Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of adequacy of the accessibility of hotels for disabled people in the UK.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government remains committed to the ambition set out in both the Tourism Sector Deal, and more recently in the Tourism Recovery Plan, for the UK to be the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025.
VisitEngland’s Inclusive Tourism Action Group comprises a range of leading accessible tourism stakeholders who share the vision for England to provide world-class accessible tourism experiences that every person with accessibility requirements can enjoy. The chair of the group, Ross Calladine, is the government's newly appointed Disability and Access Ambassador for Tourism.
The group undertakes a range of activities to increase engagement of tourism destinations and businesses in the provision of access for all and to raise awareness of accessible tourism experiences amongst disabled people.
VisitEngland is currently undertaking a review of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) that helps accommodation owners in England develop and promote their level of accessibility and helps people with accessibility requirements identify suitable accommodation more easily. It comprises a comprehensive set of standards and, for a fee, assessment by a trained independent assessor. The review of the NAS is being carried out within the wider context of VisitEngland’s work on accessible tourism, particularly the provision of the Accessibility Guides initiative and the comprehensive guidance on the Business Advice Hub.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many roundtable meetings her Department has had with disabled people to discuss the barriers they face in booking accommodation.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government remains committed to the ambition set out in both the Tourism Sector Deal, and more recently in the Tourism Recovery Plan, for the UK to be the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025.
VisitEngland’s Inclusive Tourism Action Group comprises a range of leading accessible tourism stakeholders who share the vision for England to provide world-class accessible tourism experiences that every person with accessibility requirements can enjoy. The chair of the group, Ross Calladine, is the government's newly appointed Disability and Access Ambassador for Tourism.
The group undertakes a range of activities to increase engagement of tourism destinations and businesses in the provision of access for all and to raise awareness of accessible tourism experiences amongst disabled people.
VisitEngland is currently undertaking a review of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) that helps accommodation owners in England develop and promote their level of accessibility and helps people with accessibility requirements identify suitable accommodation more easily. It comprises a comprehensive set of standards and, for a fee, assessment by a trained independent assessor. The review of the NAS is being carried out within the wider context of VisitEngland’s work on accessible tourism, particularly the provision of the Accessibility Guides initiative and the comprehensive guidance on the Business Advice Hub.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many roundtable meetings her Department has had with stakeholders in the tourism sector to discuss the barriers disabled people experience when booking hotels and other similar venues since 2021.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government remains committed to the ambition set out in both the Tourism Sector Deal, and more recently in the Tourism Recovery Plan, for the UK to be the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025.
VisitEngland’s Inclusive Tourism Action Group comprises a range of leading accessible tourism stakeholders who share the vision for England to provide world-class accessible tourism experiences that every person with accessibility requirements can enjoy. The chair of the group, Ross Calladine, is the government's newly appointed Disability and Access Ambassador for Tourism.
The group undertakes a range of activities to increase engagement of tourism destinations and businesses in the provision of access for all and to raise awareness of accessible tourism experiences amongst disabled people.
VisitEngland is currently undertaking a review of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) that helps accommodation owners in England develop and promote their level of accessibility and helps people with accessibility requirements identify suitable accommodation more easily. It comprises a comprehensive set of standards and, for a fee, assessment by a trained independent assessor. The review of the NAS is being carried out within the wider context of VisitEngland’s work on accessible tourism, particularly the provision of the Accessibility Guides initiative and the comprehensive guidance on the Business Advice Hub.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to improve co-operation between the Financial Conduct Authority and the Gambling Commission.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport worked closely with their counterparts at the Treasury to discuss the collapse of BetIndex, the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in this case, the independent review conducted by Malcolm Sheehan QC and the lessons learnt that were identified by the review.
Following the publication of the review, the Gambling Commission updated its framework for risk based regulation so that product novelty is properly considered alongside other factors in determining the level of scrutiny an operator is placed under.
The review also clearly states that the FCA’s concluded position was that no part of Football Index fell within the FCA’s remit on legal grounds. Only one company is currently regulated by both the Gambling Commission and the FCA. The Commission continues to be vigilant about emerging products and operators and, under the terms of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FCA, identify and highlight the potential need for its involvement wherever necessary.
The FCA and the Gambling Commission strengthened their Memorandum of Understanding in response to Mr Sheehan’s recommendations in the independent review, including establishing new escalation routes and commitments on timeliness of responses to ensure regulatory impasses are identified and overcome quickly. The FCA has additionally nominated an Executive Director to oversee its relationship with the Commission.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many companies does the Gambling Commission dual regulate with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport worked closely with their counterparts at the Treasury to discuss the collapse of BetIndex, the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in this case, the independent review conducted by Malcolm Sheehan QC and the lessons learnt that were identified by the review.
Following the publication of the review, the Gambling Commission updated its framework for risk based regulation so that product novelty is properly considered alongside other factors in determining the level of scrutiny an operator is placed under.
The review also clearly states that the FCA’s concluded position was that no part of Football Index fell within the FCA’s remit on legal grounds. Only one company is currently regulated by both the Gambling Commission and the FCA. The Commission continues to be vigilant about emerging products and operators and, under the terms of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FCA, identify and highlight the potential need for its involvement wherever necessary.
The FCA and the Gambling Commission strengthened their Memorandum of Understanding in response to Mr Sheehan’s recommendations in the independent review, including establishing new escalation routes and commitments on timeliness of responses to ensure regulatory impasses are identified and overcome quickly. The FCA has additionally nominated an Executive Director to oversee its relationship with the Commission.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits for gambling regulation of requiring the Gambling Commission to assess the novelty of an (a) operator or (b) product when conducting scrutiny.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport worked closely with their counterparts at the Treasury to discuss the collapse of BetIndex, the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in this case, the independent review conducted by Malcolm Sheehan QC and the lessons learnt that were identified by the review.
Following the publication of the review, the Gambling Commission updated its framework for risk based regulation so that product novelty is properly considered alongside other factors in determining the level of scrutiny an operator is placed under.
The review also clearly states that the FCA’s concluded position was that no part of Football Index fell within the FCA’s remit on legal grounds. Only one company is currently regulated by both the Gambling Commission and the FCA. The Commission continues to be vigilant about emerging products and operators and, under the terms of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FCA, identify and highlight the potential need for its involvement wherever necessary.
The FCA and the Gambling Commission strengthened their Memorandum of Understanding in response to Mr Sheehan’s recommendations in the independent review, including establishing new escalation routes and commitments on timeliness of responses to ensure regulatory impasses are identified and overcome quickly. The FCA has additionally nominated an Executive Director to oversee its relationship with the Commission.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her officials have had with their counterparts at the Treasury on the actions of the Financial Conduct Authority with regards to its regulation of BetIndex Limited.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport worked closely with their counterparts at the Treasury to discuss the collapse of BetIndex, the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in this case, the independent review conducted by Malcolm Sheehan QC and the lessons learnt that were identified by the review.
Following the publication of the review, the Gambling Commission updated its framework for risk based regulation so that product novelty is properly considered alongside other factors in determining the level of scrutiny an operator is placed under.
The review also clearly states that the FCA’s concluded position was that no part of Football Index fell within the FCA’s remit on legal grounds. Only one company is currently regulated by both the Gambling Commission and the FCA. The Commission continues to be vigilant about emerging products and operators and, under the terms of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FCA, identify and highlight the potential need for its involvement wherever necessary.
The FCA and the Gambling Commission strengthened their Memorandum of Understanding in response to Mr Sheehan’s recommendations in the independent review, including establishing new escalation routes and commitments on timeliness of responses to ensure regulatory impasses are identified and overcome quickly. The FCA has additionally nominated an Executive Director to oversee its relationship with the Commission.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether Ministers in her Department have met officials at the Gambling Commission in respect of the Review of the Regulation of BetIndex Limited.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The first piece of correspondence from the Gambling Commission alerting DCMS to the BetIndex Limited case was an email to officials on the 10th of March 2021.
Since then ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with the Gambling Commission on the case, the independent review, and lessons learnt. Records of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and are available on gov.uk.
Officials at the Advertising Standards Authority and DCMS have discussed the Betindex case periodically since the company’s collapse in March 2021, but there has been no written correspondence on it.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
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 received correspondence from the Advertising Standards Authority in respect of the activities of BetIndex Limited.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The first piece of correspondence from the Gambling Commission alerting DCMS to the BetIndex Limited case was an email to officials on the 10th of March 2021.
Since then ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with the Gambling Commission on the case, the independent review, and lessons learnt. Records of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and are available on gov.uk.
Officials at the Advertising Standards Authority and DCMS have discussed the Betindex case periodically since the company’s collapse in March 2021, but there has been no written correspondence on it.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings she has attended on the review of the regulation of BetIndex Limited.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The first piece of correspondence from the Gambling Commission alerting DCMS to the BetIndex Limited case was an email to officials on the 10th of March 2021.
Since then ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with the Gambling Commission on the case, the independent review, and lessons learnt. Records of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and are available on gov.uk.
Officials at the Advertising Standards Authority and DCMS have discussed the Betindex case periodically since the company’s collapse in March 2021, but there has been no written correspondence on it.