Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support people over 75 to (a) pay for a TV licence and (b) claim a concessionary rate for a TV licence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The future of the over 75 licence fee concession is the responsibility of the BBC from June 2020. It is for the BBC to set out the ways in which people over 75 can pay for a TV licence or claim the BBC’s concession from this date.
The Government is disappointed with the BBC's decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.
The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to and the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to raise the annual turnover limits for Society Lotteries as outlined in the Government's consultation document.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Last year society lotteries raised nearly £300m and as the Minister for Sports and Civil Society I am keenly aware of the vital role that they play in this country, supporting countless good causes including our charities, hospices and air ambulances. Society lotteries sit alongside the National Lottery, which last year raised £1.6bn.
DCMS ran a consultation on society lotteries reform from June to September 2018. This included options which considered changes to the annual sales and maximum prize limits. I hope to respond to the consultation before the summer recess.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to raise the maximum prize limit for Society Lotteries to £1 million.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Last year society lotteries raised nearly £300m and as the Minister for Sports and Civil Society I am keenly aware of the vital role that they play in this country, supporting countless good causes including our charities, hospices and air ambulances. Society lotteries sit alongside the National Lottery, which last year raised £1.6bn.
DCMS ran a consultation on society lotteries reform from June to September 2018. This included options which considered changes to the annual sales and maximum prize limits. I hope to respond to the consultation before the summer recess.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 comply with Article 109, Recital 5 of the European Electronic Communications Code in relation to people whose first language is British Sign Language.
Answered by Margot James
Article 109, Subparagraph (5) of the European Electronic Communications Code states that consumers with disabilities must have an equivalent level of access to emergency services as consumers without disabilities. The Government’s position is that no steps need to be taken in order to implement this provision, as it already exists in the current EU framework (at Article 26(4) of the amended Universal Service Directive 2002/22/EC), which the UK implemented in 2011.