Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many representations his Department has received on the health risks of 5G technology.
Answered by Margot James
5G is the latest evolution of mobile communications technologies and currently in its development stages. 5G is likely to be deployed as part of a patchwork of technologies, including those already in use, such as advanced LTE (4G), Wi-Fi, as well as 5G new radio - forming a ‘network of networks’ of a heterogeneous nature.
The Department has had a number of open consultations, and calls for evidence over the past year, for the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, as well as relating to the 5G Programme. Across these, and with departmental correspondence, we have received 34 representations on the potential health risks of 5G technology.
A considerable amount of research has been carried out on radio waves and we anticipate no negative effects on public health. As 5G continues to develop, the Government is committed to working with Public Health England’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) in order to monitor available evidence and will take action if necessary.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
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 about the safety of 5G with respect to human health.
Answered by Margot James
5G is the latest evolution of mobile communications technologies and currently in its development stages. 5G is likely to be deployed as part of a patchwork of technologies, including those already in use, such as advanced LTE (4G), Wi-Fi, as well as 5G new radio - forming a ‘network of networks’ of a heterogeneous nature.
A considerable amount of research has been carried out on radio waves and we anticipate no negative effects on public health.
The Government expects that existing UK technical standards will be adhered to throughout the development and deployment of 5G products and networks. These standards draw on the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, which takes into account the well-researched effects of radio waves.
As 5G continues to develop, the Government is committed to working with Public Health England’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) in order to monitor available evidence and will take action if necessary.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will set out the progress on the development of new independent bodies to regulate the media.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Government established a new system of press self-regulation whereby self-regulators can apply to the Press Recognition Panel for recognition if they choose. It is for the Panel to assess self-regulators against the criteria set out in the Royal Charter.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage corporate sponsorship of the arts at a local level.
Answered by Matt Hancock
We believe strongly in public investment in culture. As well as core Exchequer and lottery funding, government supports culture through tax breaks and encourages philanthropy and volunteering. The UK arts sector has a unique mixed funding model and it makes good business sense for cultural bodies to continue to look to diversify their revenue streams. There are many cultural organisations outside London who are successfully building long term relationships with corporate donors and sponsors for mutual benefit.
In the Culture White Paper government committed to talking more about the mutual benefits of such partnerships, and how they make a difference to cultural organisations and to public life. DCMS with Arts Council England recently commissioned work from the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Programme with Brunswick Arts to provide insight into how the current corporate sponsorship landscape in England has changed in recent years, including at the local level. The findings will be published later this year.
Arts Council England have commissioned a new Private Investment in Culture Survey, to explore the current state of private philanthropy, including from corporate sources. This is due for publication later this year. They have also invested in programmes such as the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy programme and Catalyst Evolve to support skills development across England including corporate engagement and to attract more private giving including through corporate sponsorship.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will place in the Library copies of all letters, leaflets and other material from his Department circulated to (a) stakeholders and (b) members of the public on the EU Referendum; what the costs of the production and distribution of that material has been since 1 January 2016; and what he estimates the cost of any further production and distribution of such material will be between 6 May 2016 and 23 June 2016.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 8 June 2016 to Question 38811.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage corporate sponsorship of the arts at a local level.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Government believes that a thriving arts sector is vital for the cultural landscape of this country. We highlighted in the recent Culture White Paper that we would like to see a rejuvenated approach to corporate sponsorship of the arts. We are working with Arts Council England and other partners on this agenda, including looking at local level partnerships.
Arts Council have already commissioned a new Private Investment Survey and is currently inviting all arts and cultural organisations in England to take part by April 29th. The new survey will be published in the autumn and will provide an updated overview of private investment in England’s cultural sectors, including at the local level. It will also bridge the gap in terms of data on how the sector has developed since the last survey was published covering data for 2011/12, which recorded business investment in the arts as £113 million.
Asked by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to maximise engagement of children and young people in the arts.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
The Culture White Paper published last month makes clear that this Government is committed to ensuring that the arts should be an essential part of every child’s education both in and out of school. This includes working with the Department for Education on a range of music and cultural education programmes since 2012, supporting the Arts Council’s Cultural Education Challenge to create a network of cultural education partnerships and a new Cultural Citizens programme which will be piloted in three areas to support the engagement of disadvantaged young people with arts and culture in their local community.