Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria is being used to select the body administering funding from the statutory gambling levy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In line with the Gambling Act 2005, the levy will be collected and administered by the Gambling Commission under the strategic direction of the government. As set out in the government’s response to the statutory levy consultation, we have appointed UK Research and Innovation and NHS England as the research and treatment commissioners respectively. This approach will leverage world-leading expertise among existing public bodies, maximise efficiency and see levy funding directed where it is needed most. Further consideration of the evidence is needed in order to appoint an appropriate body to lead the prevention strand of the levy system. We will confirm our decisions in due course.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
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 help tackle abusive behaviour on social media.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Online Safety Bill will stamp out illegal abusive behaviour on social media, while giving users greater control over their online experience.
The new duties in the Bill will increase transparency over companies’ terms of service, allowing users to make more informed choices about the services they use. Companies must also provide users with tools to protect themselves from abuse.
The Bill is currently at Report Stage and is due to return to the Commons on 5 December.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of places in swimming lessons for (a) adults and (b) children in (i) Canterbury constituency and (b) Kent.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to indoor and outdoor pools. Swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy as well as being a crucial life skill in terms of water safety.
The Government has provided a range of support for swimming pools during the pandemic. The £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools throughout the country. Local Authorities in Kent were awarded £2,855,093 through the National Leisure Recovery Fund, of which £374,030 was awarded to Canterbury City Council. Sport England has awarded over £166,000 for specific investments in swimming in Kent since 2012.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will publish data on the airborne transmission of covid-19 as a result of groups of more than six people singing.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
I know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year. I can assure you that everyone across the Government wants to ease these restrictions as soon as possible.
However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.