Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits for the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors of introducing additional bank holidays in late 2020, in the event that lockdown restrictions implemented in response to the covid-19 outbreak have been lifted.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to helping the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors through this crisis and beyond. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support the sector during the recovery period.
Our immediate national priority is containing the spread of the virus. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will be encouraging people to embrace the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors once again.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 expand the availability of gigabit-capable broadband throughout (a) Lancashire and (b) Blackpool.
Answered by Matt Warman
The Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit capable broadband as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made, with full fibre coverage doubling in the past year to reach 10% of UK premises, according to the latest Ofcom figures.
This Government will continue to take action to remove barriers to network rollout and to ensure that those in the hardest to reach areas are not left behind. We have introduced legislation to make it easier for operators to deploy broadband in blocks of flats, will be legislating to mandate gigabit connectivity in new builds and will invest £5 billion of funding to support gigabit rollout in hard to reach areas.
Lancashire has 97.8% superfast coverage, up from 37% in January 2011. In Blackpool, superfast coverage is 99.5%, compared to the UK average of 96%. Blackpool City Council was successful in their Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) Wave 2 bid for funding, and were allocated £3.1 million to upgrade its fibre presence across the city using 20km of the existing duct tramway. A separate company, ITS Technology Group, has extended its gigabit-capable broadband services to the Fylde Coast by harnessing the local, publicly owned Cooperative Network Infrastructure (CNI). This is currently live in Blackpool and is expanding across the Fylde coast.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of covid-19 on (a) the UK tourism industry and (b) coastal communities; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are aware that the COVID-19 outbreak is significantly impacting the tourism industry and connected communities, including those in coastal regions.
My Department regularly engages with stakeholders in the tourism and events sector and across Government on this developing issue. We will continue to monitor its impact on the sector and would urge businesses from all parts of the country to share information with VisitBritain via their Tourism Industry Emergency Response group.
The Chancellor has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, tax relief and cash grant measures, plus £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 support (a) bed and breakfasts, (b) guest houses and (c) hotels in coastal towns in the event of reduced tourism as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are aware that the coronavirus outbreak is impacting businesses across many industries.
I regularly engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector on this developing issue. My Department and VisitBritain have organised two meetings between the industry and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer. I will continue to monitor its impact on tourism businesses across the country and would urge tourism businesses to share information with VisitBritain.
Measures announced in the recent Budget relating to rates relief will also assist SMEs in the hospitality and leisure space.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to work with the (a) English Football League, (b) Premier League and (c) Football Association to promote sustainable (i) financial planning and (ii) good governance in football league clubs.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Football clubs are the heart of local communities, they have unique social value and many with a great history. It is vital they are protected.
This government is committed to undertaking a fan led review of football governance, which will include consideration of the Owners’ and Directors’ test, and will work closely with the football authorities as we decide the scope and structure of the review.
My predecessor also recently met with the EFL to discuss the progress of their own review into club governance.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make representations with his international counterparts and tourist industries overseas to online hotel booking websites on revising their practices on (a) brand jacking, (b) fear of missing out statements, (c) undercutting partner prices and (d) the online reviewing system.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I will continue to meet regularly with stakeholders across the Tourism sector to discuss a range of issues.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) previously investigated the practices of hotel booking websites, reporting its conclusions in September 2019. Following this, 25 major hotel booking sites signed up to the CMA’s sector-wide principles for providing online accommodation booking services. The CMA continues to monitor compliance with consumer protection law in the sector.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support he is providing to help England Beach Soccer establish a northern beach soccer league.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to supporting people to get involved in sport and physical activity in whatever way best suits them. To date, Government has not invested in, or been approached for investment in, beach soccer.
Subject to eligibility requirements, England Beach Soccer may be able to apply for funding from Sport England’s Small Grants Fund which provides amounts up to £10,000 for projects that help people to lead more active lives. It may also wish to explore making an application to the Football Foundation’s Grow the Game Fund.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of commission charged by online booking websites on (a) small hoteliers and (b) bookings for hotel accommodation; and whether his Department plans to review the regulatory framework in relation to the charging of that commission.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Department has not assessed the effect of the level of commission charged by online booking websites on either small hoteliers or bookings for hotel accommodation.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK's independent competition authority, is responsible for investigating markets where competition or consumer problems are detected. The CMA previously investigated the practices of hotel booking websites, reporting its conclusions in September 2019, and continues to monitor their compliance with consumer protection law in the sector.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 with local authorities to promote schemes which tackle loneliness and social isolation at Christmas time.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government’s strategy on tackling loneliness stresses the important contribution of all parts of society, including local authorities, throughout the year not just at Christmas.
Government’s work with local authorities includes: working with three local authorities to pilot ways of making information about local activities and services addressing loneliness more easily available; and working with the Local Government Association and National Association of Local Councils to publish a comprehensive guide outlining how councils can create the right structures and conditions locally to tackle loneliness.
In addition, the Let’s Talk Loneliness communications campaign promotes many schemes across the country that bring people together. The campaign website hosts a toolkit of resources and case studies; these have been shared with a network of over 300 organisations and have been widely used.
The government has also established the £11.5m Building Connections Fund; 126 grants were made to successful applicants in December 2018. Projects are now underway, bringing people together across the country. On 15 October 2019 the Minister for Civil Society, Baroness Barran, announced a new £2 million fund to help organisations at the frontline of tackling loneliness across the country.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Government's loneliness strategy in reducing loneliness and (b) cross-departmental working to implement that strategy.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government is committed to understanding the impact of its activity on loneliness and will use this insight to inform future decision-making. The 60 commitments made in the loneliness strategy vary widely and so learning is captured in different ways. Many of these commitments are still in progress and evaluation will emerge over time. For example, an independent evaluation of the £11.5m Building Connections Fund is underway, and the findings will be published from mid-2020 onwards.
The first annual report on government’s work on tackling loneliness will be published shortly, and will set out progress to date.
Cross-departmental working has continued to be effective, with close working between the nine departments involved to ensure successful implementation of the strategy.