sites, with heads of terms being agreed on a further 66. In relation to existing sites, 533 renewal agreements have been concluded so far this year, with heads of terms agreed on a further 119 sites. The data also shows that there has been a year on year increase in the number of concluded agreements since 2020. We think this reflects informal feedback we have received from all stakeholders suggesting that the market is adapting to the valuation framework.
Since the introduction of the reforms in 2017 we have engaged with and listened to stakeholders to understand the impact of the reforms in practice. This has included a formal consultation on further changes to the Code, which led to the provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, as well as ongoing (and continuing) engagement with stakeholders throughout the passage of the Bill.
In parallel, DCMS officials have convened monthly Access to Land Workshops over the last 12-18 months, which cover a number of workstreams and attract attendance from stakeholders across the telecommunications industry, including site provider representatives. I am pleased to say that these workshops have made excellent progress and one of the outputs of this work is the creation of a new industry body, the National Connectivity Alliance, which in time will continue this work independently of DCMS.
Any impacts on the rights of individual property owners have been carefully considered and balanced against the public benefits of improved connectivity. In particular, where measures in the Bill have the potential to be applied retrospectively, the rights of landowners were given careful consideration.
The Government does not intend to separately or specifically review the Electronic Communications Code rental payments market. However, the government will continue to carefully monitor the effectiveness of this legislation. For example, officials will continue to engage with stakeholders in the period leading up to the Bill’s implementation and subsequently, to understand how the new provisions are working in practice.
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, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill on the individual property rights of site providers of telecommunications equipment.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code were intended to make it easier for digital communications operators to deploy and maintain their networks. Those changes included the introduction of a statutory valuation regime, which reflected the government’s view that the cost of acquiring rights to install digital infrastructure on private land prior to 2017 was too high and needed to be addressed. The valuation regime introduced in 2017 is more closely aligned to those for utilities such as water and electricity and reflects the fact that access to good quality digital services is an increasingly critical part of daily life for residents across the UK.
The Government continues to believe that the framework strikes the correct balance between ensuring individual landowners receive fair payments for allowing their land to be used and encouraging the industry investment needed for consumers across the UK to have access to fast, reliable digital services. Data provided to DCMS shows that so far this year agreements have been reached on 107 new sites, with heads of terms being agreed on a further 66. In relation to existing sites, 533 renewal agreements have been concluded so far this year, with heads of terms agreed on a further 119 sites. The data also shows that there has been a year on year increase in the number of concluded agreements since 2020. We think this reflects informal feedback we have received from all stakeholders suggesting that the market is adapting to the valuation framework.
Since the introduction of the reforms in 2017 we have engaged with and listened to stakeholders to understand the impact of the reforms in practice. This has included a formal consultation on further changes to the Code, which led to the provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, as well as ongoing (and continuing) engagement with stakeholders throughout the passage of the Bill.
In parallel, DCMS officials have convened monthly Access to Land Workshops over the last 12-18 months, which cover a number of workstreams and attract attendance from stakeholders across the telecommunications industry, including site provider representatives. I am pleased to say that these workshops have made excellent progress and one of the outputs of this work is the creation of a new industry body, the National Connectivity Alliance, which in time will continue this work independently of DCMS.
Any impacts on the rights of individual property owners have been carefully considered and balanced against the public benefits of improved connectivity. In particular, where measures in the Bill have the potential to be applied retrospectively, the rights of landowners were given careful consideration.
The Government does not intend to separately or specifically review the Electronic Communications Code rental payments market. However, the government will continue to carefully monitor the effectiveness of this legislation. For example, officials will continue to engage with stakeholders in the period leading up to the Bill’s implementation and subsequently, to understand how the new provisions are working in practice.
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 she is taking to support Derby County FC and help ensure the survival of the club.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government continues to engage closely with the English Football League about Derby County Football Club. Ultimately, it is for the EFL, the administrator and the club to resolve issues to ensure the survival of Derby County FC, but the government has urged pragmatism from all parties to find a solution for the benefit of fans and the community that the club serves.
The EFL must equally preserve the integrity of the league on behalf of all member clubs, but all parties want to see one of the founding members of the Football League continue this season and beyond under appropriate ownership.
The Fan Led Review of Football Governance made proposals directly addressing how to prevent clubs ending up in such difficult financial situations. We have endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game. The Government is now working at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.
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 support communities to access local newspaper archives; and whether funding is available for that.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Local newspapers provide insight on the events, large and small, which shape our communities, and improving and maintaining access to these resources for individuals and communities is vital.
The British Library has a statutory duty to collect physical newspapers and online news sites; it also aims to make newspapers as accessible as possible. This work includes working in partnership with Findmypast to produce the British Newspaper Archive (BNA). The BNA is an online subscription resource enabling online access to historic digitised newspapers. The BNA is free to access in British Library Reading Rooms and a number of local authorities, including Essex County Council, subscribe enabling free access to public library users and through records offices. Many local authority archives and local study services may also retain their own collections of local newspapers.
The British Library has also undertaken local newspaper digitisation projects with public and community libraries on a cost recovery only basis, using the British Library’s skills and expertise to support local libraries.
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 funding her Department provides for the digitalisation of local newspaper records.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Work on improving and maintaining access to local newspaper records and archives is led by colleagues at the British Library and The National Archives respectively, using funding from their core budgets.
The British Library collects physical newspapers and online news sites under legal deposit. The additional work the British Library does in this area makes newspapers as accessible as possible at no cost to the taxpayer. It holds a newspaper collection of over 60 million issues (450 million pages) dating from 1619 to the present day, and since 2010 has been working on a strategy to preserve and protect newspapers for researchers and the general public. This includes working in partnership with Findmypast to produce the British Newspaper Archive (BNA), an online subscription resource enabling online access to historic digitised newspapers while creating preservation files for the British Library’s Digital Library Store. The BNA is free to access in British Library Reading Rooms.
The task of digitising archived physical material is substantial, but progress is being made both through central projects, with c. 46 million pages digitised since 2011, and through partnerships between the British Library and local libraries such as Birmingham, Wexford, Jersey and Shropshire. Projects undertaken with local libraries and councils allow local services to benefit from the expertise of the British Library on a cost recovery basis (i.e. not for profit).
In terms of improving access to archives, The National Archives has been delivering against its Archives Unlocked strategy since 2017. In order to achieve this, The National Archives works to support the Archives sector to develop digital capacity, build resilience and demonstrate impact through innovation and by building new audiences. Officials from The National Archives have collaborated with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the Culture is Digital project, to highlight where the archives sector can demonstrate leadership (such as digitisation) as well as develop and grow alongside other cultural bodies.
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 her Department is taking to (a) digitise local newspaper records and (b) improve access to archives.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Work on improving and maintaining access to local newspaper records and archives is led by colleagues at the British Library and The National Archives respectively, using funding from their core budgets.
The British Library collects physical newspapers and online news sites under legal deposit. The additional work the British Library does in this area makes newspapers as accessible as possible at no cost to the taxpayer. It holds a newspaper collection of over 60 million issues (450 million pages) dating from 1619 to the present day, and since 2010 has been working on a strategy to preserve and protect newspapers for researchers and the general public. This includes working in partnership with Findmypast to produce the British Newspaper Archive (BNA), an online subscription resource enabling online access to historic digitised newspapers while creating preservation files for the British Library’s Digital Library Store. The BNA is free to access in British Library Reading Rooms.
The task of digitising archived physical material is substantial, but progress is being made both through central projects, with c. 46 million pages digitised since 2011, and through partnerships between the British Library and local libraries such as Birmingham, Wexford, Jersey and Shropshire. Projects undertaken with local libraries and councils allow local services to benefit from the expertise of the British Library on a cost recovery basis (i.e. not for profit).
In terms of improving access to archives, The National Archives has been delivering against its Archives Unlocked strategy since 2017. In order to achieve this, The National Archives works to support the Archives sector to develop digital capacity, build resilience and demonstrate impact through innovation and by building new audiences. Officials from The National Archives have collaborated with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the Culture is Digital project, to highlight where the archives sector can demonstrate leadership (such as digitisation) as well as develop and grow alongside other cultural bodies.
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 her Department is taking to improve access to local newspaper records.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Work on improving and maintaining access to local newspaper records and archives is led by colleagues at the British Library and The National Archives respectively, using funding from their core budgets.
The British Library collects physical newspapers and online news sites under legal deposit. The additional work the British Library does in this area makes newspapers as accessible as possible at no cost to the taxpayer. It holds a newspaper collection of over 60 million issues (450 million pages) dating from 1619 to the present day, and since 2010 has been working on a strategy to preserve and protect newspapers for researchers and the general public. This includes working in partnership with Findmypast to produce the British Newspaper Archive (BNA), an online subscription resource enabling online access to historic digitised newspapers while creating preservation files for the British Library’s Digital Library Store. The BNA is free to access in British Library Reading Rooms.
The task of digitising archived physical material is substantial, but progress is being made both through central projects, with c. 46 million pages digitised since 2011, and through partnerships between the British Library and local libraries such as Birmingham, Wexford, Jersey and Shropshire. Projects undertaken with local libraries and councils allow local services to benefit from the expertise of the British Library on a cost recovery basis (i.e. not for profit).
In terms of improving access to archives, The National Archives has been delivering against its Archives Unlocked strategy since 2017. In order to achieve this, The National Archives works to support the Archives sector to develop digital capacity, build resilience and demonstrate impact through innovation and by building new audiences. Officials from The National Archives have collaborated with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the Culture is Digital project, to highlight where the archives sector can demonstrate leadership (such as digitisation) as well as develop and grow alongside other cultural bodies.
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 she is taking to support grassroots rugby in Harlow.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity are an incredibly important part of living an active lifestyle. All generations and communities should be able to enjoy the physical and mental health, wellbeing, social and other benefits of being active.
Over the last decade, the Department has invested £1,211,653 into a wide range of grassroots sport projects within the Harlow constituency through Sport England. This sum includes £104,310 on projects specifically supporting football, and £82,265 on rugby.
The government also committed a further £205 million in the budget on 27 October, to transform grassroots football facilities across the UK. In England, the Football Foundation will prioritise 70% of the investment in category 1 and 2 levelling up areas such as Harlow, and direct significant investment to multi-sport facilities. This is part of our pledge to ensure every community has the pitches they need by 2030, in support of a potential UK & Ireland FIFA World Cup 2030 bid. The Harlow Local facility Football Plan can be viewed online on the Football Foundation website.
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 she is taking to support grassroots football in Harlow.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity are an incredibly important part of living an active lifestyle. All generations and communities should be able to enjoy the physical and mental health, wellbeing, social and other benefits of being active.
Over the last decade, the Department has invested £1,211,653 into a wide range of grassroots sport projects within the Harlow constituency through Sport England. This sum includes £104,310 on projects specifically supporting football, and £82,265 on rugby.
The government also committed a further £205 million in the budget on 27 October, to transform grassroots football facilities across the UK. In England, the Football Foundation will prioritise 70% of the investment in category 1 and 2 levelling up areas such as Harlow, and direct significant investment to multi-sport facilities. This is part of our pledge to ensure every community has the pitches they need by 2030, in support of a potential UK & Ireland FIFA World Cup 2030 bid. The Harlow Local facility Football Plan can be viewed online on the Football Foundation website.
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 she is taking to improve digital connectivity in villages in Harlow constituency.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to delivering lightning-fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the country. That is why in March this year we launched the first phase of the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit to ensure that hard to reach communities are not left out of the revolution in connectivity.
Significant Building Digital UK (BDUK), County and Local Council investment alongside commercial activity has led to Harlow and Epping Forest District Council areas being among the best connected parts of the UK for Gigabit broadband.
According to the latest data, the Harlow constituency area currently has over 91% gigabit-capable coverage availability to homes and businesses, well ahead of the UK average at 58%. Similarly, the Epping Forest District Council area has over 85% gigabit availability.
Rural premises around the villages, that have not yet been upgraded by commercial activity, or the government funded superfast project, are able to apply for the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, allowing residents and suppliers to target investment where demand exists for very high speed connectivity. This scheme is open for communities and businesses living in rural areas not in line for commercial rollout or government-funded projects, to provide immediate help with the costs of installing gigabit. You can find an eligibility checker on our website.
The constituency of Harlow has already made good use of the scheme, with 21 vouchers having been connected and a further 23 vouchers awaiting connection for a combined value of £90,631.
The supply side of Project Gigabit, which will target all remaining sub-gigabit properties in Essex, including the Harlow constituency, is planned to launch between May and July 2023. This project aims to give all residents and businesses access to future-proofed very high speed connectivity.